I’m a double-dress shopper like Kate – buying the same item in different colours is THE way to sort your wardrobe

HOVERING over the “buy now” button, I asked myself the usual question: “Do I really need this?”

It was the January sales and I was lusting after a chocolate-brown leather pencil skirt from Sosandar.

News Group Newspapers Ltd.I’m a double-dress shopper like Kate Middleton – buying the same item in different colours is THE way to sort your wardrobe and it’s the ultimate money saver too[/caption]

ReutersKate Middleton wore a red Catherine Walker coat dress to a carol service at Westminster Abbey in December – she wore the same piece in black to Prince Philip’s funeral last April[/caption]

It was a great buy, a timeless wardrobe staple versatile enough for both work and play. And it was 30 per cent off, at £101.30. So why hesitate? I already have one.

A few weeks earlier, when another irresistible discount code dropped into my inbox, I bought the skirt in tan. And I loved it.

People might think it’s odd or excessive to buy clothes in more than one colour. But I’m in good company.

The Duchess of Cambridge wore a gorgeous red Catherine Walker coat dress to a carol service at West-minster Abbey in December.

Royal watchers realised she wore the same piece in a sombre black to Prince Philip’s funeral last April.

It wasn’t the first time she has doubled up. On a 2016 tour of Canada with Prince William she wore a £1,000 red Preen dress to a reception. Two months later, she rocked up to a London bash in a black version.

She has another Catherine Walker coat in red and cobalt blue, plus a custom pair with a velvet collar and cuffs in green and scarlet.

Kate also has identical £1,350 Emilia Wickstead frocks in lilac and green; a £2,500 bespoke Alexander McQueen dress in both fuchsia and baby pink; and that bespoke cream McQueen coat dress she wore to Harry and Meghan’s 2018, which she wore in ice blue to an RAF event soon after.

It is an economical way to buy clothes . . . especially if you are a lazy shopper, like me.

I’d much rather spend Saturday afternoon in the pub with mates, not traipsing round shops.

We are urged to be greener with our shopping habits. A recent report for the British Fashion Council found long-term wearability and “buying less but better” has become the most important consideration for two-thirds of shoppers.

I am a High Street gal. My go-to brands are Marks & Spencer, New Look and H&M. I dabble in River Island, Oasis, Warehouse and, if I feel flush, French Connection and Hobbs (they have great sales).

If I find a piece I love, buying it in different colours means I will not wear the one item over and over again until it is spent.

I know my size and if I find a top or trousers I like in multiple colours, I will bung one of each in the basket.

I have the same M&S ribbed polo-neck jumper in SIX colours. At £17.50 apiece, they were a steal. They mix-and-match with everything.

Partly I blame my mum, who has an M&S puffer jacket in four colours, for kick-starting my habit.

Lazy shopper

My birthday is just before Christmas and one year I had my eye on a £40 red bodycon dress from Dorothy Perkins.

So Mum treated me. I loved it so much that she made a last-minute dash to the shops and bought me the green version for Christmas.

When the January sales rolled around, I couldn’t resist. I bought it in purple. I’ve had those dresses for more than ten years and still get compliments on them.

Another win was a discounted £80 French Connection dress I have in both white and khaki-green. I dithered for ages over buying them.

Eventually I justified as follows: I would wear the green one in summer and winter, while the white one would be great for holidays and showing off a tan.

They remain two of my favourite pieces, so I made the right call. I recently bought faux-leather jeggings from H&M in tan and green.

For years, I had hunted for a flattering pair of leather pants. So buying these was a no-brainer.

I have a River Island blouse in yellow, purple and orange; plus a satin top in emerald and gold.

From Zara, I have a jumper in black and yellow; from Topshop (RIP!) a blouse in black and terracotta; and from New Look, a jumpsuit in khaki-green and leopard-print.

I also have River Island stilettos in black and nude, which I keep in my office drawer and alternate throughout the week at work.

When Topshop closed, people were panic-buying its jeans. Should M&S one day go bust (perish the thought) I can rest easy knowing I am already stocked up on those polo-necks.

I still regret not buying my Topshop blouse in white . . . but have learned from my mistake.

In the end, I did buy the Sosandar chocolate leather skirt.

News Group Newspapers Ltd.I have the same M&S ribbed polo-neck jumper in SIX colours, they mix-and-match with everything[/caption]

News Group Newspapers Ltd.I have a River Island satin top in emerald and gold[/caption]

GettyKate also has identical £1,350 Emilia Wickstead frocks in lilac and green[/caption]

Getty – ContributorPeople might think it’s odd or excessive to buy clothes in more than one colour. But with Kate I’m in good company[/caption]

PAKate wearing her black Catherine Walker coat dress to Prince Philip’s funeral last April[/caption]

News Group Newspapers Ltd.In the January sales I was lusting after a chocolate-brown leather pencil skirt from Sosandar[/caption]

News Group Newspapers Ltd.I ended up also buying the skirt in tan as well after getting a deal[/caption]