Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, is well-known for her funky shoe choices. This is the woman, after all, who once wore velvet flats embroidered with the words “Never Complain” on one foot and “Never Explain” on the other. Which is why I wasn’t all that surprised to see her rocking a pair of Charlotte Olympia “Kitty” flats to attend the London Music Fund charity lunch in Chelsea in late June 2024 (peep the look here). I remember when the feline-inspired style was first launched back in 2012 and immediately jumped down a rabbit hole of throwback photos of other famous fans of the cute flats like Kirsten Dunst, Sophia Bush and...Taylor Swift!
Fergie Just Copied Taylor Swift’s Go-To Shoe From Waaay Back in 2012
A purr-fect accessory
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Published Jul 19, 2024
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Turns out Fergie and TSwift have a few things in common, most notably their love of Charlotte Olympia’s cat-inspired footwear. Way back in 2012, Swift styled a blue pussy-bow blouse and floral A-line skirt with an identical pair of beige Kitty flats for her ‘Begin Again’ music video. She also wore a navy blue velvet pair while out and about in Los Angeles, before slipping into a white-heeled version to attend the Radio One Teen Awards at Wembley Arena in October 2012 in London (pictured above).
This also isn’t the Duchess of York’s first time rocking cat-adorned shoes. She wore a black-velvet Charlotte Olympia sneaker for a trip to France in 2022, before styling her beige flats with a black-and-white Alexander McQueen skirt and beige-and-black Chanel handbag in 2024.
https://www.charlotteolympia.com/products/kitty-4Charlotte Olympiahttps://www.charlotteolympia.com/products/kitty-4560 Unfortunately, the Kitty flats don’t come cheap. Fergie’s beige raffia pair costs $560, though there are lots of options available on resale sites like Vestiaire Collective, The RealReal and Poshmark for a discount. $560 at Charlotte Olympia
Unfortunately, the Kitty flats don’t come cheap. Fergie’s beige raffia pair costs $560, though there are lots of options available on resale sites like Vestiaire Collective, The RealReal and Poshmark for a discount, if you prefer to shop second-hand.
For the cat-obsessed who don’t want to drop nearly $600 on a pair of flats, I also managed to find three other pairs of kitty-adorned shoes for you to copy the look without blowing your whole fall fashion budget.
1. Vivaia Round-Toe Embroidered Loafers
Vivaia
These comfy knit flats come in a variety of colors and not one, not two, but six different cat-adorned designs. Choose between spotted cheetahs, orange house cats or a black jaguar on a colorful background. Reviews suggest they run true to size, and right now you can even score 19 percent off, no code necessary!
2. Journey West Velvet Sneakers
Journey West
If you’re more of a sneakers kind of gal, these comfy slip-ons come in six different styles, all featuring fierce cat embroidery. Choose between a spotted leopard and an adorable tabby, then opt for black, navy or burgundy red. There’s also a backless mule option in either beige or black for $69, if that’s more your vibe.
T.U.K.
Lastly, I found these Dr. Martens-inspired Mary Janes with a chunky black sole, adjustable leather strap and black-and-white cat face adorning the toe. They’re also available in white with a contrasting black cat and black sole for a saddle shoes kind of look. Whatever you choose, you can bet these cuties will be the purr-fect addition to any outfit.
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