When Kate Middleton stepped out in London yesterday to officially debut her baby bump in a seasons-old gray MaxMara Studio wrap dress (originally $460, marked down to $229 on matchesfashion.com), it was breathlessly covered by media around the world.
The tasteful frock was a far cry from the hot-pink bump-hugging gown by Juan Carlos Obando that Kim Kardashian, 32, donned last week in Rio de Janeiro when she posed in front of the city’s famous Christ the Redeemer statue.
Even the way they wore their clothes couldn’t be more different: While the demure Middleton, 31, clasped her hands across her belly, the overtly sexy Kardashian flaunted her curves, arms outstretched, for the world to see.
And yet the two mega-celebrities have several things in common right now: They’re both due to give birth in July, and they both have top designers vying to dress them in order to score that precious sales, er, bump.
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Kardashian, the princess of publicity, has more than 17 million Twitter followers — making her the most-followed pregnant woman in the world. Meanwhile, the high-street fashion choices made by the private princess lead to worldwide selling frenzies dubbed “The Kate Effect.” In 2011, for example, a $340 Reiss dress she wore to meet Michelle Obama sold out online in an hour, and a season-old Whistles blouse she donned for the royal engagement portrait was later reissued by the British retailer — and priced almost $60 higher.
“Dressing either would bring a tremendous amount of brand awareness,” says New York-based designer Lela Rose. “Though there is something very relatable about Kate’s style and demeanor. It is classic, modern and timeless. Kim’s style is ever-changing with the trends.”
Fans of the Kardashian franchise tend to be Hollywood-obsessed, while Kate’s devotees prize her conservative, old-fashioned glamour. In Middleton’s camp are mostly American designers, who are known for their classic, feminine clothing.
“I just love Kate Middleton,” says designer Rebecca Taylor. “I am a huge fan of hers — I’m such a royalist. It’d be an honor to design something custom for her.”
Taylor has already witnessed the powerful impact of a Middleton endorsement: When the princess was seen wearing a tweed suit from the designer last spring, it sold out online within 30 minutes.
Ali Wing, the founder and CEO of baby store Giggle, believes Kate’s more organic approach to selling clothes is prized over the crass Kardashian machine, which is well known for endorsing brands in return for payment or freebies.
“Many brands would like the more aspirational association that [Kate] offers, so you could say there is a broader appeal,” says Wing.
The list of designers hoping to dress Kate include New York-based crafters like Zac Posen, Michelle Smith of Milly and Tracy Reese.
“Kate Middleton is so refined. She has a very defined sense of style,” Reese tells The Post.
“Kim is petite but she’s super-curvy, so it will be interesting to see how she handles this pregnancy because I think it’s going to be harder for her to carry it as easily [style-wise].”
Kardashian’s famous curves were a welcome challenge for Lady Gaga stylist and Mugler creative director Nicola Formichetti, who recently styled Kardashian for Elle Magazine in Giuseppe Zanotti, Tom Ford and Viktor & Rolf looks.
“I love curvy bodies,” Formichetti recently told The Post. “[Kim] really excites me. When you can see the body, it’s actually much sexier than the skinny girl.”
Kardashian is expected to appear at Formichetti’s show in Paris next Wednesday, and she seems to be making a splash with Paris’ most prestigious and edgy fashion houses — from Lanvin to YSL to Givenchy — thanks to baby daddy Kanye West.
“I asked [Kanye] to introduce me to new stylists and designers to help me get the more sophisticated vibe I was going for,” Kardashian recently told Life & Style.
But so far, Middleton exudes a maternal vibe unlike the globe-trotting sexpot, who has always seemed more interested in birthing new namesake perfumes than children.
“New moms might think Kim dresses a little too revealing,” says Joanna Douglas, fashion and beauty editor at Yahoo Shine. “Kate has an air of class about her that makes her a little more desirable.”
Meanwhile, Kardashian’s 72-day marriage to Nets power forward Kris Humphries, from which she is still extricating herself, has diluted her following.
“We have a really mass audience, and I don’t see them singing Kim’s praises anymore,” says Douglas.
But Kardashian — who reportedly earns up to $10,000 from brands to simply tweet about their products — still has the edge when it comes to selling power.
“To be honest, we’re more likely to get orders on a dress that Kim Kardashian’s worn,” French designer Roland Mouret recently told Britain’s Telegraph.
And the sky is the limit for Kardashian, who hawks everything from dresses on QVC to perfume. It seems likely that she’ll expand that licensing empire to maternity and baby wear.
“She’s going to milk this pregnancy,” says Lyss Stern of Divalysscious Moms, a Manhattan-based event company and blog.
“She’s going to have Kardashian capsule collections for everything from nursery to bedding to the crib and rocker.”
The potential for product shilling is endless, says Stern: “She’ll be tweeting about the lotion she’s using to treat her stretch marks!”