It cost a mere¹ £30 to cobble together. But the see-through black slip credited with helping² Kate Middleton catch the eye of a prince could one day be worth £100,000.

英国准王妃凯特·米德尔顿被认为凭借一身透视装俘获了威廉王子，而这件原价仅30英镑的透视装今后有望升值至10万英镑。

The see-through black slip credited with helping Kate Middleton catch the eye of a prince could one day be worth £100,000.
William was mesmerised by his fellow student as she sashayed（走动，行进） down the catwalk in the outfit³ at a university fashion show eight years ago.

Designer Charlotte Todd, who admitted the dress has been languishing⁴（可望的，含情脉脉的） at the back of her wardrobe ever since, has been told its value has rocketed to £10,000 since the couple announced their engagement.

And according to one auction⁵ house, that could increase ten-fold when Kate becomes Queen.

Yesterday Miss Todd, 31, said there was little chance of her parting with it. ‘The dress is a part of fashion history – the moment William could first have fallen in love with Kate – and that makes me really proud,’ she said.

‘If it hadn’t been see-through, William might not have noticed her. I definitely think it has a played a part in the royal love story.

‘She looked fabulous⁶ and I think she could become a style icon⁷ like Princess Diana.

The only person I’d probably give it to is her – maybe in exchange for a wedding invitation. Of course I would love to design her wedding dress too.’

Miss Todd made the black and gold dress while studying fashion and textiles（纺织品） at the University of the West of England in 2000.

It took a week to knit together the silk fabrics⁸（丝织物） and add a blue ribbon trim for a project appropriately called 'the art of seduction（诱惑，魅力）'.

Two years later St Andrew’s University, where William and Kate were both studying, asked to borrow it for a fundraising fashion show.

Kate was friends with William, then 19, but is thought to have been dating her first university boyfriend Rupert Finch⁹ at the time.

But that didn’t stop William admiring her. The second in line to the throne was pictured craning his neck to see the stunning¹⁰ brunette（浅黑肤色的女人） . After the show the dress was returned to Miss Todd, who packed it away in her mother’s wardrobe where it has remained ever since.

Miss Todd, from Bedminster, Bristol, said: ‘Kate was a great clothes horse（晒衣架） to show off my design. Her body was the exact right shape to pull it off.’

Christine Satchett, from South London auctioneer Greasbys, said: ‘In years to come if Kate was on the throne it could reach up to £100,000. It was the same with Princess Diana’s clothes.’