Kate Middleton's Fashion and Style Part 1: September 2005 - November 13, 2009

[caroline mathilda]

I find that her formal evening wear is more on trend. I think she feels freer to express herself at these evening functions as they are usually more private and there will be less press photography and hence less potential critical comments from the press and public.

Realistically, she is involved with a member of one of the most conservative families of the British aristocracy and she naturally feels pressure to conform( whether that pressure is emanating from the courtiers or from herself). I think most of us would do likewise in the same circumstances.

[Isana]

I think both of her outfits are appropriate for the occasion.

The first looks was for a church ceremony. Should she have worn the purple dress there? Of course not. Church attire means knee-length dresses/skirts and no bare shoulders. Anything else wouldn't be "fresh" or "modern" but inappropriate.

For the evening party she chose another fitting outfit. The purple cocktail dress is hardly "frumpy" but very chic and youthful as are all similar dresses she has been seen in like her Boodles Boxeing Ball outfits for 2006 and 2008 and the short corale dress she wore at the Henry van Straubenzee charity event.

I don't see a middle aged couple at all and I do not get where Kate's cloths is "frumpy".

[Odette]

Doesn't the tight jacket that fits snuggly like it is a size too small been worn two years ago?

[Mermaid1962]

I like the mauve dress as well, although it does make me think of the 1970s--that and the long hair.

Originally Posted by Menarue

I like the mauve dress

[PrincessofEurope]

Kate and William attended the wedding of the sister of their former St Andrews room mate in Austria
Prince William and Kate Middleton walk down the aisle | News | News Of The World wearing a black and pale yello/gold pattterned dress with a fitted jacket (the jacket is ver similiar at the back to the pale pink one she wore at the Kelly/Philips wedding)
salzburg.com - imBild attending the party wearing a mauve dress (picture 10 is the best)

[Menarue]

Originally Posted by Odette

Doesn't the tight jacket that fits snuggly like it is a size too small been worn two years ago?

Or perhaps borrowed from someone a size smaller?
I am afraid I think she looks very frumpy although her evening wear is not that bad.
Bare shoulders at a wedding? Remember the bridesmaids at Autumn and Peter Philip´s wedding? Mind you the marks of the bathing suits covered quite a bit of the bare skin.

[amandamrgt]

I do actually like Catherine's sense of style; she always dresses in a rather sophisticated and elegant way. Had she been 20, I would think her wardrobe isn't for her age, but she's like 25 or 26, and her outfits are perfectly suitable for the age, imho. I thought her outfits at the weddings were rather spot-on; not very attention-seeking, yet elegant and memorable.

[amandamrgt]

Originally Posted by PrincessofEurope

Kate and William attended the wedding of the sister of their former St Andrews room mate in Austria
Prince William and Kate Middleton walk down the aisle | News | News Of The World wearing a black and pale yello/gold pattterned dress with a fitted jacket (the jacket is ver similiar at the back to the pale pink one she wore at the Kelly/Philips wedding)
salzburg.com - imBild attending the party wearing a mauve dress (picture 10 is the best)

Picture number 4 from the news of the world article is probably among the best I've ever seen of Catherine. Not because of the outfit (i'm not a fan of colour yellow) but because she looks very happy and relaxed.

[Incas]

I know in business, it's often been said that you dress for the position you want to be, not what you are. Basically, if an assistant with ambition for be in management one day, start looking like you belong on the management team by dressing appropriately first. I think Kate's choice of outfits follow the same line. At least she won't have to cringe looking back five years from now.

[Ella Kay]

IMO, I think that one person's "frumpy" can be another person's "classic." I generally think that Kate's fashion choices fit the latter description. Most of the shapes she chooses are quite flattering. She's not flashy - she's always appropriate - and I think some people see that as too old or too safe. I think it's just appropriate, but that is, of course, JMHO.

I like the mauve dress (what we can see of it). The color goes really well with her dark hair.

[Odette]

Originally Posted by Menarue

Or perhaps borrowed from someone a size smaller?
I am afraid I think she looks very frumpy although her evening wear is not that bad.
Bare shoulders at a wedding? Remember the bridesmaids at Autumn and Peter Philip´s wedding? Mind you the marks of the bathing suits covered quite a bit of the bare skin.

I could not open any of the photos of the evening reception. All I saw were 5 of Kate and William during daytime (If I assume it was, because of the sunlight)
I do not want to start an argument but long hair on anyone over 19-20 is a bit too much. Then again as they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder.......

[annette2002]

Originally Posted by Ella Kay

IMO, I think that one person's "frumpy" can be another person's "classic." I generally think that Kate's fashion choices fit the latter description. Most of the shapes she chooses are quite flattering. She's not flashy - she's always appropriate - and I think some people see that as too old or too safe. I think it's just appropriate, but that is, of course, JMHO.

I like the mauve dress (what we can see of it). The color goes really well with her dark hair.

I agree with you Ella Kay .She is not flashy she comes arcross as classy and stylish extremely appropriate. I can only imagine with her height how absolutely stunning she looks in person.

[sneeuwklokje]

I think a lot of the "already arrived" princesses should look at Kate to see how it's done. She dresses impeccable. Never anything really revealing of vulgar, but not boring either. Bravo!!

[muriel]

Originally Posted by Little_star

I think her style has been quite frumpy and middle-aged for a while now. There's nothing youthful about her clothes, imo.

I would have thought there was little that was frumpy or middle-aged about the mauve dress that Katherine wore to the wedding reception in the evening. The dress during the day was a lttle conservative - but that is exactly what would be expected. I think Kate is in thais rather awkward phase of her life - where she is not a member of the royal family, but is expected to behave like one. If she wore anything that could be considered even vaguely "racy", the critics would have a field day. We have already seen that with Chelsy, where her sense of dressing was generally derided, until recently when she has started to dress a lot more conservatively. At lease Kate wore a bright yellow jacket - usually she is criticed for wearing very dull coloured clothes

[Fashionista100]

I think Kate dresses for her age and her life now.

[Little_star]

Originally Posted by Isana

I think both of her outfits are appropriate for the occasion.

The first looks was for a church ceremony. Should she have worn the purple dress there? Of course not. Church attire means knee-length dresses/skirts and no bare shoulders. Anything else wouldn't be "fresh" or "modern" but inappropriate.

Thanks, but I am well aware of what church attire is. However most people I know of a similar age would have managed to wear something that didnt look like the mother of the bride's outfit.

Appropriate does not have to be boring.

Originally Posted by Isana

For the evening party she chose another fitting outfit. The purple cocktail dress is hardly "frumpy" but very chic and youthful as are all similar dresses she has been seen in like her Boodles Boxeing Ball outfits for 2006 and 2008 and the short corale dress she wore at the Henry van Straubenzee charity event.

I had missed the post with the link for the mauve dress, so thank you for pointing it out.

It's certainly much nicer but again it's a satin dress, not that different from many of the others she has worn previously. The dress itself is ok but she's worn similar things before so it all starts to look quite dull. The perils of wearing clothes from one designer.

[atina]

In some countries, among them mine, we wear long evening/gala dresses to weddings, also to church. So that is church attire for us.

[Binky]

Is there a better set of pics of Kate in the mauve dress? I love the color, but in the 2 pictures she is rather obscured.

[micas]

i wish see a nice pic from the outfit she were in the wedding...!!!

[sgl]

From what I can see of the mauve dress, it is very pretty.