Sarah, Duchess of York's Fashion and Style: October 2004 - September 2017

[servingsophie]

WOW! and I do mean WOW! She looks absolutely fabulous in this picture. The hair, the outfit, the makeup, everything. I did not think it was possible for her to look this good.
She should think about cutting her hair like this again. From a professional point of view, this was a very flattering cut for her face and the color of her hair.
from this picture you can tell she had lost a lot of weight and has since gained it back, but I really think this hair style would be much better for her face. It would make her look more professional, more put together.

I loved her hair like this! And doesn't she have a stunning figure in this picture? She really knows how to show off those legs that look so toned and elegant.
This is the Duchess at her best!

 

[sesa]

I loved her hair like this! And doesn't she have a stunning figure in this picture? She really knows how to show off those legs that look so toned and elegant.
This is the Duchess at her best!

You are right. I agree 100% with you. Too bad she does not look back at some of these old pictures to see how she has looked over time.
Thank you so much for posting the pics. I would have never known she could look so elegant had you not posted the pic.

 

[Roheryn]

Sarah's clothes

Hello everyone ! This is my fiirst post after lurking a while...
I saw her at a private function at the time of Beatrice's (or Eugenie ??) christening ; she wore a very fitted yellow beaded ballgown , had her hair loose and looked fantastic, as good as that gold dress above. Does anyone remember that dress ? I'd love to see a pic of it again...

 

[GlitteringTiaras]

Welcome to the board, Roheryn, and Happy New Year.

I'm unfamiliar with the dress you are talking about. Nonetheless, let me do a quick search for you. Perhaps I can find it or anohter member of the board.

 

[Incas]

It's another one of those damned if she does, and damned if she doesn't. Part of the reason Sarah ran up £millions in debt during her marriage was the cost of looking perfectly turned out. She was constantly being put down by the tabloids for not looking as glamorous as the then Princes of Wales. It took her years to work off that debt. And I think she learned the lesson not to put herself in the poor house for the sake of meeting someone else's expectation on her looks.

 

[Russophile]

It's another one of those damned if she does, and damned if she doesn't. Part of the reason Sarah ran up £millions in debt during her marriage was the cost of looking perfectly turned out. She was constantly being put down by the tabloids for not looking as glamorous as the then Princes of Wales. It took her years to work off that debt. And I think she learned the lesson not to put herself in the poor house for the sake of meeting someone else's expectation on her looks.

Incas, there is such a thing as budgeting. I don't know that anyone taught the Duchess how to do that, but she could have looked very well turned out by cutting some corners, finding a little seamstress that made lovely clothes for a fraction of the fashion houses (and don't tell me England doesn't have them because Sam/Beatrix Fan was trying to hook me up with one for a lovely Pss Anne look-alike coat. . .) getting the hairdressers to teach her how to maintain that look so she wouldn't have to go to the hairdressers all the time. Things like that. She didn't have the budget that Diana had due to the POW properties/holdings and she should have taken a page from HM in economizing. . .

 

[Incas]

What you and I can get away with a look-alike, while she may not mind, is just not an option for her as far as the red tops are concerned. Judging by the standards some of the posts have set, having a knockoff Dior coat just doesn't cut it. For starters, the headlines would be screaming about her being skint, put photos of the real thing next to the knockoff. Or, how would you feel if you were to be blamed for the downfall of the British economy, by encouraging cheap labor and poor worksmanship in the name of saving a few penny? Others would take the haughty road and sniff: why is the Duchess hourding her endorsment fees? She would be blamed for tarnishing her ex-in-laws. And coming up all sorts of nasty names in the process. It's just a no-win situation.

 

[Odette]

I clearly remember her saying that their home was full of freebies different companies were sending over and she had rooms full of stuff. I am sure a designer would kill for the opportunity to make her over. The debts she had were not a result of her dressing glamourous. I like Sarah, she is always with a smile and seems like a kind person but glamour/fashion/elegance are not words she knows the meaning of. At times she tried and most times she seems like she does not care. A good haircut every 3 months would do wonders and even at a top salon would not break the bank.

 

[Russophile]

What you and I can get away with a look-alike, while she may not mind, is just not an option for her as far as the red tops are concerned. Judging by the standards some of the posts have set, having a knockoff Dior coat just doesn't cut it. For starters, the headlines would be screaming about her being skint, put photos of the real thing next to the knockoff. Or, how would you feel if you were to be blamed for the downfall of the British economy, by encouraging cheap labor and poor worksmanship in the name of saving a few penny? Others would take the haughty road and sniff: why is the Duchess hourding her endorsment fees? She would be blamed for tarnishing her ex-in-laws. And coming up all sorts of nasty names in the process. It's just a no-win situation.

Looks like a "Can't Win, don't play", scenario to me. . .

 

[Russophile]

At times she tried and most times she seems like she does not care.

I just ran across a wonderful quote by Helena Rubinstein: "There are no ugly women, only lazy ones."

 

[Odette]

I just ran across a wonderful quote by Helena Rubinstein: "There are no ugly women, only lazy ones."

I always loved that line. Makes me think twice before I leave the house.
I used to be in school with a girl who dressed like a princess...........Her mother was a seamstress for rich clients and she'd get the castoffs and sew the girl dresses everyone turned twice to look at.
Bottom line: one either has it or not. Sarah I am sure has a lot of other good qualities......

 

[Incas]

Hair cut every three months? OH, MY! You don't expect much, do you, Odette! I don't mean it as sarcasm. But not sure about grooming habits in your area, however, depend on how intricate a haircut is, one could easily require weekly trimming to look the same in photos. I know a lady who maintains daily appointment with her stylist. I don't believe she knows where the on-switch is for a hair dryer to save her life. but she looks smashing even when I run into her buying milk. Sarah looks to have a lot more frequent hair cuts than every three months. Otherwise, you'll see the splitends on the front page.

 

[Russophile]

Hair cut every three months? OH, MY! You don't expect much, do you, Odette!

I don't think that's unreasonable. Mr. Russo gets his cut every 6 weeks or he's worse than a woman! You should hear him complain! And I normally go every 10 weeks but I'm growing mine a bit so it's later. I would think, Incas, it would depend on how fast your hair grew. . . .

 

[Incas]

I don't think that's unreasonable. Mr. Russo gets his cut every 6 weeks or he's worse than a woman!.

I was just having a giggle at the 3 month remark. It's actually a bit long for most people, average person's hair grows one inch per month. If the person tints her hair, 3 inches growth won't look pretty. 6-8 weeks is what's recommended. Again, to each his/her own. I was just pointing out the obvious pitfuls if the Duchess only goes to the salon four times a year. I don't care how good the hair cut was, it's just asking for grief if she did.

 

[Odette]

Hair cut every three months? OH, MY! You don't expect much, do you, Odette! I don't mean it as sarcasm. But not sure about grooming habits in your area, however, depend on how intricate a haircut is, one could easily require weekly trimming to look the same in photos. I know a lady who maintains daily appointment with her stylist. I don't believe she knows where the on-switch is for a hair dryer to save her life. but she looks smashing even when I run into her buying milk. Sarah looks to have a lot more frequent hair cuts than every three months. Otherwise, you'll see the splitends on the front page.

Grooming habits in my area are fine thank you, but I do not know how often others cut their hair or go to a hair salon, so I may be a bit behind on neighbourhood news. However a $200 haircut once every 3 months does wonders for me and I do not think Sarah looks like she cuts her hair more often than that. Again I did not check for split ends since that mass of red hair flying all over catches my attention first.

 

[Russophile]

You know what's funny is Mr. Russo is more fastidious than the Duchess could ever be! She ought to have married somebody like him! He's always fussing to make sure my hair is in place, that I have correct clothing on, if he doesn't like what I'm wearing, he goes and buys me what he wants to see me in, which usually fits perfectly and looks great but it's something I normally wouldn't have thought to wear!
Mr. Russo is taken so Sarah will have to look elsewhere!

 

[Incas]

Odette, I wan't trying to offend you. However, even £200 haircuts don't last three months. The really top salons, and especially established stylists, cost a lot more than £200. To put it in another way, I'm sure you have heard about one former presidential candidate, John Edward, being the butt of jokes when it became know he had a stylist flown to an event to give him a hair cut. I believe the hair cut itself was about $400 and that's not including airfare. I'm not saying the Duchess have to pay for airfare, just the part of top stylists costing a bit more than you think.

 

[Russophile]

My stylist charges $35 (W/O tip) and she does a pretty good job. . .

 

[Odette]

You know what's funny is Mr. Russo is more fastidious than the Duchess could ever be! She ought to have married somebody like him! He's always fussing to make sure my hair is in place, that I have correct clothing on, if he doesn't like what I'm wearing, he goes and buys me what he wants to see me in, which usually fits perfectly and looks great but it's something I normally wouldn't have thought to wear!
Mr. Russo is taken so Sarah will have to look elsewhere!

Lucky girl!!!!! Mr Odette hates shopping and I refuse to be caught dead in a shop with him. I love to browse and try clothes on for houres while he can find what he needs, pay for it and be back in the car in 20 minutes......So I go alone and have a blast! (You had to be there the day he discovered I had 120 pairs of shoes!!!!
I guess Sarah would be a better match with him than Mr Russo!

 

[Incas]

Mr. Russo is taken so Sarah will have to look elsewhere!

As you have expertly pointed out, Sarah is without a Mr. Russo right now. So go easy on her fashio and grooming department. Cut the poor girl some slack!

 

[Russophile]

Lucky girl!!!!! Mr Odette hates shopping and I refuse to be caught dead in a shop with him. I love to browse and try clothes on for houres while he can find what he needs, pay for it and be back in the car in 20 minutes......So I go alone and have a blast! (You had to be there the day he discovered I had 120 pairs of shoes!!!!
I guess Sarah would be a better match with him than Mr Russo!

120 pairs of shoes! HOLY SCHNIKIES!!!
I hate shopping. I like on-line shopping better. Reading all the Regency novels of fittings, etc. yikes! I would imagine Sarah and Diana would have had to sit there with fittings upon fittings upon fittings. . . .

 

[Odette]

Odette, I wan't trying to offend you. However, even £200 haircuts don't last three months. The really top salons, and especially established stylists, cost a lot more than £200. To put it in another way, I'm sure you have heard about one former presidential candidate, John Edward, being the butt of jokes when it became know he had a stylist flown to an event to give him a hair cut. I believe the hair cut itself was about $400 and that's not including airfare. I'm not saying the Duchess have to pay for airfare, just the part of top stylists costing a bit more than you think.

I do not get offended easily.
Back to the subject. If Sarah or anyone goes to the hair salon twice a week for a shampoo and blow dry, once every month for a colour and once ever 3 months for a haircut she would look a heck of a lot better than what she does. I do and I have difficult hair to begin with..
BTW how much do you pay for a haircut? Just as a reference point that is.

 

[Incas]

I would imagine Sarah and Diana would have had to sit there with fittings upon fittings upon fittings. . . .

I saw a documentary about a British custom cobbler. They keep exact molds of their clients' feet. Wouldn't surprise me if there are busts with the ladies' exact measurements that hasn't made their way to eBay yet.

 

[Odette]

120 pairs of shoes! HOLY SCHNIKIES!!!
I hate shopping. I like on-line shopping better. Reading all the Regency novels of fittings, etc. yikes! I would imagine Sarah and Diana would have had to sit there with fittings upon fittings upon fittings. . . .

Remember the slip up from Sarah about the shoes Diana lent her and she got warts from her?........Holy smokes how much worse could it get???

I love shopping. Here are two complexes at Tysons Corners where I currently stay and I am there almost every day. Today I could not go and feel like a caged animal!!!!

 

[Incas]

BTW how much do you pay for a haircut? Just as a reference point that is.

I hope I didn't give you the wrong impression that I'm in the same league as Mr. Edwards or the Duchess. But it is one of my extravagence, about every 6 weeks.

 

[Russophile]

BTW how much do you pay for a haircut? Just as a reference point that is.

You saw how much I pay, and the hair color is 9.99 out of a L'Oreal box with Mr. Russo doing the coloring! HA! He just loves to do that!
We have some wine and watch some Chicago or E, W, & F or Sarah Brightman and he colors my hair. . . .(no, he's not gay )

 

[Odette]

I saw a documentary about a British custom cobbler. They keep exact molds of their clients' feet. Wouldn't surprise me if there are busts with the ladies' exact measurements that hasn't made their way to eBay yet.

Remember the old style mannequins? The measurements are with the seamstress who has the exact size of a client. My mother used to go to the same seamstress forever and there were never any tape measures seen. She would cut the cloth and by the time the first fitting was done the dress was half finished.

 

[Russophile]

I love shopping. Here are two complexes at Tysons Corners where I currently stay and I am there almost every day. Today I could not go and feel like a caged animal!!!!

I blame it all on my mother's friend. She took me shopping in Dallas, Texas when I was 18 on spring break with my father and Holy MOly!! We went EVERYWHERE!! She tried on EVERYTHING! I was toast after that. Could NOT shop! If it's not right there when I walk into Macy's or Nordstroms, it ain't happenin'!

 

[Russophile]

Remember the old style mannequins? The measurements are with the seamstress who has the exact size of a client. My mother used to go to the same seamstress forever and there were never any tape measures seen. She would cut the cloth and by the time the first fitting was done the dress was half finished.

Now that is a good seamstress!

 

[Mandy]

Can someone clue me in about this conversation???

Yes, I know these posts were moved from Sarah's current events thread, but they're somewhat off-topic here as well. On the other hand, I think you have the makings of a good thread (if one doesn't already exist) to discuss members' fashion, style, makeup, hair, etc which you could start in Members' Corner. Just in case you need a title... what about? My Fashion and Style or Members Fashion and Style.

Happy posting!
Mandy