The Duchess of Cambridge's Daytime Fashion, Part 2: June 2011 - July 2011

[Lady Marlboro]

Any guess as to why she changed heels during the day? Case in point:

Hospital visit: Photo from Reuters Pictures

Surveying chocolate: Photo from Reuters Pictures

The first shoe has a needle heel and the second looks wider. When I saw the first shoe, I thought no way can she wear those shoes on the navy ship and not get the heel stuck. Navy ships aren't cruise ships, a lot of the decking can be metal grids instead of solid. Maybe the changes was to accomidate the deck of the ship. Personnally, I would have changed to flats. I have toured a couple of US Navy ships at museums and there is no way I would do that in heels.

I have a theory about Kate's clothes. I think since she seems to be very close to Camilla, she has learned a lesson that Diana couldn't and wouldn't grasp. There is an unwritten rule in the BRF that you don't upstage the principal - meaning you don't do anything to take attention away from the senior royal at the event (your own wedding and children's christenings the exception). She is trying to be professional and yet not upstage her husband or other members of the family. I would like to think that William is more mature than Charles was and that he (William) wouldn't have a problem with the attention that Kate gets.

I would like to add one more thing. Everyone needs to get over Kate's makeup. She is clearly comfortable with it and isn't going to change it. You have all made it very clear you don't like it but to use an old expression - you are beating a dead horse and frankly it is getting a little annoying.

 

[4Pam]

^ That is true Lady Marlboro. I'm sure William could care less about how much more attention Kate gets as he's had so much more he's whole life. He gets the attention no matter what simply because he is Diana's son & the future of the BRF.

 

[Emmily]

I personally have found something to like in each of the outfits so far. Catherine has set the bar high, & we all have our preferences but the brilliant thing is she is never "a disaster" or anything less than elegant imo.

I agree with you on this. She's not trying to be a model as some of the CPS attempt. It would be nice to see her with some jewelry...necklaces, etc, but she looks very elegant. She's dressing for her role and choosing things on par with her husband.

 

[olebabs]

She hasn't changed her style much since before her marriage, so can we assume, that this is what she likes to wear. I really don't see the difference from any other of the ladies (including Diana) in the BRF when it comes to "work wear". Many of her dresses/suits I could easily wear to work, perhaps minuis the hats

 

[CrownPrincess5]

What's with all the blue and gray dresses.
I hope Kate isn't trying to match with her sapphire ring.

I do like the detail on the blue dress. The tan shoes doesn't go with the outfit IMO.

 

[stephanievl]

I like the grey dress, especially the shoes
Hertogin van Cambridge: officieel bezoek aan Canada dag 3 - Fashion of royals

The blue dress is also very nice
Hertogin van Cambridge: officieel bezoek aan Canada dag 4 - Fashion of royals

But would loke to see her in a pants or skirt.

 

[roseroyal]

Love both the grey dress and the blue one.

 

[brenhinol]

Beautiful dress. The material of the dress is coton or lino. So perfect for a day of celebration. Royal blue and white are the colours of the province of Quebec. So well done !

yesteday shoes

http://cache1.asset-cache.net/xc/11...417EEB0CD35D574A55DD5CC9D9FFEC10D3B33C9582F64

yesterday gress. Not grey

http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/11...CF047E903DA7074A55DD5CC9D9FFEF87269133B709964

I think the Erdem dress is a very elegent dress, its also appropriate being royal blue while on a Navy Frigate. Also love the symbolisim from above of the colours of Quebec and from a Canadian designer. Definate A+ on the homework so far from Catherine, but as if you would expect anything eles.

Her dresses for these events are very professional, the style I would wear too work. Her's are of course more high end, elegent i.e lace, collared v back etc.. This is apporpriate for events she is attending services, hospital visits etc, personally I find this type of dress more modern and femine as smart wear. I also love navy, blue, grey etc, (as oposed too black) they also emphasie her engagement ring. It is early days and I'm sure we'll see more colour, but at the momemt colours and structure it's all very elegent.

Second wadrobe change of the day too a cream sleveless crepe 'Vanessa' dress by Joseph, more casual and movement to this, also the LK Bennett clutch from derby day.

 

[sophie25]

Am I the only one getting tired of seeing a young lady in her 20's wearing middle aged fashions being hailed as a fashion icon? I dare say Hello magazine would have me strung up from the nearest lampost for saying well, you know...the truth!

 

[vittoria]

I'm not nutty about these lace Erdem dresses, though I do like the basic lines. The colors and lace effects simply don't excite me.

And I don't care for those ubiquitous nude patent heels either. However, I appreciate the fact that the Duchess is obviously trying to get the most out of her wardrobe. That's something to praise.

 

[MRSJ]

Here is a better picture

I dislike greatly....

This afternoons outfit....very pretty dress which I like but I feel like something a bit more casual would have been better. I wish shed pull out some pants/skirt....but still lovely dress....

 

[sophie25]

I do feel bored with these two. Emperors new clothes with them both or what?

 

[Princess of Durham]

Am I the only one getting tired of seeing a young lady in her 20's wearing middle aged fashions being hailed as a fashion icon? I dare say Hello magazine would have me strung up from the nearest lampost for saying well, you know...the truth!

Maybe not everyone concurs that she is wearing "middle aged fashions" .....

She has obviously planned a wardrobe for travel that does not require lots of different accessories and large numbers of suitcases. Sounds like intelligent planning to me. She is working, therefore she is not going for the latest 20s fashions. In fact she is in her 30th year. As to being called a fashion icon by Hello Magazine, it makes no difference to me as I have seen others referred to as icons when I did not agree with that label. I have seen other royal family members referred to as "beautiful" and I want to say "huh" or someone else always "getting it right". Much has to do with personal taste and opinion.

 

[princess gertrude]

I would have to agree with the princess of durham. She is working and all of her outfits have been subdued and appropriate. IMO she looks lovely. I can't even imagine packing for that many events & that many days. What an event in and of itself. I particularly like the Erdem dresses, they are quite lovely. I would like to see Catherine in the first dress, but in an off white version. I bet she would look stunning with her dark hair.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

I would like to add one more thing. Everyone needs to get over Kate's makeup. She is clearly comfortable with it and isn't going to change it. You have all made it very clear you don't like it but to use an old expression - you are beating a dead horse and frankly it is getting a little annoying.

I agree, I don't like the eyeliner, but she has been wearing it for years and she likes it, William likes it; let it go!

This afternoons outfit....very pretty dress which I like but I feel like something a bit more casual would have been better. I wish shed pull out some pants/skirt....but still lovely dress....

A plain white dress isn't casual enough?

 

[fascinator]

Am I the only one getting tired of seeing a young lady in her 20's wearing middle aged fashions being hailed as a fashion icon? I dare say Hello magazine would have me strung up from the nearest lampost for saying well, you know...the truth!

No, you're not the only one

However, if Kate’s intention is to moderate the amount of press attention she receives, this is an effective strategy. Her every move won’t be as closely followed if she is consistently boring. I doubt 1500 members of the press went to Canada to see a parade of navy blue dresses, but if the goal is to avoid the constant scrutiny that Diana endured, this is the way to do it. Bore the press and the public into leaving her alone.

 

[MRSJ]

A plain white dress isn't casual enough?

I think pants and a top maybe or flats with the dress and hair in a ponytail would have fit better based on what William is wearing....she looks lovely but overdone IMO plus the dress seems to be silky which to me is a bit more formal.... ....it's appropriate though....just saying maybe mix it up a bit instead if dress, dress, dress....but that's my opinion

 

[soapstar]

No, you're not the only one

However, if Kate’s intention is to moderate the amount of press attention she receives, this is an effective strategy. Her every move won’t be as closely followed if she is consistently boring. I doubt 1500 members of the press went to Canada to see a parade of navy blue dresses, but if the goal is to avoid the constant scrutiny that Diana endured, this is the way to do it. Bore the press and the public into leaving her alone.

Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be working right now. She's getting lots of coverage and her outfits are huge sellers - this latest white outfit sold out in 8 minutes.

ETA: She's wearing a Joseph Vanessa dress.

Joseph Vanessa Dress

 

[Laura]

Just a quick question out of curiosity: the claim is that the Duchess is 5'10" tall. I don't think she can be, since even in 3" heels, she is several inches (4-5) shorter than the purportedly 6'3" Prince William. At 5'10", she shouldn't be more than 2 inches shorter than he is in her very high heels.

Of course, he may not be as tall as claimed, but I think she's no taller than 5'8" in her stocking feet.

What do other people think?

I'm of the same opinion, Vittoria. It always baffles me to read that Kate is 5'10", because I also think that in reality she's somewhere around 5'8" (but most certainly under 5'9"). The reason why people overinflate her height might be that she's very lean and has narrow hips and good posture: that does add some inches to the picture.

 

[Daria_S]

This afternoons outfit....very pretty dress which I like but I feel like something a bit more casual would have been better. I wish shed pull out some pants/skirt....but still lovely dress....

I agree with your assessment. The dress is very pretty, but just a tad formal.

 

[Laura]

Am I the only one getting tired of seeing a young lady in her 20's wearing middle aged fashions being hailed as a fashion icon? I dare say Hello magazine would have me strung up from the nearest lampost for saying well, you know...the truth!

Nope, you're not the only one, but we must bear in mind that the 29yo lady in question is in a very difficult position, being 24hs a day under a glass roof and having to perform representational duties for a highly regarded institution. Plus, I suspect that her play-it-safe natural self speaks lowder than any advice from fashion experts.

I think that the problem lies in the fact that she opts to buy ready-to-wear, and do you see that a lot of her outfits are from previous seasons (hence they have been tested)? I for once would like her to copy Diana in one aspect: to have her "working" wardrobe (meaning the outfits she wears for her official public duties, especially the high-profile trips abroad) made to measure, so that they can fit her body frame correctly and be appropriate to the occasion.

So far, almost everything she has worn on an official capacity could have been sourced and their retail prices have been verified in maybe 95% of the cases. So, if she's an icon, then she'll be a marketing/retail icon for the fashion industry, but not a "fashion icon" per se, which in my book would be the case of somebody who would be able to create a unique style, like Jacky O or the Duchess of Windsor were.

All that I've seen for the moment is Kate picking up what is available in the market and in some cases they don't fit very well...

 

[COUNTESS]

The first shoe has a needle heel and the second looks wider. When I saw the first shoe, I thought no way can she wear those shoes on the navy ship and not get the heel stuck. Navy ships aren't cruise ships, a lot of the decking can be metal grids instead of solid. Maybe the changes was to accomidate the deck of the ship. Personnally, I would have changed to flats. I have toured a couple of US Navy ships at museums and there is no way I would do that in heels.

I have a theory about Kate's clothes. I think since she seems to be very close to Camilla, she has learned a lesson that Diana couldn't and wouldn't grasp. There is an unwritten rule in the BRF that you don't upstage the principal - meaning you don't do anything to take attention away from the senior royal at the event (your own wedding and children's christenings the exception). She is trying to be professional and yet not upstage her husband or other members of the family. I would like to think that William is more mature than Charles was and that he (William) wouldn't have a problem with the attention that Kate gets.

I would like to add one more thing. Everyone needs to get over Kate's makeup. She is clearly comfortable with it and isn't going to change it. You have all made it very clear you don't like it but to use an old expression - you are beating a dead horse and frankly it is getting a little annoying.

I hate to tell you, but she is the "principal". Few people would have come out to see William and no magazine or publcation would write about his suit. Camilla is of very little fashion interest, as she is dowdy and looks older than she is. But, she never stole the attention from the very "interesting" Prince Charles. Today, neither of them cataches much interest. Diana was an asset. Charles was too petty to see and use that.

 

[Laura]

Let me preface this by saying that this is just an observation and I hope no one accuses me of having a wretched life because I am stating my opinion.

The maple leaf fascinator confirms it.

Kate tends towards an overly literal interpretation of the events she attends and her “style” choices are beginning to look like costumes.

She looked lovely and completely "on message" in the maple leaf hat, but why would one go to Canada dressed as a Canadian flag?? This costume approach to dressing should stop. I hope she does not roll off the plane in California dressed as a grape, or journey to NY one day swathed in pale green, one arm holding a torch above her head. Or perhaps an elegant dress of red and white stripes and a blue fascinator sprinkled with stars when first arriving in the US? Enough already.

Another example- the military style dress she wore to the Irish Guard ceremony. While her message of solidarity was admirable, there is no need to play dress up and "match" the soldiers. First, it reduces their functional uniforms to a stock fashion aesthetic. Second, it is a bit silly, like wearing a sexy nurse’s uniform to a nursing school graduation or a black robe and white wig to a law school graduation.

Fashion can reference the locale and occasion succinctly without becoming a costume. Moderation is needed.

That said, I think her enthusiasm is adorable and truly endearing.

There is a logical part of me that agrees with this - at least in the notion that, if she is not now dressing in what seem to be "costumes", she is walking a very narrow line between homage and caricature.

It was only twice I had that feeling (same events you mention) but each time the small part of my mind that talks to the other parts said, "I hope someone advises her gently and kindly on this matter."

I love Kate's style and I suspect she is trying not to be a clothes horse. But since that is all anyone seems to care about, something tells me she is trying to leverage the natural interest into her own non verbal statement. The advice then, if this is the case, is this: subtle as she goes, Kate - it needs to be literature, not limerick.

I also love her enthusiasm and find it endearing.

I had to laugh when I read this, for when I first saw the Irish Guards outfit I screamed: uh oh, Military Barbie! The navy outfit in Heathrow for the flight to Canada? Jetting Barbie! Then there was the Canada Day Barbie and so on... She certainly seems to be having fun with this game, but she's walking a dangerous path here, IMO. All in all there are very few times when I said to myself that Kate was really stunning and up to the occasion and those were the ARK Gala (when she wore the pink Jenny Packham long gown) and the Garter Day (when she wore the dove grey Katherine Hooker outfit).

 

[NotHRH]

I'm of the same opinion, Vittoria. It always baffles me to read that Kate is 5'10", because I also think that in reality she's somewhere around 5'8" (but most certainly under 5'9"). The reason why people overinflate her height might be that she's very lean and has narrow hips and good posture: that does add some inches to the picture.

Posters have stated the purported heights of many royals. Actually, to even base one royal's height on another royal's height, only visual media showing the actual measure of a royal would have to be presented. If HRH the DssOCa measured 5'8' , only then could HRH the DOCa's height best approximated. I agree, HerRH's height is probably the measure stated above - the fact that she and her late m-i-l are equal in height is possible, but not highly probable.
The Dss' husband was stated as measuring 6' 4 1/4" by his tailor. I heard a 'reporter' on tv the day HisRH married say he is only 6' 2".
The fact remains we may never know either's actual height! It matters not, they are both tall, as are many other European royals.

 

[jemagre]

Here is a better picture

I really like the color and lace but I think it is a bit too formal for a daytime event IMO, should've been worn for a reception. Hair should've been up as the open hair covers half of the lace. The shoes are classic but way too light for the dress.

I agree. That is one of my issues with Kate's "style." She has a lot of issues with wearing the right dress with the right occasion. I think a stylist would fix these problems.

As for how fast her stuff sells...well she does pick good pieces I just hope people know moe about tailoring than she does.

 

[Meadow]

I have to admit I find her style very boring and predictable. Way too much blue she could easly wear other colours and still look professional. It is all so safe! I don't mind her makeup it looks better then her wedding day. She buys ready to wear and it sells fast which has worked well for her since the engagement. I think she needs to add some colour and a bit of flair. Of course this could be her style and for the moment the press are loving it but we all know how they can turn! I hope she hasn't lost anymore weight because she is already so thin it can be damaging to her health and cause problems in the long run. Agree about Camilla no one cares what she wears she isn't the most attractive women and looks older then she is. Of course Kate is going to get a lot of attention she is the new kid on the block no matter what she wears!

 

[Scarebaby]

I can't fault Kate tooooo much, for her choices and decisions - particularly on this, her very first royal tour. She has done a fair job of choosing simple items that can do double duty. I do have an issue with the lack of accessories. I wish she had packed a few scarves, bangles, and belts. The grey dress from yesterday could have looked smashing with a belt. The white dress from today could have been a little more interesting with some accessorizing. Kate needs to understand that, even though she wants to be perfect and not put a foot wrong, and not upstage her husband, and not get toooo much attention, she still is representing the Queen and country, and thousands of people come out to see her, and to give them just a little flair is a good thing.

 

[fascinator]

I had to laugh when I read this, for when I first saw the Irish Guards outfit I screamed: uh oh, Military Barbie! The navy outfit in Heathrow for the flight to Canada? Jetting Barbie! Then there was the Canada Day Barbie and so on... She's certainly seems to be having fun with this game, but she's walking a dangerous path here, IMO. All in all there are very few times when I said to myself that Kate was really stunning and up to the occasion and those were the ARK Gala (when she wore the pink Jenny Packham long gown) and the Garter Day (when she wore the dove grey Katherine Hooker outfit).

Military Barbie!
Jetting Barbie!
... Canada Day Barbie ...

I agree. That is one of my issues with Kate's "style." She has a lot of issues with wearing the right dress with the right occasion. I think a stylist would fix these problems.

As for how fast her stuff sells...well she does pick good pieces

[FONT=&quot]Kate may be the most famous woman buying off the rack clothes with little to no modifications (or, it seems, tailoring). [/FONT][FONT=&quot]For people with a limited exposure to fashion, Kate offers a rare opportunity to buy the EXACT outfit of someone who is extremely rich and famous.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
Michelle Obama set an effective standard for this. Her high street clothes immediately sell out immediately once she has been photographed in them, but very often she has had them tailored and modified (e.g. sleeves added or hemline lowered). [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
I think a stylist would be a huge help and would not be indulgent or over the top. Kate [/FONT][FONT=&quot]needs much greater exposure from someone who is knowledgeable and can broaden her perspective.

Certainly, a stylist would have more to contribute than her hair dresser. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]I'm shocked that she would take on something as monumental as dressing herself, but need a hair dresser to put a set of hot rollers in her hair every morning and part it in the same place? He can't even coax her into wearing an updo more frequently[/FONT].

 

[dbarn67]

Day 4

Dress by Joseph

http://i55.tinypic.com/34o3ryx.jpg

http://i51.tinypic.com/r0efqd.jpg

http://i51.tinypic.com/2r3wco0.jpg

http://i53.tinypic.com/34owubs.jpg

 

[ayvee]

I'm of the same opinion, Vittoria. It always baffles me to read that Kate is 5'10", because I also think that in reality she's somewhere around 5'8" (but most certainly under 5'9"). The reason why people overinflate her height might be that she's very lean and has narrow hips and good posture: that does add some inches to the picture.

I too think she is only around 5'8" standing bare feet. There is no way she is 5'9" or 5'10" or she'd be an inch shorter than William with some if the shoes that she wears that are 4" high. This is not the case.

I have a nice HQ photo of Catherine - full front and standind - at the Epsom Derby with her LK Bennett straw clutch in front of her. Since I have the same clutch, I actually used it to figure out the magnification percentage of the photo. When I did this and subtracted the heel height of the LK Bennet shoes she was wearing which was listed on their website, I actually measured her height to be 5' 7 3/4 inches so I rounded up to 5'8". I also got a good measurement of the sapphire on her engagement ring.

I did this method with Princess Mary too and she came out to be around 5' 6 1/4". Instead of using a bag, I used a piece of jewelry from Jewlscph to set the magnification.