The Duchess of Cambridge's Eveningwear, Part 1: June 2011 - November 2011


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Ha! The Princess Diaries books are all over the royal forums lately. I was just talking about how great they are in the forum about Jazmin Grace Grimaldi. (Also, for a witty fictional account of the royal wedding from the perspective of Princess Mia of Genovia, check out Mia Thermopolis)

I love this article!

That was a hoot :ROFLMAO:. Some good observations on her part too.
 
I understand that Catherine's been wearing her hair down for ages, but until a few months ago she wasn't a duchess. Now her life has changed. She isn't supposed to be some kind of celebrity or model, with long wild glossy bouncy curls. It didn't look too bad at the BAFTA event but it was awful when she wore the navy lace dress in Canada (really messy and scraggly) and way too big at the Trooping of the Colour, the polo event, and Zara's pre-wedding party. It looks much more elegant wrapped up. Catherine needs to understand that she's not just dressing for herself any more and that the Disney princess/high fashion look isn't really appropriate. Every time she stepped off a plane it was obvious that she'd had her hair styled and glossed and sprayed and curled, and it's probably more vain than hiring a clothes stylist. I'm not sure that HM would approve.
 
I understand that Catherine's been wearing her hair down for ages, but until a few months ago she wasn't a duchess. Now her life has changed. She isn't supposed to be some kind of celebrity or model, with long wild glossy bouncy curls.

I don't quite understand what you're trying to say here. Now that she's a duchess, she can't wear her hair the way she has done for years? Must she, and any other female royal, wear their hair up all the time?

Every time she stepped off a plane it was obvious that she'd had her hair styled and glossed and sprayed and curled
Yes, it was widely reported that she brought her hair stylist.

It's probably more vain than hiring a clothes stylist. I'm not sure that HM would approve.
So, you think she is vain for having her hair styled, and yet you want her to wear her hair wrapped up more, which she has not done much in the past. Wouldn't it be more vain to suddenly change the way she's been dressing/styling her hair for many years now that she's married a prince?

I might agree with what you're saying, that now she's in the public eye she should change the way she dresses or does her hair, if she were known to leave the house falling out of her clothes. But Catherine has always dressed very appropriately, and I don't think she should change, unless she wants to.
 
There's no proof she's not doing her own hair. And, I would think with her change in status, she gets to wear it how she likes. That would be 'representing' to me.
 
I don't quite understand what you're trying to say here. Now that she's a duchess, she can't wear her hair the way she has done for years? Must she, and any other female royal, wear their hair up all the time?

I take it that princess-royal means that Catherine should wear her hair like befits a true English royal - up. Wearing her hair down gives Catherine a Disney Princess look and those (playground) days are over since she is no longer Miss Catherine Middleton but HRH Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.
I think princess-royal has a view of how British royals appear and it is time for Catherine to start living up to that image.

Wouldn't it be more vain to suddenly change the way she's been dressing/styling her hair for many years now that she's married a prince?

My thoughts exactly.
 
From the photos I saw of Cathrine in Canada I thought she looked lovely. She could hardly have gotten off various planes look sleepy and without makeup as unfortunately all too many people do on trans Atlantic flights. As to her hair looking scraggly and messy .... well, I'm confused. Is it messy or is it that she has had her hair done just prior to getting off a plane. Hmmm, as I said, I'm confused.:ermm:

ETA ... looking like a BRF Princess ... I guess you mean like Princess Anne?
 
PrincessKaimi said:
There's no proof she's not doing her own hair.

Do you mean privately like when she goes shopping or in general? Because Catherine clearly has her own hairdresser (she's made no secret of that) and brought him on official engagements so she does 'do her own hair' in the sense of styling........
 
Donovan said:
I don't quite understand what you're trying to say here. Now that she's a duchess, she can't wear her hair the way she has done for years? Must she, and any other female royal, wear their hair up all the time?

Yes, it was widely reported that she brought her hair stylist.

So, you think she is vain for having her hair styled, and yet you want her to wear her hair wrapped up more, which she has not done much in the past. Wouldn't it be more vain to suddenly change the way she's been dressing/styling her hair for many years now that she's married a prince?

I might agree with what you're saying, that now she's in the public eye she should change the way she dresses or does her hair, if she were known to leave the house falling out of her clothes. But Catherine has always dressed very appropriately, and I don't think she should change, unless she wants to.

But she has to an extent changed her hairstyle: a lot more effort goes into making it big and wavy and she's had highlights etc. The Queen liked to have her hair up and it looked a lot neater. The public could also get a good look at her. Being in the royal family is life changing and I just don't think Catherine has got the 'regal' look yet. I'm not suggesting that she wears her hair up all the time but she has it down too much and she's constantly fiddling with it, even during important speeches and when she's talking to people. When it blew all over her face at the airport it was a bit cringy. Having it up more often just looks more elegant and practical and doesn't require constant fiddling.

Princess of Durham said:
From the photos I saw of Cathrine in Canada I thought she looked lovely. She could hardly have gotten off various planes look sleepy and without makeup as unfortunately all too many people do on trans Atlantic flights. As to her hair looking scraggly and messy .... well, I'm confused. Is it messy or is it that she has had her hair done just prior to getting off a plane. Hmmm, as I said, I'm confused.:ermm:

ETA ... looking like a BRF Princess ... I guess you mean like Princess Anne?

It was quite messy - she'd been outside for a while and it was straggly, which was noticeable. What generally happens is that she comes off the plane looking perfect and within a few hours it's gone crazy and for the rest of the day she'll be fiddling with it :p
 
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:previous: I understand. It's too bad that she can look perfect for only a few hours/minutes.
 
But she has to an extent changed her hairstyle: a lot more effort goes into making it big and wavy and she's had highlights etc. The Queen liked to have her hair up and it looked a lot neater. The public could also get a good look at her. Being in the royal family is life changing and I just don't think Catherine has got the 'regal' look yet. I'm not suggesting that she wears her hair up all the time but she has it down too much and she's constantly fiddling with it, even during important speeches and when she's talking to people. When it blew all over her face at the airport it was a bit cringy. Having it up more often just looks more elegant and practical and doesn't require constant fiddling.

She really hasn't changed her hairstyle though. She's been wearing it the same way for years - highlights and all.

As for wearing it down, that's obviously how she likes it and I don't think she needs to wear it up just because she's in the BRF. I mean, with the exception of Anne, the other senior women in the BRF constantly wear their hair down too.
 
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She really hasn't changed her hairstyle though. She's been wearing it the same way for years - highlights and all.
That is the whole point. She has worn her hair like that for years and years and years . . . . . . It was a perfect style for Alice from 'Alice in Wonderland' but she was a girl and Catherine is a grown woman, and it's starting to look a little mutton dressed as lamb!

As for wearing it down, that's obviously how she likes it and I don't think she needs to wear it up just because she's in the BRF. I mean, with the exception of Anne, the other senior women in the BRF constantly wear their hair down too.
Her hair is longer than it has been for years and it takes constant work by a professional to keep it in condition. That Catherine is a little vain when it comes to her hair is a no-brainer . . . . don't take a L-I-W on an overseas trip but take a full-time hairdresser? But it's when it comes to eveningwear that the "hair issue" emerges.

Take two fabulous gowns:

Catherine, Hertogin Van Cambridge 09/06/2011 - Fashion of royals

and

http://cdn.buzznet.com/media/jj1/20...ince-william-kate-bafta-brits-to-watch-03.jpg

Both of these creations deserved an elegant, adult updo. The hair all over the place ruined the line of the gowns around the neck and sholders and mostly obsucred her earrings.

It looked like she got dressed and found she'd run out of time to finish the "look" so fluffed her hair to look "cute" instead of chic.
 
soapstar said:
As for wearing it down, that's obviously how she likes it and I don't think she needs to wear it up just because she's in the BRF. I mean, with the exception of Anne, the other senior women in the BRF constantly wear their hair down too.

Most senior royals have their hair short or tied back - check out the Queen's hairstyle when she was younger.

MARG said:
That is the whole point. She has worn her hair like that for years and years and years . . . . . . It was a perfect style for Alice from 'Alice in Wonderland' but she was a girl and Catherine is a grown woman, and it's starting to look a little mutton dressed as lamb!

Her hair is longer than it has been for years and it takes constant work by a professional to keep it in condition. That Catherine is a little vain when it comes to her hair is a no-brainer . . . . don't take a L-I-W on an overseas trip but take a full-time hairdresser? But it's when it comes to eveningwear that the "hair issue" emerges.

Take two fabulous gowns:

Catherine, Hertogin Van Cambridge 09/06/2011 - Fashion of royals

and

http://cdn.buzznet.com/media/jj1/2011/07/prince-bafta/prince-william-kate-bafta-brits-to-watch-03.jpg

Both of these creations deserved an elegant, adult updo. The hair all over the place ruined the line of the gowns around the neck and sholders and mostly obsucred her earrings.

It looked like she got dressed and found she'd run out of time to finish the "look" so fluffed her hair to look "cute" instead of chic.

Completely agree.
 
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Most senior royals have their hair short or tied back - check out the Queen's hairstyle when she was younger.

So she should wear her hair up because that is the 'correct' hairdo to have when you are a part of the BRF?

I think it's much more important that she doesn't change just because she is now part of the BRF, but rather remains herself. Changing yourself because of a different status is, imo, the fast track to eventually losing your identity.

Either way, she's damned if she does and damned if she doesn't :whistling:.

That is the whole point. She has worn her hair like that for years and years and years . . . . . . It was a perfect style for Alice from 'Alice in Wonderland' but she was a girl and Catherine is a grown woman, and it's starting to look a little mutton dressed as lamb!

AKA start looking like your age and status? If that be the case, then I find it a perfect example of pigeonholing.
 
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So she should wear her hair up because that is the 'correct' hairdo to have when you are a part of the BRF?
No, because she is in the public eye and oftentimes her hair looks great for and hour or two and then it's a mess and she's fiddling with it. Not a good look and yes she should care what she looks like for an entire engagement not just in front of the mirror before she leaves home.

I don't think it unreasonable to expect her to do away with her little girl look in public, she is 30 after all and to be honest, it looks weird. Celebrities on the red carpet only have to pose and then move inside and sit down whereas Catherine is on show for the entire time she is at an engagement. She is representing the BRF and to be honest, that is what she signed up to do.
 
Sorry to disagree, but I think Catherine is doing a good job.

I also find it refreshing to have a Royal with long hair !

She's the most refreshing addition to the BRF for a long time.
 
Sorry to disagree, but I think Catherine is doing a good job.

I also find it refreshing to have a Royal with long hair !

She's the most refreshing addition to the BRF for a long time.

Exactly. I think her hair is just fine the way it is. She's doing a splendid job representing her country and the House of Windsor.
 
That is the whole point. She has worn her hair like that for years and years and years . . . . . . It was a perfect style for Alice from 'Alice in Wonderland' but she was a girl and Catherine is a grown woman, and it's starting to look a little mutton dressed as lamb!

Some women are more experimental with their hair, but others have a style and stick with it. Kate obviously falls into the latter. I think her hairstyle is fine (I prefer long hair) and see no problem with her not changing it.

Her hair is longer than it has been for years and it takes constant work by a professional to keep it in condition. That Catherine is a little vain when it comes to her hair is a no-brainer . . . . don't take a L-I-W on an overseas trip but take a full-time hairdresser? But it's when it comes to eveningwear that the "hair issue" emerges.

Take two fabulous gowns:

Catherine, Hertogin Van Cambridge 09/06/2011 - Fashion of royals

and

http://cdn.buzznet.com/media/jj1/20...ince-william-kate-bafta-brits-to-watch-03.jpg

Both of these creations deserved an elegant, adult updo. The hair all over the place ruined the line of the gowns around the neck and sholders and mostly obsucred her earrings.

It looked like she got dressed and found she'd run out of time to finish the "look" so fluffed her hair to look "cute" instead of chic.

See, I disagree. I thought her hair went well with both of these dresses. In fact, I personally would have disliked an updo with the last dress.

At the end of the day, Kate can't and won't please everyone. And she'd be extremely unhappy if she tried. Just look at these threads. There are so many opinions on what looks good. Some prefer her hair long, while others think she should change her hairstyle. Some think certain dresses deserve updo's, while others prefer her hair down. Some think her updo's look messy, while others think they look fine.

There are always going to be criticisms, so she might as well wear her hair in the style she likes. It may be boring or even wrong to some, but at least she's happy with it.
 
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I personally don't mind her hair, though the updos are nice once in awhile,as long as she's doing good works, which I'm sure soon we will see the charities she's choosen to become involved in or patronize......
 
Sorry to disagree, but I think Catherine is doing a good job.

I also find it refreshing to have a Royal with long hair !

She's the most refreshing addition to the BRF for a long time.

Princess Beatrice has long hair.

I adore Catherine's hair, I think it is one of her best assets. I'd be upset to see her cut it off. It looks so touchable!

I thought the Royal women all took hairdressers with them on these visits, and when they attend Royal gatherings in Europe. They are often seen having to wear tiara's and such with their hair up, which I doubt many could do themselves and their husband wouldn't be of much use!
 
:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

I just thought of W-A, Frederik and the other men with hairpins in the mouth and sweaty brows trying to do their wifes hair.


Princess Beatrice has long hair.

I adore Catherine's hair, I think it is one of her best assets. I'd be upset to see her cut it off. It looks so touchable!

I thought the Royal women all took hairdressers with them on these visits, and when they attend Royal gatherings in Europe. They are often seen having to wear tiara's and such with their hair up, which I doubt many could do themselves and their husband wouldn't be of much use!
 
I love Catherine's hair. It's healthy and suits her. As she gets older she will probably change it, most women do...let her sort it out.


MM
 
IMO, Cathering should do what she is most comfortable with, within reason. She is adjusting enough to life in the BRF and if everything changed at once it would be very strange for her. At the same time, it is completely true, IMO, that whatever she does will draw negative criticism from some quarters, it is literally a no win situation and the best thing for her is to do what she is comfortable with. I think she has beautiful hair and I loved it pulled back as she wore it the evening of the purple dress in Canada, a very good compromise for those more dressy events. However, we do KNOW that if she did that on a frequent basis there would be people who complained ... as I recall some people also knocked that hair style. Again, as I say, a no winner for Catherine. So ... please yourself Duchess of Cambridge. :flowers:
 
Princess Beatrice has long hair.

I adore Catherine's hair, I think it is one of her best assets. I'd be upset to see her cut it off. It looks so touchable!

I thought the Royal women all took hairdressers with them on these visits, and when they attend Royal gatherings in Europe. They are often seen having to wear tiara's and such with their hair up, which I doubt many could do themselves and their husband wouldn't be of much use!

Princess Beatrice is in her early twenties and is not going to be the Queen of England.

I think the point is that yes, some people will prefer Catherine's hair down, but it's about what looks dignified and elegant. I'm sure some people would prefer the Queen to wear different hats, but she wears hats that allow people to get a good look of her face. That's what being a good royal is about - being aware that you have an audience. Catherine's hair would look great on a magazine cover, but she's not a normal celebrity. It seems like every public event is more of a chance for her to play dress-up than anything else. She looked so different and more stately with her hair up:

http://catherine-middleton.org/Photos/albums/events/2011/thecanadadaysevening-july1/normal_071.jpg

Contrast this to shopping before the wedding:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nE_ZQ97SM...UmcNJfA/s1600/kate-middleton-shopping-001.jpg

Valentino said: "She has to do something with this long hair because that is very important. To be a future queen, she can't keep her hair this long." And he's not exactly Vivienne Westwood :p

Do you guys seriously think that wearing her hair up more often will be too traumatic because it's supposedly changing who she is? She's a royal now: most of the things she does will be different. There's a difference between being a crowd-pleaser and being a future queen.
 
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Princess Beatrice is in her early twenties and is not going to be the Queen of England.

I think the point is that yes, some people will prefer Catherine's hair down, but it's about what looks dignified and elegant.
But some (like me) think she looks just as dignified and elegant with her hair down.

It seems like every public event is more of a chance for her to play dress-up than anything else. She looked so different and more stately with her hair up:

Not everyone thought that though. There were some in her thread that didn't like that updo. If I recall correctly, a few thought it was too aging or too messy. I think someone even said that updo's don't suit her face and preferred her hair down. It's really all a matter of opinion.
 
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soapstar said:
But some (like me) think she looks just as dignified and elegant with her hair down.

Not everyone thought that though. There were some in her thread that didn't like that updo. If I recall correctly, a few thought it was too aging or too messy. I think someone even said that updo's don't suit her face and preferred her hair down. It's really all a matter of opinion.

Having it blowing about all the time and flicked up (eg when meeting the Obamas), fiddling with it etc isn't very regal. Having her hair down makes her look younger but I don't think that's necessarily a good thing: she's nearly 30; it's natural for one's style and face to mature. She can't keep her hair like this forever so it would be nice to see a gradual departure from the little-girl look. It's got to the point where sometimes she's paying more attention to touching her hair and holding it out of her face than the actual event that she's at. I'm sure Princess Elizabeth's hair was beautiful but she knew when to put it up, and it always looked very pretty.

(Also, if she wants to look less aging, she ought to tone down on the eyeliner and put some weight on.)
 
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I think Kate's hair looks great up or down. Maybe she trim a few inches off so it won't get too messy but that's her decision. So long as she isn't dressing like the Kardashian sisters she's still a regal lady.
 
Having it blowing about all the time and flicked up (eg when meeting the Obamas), fiddling with it etc isn't very regal. Having her hair down makes her look younger but I don't think that's necessarily a good thing: she's nearly 30; it's natural for one's style and face to mature. She can't keep her hair like this forever so it would be nice to see a gradual departure from the little-girl look. It's got to the point where sometimes she's paying more attention to touching her hair and holding it out of her face than the actual event that she's at. I'm sure Princess Elizabeth's hair was beautiful but she knew when to put it up, and it always looked very pretty.

Like I said, it's all a matter of opinion. I think Kate's hair looks fine and find her regal during official engagements. I don't equate long hair with a little girl look, so I don't mind if she keeps it long.

I do notice she fiddles with her hair (I think it's a nervous habit), but I'm sure she'll learn to control it as time goes on. She is new to all this, so I cut her some slack. If she's still fiddling with her hair years from now, then I'll start to have a problem with it.
 
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I've said this before, but I'll repeat myself. Perhaps Catherine could wear her hair half-way up. It would keep it out of her face, but will still be down. I think she's more comfortable with her hair unrestricted, and I can understand that. As for fiddling with it, there are nervous habits that are a lot worse. I'd rather fiddle with her hair, than perhaps bite her finger nails when she needed to do something with her hands. Up-dos have their place and time, and sometimes they're just not what the occasion calls for.
 
I'm sure that most of us can agree that Kate wants to look both beautiful and regal. Helicopters and long hair don't mix well, wind and long hair are hard. I don't think she "fiddles with her hair" out of nervousness, exactly, but because it is hard to keep it under control and she's concerned about how it looks.

She'll eventually learn how to deal with it (and I agree, losing 2-3 inches would make it easier). But I don't think she'll do that yet - not for awhile (more likely when she approaches 40, not 30).
 
PrincessKaimi said:
I'm sure that most of us can agree that Kate wants to look both beautiful and regal. Helicopters and long hair don't mix well, wind and long hair are hard.

Didn't Diana once say the wind is not her friend ? Thought I read this from another poster but can't remember where.....yes helicopters and windy days make for a bad hair day sometimes :)
 
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