The Duchess of Cambridge's Daytime Fashion Part 22: May 2017 - August 2017


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In my opinion wearing florals to a former concentration camp isnt very appropriate. Darker colours or all white wouldve been a better choice.



Having visited a former concentration camp myself, people don't dress somberly. They wear whatever they're comfortable in. I gave no thought whatsoever to needing to dress in a particular way to visit.

If she was attending a funeral or memorial service, I could see dressing in dark colors, but not for this. Anyway, it was kind of a muted floral outfit.
 
kate's outfits have been very appropriate and interesting. i loved the evening dress she wore by the polish designer, which was edgy and very different from what she usually wears. the erdem top and skirt today was also super feminine.

i also wondered about the appropriateness of a flowery dress to visit a concentration camp, but i guess kate has the best advice in this respect and knows what is protocolar / appropriate to wear.
 
I've always been of the opinion that [providing one is respectably dressed] respect and feeling is better to be found in the heart and brain, than in the 'window dressing' that are clothes.
When I visited Auschwitz it was a blazing hot day in the height of Summer. My clothes in no way reflected the darkness of my thoughts and feelings that memorable day, and I suspect the same it true of the Duchess ?
 
The Duchess of Cambridge's Daytime Fashion Part 22: May 2017 -

I wondering how soon someone would be complaining when I saw today's outfit and Kate was not in dark colors. Google Queen Elizabeth at ground zero or D-Day. She is laying a wreath in NY in a green floral dress and is in lime green during D-Day anniversary service. The Cambridges aren't attending a memorial service at the camp.

The government has protocols experts. The dress codes would have been well known beforehand. Stuff whether it's evening gown or cocktail dress, suit and tie versus tux, military uniform needed, culture aspects such as a headscarf or covered arms, etc...
 
There was a woman there in a pink jacket. I presume you think that's not suitable either.[/QUOT

I's say it's the design that's wrong not what colour she wore (unless it was a very bright one). A block colour in a muted shade would have been right I think. She could be going to a garden party in this. Also of course it matters less what an ordinary visitor wears (within reason) compared to someone paying an official visit to such a place. There are many more appropriate dresses she could have worn that would have worked just fine with the other engagements she has today. It didn't have to be dark either, a grey or pastel shade would have looked OK.
 
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I'm not a great fan of the design of the dress but the colours were quite muted (and after all people sometimes wear colours to funerals now) and I doubt the survivors of that terrible place were offended. Those that died there are beyond all thoughts of dresses and shoes, I believe. What a revolting hell on earth those concentration camps were, whether they had gas ovens or not. That exhibit showing shoes and other possessions stolen from the inmates says it all really, doesn't it?
 
Never forget. That is what survivors of the Holocaust,and their surviving families, and, indeed, the Jewish people as a whole wish for those who visit the camps. Never forget. Wearing regular clothes is by no means disrespectful. Life goes on, but never forget. And never again.
 
She has changed her style a bit, imo.

Do you think so? It seems in line with other things she likes/has worn before.


LaRae

Yes - I agree. I feel we are seeing the start of a style metamorphosis from Catherine. She’s looking better than ever, more confident, and I am really looking forward to a move away from her more boring, predictable look.
 
Very nice. I really like the necklace. I still prefer the shorter hair but think it would look even better with a side part. She looks beautiful, though, overall.

Yes. Agreed about the side part!
 
Sorry but I've never been a big believer in the colour of your clothes should be affected by the place you were going. I believe they once wore white to funerals instead of weddings? I might be wrong on that.

I've visited several concentration camps, one on my birthday, and whilst they were horrifying places, they aren't now. They should IMO serve as a memorial to those who survived and a remembrance for those who past.

She's not wearing neon green, others around her aren't in black, she's dressed fine.

I love the outfit, it's bold with the print but peplum is good for Catherine.
 
Sorry but I've never been a big believer in the colour of your clothes should be affected by the place you were going. I believe they once wore white to funerals instead of weddings? I might be wrong on that.

I've visited several concentration camps, one on my birthday, and whilst they were horrifying places, they aren't now. They should IMO serve as a memorial to those who survived and a remembrance for those who past.

She's not wearing neon green, others around her aren't in black, she's dressed fine.

I love the outfit, it's bold with the print but peplum is good for Catherine.

I’m not sure about the white dress for funerals (but that sound likely). I do know that When Victoria chose white for her wedding to Albert, it was not because white=wedding, it was because she liked how she looked in white. Of course it then became a massively popular wedding gown choice, with the added implication of purity.
 
I love the floral dress. So beautiful and elegant. A regal print.
 
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From the experiences I have been able to hear of from others that have been to visit the sites of concentration camps from WWII, I don't think what Kate wore makes a bit of difference. As they explore the area and visit the different exhibits, what is going to happen is that they will be hit full in the face with the atrocities and the horrors and the full extent of man's inhumanity to man that these camps are stark reminders of. Then, with meeting with survivors, and listening to their stories and recollections, one can only hope that they leave with a firm conviction to work so that something like this never, ever happens again.

On the other hand, wearing a somewhat cheery, floral outfit would probably make a world of difference in meeting the survivors. They've had enough drab, gloomy and somber memories to live with and a cheerful looking Kate just may make their day. :D


Exactly so.


LaRae
 
I’m not sure about the white dress for funerals (but that sound likely). I do know that When Victoria chose white for her wedding to Albert, it was not because white=wedding, it was because she liked how she looked in white. Of course it then became a massively popular wedding gown choice, with the added implication of purity.

I'm almost positive the female children of RFK wore white dresses to their father's funeral.

I don't see anything wrong with how Catherine is dressed.
 
White is a color of mourning in some countries.

But back to Catherine. I like the outfit. I didn't like it as much when I thought it was a dress, but now that I know it's two pieces I like it more. The only quibble I have is the sleeve length. Not a fan of that, would have preferred the sleeves a little shorter.

I hate the shoes. But that's just me.
 
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From the experiences I have been able to hear of from others that have been to visit the sites of concentration camps from WWII, I don't think what Kate wore makes a bit of difference. As they explore the area and visit the different exhibits, what is going to happen is that they will be hit full in the face with the atrocities and the horrors and the full extent of man's inhumanity to man that these camps are stark reminders of. Then, with meeting with survivors, and listening to their stories and recollections, one can only hope that they leave with a firm conviction to work so that something like this never, ever happens again.

On the other hand, wearing a somewhat cheery, floral outfit would probably make a world of difference in meeting the survivors. They've had enough drab, gloomy and somber memories to live with and a cheerful looking Kate just may make their day. :D

Brilliant as always and very thoughtful..
 
She looks great. I love the entire outfit.
 
I think the outfit itself is beautiful. At first I was in the "not appropriate for such a somber event" camp but on reading some of the comments I'm coming around a little. The colours are muted and there's nothing else about the look that's out of place - it's not too casual, it's not some sort of attention catching statement piece, it fits well, she's obviously taken care with her appearance overall. Sooo, I'm on the fence now.

Men really do have it much easier when it comes to dressing.
 
I think the outfit itself is beautiful. At first I was in the "not appropriate for such a somber event" camp but on reading some of the comments I'm coming around a little. The colours are muted and there's nothing else about the look that's out of place - it's not too casual, it's not some sort of attention catching statement piece, it fits well, she's obviously taken care with her appearance overall. Sooo, I'm on the fence now.

Men really do have it much easier when it comes to dressing.

I think when the first photos came out this morning the color quality was just from phones and the floral fabric looked much brighter close up. Once the full length photos hi res images showed up the color was much more sedate and quite a lovely choice. (especially noticable in the photo where Kate was given a bouquet of flowers and the real flowers were bright colors).
 
On the other hand, wearing a somewhat cheery, floral outfit would probably make a world of difference in meeting the survivors. They've had enough drab, gloomy and somber memories to live with and a cheerful looking Kate just may make their day. :D

I agree with this - I'm sure that Mr. Goldberg and Mr. Shipper were pleased that Catherine wasn't wearing all black. Since it was their first time visiting the camp since their liberation, having Catherine wearing florals would have probably cheered them up.
I didn't have a problem with her outfit; it seemed fine for a visit to the camp. The colours weren't too garish or bright - even at funerals some people don't wear all black anymore.

Sorry but I've never been a big believer in the colour of your clothes should be affected by the place you were going. I believe they once wore white to funerals instead of weddings? I might be wrong on that.

In some cultures white is traditionally worn at funerals. Wedding dresses weren't originally white, and I read somewhere that Queen Victoria popularised white wedding dresses.
 
I like the dress but IMO it was not the best choice for this visit. I saw the guide in a pink top to but to me even that seems a little more appropriate as its a solid colour worn over a dark dress. I think, to many people its just a little jarring, a bit of a "ohhh okay..." and to me that is why its wrong choice. Kate and her staff know full well everything she wears is written about, noticed and commented upon and so it was the time to repeat something already worn in a plain-ish, quite dark or somber colour. I'm not saying what she wore was WRONG but it was going to get commented upon and some people were going to say it was wrong so therefore to me that made it the wrong choice, as the fact people here are talking about it shows. Usually I'd say she should wear what she wants because she isn't going to please everyone but if there was ever a day to repeat a pretty boring outfit it was today as everything should be about highlighting where they were and why it is was so important.
 
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Ingeborg18 July 2017 at 17:28
I usually do not comment. But today I feel I need to add say smth here. I work with visitors in Dachau and Bergen-Belsen KZ memorials. And I have to tell you that there are no dress codes there. Right now it is +35 in Dachau. We have people coming in shorts and spaghetti t-shirts and we would never ever turn them away. You took your time and visited and that's important. You can wear whatever it is comfortable for you and feel good inthe weather. When I have groups, sometimes I get questions of "what should we wear? we can't bring extra sets of black clothes, so what would be appropriate?" And I always answer "whatever is comfortable for you". If they still feel the need to make some sort of statement with the clothes (but not the funeral type), I tell them "wear something that shows that our wolrd without nazis is so much better". If they are of one the groups particularly persecuted by nazis (gays, transgenders, Jehovah's Witnesses, gypsies etc), I tell them "feel free to wear something that nazis would hate". So I'm a bit stunned to read the comments here claiming Kate to be inappropriately dressed. Her outfit is really a perfect epitome of that message "our world is such a wonderful place without horrible nazis, and thanks god we learn from the past mistakes to never let it happen again and here's a hope". Especially as photos of the visit (particularly those from a bit of distance) have great optics of Kate being a white spot in the middle of dark suits.

Duchess Kate: William and Kate Pay "Shattering Visit" to Stutthof & A Rapturous Welcome in Gdańsk!
 
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I like the dress but IMO it was not the best choice for this visit. I saw the guide in a pink top to but to me even that seems a little more appropriate as its a solid colour worn over a dark dress. I think, to many people its just a little jarring, a bit of a "ohhh okay..." and to me that is why its wrong choice. Kate and her staff know full well everything she wears is written about, noticed and commented upon and so it was the time to repeat something already worn in a plain-ish, quite dark or somber colour. I'm not saying what she wore was WRONG but it was going to get commented upon and some people were going to say it was wrong so therefore to me that made it the wrong choice, as the fact people here are talking about it shows. Usually I'd say she should wear what she wants because she isn't going to please everyone but if there was ever a day to repeat a pretty boring outfit it was today as everything should be about highlighting where they were and why it is was so important.
It wouldn't have mattered if she wore a plain navy blue dress, people would still criticize her outfit and find fault. She was not inappropriately dressed.
 
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Ingeborg18 July 2017 at 17:28
I usually do not comment. But today I feel I need to add say smth here. I work with visitors in Dachau and Bergen-Belsen KZ memorials. And I have to tell you that there are no dress codes there. Right now it is +35 in Dachau. We have people coming in shorts and spaghetti t-shirts and we would never ever turn them away. You took your time and visited and that's important. You can wear whatever it is comfortable for you and feel good inthe weather. When I have groups, sometimes I get questions of "what should we wear? we can't bring extra sets of black clothes, so what would be appropriate?" And I always answer "whatever is comfortable for you". If they still feel the need to make some sort of statement with the clothes (but not the funeral type), I tell them "wear something that shows that our wolrd without nazis is so much better". If they are of one the groups particularly persecuted by nazis (gays, transgenders, Jehovah's Witnesses, gypsies etc), I tell them "feel free to wear something that nazis would hate". So I'm a bit stunned to read the comments here claiming Kate to be inappropriately dressed. Her outfit is really a perfect epitome of that message "our world is such a wonderful place without horrible nazis, and thanks god we learn from the past mistakes to never let it happen again and here's a hope". Especially as photos of the visit (particularly those from a bit of distance) have great optics of Kate being a white spot in the middle of dark suits.

Duchess Kate: William and Kate Pay "Shattering Visit" to Stutthof & A Rapturous Welcome in Gdańsk!

Thank you, Ingeborg! Surely this settles the matter.
 
I think when the first photos came out this morning the color quality was just from phones and the floral fabric looked much brighter close up. Once the full length photos hi res images showed up the color was much more sedate and quite a lovely choice. (especially noticable in the photo where Kate was given a bouquet of flowers and the real flowers were bright colors).

I think you're right, and as I've had the chance to go through more photos and so on it's also clear that William and Catherine's interaction with their hosts was warm and interested - Kate, especially, seemed quite engrossed - which helps make up for a possibly less than ideal wardrobe choice.
 
I fail to see any issue over this choice. As noted previously, the Queen's choice of colour when she visited the 9/11 memorial did not lessen her honouring the victims of such terrible atrocities. Both royals set a respectful, hopeful mood in their choices.
On a different note, I agree that we are seeing some interesting outfits from Kate recently. I'm not so keen on the accessories this time but helped strike a more subdued effect .
 
We are not comparable to Kate. She is not a student or tourist. Bad comparison.

Honestly I prefer royals like Maxima recently, in slightly more somber looks. But that said, I have no issue here. As long as not an actual memorial, I don't find it offensive (and before anyone reminds me of the queen, I don't like the queen in bright colors at memorial either. This is not an opinion reserved for one royal). The color is toned down, not exactly somber but not in face.

All said, not fan. The print reminds me of wall paper. :sad:

It would be better if she wore it as separates. Shame she bought separates and wears together, looks like her usual silhouette from distance. Too matchy matchy. Would have been improved with just the skirt and a lovely blouse that picked up the color of the skirt.
 
Richard Palmer said on Twitter he asked Poles and a British Jew if black or dark colours were expected and they said not.

During the Canada visit last year a government protocol expert was interviewed on CTV and she said every detail is planned in advance. Clothes, gifts, food, locations. Nothing is left to chance.
 
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