Catherine Middleton's Wedding Dress

[Island Princess]

Was there, as was reported before the wedding, a third dress?

 

[Sephora]

I'm think she asked Burton to make it sort of like Grace Kellys dress. They do look similiar to me
grace kelly wedding dress - Google Search

I thought the same when I first saw the dress. Kate's wedding dress has also something of Letizia's wedding dress ==> The neckline.

The result was spectacular, although there's some inspiration from other historical wedding dresses, Mrs Burton added that something which makes of this wedding dress an intomporel and comtemporary one in the same time.

 

[MRSJ]

my unreserved opinion about her party dress is that it is simply awful. full stop. Very common

I felt the opposite- her second I thought was far more fashion forward and unique then a Grace Kelly-esque gown. She looked lovely in both but her wedding gown was ''safe'' and the second a bit daring while still being elegant. I enjoyed the second gown more....

But there is no denying she looked every bit the gorgeous in love royal bride on her day <3

 

[firebee34]

That said, I think Catherine's was most successful because she has the most similar body type to Grace: tall, slender, hourglass figure with a small waist but without being overly curvy..

Curvy? hourglass figure? 6 months ago she was perfect. Now? no... to thin and very little shape. In the picture with the fuzzy sweater on, I think she is wearing a small crinoline by her hips to give the illusion of having hips.

Now that the wedding is over, hopefully she will gain some weight back and not follow in the foot steps of other stick thin royals like Rania of Jordan or Princess Mary of Denmark pre-pregnancy... Or even Letezia...

 

[Dierna23]

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/04/30/article-1382015-0BD6BDF000000578-682_634x958.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/04/29/article-1382015-0BD6BE3C00000578-13_306x950.jpg

I wasnt thrilled by the wedding dress but this is a major disappointment! A white dress with wool cardi to an evening reception? Good lord.

I dont know if other people dont see what I see but I find the bust awfully designed (to a lesser degree on the wedding dress as well). In some ankles it looks as the nipples are visible (I know they arent it at times it looks as if they were - quite unfortunate). The rest is plain and boring, the belt looked good on my barbie doll 20 years ago but in 2011 on a princess?

I dont get the McQueen hype at all, both dresses were pretty mediocre, sorry.

You know, I thought it looked like a nightdress (and I don't know if I want to see a future Queen in a "Nachthemdchen" at a official reception ). I liked the cardigan though but all in all she should have chosen something colorful, I'm sure there would have been many more options...

 

[MRSJ]

As I learn more of the details on the dress that weren't visible on TV I'm liking it more ....still think she missed a chance to go fashion forward but can't say I blame her as even in her day to day she's a safe dresser, but the detail work is great and definitly wasn't as clear on screen as in pictures later-

http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/2011/04/duke-duchess-of-cambridges-wedding_6329.html

 

[Diarist]

It's hard being too 'fashion-forward' at a Royal Wedding in Westminster Abbey I suppose, isn't it? Coupled with the fact that Catherine has not been a particular trendsetter generally with her clothes - sorry, that is not meant to sound cutting. What I am trying to say is that her public day clothes to date have always been appropriate and in fashion but not at the forefront of fashion, if you see what I mean

At the end of the day, the dress was apparently exactly what Catherine wanted, and that is really all that matters, isn't it?

Alex

 

[LovelyKate]

I loved the dress so much!! Even if, according to me, it looked too much like Grace Kelly'one. But Catherine was a real beauty in thi dress.

 

[Mirabel]

You make some excellent points, Island Princess! If this dress goes down in history as an updated version of Grace Kelly's, well, an opportunity has been missed. On a related note, I read today somewhere she either has been told or has the opportunity or made the decision to begin utilizing fashion stylists. In other words, up till now, Kate's been making all the decisions about her attire. P Diana had the help of Vogue's editors and staffers and several designers from the announcement of her engagement on. I wonder why Kate did not get the same assistance......And if she will utilize a stylist in the future.

I don't see why Kate needs a stylist; every time I have seen her, she has been attractively and more important, appropriately dressed.

It's been said that she is careful not to wear too many designer outfits; I actually think this is a good thing, since it allows more people to relate to her.

I hope that, even if she does use a stylist, she continues to choose clothing that appeals to her personal sense of style. (Sometimes It's a mistake to try to be too trendy).

 

[abcdxyz]

I feel Kate played everything very 'safe' and IMHO was sending a clear message that she won't court controversy or even push the boundaries a little.

The BRF has the Princesses of York for that!

 

[abcdxyz]

It was me who said it was just a SHADE too low - but I am talking about a matter of degree. I have been out to the Newsagent's Store and bought EVERY single newspaper and having spent the last hour looking at the pictures, I stand by what I said about the bodice - it was cut just a FRACTION too low for a Formal Church Wedding; by convention - and I am the first to admit that people don't always follow convention now - the end 'point' of the 'V' is meant not to dip past a certain point on the line [i.e. cleavage] between the breasts. I also have to say that, looking closely at SOME of the photographs, [whether possibly it was due to the strong TV lighting accentuating things] you can see slightly more of what Catherine's 'figure' than perhaps you should, and I think that another layer of lining material might have helped here.

Yes, I agree the neckline would have been better if it were higher, but I'm just thrilled to see a bride with her shoulders and arms covered. These days that's a rarity!

 

[cmbruno]

Blog da Hildegard Angel
For the ones comparing Grace Kelly's wedding dress to Catharine's one. here is a beautiful picture showing small details of the previous. The skirts and waistlines are completly different.

 

[roseroyal]

Stunning princess perfection, my favorite royal wedding dress ever.
Simple elegance, and I love the train length, perfect and grand for the Abbey, yet no bed- sheet- look!

 

[RoyalWatcher76]

The wedding dress was perfection and the press has already deemed her the new "Grace Kelly" of style which is probably one of the biggest compliments you can get in the style department.

Kate has brought back that timeless elegance and beauty to 2011.

She couldn't have made a better choice with her dress IMHO

 

[roseroyal]

And I did think Carol was the perfect mother of the bride- so elegant. I was touched to see that her dress was a Catherine Walker, and can imagine Diana in the same sort of outfit!

 

[cath]

I'm amazed that some people don't like the wedding gown! Each to their own and all that, but I thought it was an absolutely gorgeous dress, and I'm not usually a big fan of lace. The way the skirt flowed was so flattering, and I loved the bustle arrangement. It actually disguised some of her thin-ness (she looked very thin in the second white dress for the evening reception) and suited her to perfection.

I had hoped she'd wear her hair up, but actually thought the 'half up half down' look worked really well with the tiara and veil - and I liked the shorter length veil too.

The whole 'look', for me, was pretty near 100%. Elegant and formal, without overwhelming her. She looked comfortable in the dress, and able to enjoy the day without being 'engulfed in frockery' (previous royal brides - you know who you are!)

 

[PrincessKaimi]

So glad to hear all the positive comments today! I agree that the mother of the bride also looked stunning. I love that Kate stayed with a white/cream theme for the whole wedding party (except the page boys, who matched William). The later portraits (which are in a room with red walls) really pop. Any more color than what was already introduced by William's uniform would have been too much. And the dress needed to be fairly simply for that effect.

Which reminds me, I love how she/they planned for his red uniform - so that the Prince who is, after all the Royal in the picture, looked dazzling. His uniform was not over-done with braids (they left that to Harry, for whom it was perfect), but the two of them together, in white and red, looked...so British royal (yes I know it's an Irish guards uniform).

But the scarlet coats are so associated with the history of the British Isles, and a lovely bride in a dress that brings in many centuries of British fashion and detailing - what a beautiful combination.

I too could see Diana wearing the same lovely, high interest but subtle dress as Mrs Middleton.

 

[marymary]

I liked the second dress, especially the belt was very nice. And she looks very well this morning. Pretty outfit.

 

[COUNTESS]

The first dress was very nice, but just that. The second was a joke. I thought the cardigan was riduclous. She should have worn sweats.

 

[RubyPrincess168]

I like the reception dress much better than the wedding dress! She looked amazing, and when she walked the skirt flared out so much it made her waist look Barbie-small!

 

[MRSJ]

I liked the cardigan though but all in all she should have chosen something colorful, I'm sure there would have been many more options...

But it's her wedding day and her second wedding dress so why not white....that's what you were when you're the bride, no matter how many dresses

 

[kate2]

I didn't like the dress that much. Actually I didn't like the top of the two dresses at all, but i did like the train and I loved the way the evening dress ressembled the wedding dress but at the same time was clearly different.

 

[Duchess Rennie]

Well, I didn't think it looked like Grace Kelly at all! Grace's dress was high-necked and tight-buttoned and not see-through lace. Though I too think the decolletage could have been an inch higher. Otherwise, it was perfection.

Can someone post a picture of her shoes? I heard that the Royal School of Needlework embroidered them, and I looked here but didn't see a thread for the shoes, or if there is one then I missed it...

Oh, and yes, MAJOR MISTAKE on the BBC's part not to show her father lifting the veil. I saw a still photo of the moment and though I hate the symbolism (bride as chattel, being "given") it looked very sweet. Did Earl Spencer do that for Diana? I can't remember...

 

[ellenw]

Now that I've had a chance to see photographs of the dress close up and observe some of the detailing, I'm more impressed than ever. Even though the effect of the dress is very simple, the construction is not. Look at how that skirt falls! The pleating and cutwork that was done to create that effect (particularly in the back) is incredible. Only a couturier with incredible fitting skills could have achieved that. And yet ... the overall look remains simple.

When the inexpensive knock-offs come onto the marketplace, made of cheaper fabric and without the underlying construction that makes this gown fit, lie and move so beautifully, we'll really see the difference between that which is truly regal and that which can only hope to be.

 

[anaforrester]

The top of the evening dress looked a bit of slappy... I don't know how to explain, but it didn't seem to me that it fitted her well.
As I said in wedding service thread I think it was a really beautiful dress, but I don't see much as a remarkable and unique choice. I've seen similar models in wedding magazines, european brands and in another wedding pictures since my sister started to planning her wedding.
Of course the fabric and the lace have a high quality, and probably not affordable for most people, but her dress do resemble current available models in the wedding gown market (for plebeians)

 

[Dukedom]

Hello everyone, newbie here

I adored her dress. I think I wanted to see something classic and timeless before the wedding so I definitely got my wish. She would have disappeared in some merengue with a 40ft train. Great choices from her, particularly the tailoring into the train. I must have watched her get out of that rolls royce a hundred times already and it still makes me gasp in awe.

 

[kate2]

more hq pictures. some are new i think
http://photos.oregonlive.com/photo-essay/2011/04/royal_wedding_ceremony.html

 

[anaforrester]

Concerning the make up, I wish she had soften a little bit the eye-liner. I've noticed that she is kind of a eye-liner enthusiastic, but for a wedding day she should have picked a lighter colour, like brown. The lines were too harsh for me.

 

[EmpressRouge]

Kate Middleton's dress resembled Grace Kelly's
A element by element comparison of Catherine and Grace's gowns. It is kind of a shame that all lace illusion necklines with lace sleeves gets tagged as "Grace Kelly" gown, but I think part of is because we don't see that style of wedding dress today among the public (still popular among royals). Everything today (at least in the US it seems) is pretty much strapless, strapless, strapless. And lace was considered "old-fashioned" and "dowdy" until Monique L'huillier made it cool and sexy again. Unfortunately, most lace dresses today tend to be slinky, slip dresses that are backless. Furthermore, they are all-over lace (except on the open back) which is too much, IMO. Thus, any gown that uses lace discretely as as overlay and sleeves over the strapless bodice is considered "Grace Kelly" because it's so much more understated and elegant than most of the gaudy lace and strapless pieces out there.

I know some people felt Catherine was not majestic enough for a royal wedding (IMO, the hair/tiara/veil could have been more "grand"), but it is the exactly look I want for my wedding: discrete lace overlay bodice and sleeves, simple silhouette and small, organic bouquet of small white flowers. That creates a personal dilemma, because before yesterday, I probably would have been one of the few women who would go for that bridal look. Now I think many will want to copy Catherine's look and I will no longer be so unique And people will assume I was just Catherine-wannabe when in reality, I just shared her great taste all along.

 

[Osipi]

One thing I noticed and really liked is that if you look at both gowns that she wore, the bodices with the tiny waist do kind of give the illusion of a heart.