The Duchess of Cambridge's Daytime Fashion Part 8: April 2012 - June 2012

[Danish girl]

The white top:
I hate see-through clothes. I really do. However I like the front of this - AND the crazy sleeves.

The dress:
The dress is rather pretty, but very busy. However I think it worked better with the sunny tan than these shiny-pale legs.
The belt and shoes are just wrong.

 

[EIIR]

I doubt very much that Kate wore that Ted Baker blouse without a vest or shirt underneath. Certainly not to what was essentially a business meeting.

 

[bertie5252003]

The belt looks a bit out of place on the lace but I mean she's at a wedding so she's done a low key colour and she looks nice and her hair is not allo ver her face so that is a good thing!!!IMO

 

[Artemisia]

I have never been a fan of this dress; lace is really hard to pull off and I don't think this dress does it.
On the other hand, I'm glad Kate chose to wear a dress that has already been seen, rather than a new one, no to distract from the true star of the day - the bride.

 

[EIIR]

I have to say this would be one of my favourites on Kate. I like Erdem's style, Samantha Cameron has worn some really nice pieces from his collections.

I wonder if we'll see Kate wear trousers for an engagement anytime soon. Apart from the hockey, I don't think we've seen her wear trousers when in public at all.

 

[Artemisia]

I wonder if we'll see Kate wear trousers for an engagement anytime soon. Apart from the hockey, I don't think we've seen her wear trousers when in public at all.

For whatever reason, British Royals tend to avoid wearing trousers on official engagements. In fact, I think of the senior royal ladies only Sophie wears trousers now and then - and even she does it very rarely.

 

[sheikah deena]

Kate Looks Nice Of Course , and I Like Her Dress Very Much so Elegant , and I Think She Look Nice In Both Event , and The Dress Look Nice With Belt and Without , Thank you for Posting .

 

[Jacknch]

I wonder if a different hat, shoes and gloves would go well with the lace blue dress? Perhaps a cream colour? I know that Catherine likes to accessories with similar shades - as in all blue at this wedding.
I too, EIIR, have wondered about whether Catherine will wear trousers to an engagement, but as Artemisia says, it's avoided. I think it is more to do with adhering to traditional ways of dressing even though most women of all ages in Britain seem to prefer trousers.....especially black ones!

 

[Daria_S]

I love the blue lace dress that Catherine chose for her friend's wedding. She looks great in it. Navy blue is a color she pulls off well. The jacket and the hat were good additions too. The belt, however, has no place in this outfit.

 

[TortillaChips]

Apologies for the off topic but I do like Emma's dress (the same that she wore for W&Cs wedding )

Obviously I think DofCa looks lovely as usual

 

[EIIR]

I have mixed feelings on the trousers thing. Kate has a great set of pins on her and if I were her I'd want to show them off. On the other hand, a really well-tailored pair of trousers would be a nice change.

 

[MichelleQ2]

I think there are times when it is appropriate and projects an image of wanting to participate, rather than watch. For example... the Unicef trip to Denmark when they were going to a warehouse to pack boxes (Mary wore pants). or if she were going to meet with children and this would allow more flexibility in playing with them.

 

[Daria_S]

I have mixed feelings on the trousers thing. Kate has a great set of pins on her and if I were her I'd want to show them off. On the other hand, a really well-tailored pair of trousers would be a nice change.

You're right, Catherine has great legs, and I also love your idea of having well-tailored trousers. They can show off her legs as well as a skirt or a dress can, but they can also be a more practical choice for certain engagements. For instance, when one is visiting a school (or any place where interactions with children are on the agenda), having trousers makes it so much easier. There are no worries of showing the world one's unmentionables if one is wearing a pair of trousers, while sitting on a rug and playing with kids (it's also a lot more comfortable). Getting out of a car on a windy day would go a lot smoother in trousers too (though I would imagine that weights in a hem of one's skirt/dress do wonders as well).

 

[TortillaChips]

You're right, Catherine has great legs, and I also love your idea of having well-tailored trousers. They can show off her legs as well as a skirt or a dress can, but they can also be a more practical choice for certain engagements. For instance, when one is visiting a school (or any place where interactions with children are on the agenda), having trousers makes it so much easier. There are no worries of showing the world one's unmentionables if one is wearing a pair of trousers, while sitting on a rug and playing with kids (it's also a lot more comfortable). Getting out of a car on a windy day would go a lot smoother in trousers too (though I would imagine that weights in a hem of one's skirt/dress do wonders as well).

Apologies for being extremely crude but there would then be the potential for the 'camel spotters'

However, I do think that trousers can be extremely suitable and smart

 

[MichelleQ2]

what color does the belt look to you? it looked black with she wore it with the gray amanda wakely dress - but not in these pics the leather looks navy - obviously better pictures next week - but curiious what anyone else thought?

 

[EIIR]

Here's a link to the McQueen belt where you can see it in its original state. Kate has only used the metal chain part of it, rather then the thicker leather part. It's definitely black though. I'm glad Kate didn't use the whole thing as I think it would have overpowered just about anything she's worn.

Alexander McQueen?s gold chain belt has a rocking appeal

Just as an aside, this belt costs $2,225. Ouch.

 

[Artemisia]

$2,225 for that?
It's a nice belt but really, unless there are invisible diamonds somewhere, the price is most definitely too much.

 

[EIIR]

I'm going to give McQueen the benefit of the doubt and hope that the leather's of the very highest quality and there's some actual gold going on there. At least I hope so.

I suppose if Prince Charles can buy shoes at over £3,000 a pair, this belt's a comparative bargain.

Edited to add, it's now sold out, but it was available on Net-A-Porter for the reduced price of £518.

http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/164738

 

[Daria_S]

Here's a link to the McQueen belt where you can see it in its original state. Kate has only used the metal chain part of it, rather then the thicker leather part. It's definitely black though. I'm glad Kate didn't use the whole thing as I think it would have overpowered just about anything she's worn.

Alexander McQueen?s gold chain belt has a rocking appeal

The wider parts make it look like a part of a very strange corset. I'm glad she didn't use them, but I'm not a fan even of the chain. It's just too overpowering.

Just as an aside, this belt costs $2,225. Ouch.

$2,225 for that?
It's a nice belt but really, unless there are invisible diamonds somewhere, the price is most definitely too much.

That was my reaction too. Too much money for something that is, in my opinion, very ugly.

 

[MARG]

I'm glad Kate didn't use the whole thing as I think it would have overpowered just about anything she's worn.

Too late!

Alexander McQueen?s gold chain belt has a rocking appeal

Just as an aside, this belt costs $2,225. Ouch.

And here we were being told Catherine doesn't do expensive but if she's spending that on a belt . . . it makes you think about the exact nature of the "spin" involving her clothes and the costs involved.

 

[Baroness of Books]

I don't care for lace dresses too much, and this would have looked better without the belt. I like the navy accessories though. And that's an insane amount of money to spend on a belt, and I don't care who the designer is.

 

[MichelleQ2]

Here's a link to the McQueen belt where you can see it in its original state. Kate has only used the metal chain part of it, rather then the thicker leather part. It's definitely black though. I'm glad Kate didn't use the whole thing as I think it would have overpowered just about anything she's worn.

Alexander McQueen?s gold chain belt has a rocking appeal

Just as an aside, this belt costs $2,225. Ouch.

This link shows the slacks and blouse as black ... Kate wore the blouse and skirt in navy - I wonder if there is a coordinating navy belt.

 

[MARG]

I suppose if Prince Charles can buy shoes at over £3,000 a pair, this belt's a comparative bargain.

Apples and oranges. Charles is well known for the length of time he wears his shoes and we're not talking a decade here but several. Men's shoes are not, by definition, a fashion item.

A McQueen belt is, by definition, a fashion accessory. Will Catherine still be wearing that belt a decade from now?

Comparing the cost of Charles shoes to that of Catherine's belt is classic misdirection. The one has absolutely nothing to do with the other.

 

[EIIR]

Too late!
And here we were being told Catherine doesn't do expensive but if she's spending that on a belt . . . it makes you think about the exact nature of the "spin" involving her clothes and the costs involved.

Of course Kate does expensive. Who ever claimed otherwise? She's always worn a mix of designer and high street, even before she married. Although, some designers have complained that she wears too much high street. She also wears items that she's had in her wardrobe for years and items that are past season.

Like Charles's shoes it's an investment piece, no doubt the style will come around again and it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest to see Kate wear it again in future.

William's a multi-millionaire in his own right via inheritances from his mother and the Queen Mother. I'm sure that Charles also makes funds available to cover the cost of both Kate and William's requirement to dress appropriately for official duties. At least we know Kate pays for her clothes, rather than accept freebies.

 

[dazzling]

Such a pretty lace dress ruined by a belt. Not understanding the trend by many women who have to match belts with pretty dresses and so on.

 

[cepe]

Is it the same belt that she wore to the IWM? That was black with chains at the sides. This looked navy with studs. The pix from popsugar highlight the belt at the wedding quite clearly.

This site confirms that the belts are different. Don't think this has been posted

What Kate Wore

Scroll down past details of white blouse and there is info on the clothes and accessories worn at the wedding

 

[Artemisia]

Two similar belts for the price of over $2,000 - that's just way too much.
I don't mind paying a lot for good-quality items; it's an investment and they do last for years.
But belts and sunglasses are just accessories - and these ones are just ridiculously over-priced.

 

[cepe]

I agree very expensive but she may not have paid all that money if (big if) she didn't buy all of the black belt which is not her style anyway. She's a great customer of AMcQ so maybe she could just buy the narrow belt/chain part.

 

[miche]

Where is the $2,00o price tag came from when Net-a-porter is saying it $285.60 and was original $510? Alexander McQueen | Studded leather belt | NET-A-PORTER.COM What Kate Wore Friday & Saturday, Updated Appearance Schedule » What Kate Wore

 

[Mermaid1962]

Not if the trousers fit properly and she wears the right undergarment. My preference, however, is for royal ladies to wear skirts on official engagements when possible.

Apologies for being extremely crude but there would then be the potential for the 'camel spotters'