Discussion about Mette-Marit's approach to fashion

[paulette]

Look at her picture, the one with a spanish caption. She is so gorgeous on it. Mette-Marit looks elegant when she is wearing black for she has a very fair skin.Very beautiful skin. I like her earrings.

 

[Mandy]

VG article about Mette-Marit in Norwegian. (Translation summary please)

http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=244352

Accompanying pictures by Terje Mortensen & Mattis Sandblad

 

[Larzen]

VG has talked to several fashion and trend people and they are not impressed with her style

On the front page they use a pic from this occation and writes that she dresses boring and frumpy (old ladyish)

During their trip to Finnmark a little girl who had dressed up in her prettiest gown was disappointed that MM only had black pants and a jacket
The brown rug with short arms was hated
The baptism coat by Marc Jacobs made her look heavier than she was
The baptism hat took away attention from IA and should not be worn before 17.00 (My note: not after either)
Must collour her roots more regularly, better makeup and a better haircut
No more beige and black turtlenecks (How I agree!!!!!)
More collour and pastels
They loved her hair and make up on Iceland
A danish fashionlady liked her style in the danish wedding
Another norwegian stylist who has met MM says that she is a strong and nice woman and does not care about what she wears
They all agree that her style is inconsistant, can look like a star when she choose to and sometimes it looks like she got dressed in the dark
Never ever use those jeans she arrived in Spain with again, terrible fit and not very royal
One fashionlady wants her to shop on Celine and Armani
MM uses different stylists from time to time.
Ove Harder Finseth who made her wedding dress confirms that she is still a client with him but refuse to comment on anything else.
They compare her to Märtha Louise who signals with her style that she is confident and not afraid to be seen, Says Mette-Marit sometimes looks like she tries to hide herselves (I think it is not fair to compare her to ML it took MANY years before she found her style, she used to be on the worst dress lists until her late 20s but now she is really stunning)
I think they have good points and agree with most of it, but some of them come of a bit rude

 

[Mandy]

Thanks Larzen! I agree with your comments. Mette-Marit has to decide whether she wants to be portrayed as a royal or a commoner and soon. If she wants to be a royal than it's time she dresses and acts like a royal while on duty. In contrast, other more recent princesses have already adapted fairly well to their roles. If she needs advice, then she should seek it from reliable experts.

 

[norwegianne]

"Old auntie-look"

Mette-Marit has been Crown Princess for three years, and during the Finnmark trip she was safer than ever. The fashion experts isn't as convinced about the clothes.

By HANNE KREUTZ HANSEN


UNFORTUNATE: "The short-sleeved coat-lookalike she wore in Finnmark wasn't very flattering," says Lisbeth Guldbrandsen in Henne.

Fashion experts about Mette-Marit: Six year old Maja-Sofie Moen is practically standing on her toes. The sky is blue, and she has dressed up in her prettiest dress. The little first grader has looked forward to the Crown Princess' visit to Kjøllefjord for a long time.

She's finally there. In front of her. The Crown Princess. In pants. Black.
*
"Why aren't you wearing a pretty dress?"*Maja-Sofie swallows.

"You think I should have?" Crown Princess Mette-Marit replies and begins to think. "Maybe I should have worn a dress, but I chose pants because we're visiting a fishery afterwards," the crown princess explains.

The episode happened during the Crown Prince couple's trip to Finnmark last tuesday. A little girl thought that Princesses dressed up, in their nicest clothes. At least when they came visiting. Many of Norway's fashionistas also thinks Mette-Marit should do that. At least a little bit more often.


The tendency is clear among the experts. "Get a grip Mette-Marit. You're too uneven in your choices."

"Mette-Marit's got her ups and downs. When she goes all out, she's really elegant, but she lacks something on the whole," says Lisbeth Guldbrandsen, fashion responsible in the magazine Henne.*

"Some times it's a bit unconcious, and often she lacks the little extra spark. By using extra details, or some more make-up, or the right colours. She has grown boring, and must dare do more."

Earlier this summer the French royal paper, Point de Vue, polled amongst its readers the most popular Princesses of Europe, where Mette-Marit scored the highest in the category:"Ugly:".
*
This summer Se og Hør ranked the most magnificent princesses in Europe, with Mette-Marit on an 8th place. Both polls are copied this week in the edition of Svensk Dam.
*
" She should get a good stylist who can do clothes, hair and make-up better," says fashion editor Lena Bråve in Svensk Dam to VG.

Europe has a new generation of princesses, and never before has the interest in their clothes and style been larger. Also Mette-Marit's.

"If I was Mette-Marit's consultant I would have her explore, play and have more fun with her clothes," says designer Nora Farah, and adds. "Crown Princesses don't have to be so serious, they're supposed to inspire the rest of us. It's too bad that Mette-Marit's clothes don't bring out how fresh she really is."*

It can be difficult for the royals to balance being fashionable, and correctly dressed for the occasions.

"For Mette-Marit the result has turned out as a sinister old auntie look," says fashionista Kiki Sørum. "Her hair often looks unstyled, and Gucci-shoes and Bottega purses don't help when it's not good overall. I had hoped she would get better, clothes wise, but she seems like she's getting worse," says Sørum, and adds that it's not personally meant.

"I just want her to get a grip on the role as Crown Princess. Clothes are a matter of psychology. They say a lot about how the person wearing them feels. Märtha shows that she's safe and comfortable with her situation while Mette-Marit often signals the opposite through her clothes."*

Designer Siri Findal in Comingnext agrees.

"Mette-Marit had more guts before. Maybe her priorities are different now, as she's had a baby. But she's a role model to many, and she should be aware. The representation is work, and the clothes an uniform. She should bite her teeth together and rather get into the sweats when she gets home.

"But there has been some development?"

"No," says Tone Skårdal Tobiasson, editor of Tique. "She has a tendency to be too much "hausfrau." (Housewife.) It gets too heavy at times. Take the Marc Jacobs coat she wore at the christening. Many bought it this spring, but styled it up with a belt, and made it easier. When it's a short time after you gave birth the right coat can make you heavier than you need to be. You get the impression that she tries to hide away," says Skårdal Tobiassen, who encourages Mette-Marit to wear Armani and Celine.

"Classical, pure and simple things. When she wears those, she shines."

Stylist and make-up artist Tom Greni joins the choir.

"Mette-Marit often looks like she lacks colour. She should drop the black turtlenecks, and the beige colours, for good. And the favourite jeans, which she has owned for five years, she's got to get rid off. They aren't particular good looking, stretch, a little too tight, and with wrinkles in the crotch."

The whole Royal family are into recycling their clothes, and VG knows that it's a concious choice. They don't want to be seen as snobby, but want to be close to the people. *

"Mette-Marit has more cash than most, but either her taste isn't very good, or her advisors are bad. It shouldn't be necessary," say KK-stylist Jan Gunnar Svenson.
*
What help and advice Mette-Marit gets, nobody can answer.

"The Palace never tells who work with Crown Princess Mette-Marit. The only we can say is that the clothes are covered by the allowance," says information advisor at the Royal Palace, Sven Gj. Gjeruldsen.
*
VG has learned that Mette-Marit uses different stylists from time to time, in addition to her own maid.
*
When the crown prince couple visited Finnmark last week, the icelandic stylist Torbjørg Bache, according to Se og Hør, accompanied the Crown Princess. Ove Harder Finseth, who designed the wedding gown, and the gown she wore in Märtha and Ari's wedding, is, according to Dagbladet, used as one of her advisors.

"She's still my customer, and I don't want to say anything more about it," says Harder Finseth to VG.

Even if there are a lot of pointing fingers in Mette-Marit's direction, everybody isn't as critical as those above.
*
"Crown Princess Mette-Marit is not the best, but she's not the worst either," says Vincent Meyland, editor of the royal pages in the French Point de Vue to VG.

*French Elle named Mette-Marit and Haakon their favourite couple among the young European Royals this summer, with the reasoning: "Mette-Marit reminds us a bit of Grace Kelly, with a bit of a devilish look."

Norwegian Elle's editor, Signy Fardal, supports her French colleagues.

"Before she became the country's Crown Princess Mette-Marit was very trendy in sneakers and jeans. Then she had to leave her old self behind, and struggled some with finding her place. But now she's found a stule that looks good on her, and the role as Crown Princess. She looks proper, and nice.
*
Anne Birgitte Melander, clothes consultant and owner of the store Garbo in Oslo, thinks Mette-Marit is good to dress after where she's going.
*
"That she fumbles from time to time is just charming."
*
Elisabeth Mouritzen, fashion and beauty editor in the Danish magazine: Alt for Damerne, always have believed that Mette-Marit has a beautiful and simple style.
*
"I would almost call it a Calvin Klein style. In the Danish Crown Prince Wedding this summer she showed that she's international and can balance between being a part of the fashion and have her own personal style, shaped after her cool scandinavian looks. Practical and simple."
*
Not all of the fashion-knowers in Norway are as engaged in Mette-Marit's wardrobe, however.

"I'm not at all interested in what Mette-Marit wears," is all Sara Martin, one of Norway's foremost stylists wishes to say.

Stylist Linda Sande is a bit tired of the whole discussion. "What Mette-Marit wears is not the point. I have met her, she's nice and strong. That's what matters."

 

[norwegianne]

I think it's particular unfair to compare Mette-Marit with Märtha. As pointed out, Märtha took her time to grow into her style. A long time. The most obvious comparison would probably be Mette-Marit and Sonja, but the entire sense of every-day style was different back then, and Sonja has formal fashion background from a school.

 

[Larzen]

What a great translation you did, almost like reading the norwegian article

I think she really has to put some more work into her fashion and posture, and also every time she is asked about somethings she always says that it is fantastic and intresting, she need to learn som new lines. I would propose a talk with her sister in law who is always so good with the press and manages to say something that sounds real and intresting, there will only be more focus on MM when ML unfortunatly moves to NY so I think she should read this article even if it is critical and listen to some of the advices.

On the good side she is getting more natural and relaxed and better at giving speaches which she has done from right after her marriage, which some of the other princesses has not done, and her english really is perfect.

 

[Alexandria]

Thank you norwegianne for this article.

The thing with fashion is that you can't please everyone all the time. There are bound to be items of clothing or styles of clothing that Mette-Marit wears that one group will grimace at and say that she lacks styles, while another group will applaud her and cheer her on. Take for example the French Elle and the Norwegian Elle editors who like Mette-Marit's style but others who do not.

This line: "That she fumbles from time to time is just charming." was my favourite -- because its true. Everybody fumbles fashion wise, and that even a princess does makes her even more real, more human. Which of the present princesses has neverfumbled fashion wise?

And the thing with being a princess is that you can't win, and every expert's opinon contradicts another. In the above article it says that Mette-Marit's style is so safe that it reminds some of an "old auntie." Well, if Mette-Marit went the opposite end of conservative and went quite radical in her style, the critics would come out and say that she lacked any classic elegance to her and that her style was too 'radical' or something like that. Then there was mention that Mette-Marit uses different stylists from time to time -- meaning that if she had one stylist her style would be more consistent. But then wouldn't we run into the boring and predictable again?

I think its unfair to compare her to other princesses, too. Different royal households allot different allowances to their princesses for clothing and perhaps Mette-Marit is not allotted as much as Mary or Mathilde or Maxima.

And as the article says, perhaps she really doesn't care about her style -- that she goes out there day in and day out and does the job is good enough, I think. For all I gripe about Victoria of Sweden's style being matronly, her choice of clothing colours bland and her ponytail, however her physical appearance and style when she goes about her royal duties in Sweden or in Iceland or wherever, that she does her job well is all that should really matter. Style is just the coating, the work done and the heart put into it are the real substance.

 

[norwegianne]

My first thoughts when I read the article was that the stylists were a bit like the 6 year old who expected the princess from the fairy tales to show up, dressed in a ball-gown. If I was going to a fishery later that day, I would also choose to dress in pants. At times you must consider the sensible, and not just the fashion choices. There's a difference when you represent outside, in Finnmark, and in a ballroom in Copenhagen. There has to be.

The thing about Mette-Marit is that she cleans up very nice, at almost all of the formal occasions, and she does remind me of pictures of Grace of Monaco... and I'm not really sure if she would be able to pull off the flamboyant styles that Märtha favours from time to time. Mette-Marit is more about the subtle elegance.

 

[Larzen]

Thank you norwegianne for this article.

The thing with fashion is that you can't please everyone all the time. There are bound to be items of clothing or styles of clothing that Mette-Marit wears that one group will grimace at and say that she lacks styles, while another group will applaud her and cheer her on. Take for example the French Elle and the Norwegian Elle editors who like Mette-Marit's style but others who do not.

It is ofcourse tru that oppinons differ, after ML wedding one fashon lady loved Maximas orange dress, and gave her 6\6 while another hated it and thought she looked like a barbiedoll and gave her 2\6

This line: "That she fumbles from time to time is just charming." was my favourite -- because its true. Everybody fumbles fashion wise, and that even a princess does makes her even more real, more human. Which of the present princesses has neverfumbled fashion wise?

They all fumbels from time to time, but MM sometimes looks sloppy whilst on royal duty, its ok to have a bad outfit now and then, they all have, but I think to look like she forgot to comb or put on makeup is not good. Just like that little girl expecting to see a real princess and than she sees a lady that dresses just like her mother, what a disappointment for her, that is something MM must start to think about.

And the thing with being a princess is that you can't win, and every expert's opinon contradicts another. In the above article it says that Mette-Marit's style is so safe that it reminds some of an "old auntie." Well, if Mette-Marit went the opposite end of conservative and went quite radical in her style, the critics would come out and say that she lacked any classic elegance to her and that her style was too 'radical' or something like that. Then there was mention that Mette-Marit uses different stylists from time to time -- meaning that if she had one stylist her style would be more consistent. But then wouldn't we run into the boring and predictable again?

There are several steps between old auntie and going all radical like ML did at the Spanish wedding. I think she needs to find one stylist that can help her and a closer cooperation with some of the best norwegian designers. I think she esp struggles with her day clothes, she always looks good when it comes to gala and similar events

I think its unfair to compare her to other princesses, too. Different royal households allot different allowances to their princesses for clothing and perhaps Mette-Marit is not allotted as much as Mary or Mathilde or Maxima.

Maxima probably has the biggest budget but who knows how much they spend really, but I think MM just needs help to shop, or that she should have more clothes made especially for her, she is very tall and therfor many jackets often looks illfittet

And as the article says, perhaps she really doesn't care about her style -- that she goes out there day in and day out and does the job is good enough, I think. For all I gripe about Victoria of Sweden's style being matronly, her choice of clothing colours bland and her ponytail, however her physical appearance and style when she goes about her royal duties in Sweden or in Iceland or wherever, that she does her job well is all that should really matter. Style is just the coating, the work done and the heart put into it are the real substance.

I agree Victoria often dresses matronly and boring and in many non collours like beige, grey and brown but she never looks sloppy even if there is to many ponytails (Victoria still is one of my favourit young royals along with ML). It can not be fun to constantly be compared to her stunning sister Madeleine, just as MM now have to be compared to ML, and ML really has won over the norwegian fashionpolice, they all pretty much love her style and her outgoing and smily personality

 

[Alisa]

I think its unfair to compare her to other princesses, too. Different royal households allot different allowances to their princesses for clothing and perhaps Mette-Marit is not allotted as much as Mary or Mathilde or Maxima.

I don't think clothing allowance is a factor. I have seen the Crown Princess wear expensive designer clothing like Valentino,Armani,Burberry...etc.

She doesn't need a huge allowance or even expensive designer clothing to look great.

 

[ILoveCristina]

My first thoughts when I read the article was that the stylists were a bit like the 6 year old who expected the princess from the fairy tales to show up, dressed in a ball-gown. If I was going to a fishery later that day, I would also choose to dress in pants. At times you must consider the sensible, and not just the fashion choices. There's a difference when you represent outside, in Finnmark, and in a ballroom in Copenhagen. There has to be.

The thing about Mette-Marit is that she cleans up very nice, at almost all of the formal occasions, and she does remind me of pictures of Grace of Monaco... and I'm not really sure if she would be able to pull off the flamboyant styles that Märtha favours from time to time. Mette-Marit is more about the subtle elegance.

I totally agree with you, Norwegianne!! I would also dress in pants and not wear a dress to visit a fishery...

 

[hrhcp]

Correct me if I'm wrong ....
- MM can make any outfit look good,
- while Mary in Dk needs top of the line help to look chic?

 

[carlota]

i think right the opposite...

 

[Reina]

Correct me if I'm wrong ....
- MM can make any outfit look good,
- while Mary in Dk needs top of the line help to look chic?

I concur. MAry totally has to be made up while MM can be made up or just plain Jane and still look great! MM is more natural and does not need alot of makeup

 

[Larzen]

Yes the hair is an ever returning issue with some royals, very strange since the probably have personal hairdressers. Here is a picture where Mette-Marits hair (and hairextensions) looked great (I wonder how much hairextensions the royal ladies used combined during the wedding festivities in Denmark )

Copyright Source: Cover

 

[micas]

Yes the hair is an ever returning issue with some royals, very strange since the probably have personal hairdressers. Here is a picture where Mette-Marits hair (and hairextensions) looked great (I wonder how much hairextensions the royal ladies used combined during the wedding festivities in Denmark )

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, is better we don't try.....................that look have 100 and 1000 meters of hair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[KikkiB]

Hats

CP Mette-Marit has gotten critique for her use of hats from the hat makers (it was in a book written by the hat makers). They say CP Mette-Marit uses the wrong hats to the wrong outfits and the wrong occation. I.e. the feather and bow thing that she has used a lot, latest in Lea Isadoras christening (if my mind serves me right). They say that the hair piece is supposed to be used at a coctail at night, and not in church. But Jan Thomas from the Norwegian tv show called (directly translated from Norwegian) Fashion Police (the show reminds me of Trinny and Susanna from the UK), is backing CP Mette-Marit up with saying that she is really nice and that she wears head wear that fits with her age.

Anyway, here is a link to some of CP Mette-Marits hats. http://www.aftenposten.no/spesial/bildeserier/article1094785.ece

(The article I found this information at is also in www.aftenposten.no).

 

[Noelle9982]

I wonder if any of the CPs have stylists like some celebrites do.

 

[Princess BellyFlop]

I wonder if any of the CPs have stylists like some celebrites do.

Some probably do, others don't or others have stylists that are in the wrong field.

 

[Cathérine Bergeyck]

Princess Mary does, but I think she's about the only one. (Maybe Rania ?)

 

[Roxsteve]

Not to offend anyone but MM's sense of style kills me.

 

[truth]

Not to offend anyone but MM's sense of style kills me.

IMO, MM dresses like a housewife.

 

[sm1939]

must say I like her dress sense, ( the hat's and black tights and brown shoes are another thing ) but on the whole
its fine

 

[qui mal y pense]

MM doesn't quite seem back to herself yet. She looks good, but as mentioned by other posters, her fashion sense seems to be in the doldrums. She seems to have lost some confidence (perhaps not all postbaby weight is off) which is a shame as she is a great asset to the royal family.

 

[ortino]

Yes, maybe that's it!! I was trying to figure out how she went from reasonably stylish when she was dating Haakon and then she was dressing pretty well that first year-even when she went to London. But then again, she gained some weight in London and she was still dressing nicely so...I just don't know.. maybe she was able to dress more with her own fashion sense in London whereas now in Norway she has to be a bit more formal and she just can't pull it off, especially if she has weight issues (pure speculation on my part please). Anyway, hopefully she'll get herself a new stylist before her visit to Germany where the tabloid press and regular press too just love her!

 

[Princess BellyFlop]

IMO, MM's disappointing wardrobe has nothing to do with her weight. Many voluptuous women are quite elegant. I would even believe that when a woman has some extra pounds she would be extra careful about what she wears in order to direct the attention to her assets rather than her weight. At least, that's what I would do. Mind you I live in Canada and we are not yet touched by the european skinny-craze that we can read about in the newspapers.

With MM, it's more a lack of fashion-sense in her case.

 

[sm1939]

I think of late the last few ocassion she has inproved !

 

[Rebafan81]

I think it would be hard to be mother to three children, a wife and a Princess, I would constantly feel pulled in all different ways. I don't think being a Princess is a glamerous as it sounds to us outside the royal circle. It seems to me to be a really hard job that is constantly under criticism and review. Imagine in your daily job if your boss was at your area all the time constantly questioning everything you do or say. IMO, I think that maybe what is bothering CP MM. I can't imagine the stress she faces every day, wanting to be there for her children and husband but having this really demanding job. I think she does a fantastic job with all of it and I really like that she is just who she is and is comfortable in her skin. I just love her.

 

[rominet09]

I don't think she dresses badly, some clothes are better than others but...