Monday, December 26, 2011

Kate on Christmas Day


The Duchess of Cambridge's collarless Christmas coatdress was reportedly created for her by an "independent British designer". We're big fans of the kind of totally cool Jane Corbett hat that Kate chose. Kate's suede pumps were reportedly custom made by Mascaró at the request of the Duchess.




Kate's amethyst earrings, thought to be a Christmas gift from Prince William, are by fave Kiki Mcdonough. A similar pair can be seen above.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Duchess Wears Ralph Lauren Sweater Dress to Centrepoint

Laid back and approachable seemed to be the theme of the day for William and Kate when they made a low key appearance at the Centrepoint Camberwell Foyer youth facility. Centrepoint is a charity that the Prince has been involved with for years and we like that Wills did away with his regular suits and opted for cords and a jumper instead.

Kate, for her part, opt for an olive/khaki Ralph Lauren Blue Label dress in a wool/cashmere blend. The turtleneck sweater dress style is both elegant and current, and Kate's choice of a belt gives the outfit definition. We'd say the outfit's slim lines also silences all those baby bump watchers -- at least for now. We can't say we love the choice of belt, though, and we really wish that Kate would give up her love affair with those Aquatalia knee-high Rumba boots, but we know you can't have everything in life.

As for accessories, Kate was once again sporting the Kiki Mcdonough Grace earrings.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Kate Wears Strapless Black Velvet McQueen to Military Awards


You know friends, nothing troubles us more than when we're not exactly sure if we like something or not. We much prefer it when we can look at an outfit and either fall in love instantly or dismiss it out of hand right away. We find that when it comes to the Duchess of Cambridge we're often teetering on the fence. There are times when it seems like a lot of Kate's outfits lack that one essential ingredient to make us totally swoon, or are just nice enough that we can't hate them. It's all very troubling.

Take the black velvet (or what appears to be velvet) Alexander McQueen gown that Kate sported at the Sun Military Awards held at the Imperial War Museum in London. At first glance we were a little underwhelmed. Black - yawn. Strapless - yawn. Velvet - well, it's almost Christmas, so we're inclined to give her a pass...

And then we looked closer. Like many a McQueen garment this dress is really all about the construction. The fitted bodice and dropped waist, the expert fall of the skirt. We also liked the sweetheart shape of the neckline and the added interest of the the pleated frill detailing. What we liked even more was that K-Midd was actually sporting some serious bling, apparently one of her wedding presents. The earrings were the same diamond ones we've seen before, most notably on Canada Day with that purple Issa number.

Kate's black platform pumps have been suggested to be Prada or Jimmy Choo, both brands that the Duchess has worn often. As for the black velvet bag with bow? It's the Pretty Ballerina clutch lined with Jamie Mascaro fabric.


So, overall, we're going to judge this velvet number a win, especially on Kate's tall and shapely frame. The only thing that may have been miscalculated is just how quickly a black velvet dress would get Kate compared to her late mother-in-law. Maybe that was the objective in the first place, but we can't help but think that if the Duchess wants to carve out her own identity within the royal family she'd do well not to encourage the inevitable Diana comparisons.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Kate Wears Zara & Ralph Lauren at Prince's Trust Concert



via The Daily Mail


  
Tonight we got glossy hair, big smiles, a moderate mini and the answer to one of the mystery items we've been trying to ID for awhile. At the Gary Barlow concert to raise money for the Prince's Trust, Kate wore the Zara Lace Tulip Dress, a pretty black-and-white frock that was thankfully both a bit of fun and age appropriate. The Duchess of Cambridge paired the belted dress with the same black blazer that she wore with that blue Zara dress when departing from Buckingham Palace the day after her wedding (finally identified as Ralph Lauren), black opaque tights, a black clutch and round-toed black suede heels with a slight platform.


We do prefer the dress with bare legs, but we understand why Kate went the opaque tight route. The Duchess' jewelry included her Kiki Mcdonough earrings and that gold charm bracelet from Camilla (who was also in attendance, wearing what looked like a lamé sack).