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fashion inspiration: the duchess of cambridge

April 29, 2012 in fashion

It was a year ago today that Kate Middleton married Price William to become Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge – and a bone fide fashion icon. So who better to look to for today’s fashion inspiration than the most recent addition to the British royal family?

While some comment that her style can be boring, I love the Duchess’ classic looks. She plays up her features while maintaining a conservative yet modern look. Let’s break down the elements.

Tailoring: Almost all of the future Queen of England’s outfits centre around impeccable tailoring. She wears fitted (but not clingy) dresses, sharp suits and belted coats.

Wear a summer version of her gorgeous peplum suit from earlier this year by opting for a tailored peplum dress instead. This one is from Dorothy Perkins for £48.

Embrace lace: When she wants to up the glamour, the Duchess frequently turns to lace. She’s worn lace sleeves and bodices on many occassions (including on her wedding dress) and she always looks so elegant.

Recreate her red-carpet look from the War Horse premiere (above) with this Oasis Lace Cut Out Dress (£55).

Work the high-low look: Even princesses don’t have to wear couture every day. The Duchess is comfortable wearing McQueen one day and Zara the next – with high street brands selling out within hours of her wearing an item. The Shola Dress from Reiss that she wore to meet the Obamas crashed the store’s website and sold out on both sides of the Atlantic.

Invest in this season’s version, with the Lola Dress by Reiss (now $220 / £117)

Shop your closet: This is one of the best lessons we can learn from the Duchess and I think it’s also one of the reasons why she’s so popular with the public. Just because she can have a new outfit every day doesn’t mean she has to – and neither do you! With so many classic items at her disposal, it’s great to see Catherine wear the same dress a few times (for example, the white Reiss dress she wore for her engagement photos and then again for Canada Day). One of her most frequently recycled items is her pair of L.K. Bennett nude heels.

A pair of nude heels goes with practically everything, especially in the current season. Invest in your own versatile pair of Kate’s favourite Sledge Court Shoes for £185.

And there you have it – you’ll be a princess in no time! Now tell me… what’s your favourite look from the Duchess’ first year of marriage?

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in the news: how sarah burton kept the royal wedding dress a secret

April 3, 2012 in fashion

A year ago, the best kept secret in fashion was the name of the royal wedding dress designer. Everyone had their suspicions but nobody knew for sure.

On the big day, Kate Middleton stepped out of the car to reveal that after months of speculation, the designer was indeed Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.

Some details on how the secret stayed secret have come to light courtesy of Vogue’s International Editor at Large, Hamish Bowles.

Apparently Burton, being the sneaky squirrel she is, decided that the best way to hide the production of the wedding dress was to design an entire collection of bridal-esque gowns i.e. McQueen’s Fall/Winter 2011 collection. By doing so, she could order countless metres of white fabric and lace without raising suspicion.

Burton also was able to look Anna Wintour in the eye and say “I am not designing the dress.” That meant Anna was going around telling everyone that Burton wasn’t the designer. And if Anna’s saying it, it must be true, right?

Perhaps MI6 should pay Burton a recruiting visit – she seems to be just as well suited to being a spy as a designer!

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in the news: happy birthday princess!

January 9, 2012 in news

It’s been a big year for Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. For starters, she gained that title by marrying the heir to the English throne and her long-time beau, Prince William, in a beautiful McQueen gown.

She’s also become quite the fashionista (and a regular feature on this blog, as a result) with highlights including the Erdem dress she wore in Canada and the Reiss bandage dress she wore to meet the US First Lady.

Just last night, she was a surprise guest at her husband charity premiere of Steven Spielberg’s War Horse – she looked elegant and classy – with just a hint of sexy – in her black lace Alice Temperley gown (right – protected from the rain by a giant umbrella held by her chivalrous prince).

So happy 30th birthday to our favourite princess – I just hope turning 30 looks as fabulous on me when I take my turn!

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in the news: princesses are people too

October 28, 2011 in news

The British Monarchy has today finally stepped into the 21st century and declared that royal sons and daughters will now have equal rights to the British throne.

The leaders of the 16 countries where the Queen is Head of State (including Australia) voted on the decision, which they approved unanimously.

In practical terms, the change means that if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s eldest child is a girl, she will become queen instead of her younger brother becoming king.

In less practical terms, the change gives me an excuse to post a picture of Duchess Catherine looking gorgeous in the vintage Amanda Wakeley empire gown she wore for her first solo engagement this week (right).

Read more about the succession law changes on the BBC Website. Read more about the Duchess’ event at The Telegraph.

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what’s on: the duchess’ wedding dress exhibit

August 8, 2011 in fashion

I’m back in the real world after a lovely summer break and I have so much to share with you.

Let’s get back into the swing of things by talking about the exhibit of the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress, which is currently open as part of the State Rooms tour of Buckingham Palace.

I know I’ve been a vocal fan of the Sarah Burton-designed Alexander McQueen dress since the moment Kate Middleton stepped out of the car at Westminster Abbey, but the craftmanship on the dress needs to be seen in-person to be believed.

For starters, the lace work is incredible. Four different laces (some up to 50 years old) were sewn together to create one unique lace pattern for the dress – but you would never know because the 2mm stitches joining them together are impossible to see.

Visitors also get the opportunity to see the Duchess’ wedding accessories up close, including her veil, shoes, jewellery and Halo tiara. The wedding cake and a replica of the wedding bouquet are also included in the exhibit.

The Queen was quoted as saying the display itself was “horrible” and “horrid” due to the lack of a head on the mannequin and I’m inclined to agree the display itself looks a little eery. I don’t have any photos of my own due to the Palace’s strict anti-photography policy, but you can see the Queen and the Duchess checking out the exhibit above.

If you’re planning to be in London before 3 October, I strongly recommend you take the time to do the tour. The dress itself well worth the entry fee of £17.50 but you also get a peek behind the walls of the palace to see the Queen’s beautiful entertaining areas. Tickets are available through the Royal Collection (and don’t forget to convert your single-entry ticket to a one-year ticket by getting it stamped at the desk in the gardens – that way you can go for free next year!)

If you can’t make it, you can check out the Royal Collection’s microsite for a zoom-in view of the dress and accessories.

PS Another royal wedding – that of the Queen’s granddaughter, Zara Phillips – took place last weekend. While the bride and her footballer husband looked very happy, I wasn’t particularly enamoured with her Stewart Pavin dress. She’s such a beautiful girl but I thought her dress didn’t really do anything for her. What did you think?

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