Week in Review: Catherine Middleton, 20-26 February

The week's not over  yet, but we have things to discuss. So without further ado, here's what Kate wore from 20-26 February (and I shall add on if necessary):

1.  a) Christening an RNLI lifeboat in Anglesey, 24 February, b) the fascinator, c) the SHOOTIES, and d) the coat from its 2006 appearance at Cheltenham (crafty with the re-cutting, I must say).
2. The trip back to St. Andrews University, 25 February.
3. Signing the New Zealand earthquake condolence book, 25 February. A double outfit day already! This is Royal Prep 101: Advanced, I guess.

Best and Worst of the Week

All signs point to me hating outfit 1: I mean, it's all neutrals. And SHOOTIES. But...I kind of dig it. I can't believe I'm saying this about something including that footwear, but this is the best of the week for me. I think I've been swayed by the video from this appearance. I thought she was adorable, and I'm not a born Kate fan. Just chatty and happy to be there, none of that stiff trying-too-hard-to-be-regal thing. Also: HAIR UP! (Out of necessity, but still: victory!)

On the other hand, I should adore outfit 2, for it is RED and the belt/jacket flare is giving her pencil-thin physique some curve. Plus, she's working the timeless angle in a suit that she'll be able to recycle, Princess Anne-styles, for decades to come. But...I'm not feeling it. It's aging her too much? Turtlenecks worn like this terrify me because I can't tell if they're dickeys or not? Am I confusing you as much as I'm confusing myself?

And outfit 3, well, I don't know what she was going to wear to such an occasion (no, I do: I'd have preferred a smart navy suit) but this is alright. Except for the hair. Too much wind in one day = worst of the week.

Oh, friends, I don't know. This week is defying all my Laws of Sartorial Splendor. Do chime in and straighten me out.

Photos: Pacificcoastnews.com/Zimbio/AP/Telegraph/Getty/Daily Mail/Rex/Reuters/Daylife

Royal Style Duel: Letizia vs. Aimée

 Last year, we saw this Mango dress modeled by our usual Mango model, Letizia:

And this year, it's déja vu my friends, on Dutch Princess Aimée earlier this month:

Suit up, it's time for a duel! Who wore it best?



Me, I'm actually rooting for Letizia. Dark tights with light shoes make me want to crawl in a hole and cry. Plus, I dig the chunky belt. Et toi?

Photos: PPE/Life

Week in Review: Princess Mathilde, 6-12 February

Here's what Mathilde wore from 6-12 February:

1. Visiting the 'Ecole des 4 vents' school, 11 February. We saw this in September, though she's opted for different stockings and shoes this time. This is one NATAN dress that I really like (for a change!).

Photos: Isopix

Week in Review: Princess Máxima, 6-12 February

Here's what Princess Máxima wore the week of 6-12 February:

1. Attending a Women in Financial Services meeting, 7 February. In the photos where this looks more red than brown, I like it (with the exception that the stockings, which are overkill on the monochrome theme).
2. Opening the Produs praktical education school, 8 February. This sleeveless dress is a repeat. Cute and flattering!
3. At the Goed Geld Gala (Good Money Gala) of the Nationale Postcode Loterij, 9 February. Oh, this might be the chicest daywear I've seen Máxima in since I started this blog.
4. Visiting the closure of the BizWorld project at the Christoffel school, 10 February, a) with her wrap and b) inside without. This is a NATAN top, Mathilde has the same one in different colors, and we just saw Máx's red version last month. With the wrap, it's a whole lot of beige, but I like it without.
5. Attending the signing of one of the agreements between Qredits and the European investment foundation EIF, 11 February. Oh, dear. More thoughts below.

Best and Worst of the Week

Let's start with the worst, shall we?

It's like she took every sartorial complaint I've ever had about her and mashed it into one train wreck outfit! We've got tights that are color-matched to the outfit (such a pet peeve of mine, especially when we're not talking about black-on-black). We've got shoes that don't go with the outfit and are totally wrong for the tights. We've got messy hair, and last but not least, we have curiously overgrown jewelry. And it's a shame, too: on its own, that dress is quite flattering. Thankfully, she also showed us the other end of the spectrum in the same week:

No overly opaque stockings, no messy hair, no excessive accessorizing. All together, an outfit worthy of jumpy claps. What say you, my sartorial-minded friends?

Photos: PPE/Dutch Photo Press

Week in Review: Catherine Middleton, 6-12 February

Here's what Catherine Middleton wore the week of 6-12 February:

1. Lunching with Camilla, 9 February, a) on Kate and b) from Diane von Furstenberg.

I've heard a lot of different opinions on this, ranging from "stylish" to "OMGGTGASASAP!" (Translation: OMG get this girl a stylist ASAP! I speak fluent acronym.) Me? I'm just...bored. Criminally boring, that's my verdict: same old makeup, hair worn down again, yet another dress, yet another jacket thrown on top, same old boots. At this point, I just want to see something different. Anything different will do, even if it's total fug. Et toi, my lovelies?

Photos: Daily Mail/Ikon Pictures

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 6-12 February

Here's what Princess Letizia wore the week of 6-12 February:

1.  Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Prince Felipe taking his oath as Prince of Asturias, 8 February, a) outside with coat and b) inside without. I really think outfits #2 and #1 should have been swapped for formality's sake.
2. Visiting the Cadena Cope radio station in Madrid, 9 February, a) outside and b) inside. Again? I seriously had to triple check and make sure this was a different event. If she wears this one again next week, I'm naming it worst no matter what else she sports, even though I like it.
3. Greeting the German president and first lady, 10 February.

Best and Worst of the Week

I'm a sucker for purple. I like to think she knew she'd be featured in endless "style face-off" articles next to Bettina Wulff there, and she stepped up her regular gray just for the occasion. She didn't abandon it, no, that would have been too much to ask, but a dash of color does go a long way. The first outfit of the week, on the other hand just needed a dash of...something. A belt on the cardigan? A blazer instead? Just something to make her look less like a school teacher and more like a princess. Right?

Photos: Zimbio/Getty/Purepeople/Abaca

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 30 January - 5 February

Here's what Princess Letizia wore the week of 30 January - 5 February:

1.  Audiences at Zarzuela Palace, 31 January. Bling on the cardigan? I like it. But not the oxford shoes, I'm afraid.
2. Opening the European year for volunteering, 1 February, a) with coat and b) without.
3. Visiting an education center in Madrid, 2 February, a) with coat and b) without. Update: eagle-eyed reader Alex points out this jacket is from Belstaff!
4. Attending the Luz Casal concert, 4 February. SHOOTIES. Also, leather. Or pleather. Or both.

Best and Worst of the Week

Really, I'm naming Felipe worst of the week here. This is one awkward outfit. These two take on many different roles, but rock star should not be one of them. Trying too hard. I much prefer the gray.


Photos: Purepeople/Abaca/Getty/Zimbio

Flashback Friday: Grand Duchess Maria Teresa's Wedding Dress

Look who's celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary next week:

On February 14, 1981, Henri (then the Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg) married Cuban-born María Teresa Mestre y Batista-Falla after meeting her while both were studying at the University of Geneva. Naturally, we must mark this occasion by flashing back to the best part of any wedding (well, as far as this blog's concerned, at least): the dress.

It's a couture design from Balmain, and like most good couture, the craft is in the details. The whole dress is intricately patterned, but you can hardly tell in photographs. Oh, how I would kill to see it in person so I could fully appreciate everything that's going on here.

Really, though, the lack of detail from far away is one of the things that makes this dress work. Maria Teresa's never been the tall, willowy sort, and bathing her in a sea of ruffles or sequins would have been a disaster. This is simple and clean, even with the fur trim.

I am fundamentally opposed to fur trim on wedding gowns (it's a tad too Evil Snow Queen for me), but this is subtle. And it was February, a full-on winter gown is appropriate.

Another thing this dress has going for it: a good train/veil length. Long enough for the occasion, but not so long as to swallow her whole. Interesting detail: part of the train extends directly from her shoulders, cape-style.

She covered her face with a front veil when entering the cathedral on the arm of her father. Maria Teresa's tiara was one of the few royal wedding tiaras that could actually accommodate a front veil easily. The Congo Diamond Tiara was a gift from the Belgian colony of Congo to then-Belgian Princess Josephine-Charlotte (Henri's mother) when she married, and she wore it at her wedding. After Maria Teresa, both of Henri's sisters wore it for their respective weddings.These days, Maria Teresa occasionally wears it in necklace form.

Speaking of Princesses Marie-Astrid and Margaretha, their wedding gowns bring me to another point of consideration when looking back on Maria Teresa's gown: the ability of the design to age well over time.

Marie-Astrid (left) was married a year after her brother, in February of 1982, and Margaretha (right) was married in March of 1982. Lovely though these two ladies are, I think the volume and ruffle-age on their gowns shows the pay off of the relative restraint of Maria Teresa's design over time.

I confess I didn't like this one at first, but it really has grown on me. Then again, Maria Teresa's also become one of my favorite royals, so I won't claim an unbiased viewpoint. I hope they have a very happy 30th wedding anniversary, and a quiet one as Henri is on the mend from his recent heart troubles.

What's your verdict: is this gown a win? And where do you stand on the fur-on-wedding-gown issue?

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 30 January - 5 February

Here's what Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore the week of 30 January - 5 February:

1. Visiting the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 31 January.
2. Attending a dinner at the Hotel D'Angleterre,31 January, a) with coat and b) without.
3. Visiting the UNAIDS building in Geneva, 1 February. 

Best and Worst of the Week

Number 2's the best, no question. The cardigan's kind of ruining the thing, but the coat makes up for it with that little touch of fur to class it up. Now, on the worst side, I'm torn. Neither 1 nor 3 are terrible. The texture on the skirt of 3 and the detailing on the jacket of 1 both add interest to what could be plain and boring outfits. Yet: the pink scarf is just too much extra and too unnecessary on 3. That's not as bad as this, though, from Outfit 1:

Seriously? Brown shoes? That suit, though it looks black, is in fact navy. But that still doesn't make this okay.  Also, peep toe shoes + tights = bad news, so I have my worst. What's yours?


Photos: Daylife/Reuters/Belga/DANAPRESS

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 23-29 January

Here's what Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore the week of 23-29 January:

1. Various appearances during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, 25-29 January. At least she carries a red handbag, right? (And a Prada one at that, I might add.)

Photos: Norwegian Royal Court/Profimedia

Week in Review: Charlene Wittstock, 23-29 January

Here's what Charlene Wittstock wore the week of 23-29 January:

1.  At the circus, 25 January. Dress from Akris.
2. Sainte-Devote celebrations, 26 January.
3. At the cathedral for Sainte-Devote, 27 January.

What kind of dress codes are we working with here, kids? Is all this black truly necessary? I buy it at the cathedral, I might buy it for the other Sainte-Devote festivity, but at the circus too? Oh, for the love of some color.


Photos: PurePeople/Abaca/Getty/Zimbio

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 23-29 January

Here's what Princess Letizia wore the week of 23-29 January:

1.  At the ballet, 24 January. A good look for a private occasion, I think. I even like the scarf.
2. a) Audiences at Zarzuela Palace, 27 January, b) the jacket from Mango. When I first saw this, I thought we might be having a Mr. Rogers moment, because this jacket sure did look like a cardigan. But it's clearly not, and the overall look is pretty well put together.

Okay, I can't say I'm in love with any of this, yet I still think this was a good week for Letizia. Your opinions?

Photos: Diario Feminino/Mango

Week in Review: Princess Nikolaos, 23-29 January

Here's what Princess Nikolaos wore the week of 23-29 January:

1. At the opening of a London Tory Burch store, 25 January. Tory Burch store, it would follow that at least the jacket here is a Tory Burch design.

Well, look at that. You wear gray and black the right way, and I'm all for it. She looks chic!

Royal Fashion Awards: Monaco's Circus

The circus is in town! In Monte Carlo, to be exact. Quite an event, this International Circus Festival, and as usual it brought those crazy Monegasque royals out in droves. They're always good for discussion, so let's get down to business:

Best Couple

Pierre Casiraghi and Beatrice Borromeo

Snuggly and cute, these two. Demonstrating two correct scarf-sporting methods, I might add: for decoration without overwhelming your outfit as in the first picture (most astutely noted by reader Alpa who emailed me pics) and when you're required to wear them, as in the second picture.

Most Formal

Charlene Wittstock

Wearing the winter version of her summer engagement dress, Charlene here is a whole lot of done up for the circus, right? It was her birthday that day, I suppose we're all allowed to dress up to whatever version of the nines we please. Not that I would know what the appropriate dress code for a circus visit is anyways. Nothing's scarier than a clown, if you ask me.

Most Appropriate

Princess Alexandra

Now, see, this is what I expect at the circus. Complete with what looks to be a repeat of the mouse shoes from National Day.

Best Sport

Pauline Ducruet

How many teenage girls can you think of that would be willing to sport a ridiculous wig in public? In front of cameras, no less! Points to Ms. Ducruet for that alone. The rest is typical teen, right down to the skinny trousers, but she looks happy to support her mom. Hey, Albert gets points too:

Most At Home

Princess Stephanie

I'm just going to say it: she looks good. She looks comfortable and happy to be circus-ing it up (she's the president of the organization, I believe). Still clearly not in the couture realms of her sister, but for Stephanie, this'll do. Oh, except for the SHOOTIES on display in that last picture. That will never do.

Best Circus Outfit

Charlotte Casiraghi

Well, she didn't actually go to the circus, but you wear clown pants, this is what you get. She's at a Gucci party, she's wearing a Gucci outfit. The same thing was worn by Jennifer Lopez. Not a lot of crossover there, royalty and J.Lo., usually. (Preferably.) This is kind of steezy though; you know, she's working the whole "I just woke up and threw on this old designer rag, and I could care less what you think" look. Which is sort of her thing, I guess.

So, what do you think: is Charlotte working it? Is Charlene overdressed? Do clowns scare you too?

Photos: Zimbio

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 16-22 January

Here's what Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore the week of 16-22 January:

1. a, b, and c) New pictures released from the family's travels for Ingrid Alexandra's 7th birthday, 21 January. Good traveling outfits, nothing much to see here.
2. a, b, c, d) New official photographs released, 22 January; e) the Valentino gown on the runway.

A week of photographs that aren't actually from this week, but we'll go with it since it's been a while since we've seen Mette-Marit. No new gowns on display for the official pictures, but it is nice to see these repeats in a posed manner - all the better for the details.

And hey, look what's back:

Quite the selection, there, Queen Sonja. Now we know the layers are alternating pleats, lace AND ruffles. The full trifecta for this ruffled wonder.


Photos: Norwegian Royal Court

Week in Review: Princess Beatrice, 16-22 January

Here's what Princess Beatrice wore the week of 16-22 January:

1. Leaving Annabel's nightclub, 22 January. Not too shabby - I like this purple Luella jacket better over the black dress than I did when she wore it over a purple dress. That's a bright purple, it needs to stand on its own. And Boyfriend Dave there's looking quite suave, no?

 Photos: Purepeople/Angeli

Week in Review: Crown Princess Victoria, 16-22 January

Here's what Crown Princess Victoria wore the week of 16-22 January:

1.  Day 1 of her official visit to the UAE, 17 January. This is the outfit that prompted the royal court to issue a pregnancy denial (for whatever that's worth).  If you didn't want to encourage pregnancy talk, why would you wear your top like that? She knows people are watching, right? Hmm.
2. A reception on Day 1, 17 January. Love this jacket, and this is an interesting contrast to the bump-friendly day outfit.
3. Day 2, 18 January. This is clean and simple. I'll buy it.
4. Day 3, first outfit, 19 January. Well, this looks familiar. Day 2 is my preference; without the fresh white color these kind of suits can age a girl.
5. Day 3, second outfit, 19 January. Simple and casual for a visit to a national park.
6. Day 3, third outfit, 19 January. Love it!
7. a) Day 4, 20 January, and b) the coat from Armani. Fantastic coat, odd shoe pairing. Elegant jacquard and...reptile? 

Best and Worst of the Week

 I just love outfit #6! Great contrast between the cardigan, the texture of the skirt, and the shine of the shirt. Not a bad week, but this one shines the most for me. Outfit #1 also has some good contrast going on, but it's my worst of the week because of the Bump Factor. Don't get me wrong, I'm hoping the palace will have an announcement for us soon, I just don't see a bump elsewhere this week and wouldn't go stirring up speculation if I didn't need to. But that's just me. Where do you stand on the bump speculation situation?

On another note, check out the total lack of color this week! I think she looks good, but I'm getting a little worried about all these princesses and their neutrals. 2011 better get more colorful, and quick!

Photos: ANP/PPE/Svenskdam

Week in Review: Princess Mathilde, 16-22 January

Here's what Princess Mathilde wore the week of 16-22 January:

1. Attending the GSK Biologicals Awards, 17 January, a) with coat and b) without. Boring gray, but well fit.
2. Annual Diplomatic New Year's Reception, 18 January, a) full view and b) close up. Interesting jacket: sort of faux bois or zebra-esque in pattern.
3. Reception for NATO representatives, 20 January. Color! Yay!
4. Opening the Brussels Antiques & Fine Arts Fair, 20 January. Oh, those NATAN boots. Too high, and too pink.

Best and Worst of the Week

Gotta go with #3 for the best, hands down. Such a lovely color of pink - it really lights up Mathilde's face. And the dress is a great fit for her. Outfit #4 is also a great fit, and I when I first saw it I loved it. But I only loved it until I saw the boots, and now it's my worst of the week. How about you?


Photos: Isopix/Belga/hln.be

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 16-22 January

Here's what Princess Letizia wore the week of 16-22 January:

1. At the annual Foreign Ambassadors Reception, 18 January.
2. a) Attending the commemoration of the Santillana publishing house, 18 January, and b) the dress as worn previously. Not fair to evaluate the dress with the coat on, really.

Last week was light neutrals, this week is dark neutrals! See, she really does switch it up sometimes. (Ha.) What we have this week are two examples of things Letizia's tiny frame can pull off: a tightly cinched waist (#1) and a bubble dress (#2). And one example of something no one's frame can pull off: sticking a motorcycle jacket over a dainty bubble dress. Color me shocked she just didn't throw a scarf over it instead. Maybe she really is shaking things up.

Photos: Terra

Week in Review: Princess Mathilde, 9-15 January

Here's what Princess Mathilde wore the week of 9-15 January:

1.  New Year's reception, 12 January. We can go ahead and assume this is NATAN, since Máxima's been seen in similar tops.
2. Visiting an exhibition, 14 January.

On the left, we have a great winter outfit for Mathilde, complete with a great brooch to liven it up. On the right, we have half spring and half winter. I like the skirt, and I could learn to like the sweater, but I do not like them together.

Photos: Reuters/Daylife