Week in Review: Charlene Wittstock, 13-19 February

Here's what Charlene wore from 13-19 February:

1.  In Bunte magazine while in South Africa. Oh, I like this.
2. At the Beverly Hills Hotel in South Africa, 16 February. Maybe if it had a knee-length skirt instead? It's a little bit matronly, long like that.

Photos: Newspix/Bunte

Week in Review: Charlene Wittstock, 6-12 February

Here's what Charlene Wittstock wore the week of 6-12 February:

1. Giving a newspaper interview at the start of her visit to South Africa, 10 February. (All pics this week from the South Africa visit!)
2. Race awards and fundraiser, 10 February. It's not black! Look, she's so excited, she's doing a little dance there.
3. Special Olympics charity fundraising breakfast, 11 February. I thought this was important to view from different perspectives, so you can see the bag (which makes a cute overall look) and the lace panels on the back, too.
4. At the opening of the Nelson Mandela Intimate Moments Exhibition, 11 February. In some pics, this looks like a jumpsuit, but here it's looking like a dress. Please, please, let it be a dress.
5. Swimming the Midmar Mile charity event, 12 February. For once, an outfit no one can say doesn't fit her swimmer's body! Ha!

Best and Worst of the Week

So much to talk about this week, right? Topic #1: the jeans. Full disclosure, I don't like skinny jeans ever (pretty much), and I didn't like them this week. Also, how are we feeling about jeans at these "official" events? Nice compromise, considering she's not the Princess of Monaco yet and so this was a more casual visit, or too informal?

Topic #2: color! Finally! That's why the red number gets the title of Best of the Week for me, skinny jeans and all.

Topic #3: as always, dressing a swimmer's body. We always seem to come back to this, no matter what she wears. I have to say, this is where the skinny jeans fall apart for me: the lower half needs to balance the top half. This is also where the evening outfit of the week falls apart for me, and why it gets my Worst of the Week title. Well, that plus the fact that I want to hike the dress up. And for the reasons you can see clearly in the close up shot: hair (okay, Victoria's ponytails get a pass compared to this) and the bodice. Yes, that's her skin peeking through there. No thank you.

Photos: Life/Zimbio/Getty/Looklocal

Week in Review: Charlene Wittstock, 30 January - 5 February

Here's what Charlene Wittstock wore the week of 30 January - 5 February:

1.  Attending the French League One soccer match between Monaco and Marseilles, 30 January. Doesn't look like a very exciting match...though she is giving us a good example of another acceptable occasion for wearing an enormous scarf.

Photo: Daylife/Reuters

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

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

Flashback Friday: Royal Wardrobe Malfunctions and Mishaps

I'd like to apologize in advance for the content of this post. Máxima made me do it. Let me tell you something: once you start looking at wardrobe mishaps and malfunctions, you can't stop. It's the train wreck that keeps on giving. Allow me to demonstrate:

Apart from flashbulb peril, Máxima seems to be prone to earring problems. (Goes with the territory when you wear giant rocks as jewelry, I suppose.) Noticing you lost an earring (left) is not nearly as embarrassing as not noticing (right).

Left to Right: Crown Princess Mary, Sara Buys (now Sara Parker-Bowles, daughter-in-law of Camilla) at Charles and Camilla's wedding, an engaged Lady Diana Spencer, Princess Michael of Kent

The unplanned problems are the saddest, really. Even the best laid outfit plans can go astray. Poor Máxima's not alone, Mary's also had some issues with camera flashes and visible undergarments. And who looks at the back of their skirt in a bus-climbing pose before purchase? Another failure to consider camera angles resulted in one of the most famous royal wardrobe malfunctions of all time from poor Diana. At least she didn't do it intentionally...ahem, Princess Michael.

Princess Eugenie's among the ones I just expect to have some embarrassing moments, what with all those perilously short skirts. She's not the only one to have let the wind get the best of her, though:

L to R: Queen Elizabeth, Queen Paola, the Duchess of Cornwall, Princess Letizia, the Princess of Wales, Princess Madeleine

Oh, wind. How dare you mess with the royal composure. You have to give credit to these ladies for rolling on like nothing happened after such unfortunate incidents - some worse than others. (If you recall Letizia's windy moment, you know that I am posting the most delicate photograph I could find. Poor girl.) I had a Marilyn Monroe moment once myself, on a street in London. It still pains me to think of it.

Extra composure points are awarded for those that have to deal with the wind on the worst possible days. Poor Marie. I'd make a face so much worse than that if nature decided to have its way with my wedding dress. Oh, we'd have words, Nature and I.

Some royals are more prone to mishaps than others, it seems. Mary's lost her hat on more than one occasion (at Parliament before her wedding, and not so long ago in Vietnam). Lucky for her dashing soldiers always seem to be around to do the hat fetching. Recently, she lost her shoe while in Washington, D.C, proving why a princess shouldn't leave the house without a pedicure. Just in case.

Here's my question: is Sarah Ferguson truly more prone to wardrobe malfunctions, or do people just take extra delight in her mistakes?

I know, Sarah. I'm not helping. But I take a stance like Boyfriend Dave there does: what good does a sour face do us? Just have a laugh and move on.

Finally, my investigation into the phenomenon of  the royal wardrobe malfunction turned up a few particularly disturbing incidences. What do you call it when a mishap is planned, and prepared for, and...intentional?

L to R: Princess Mabel, Princess Kalina of Bulgaria, Princess Caroline

Lest anyone be tempted to make excuses for these ladies, let me clarify: this is Mabel attending the King of Norway's birthday celebrations, Kalina attending the silver wedding anniversary in Luxembourg, and Caroline at the Rose Ball. Not a costumed function in sight.

Listen: if I have to be scarred for life, so do you. We're in this together, friends.

Top 10 Worst of 2010: The Runners Up

Narrowing down the field to just 10 of the worst appearances of the year was nearly impossible. You know I love the disastrous appearances. So, without further ado, the ones that almost made it:

Things that Make Me Sad

L to R: Princess Máxima, Princess Mathilde, Princess Alexia, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Princess Alexandra, Sarah Ferguson

From bad fabrics (that'd be Máxima and Maria Teresa) to bad shapes (Mathilde and Alexia), these ladies brought me down with their unfortunate selections. Designers make me sad, too: example being when NATAN attacked poor young Princess Alexandra. And when Sarah busted out her Alexander McQueen...it made me weep for the memory of that poor designer. Have some respect for his legacy, Sarah: retire that dress.

That's enough of the sad. Let's get back to the humorous appearances, shall we?

When Accessories Attack

L to R: Princess Elena, Princess Anne, Princess Michael, Queen Margrethe, Princess Claire

It's the bolero and the hair piece on Elena that takes this pink number from just enthusiastically ball-gownish to straight up costume. Similarly, Princess Anne's outfit on Ascot Day 2 wasn't that bad...until you saw the hair ornaments. It's a little disturbing on a woman of Anne's age (not to mention a woman of Anne's persona). Even more disturbing, though, is this fortune teller get up of Princess Michael. Talk about your costumes! What's not a costume, of course, is Margrethe's floral raincoat - that's just who she is (shame she didn't bust out the matching hat, though). And I'm sadly afraid that these necklaces attacking Princess Claire might just be who she is. Yikes.

Royal Hippies

L to R: Princess Cristina, Queen Sofia, Princess Letizia, Charlene Wittstock

A nice printed fabric, a lovely flow...just makes you yearn for the beach (or Woodstock). But on royal duty? Methinks not. At least we're getting a picture of where Elena might have gotten the inspiration for her clown pants. I have no explanation for Charlene, though. Let's just hope she'll have a better Armani experience come wedding time.

Prints Gone Wild

L to R: Crown Princess Margarita, Princess Irene, Queen Beatrix, Princess Märtha Louise (times 2!)

Oh, prints went wild on the dance floor too this year. Margarita combined the ever-popular jail bird trend with a nice floral for a truly mind-boggling frock, while Princess Irene and Queen Beatrix went paisley (why?). Märtha Louise, always one to give us something to snicker at, dished up two doozies this year: sea creature with a mullet at Victoria's pre-wedding dinner, and striped up like a football star during the Netherlands state visit. It should be noted that she's worn that dress before, to Frederik and Mary's wedding. She appears to only wear it when she has a sash that accentuates the stripe-age.

A Serious Case of Try Hard

L to R: Crown Princess Pavlos, Princess Nikolaos, Princess Letizia, Crown Princess Victoria, Crown Princess Mary, Princess Mabel

There's a lot of fashionable princesses mucking about out there. There are some that are truly stylish, and some that just think they are, but they all have their moments of Trying Too Hard. Marie-Chantal is a couture-clad designer, but I still don't get this overly metallic frock. (Too much.) Tatiana's another fashion industry veteran, but this black outfit crosses from fashionable to Halloween. (Too harsh.) Letizia tries, but I will never have any love for the M.C. Hammer pants. (Too wrong.) I love Victoria, but shooties? Seriously? (Too much of a travesty.) And Mary, she gets it right so often, but this top and these pants and those shoes on a pregnant lady...no. (Too much try.)

Naturally, we close once again with Mabel. With stripper shoes...and a jumpsuit. Wait, why didn't this one make the countdown? Crap.

Alright, you've heard me out. Now, tell me: who did I miss?

Top 10 Worst of 2010: #4. Princess Stephanie at the Red Cross Ball

Really, any number of Stephanie appearances this year were game for this list. But I picked this one:

 Like I said about Stephanie on National Day, she always looks guilty. And she is:

Guilty of abuse of tanning supplies in the first degree.

Guilty of reusing the foil wrapped around her dinner leftovers to wrap herself.

Guilty of not one, but two serious violations of the rules of decent cleavage. (Broken rule #1: A little goes a long way. Broken rule #2: Thou shalt not squish those bad boys.)

Guilty of wearing a sartorial mullet, and wearing it the wrong way around: the business end is supposed to be in the front, with the party in the back. This is night club in the front and gala in the back.

Oh, Stephanie.

Week in Review: Charlene Wittstock, 1-8 January

Here's what Charlene Wittstock wore the week of 1-8 January:

1. On holiday in Egypt.

You know what we've never discussed? Proper camel riding fashion. What say you to this outing? Any veteran camel riders care to share any insights?

Photo: Svenskdam

Best of 2010: Charlene Wittstock

This week I'm picking out my favorite outfit worn by each of the royals I've covered regularly here on the blog. Join in the fun!

Oh, I'm torn. I can't decide whether I like Charlene or not. (Fashion-wise, I mean. This is not a personality discussion.) She'll stun in one turn, and then retreat to a month of appearances in nothing but black. Even the stunner appearances tend to be neutrals, which is bound to get old. I shall reserve my final judgment until after the wedding, but you know I'm always rooting for a new star on the royal fashion scene. Until then, I take comfort in a few of those fabulous showings:

Armani at the Red Cross Ball, with perfect jewelry to boot. My favorite of 2010.

Honorable Mentions

Hard to find honorable mentions for this future princess (see: the above complaint about all the black outfits). But I did adore this simple white appearance at the Asprey World Cup - great for a polo match. And, even though it's another beige dress, her appearance at Victoria's wedding was very well put together.

Tell me: What was your favorite Charlene appearance from 2010?

Photos: Samir Hussein/Getty Images Europe/Zimbio

Royal Fashion Awards: Monaco's National Day

It's always a mixed bag with the crew from Monaco, isn't it? For every well-dressed turn, you're bound to have someone else show up woefully misguided. Not that I'm naming names. Alright, I'm naming names:

Best Ridiculous

Charlene Wittstock, Day Events

Well, alright then, Charlene! This is ridiculous. Ridiculous in the most amazing way. I won't lie, when I first saw the pictures, I thought, "Yeesh, someone's trying awfully hard on their first National Day." But the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. With a suit like this, you've got to go big or go home on the rest of the outfit, and she certainly did that, right down to the gloves. And hey, if Charlene's decided to bring more attention to tiny Monaco this way instead of through scandal (you know, the usual way), I'm all for it.

Most Typical

Princess Caroline, Day Events

And here we have an extraordinarily typical Caroline outfit. A little snooze-worthy, but I suppose too much oomph next to Charlene would have given me a sartorial heart attack.

Most Guilty

Princess Stephanie

It's the expression. She just has a knack for looking like she's done something wrong. In this case, she's taken a perfectly average coat and attempted to wear it like the Red Baron with that scarf. Maybe she was flying around, daredevil-style, beforehand: it's the only excuse I can think of for that hair.

Best of the Day Events

Charlotte Casiraghi

I should probably go gaga for Charlene here, but in truth, Charlotte's the one that has me lusting after her outfit. I'm loving the casual way she's got the jacket over the black and white dress (which is perfectly ladylike and flattering), and the all-black touch of tights. It's appropriate yet still completely in character.

Cutest Touch

Princess Alexandra

It's Hello Kitty. At National Day. Cute.

Best Reminder

Princess Caroline, Evening

Caroline can look a bit dowdy sometimes, I think, despite her couture-filled wardrobe. What an excellent reminder this look is: she's still got it. A touch of bling, a flattering dress, perfection.

Best Theme Commitment

Charlene Wittstock, Evening

She started the day on a retro kick, and she ended it with the most fantastic retro hair. She's also finishing her commitment to the Armani theme, with the second of two outfits I previously begged for a royal to sport. The only thing I'd change here is to get rid of the hand hold for the train of the skirt. It's a little awkward, especially considering there weren't even any pictures (that I saw, at least) of her not holding it up.

Best Men

Andrea and Pierre Casiraghi

You didn't think I'd let this day go by without an appearance from two handsome royal men, did you? Of course you didn't. Glad to see Andrea looking good - he's been looking a little rough around the edges of late.

Who topped your best-dressed list in Monaco?

Photos: Daylife/Zimbio/Getty/HuffPo

Flashback Friday: Royal Engagement Outfits

I've been thinking about it, and I've decided this: the royal engagement outfit has to be one of the hardest outfits in royal life to get just right.

First of all, it's not an everyday business meeting. (Well, I suppose once upon a time it was a business meeting, but I should hope we've moved past that by now.)

Now, I love me some Tatiana, but her engagement outfit just wasn't...special, you know? And even when you fancy the day-to-day suit up, à la Letizia, you're not immune to criticism.

Second, it may not be an every day event, but it's still not an evening occasion - Sophie's engagement suit I recall being criticized as too "evening" just because she went for a little beading. And there's something off about Charlene in a long dress next to Albert in a regular old suit.

That said, it's not a casual occasion either, Mathilde. (I guess they were going for the young and fresh angle?)

Thirdly, one must be careful not to date oneself.

Because as these two ladies well know, the engagement photos will remain long after the marriage ceases to exist.

Yes, timeless is the way to go. Princess Elizabeth looks well-dressed even 60 years later.

And at least Madeleine can be proud of her engagement outfit, even if she didn't end up being proud of the engagement.

Now, let us revisit the case of Miss Catherine Middleton:

Another one for the timeless category, I say. Not too fancy, not too casual. Made by a British designer (Issa, a fave of Kate's as well as Beatrice and Eugenie). Hits it on all points, all while managing to avoid too great a comparison to the inevitable:

  
Tell me: who tops your all-time best dressed royal fiancée list, and where does Kate rank on your list?

Month in Review: Charlene Wittstock, September

Here's what Charlene Wittstock wore in September:

1. At a picnic in Monaco, 3 September.  Somehow, this manages to be both too evening and too casual for me.  Hmm.  She should have gone all festive, like Al.  (Traditional Monegasque dress, is that what that is?  I could look it up, but I'm pretty lazy.)

Photos: Nice Matin

Month in Review: Charlene Wittstock, August

Here's what Charlene Wittstock wore in August:

1.  Visiting Graceland, 5 August.  Why in heaven's name did these two visit Graceland?  Seriously, anybody have an answer for that?  I imagine compared to the usual tourist attire seen there, this is quite a dashing sartorial selection.
2. Midsummer Garden Fete for the Princess Grace Foundation, 7 August. 
3. Charity gala dinner at the German International Club of Monaco, 28 August.

Best and Worst of the Month

This blue Roberto Cavalli is lovely; the print isn't eating her alive as prints can sometimes do, and it fits like a glove.  On the other hand, just a fraction of that fit would have done wonders for this blue sack worn at the end of the month.  Is she also trying to stir up maternity speculation?


Photos: ET Online/Huffington Post/Profimedia

Month in Review: Charlene Wittstock, July

Here's what Charlene Wittstock wore in July:

1. Open air concert in front of the Palace, 5 July. The "rock star" version of Charlene.
2. "Dinner in the sky" event, 12 July. I'm guessing the dress is Armani.
3. Ladies Lunch event, 14 July.  Black for the third event ina row.
4. FightAIDS Gala, 16 July.  What kind of fabric is that?  Looks like suede to me, which would be very odd indeed.
5. Asprey World Cup, 17 July.  A fairly perfect polo outfit, me thinks.
6. IAAF Diamond League Athletics Meeting, 22 July.  Another neutral, belted outfit in a month of black and neutrals.
7. Red Cross Ball, 30 July.  Apparently this is a shade of pink, though it looks beige in every picture I've seen.
8. Interview with Nice-Matin.  Don't know when this was taken, but it popped up this month.

Best and Worst of the Month

Good month, though I'm not happy at the total lack of color.  This green suede-looking dress is the closest to real color she came, but I'm not finding it as flattering or chic as everything else.  On the other hand, the Armani for the Red Cross Ball is fantastic in every way - I especially love the accessories, which are intricate enough to stand out on such a simple dress but still light enough not to weigh the whole thing down.  Perfection.

Also....

On the left, Charlene's engagement ring as seen in the official engagement portrait.  On the right, the ring in action on Charlene.  The ring seems to have magically changed sizes...I'm inclined to believe they digitally added it into the portrait in one of the worst photoshopping jobs I've seen in some time.  What's your theory?  Which one do you like better?

Photos: NiceMatin/Samir Hussein/Getty Images Europe/Zimbio