Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 13-19 February

Here's what Mette-Marit wore from 13-19 February:

1. Visiting Levanger, 17 February. Are there little poof balls on her boots? I think there are. Hmm.
2. Attending the ISFiT conference in Trondheim, 18 February. Interesting repeated dress. The shape is almost too cutesy for her, I think the fabric's bringing up the maturity level.
3. Other engagements in Trondheim, 18 February. Love, love this coat!

Best and Worst of the Week

On coats alone, I have to go with #3 as my best. But I can't figure out a worst: nothing's terrible, but nothing's really standing out either. Your thoughts?

Photos: Scanpix

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: 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

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: #7. Queen Sonja at Queen Margrethe's Birthday Celebrations

When I announced this new top 10 list, there were suggestions of upholstered queens and tutus as potential list subjects. My friends, I present to you: The Upholstered Tutu (and on a Queen to boot).

Ruffles and layers and lace, all in a fine shade of mustard.  I just have to ask...what about this is supposed to be attractive?

For sheer head-shaking bafflement, this one makes the list.

(Also: Do you think Sonja influenced Mette-Marit's recent run of tiered ruffle gowns, or perhaps the other way around?)

Best of 2010: Crown Princess Mette-Marit

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!

Crown Princess Mette-Marit had a year filled with a lot of neutral, rather boring outfits. Thank goodness she threw in some glamorous turns and a whole lot of killer shoes to liven the party up. The most glamorous of all:

As though the Valentino dress and feathery bag weren't glam enough on their own, she wears the whole thing while alighting from a private yacht. Gorgeous, and my absolute 2010 favorite from the future Queen of Norway.

Honorable Mentions

Honestly, most any occasion in which M-M wore a splash of color could have warranted an honorable mention, but I picked a few other favorites just for fun: the yellow Valentino is a fantastic pop of sunshine, and the blue cloud of a dress from Victoria's wedding is topped by one of my favorite tiaras. Of the many, many tiered ruffle dresses Mette-Marit sported this year, this purple one is my favorite, followed by the unique color combination worn for Queen Margrethe's birthday.

Tell me: what was your favorite Mette-Marit outfit this year?

Photos: Daylife/Getty Images/Belga/DPA/Diez Minutos

Royal Fashion Awards: The Nobel Prizes, 2010

I meant to post over the weekend, my lovelies, but I ended up snowed in miles away from my laptop, a blizzard keeping me from my snark. Good thing reader Deidre emailed today to remind me of the overwhelming need for a post. I've never met Deidre, but I sense she's got that Claudia Schiffer look to her, topped off with an Einstein brain. Anyways: we shall continue forward in the spirit of "better late than never", for it is the most wonderful time of the year - that's right, time to award some Nobel prizes!

Norway kicked things off, awarding the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday with a concert on Saturday, and the rest of the prizes were of course awarded on Friday in Sweden with the traditional King's Dinner following on Saturday. To the clothes!

Most Typical

Queen Sonja at the Peace Prize ceremony, Princess Christina at the Nobel Banquet, and Queen Silvia at the King's Dinner

Nothing much to see here, friends. Queen Sonja held down the sartorial fort in Oslo with Mette-Marit out and about on her world travels, and she didn't venture a foot outside her comfort zone. I mean, sure, the hat's kinda oddball, but that IS her comfort zone. Princess Christina turned in a perfectly respectable appearance at the Nobel ceremonies in Sweden on Friday, and Queen Silvia did the same on Saturday (though I do not like that tiara and I can not be convinced otherwise).

Best Black Tie

Crown Princess Victoria at the King's Dinner

I can't hate on Crown Princess Victoria in a jewel-toned Elie Saab gown. That would be sacrilegious. But I can admit that this just wasn't the right occasion. There's too much going on at the neckline here for a necklace and a sash. Plus, that's some black tie hair right there. (What is up with that 'do? Part of the reason why the Nobel functions are so fabulous is because the Swedish ladies turn the tiara hair volume up to 11. This does not go to eleven.)

Best Repeat

Princess Christina at the King's Dinner

Yes, we've seen this one before, at Victoria's wedding. But it's fab, and thus she shall be excused from repeating a gown during the Nobel festivities. Yet again I fall prey to the allure of a luscious jewel tone.

Best Overall

Crown Princess Victoria at the Nobel Banquet

 

Oh, yummy. Elie Saab again, and this time absolutely perfect for the white tie event. The draping, the back - I mean, jumpy claps! It's even managing to make that steel cut tiara look alright (Napoleonic dress, Napoleonic tiara - nice), though this is yet another piece I can not get down with. It's just so...plume-tastic. And there's no diamonds on it! Come on now.

Best Use of Color

Queen Silvia at the Nobel Banquet

Combining colored jewels with colored gowns is dicey business. (Think back to Mary's combo of rubies and that mint-ish green dress at Victoria's wedding, or Sonja's coral and emerald pairing at the same event. Risky business.) But this - now, this was a good call. The sapphires and the green dress just play so nicely together. Well done, and the hair gets an A+ as well for having just enough volume to balance out the weight of that tiara.

Worst Use of Color

Queen Sonja at the Nobel Concert

Well, this is amusing. Army green and fuchsia? Really? With a black cummerbund? Someone please tell me this is a recycle from an era gone past. I think what I like best is that she took such an overwhelming color combo, busied it up by contrasting the fabrics, paired it with an overwhelming pattern on the top, and then topped the whole thing off with MORE pattern - brooches and a choker that might as well be part of the dress, that neckline's so high. The magpie in me can't help but admire the spirit.

Who made your best dressed list for the Nobel Awards this year? Speak! Type!

Photos: Svenskdam/Daylife/Getty

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?

Royal Trend Watch: Safety Woes

Here's a lil' tidbit about yours truly: I'm an interior designer. My particular job involves developing the aesthetics of large buildings, offices and such. What I'm saying is this: I spend a significant amount of my time mucking about construction sites and the like.

Why am I bothering you with this information? Because I want you to know, when I say this, that it comes from deep personal experience:

There is no way to make construction hard hats and safety gear look good. Mette-Marit, I sympathize.

Let me tell you, there's nothing worse than having your style smashed by safety requirements. (Well, alright, there's a whole lot out there that's worse than that. But my world is small and shallow.) High heels are not encouraged in these environments, which is blasphemous. And I'm not even going to get into what these things do to your hair.

Poor royals. Factories, construction sites, you name it: many have tried to rock their safety gear....

...all have failed. A most unfortunate royal trend.

But, hey, I think Mette-Marit's come up with the first step to combating the woes of safety wear:

If your scarf is big enough, it'll cover everything else. Someone needs to tell Letizia.

Photos: Corbis/ANP

Flashback Friday: Queen Margrethe's Birthday Celebrations, Part 3

And so we've arrived at the last of these fond memories of Queen Margrethe's 70th birthday celebrations.  The last event was a dinner with a black tie and tiara dress code...

Best of the Satiny and Shiny

L to R: Carina Axelsson, Queen Anne-Marie, Crown Princess Mary, Princess Nathalie

Apart from that embellishment around Carina's waist, which I think cheapens the whole thing, not a bad category.  I had to give it to Mary's repeat dress - great color, great cut, and bonus points for being a great canvas on which to showcase that Midnight Tiara.

Worst of the Chiffony and Floaty

L to R: Princess Marie, Princess Benedikte, Princess Alexia

For the record, I like Marie's dress, I just think it's more Hollywood starlet than tiara-sporting Princess. And as for Benedikte and Alexia...oh, no, dears.  Not flattering.  Benedikte isn't so bad, it's just the sleeves there, whereas Alexia's being choked by that forced empire waist.

Best of the Hmm...

L to R: Queen Margrethe, Crown Princess Victoria, Crown Princess Mette-Marit

Interesting selections from these three ladies.  Margrethe's doing her usual Margrethe thing, but this one just seems excessively...wide.  Victoria's just busted out of jail in her BCBG Max Azria gown, though I will submit that she's rocking it as much as anyone can rock a prison uniform.  Mette-Marit's also gone the love-it-or-hate-it route with her flower-iffic ice blue and magenta combo.  I vote for 'love it' - something about the color combo with the hair and make up just works.

Best of the Best

L to R: Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Princess Máxima, Queen Silvia

What we've got here are three women doing exactly what they're known to do, in exactly the right way: Maria Teresa is doing her floaty Elie Saab thing, but this time she's made a flattering silhouette out of it; Silvia's dignified in Jacques Zehnder as always but well-fit and well-colored; and Máxima's loud yet lovely.  Here's why Máxima's Carolina Herrera wins it for me: this is the perfect dress to wear for a black tie and tiara shindig.  It makes the most of her sapphire jewelry, but couldn't be worn to a full gala occasion since the print would mess with all the orders and what not she'd need to wear.  And I'm all for capitalizing on an opportunity.

And Finally, the "Whoa!" Category

L to R: Queen Sonja, Queen Beatrix

Just thought we'd end on a humorous note.  That's all.

So, my lovelies, there you have it.  Who wins your overall best dressed award for the whole celebration?

Photos: bt.dk/zimbio

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 12-18 September

Here's what Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore the week of 12-18 September:

1. Opening of Alpha role modeling, 13 September.  Sadly the necklace isn't interesting enough to make up for the rest of this outfit. 
2. Attending a youth conference, 15 September.  Ah ha!  Color!  But it seems we have some random selections from different outfits all thrown together.  Black jacket and pink skirt: okay.  Add in the scarf and the bag and the color scheme starts to get a little dicey.  And then brown shoes?  Most curious.  (I do like the shoes, for the record.  You know how I feel about M-M and her shoes.)

Photos: bt.dk

Flashback Friday: Queen Margrethe's Birthday Celebrations, Part 1

You know what we need more of in our daily lives, kids?  Sparkle.  Call me shallow if you must, but a good tiara is my favorite part of royal watching, hands down.  Even though I understand all of the reasons why the Greek wedding couldn't have been as glitzy as the Swedish wedding was, it still left me longing for a giant event of proper royal glam to drool over.  Though I have no idea when the next such event will be, I have a feeling it will be a long, long time from now, and that gives me the sads.

So, I thought:  let's dig one up anyways!  This wee blog was but a twinkle in my eye back in April when Queen Margrethe celebrated her 70th birthday.  This is a Queen that knows how to party: 3 tiara events, 2 of which were massively attended by other European royals sporting the finest in diamonds and other sparkly delights.  Now, you'll remember that right about this time that nasty volcano Iwouldntspellitrightanyways reared its ugly head to rain on the royal parade, but it still managed to be a grand event, and we'll be flashing back one event at a time for the next three Fridays.

Firstly, we'll take on the first event with big royal attendance: a white tie gala concert.  Let's give out some (retroactive) awards, shall we?

Worst of the (Literal) Eveningwear

Left to Right:  Princess Marie, Princess Benedikte, Queen Silvia

These ladies took their outfits a little too far into the evening by sporting downright bedroom-inspired ensembles.  With a few snips of the fabric, Marie could have herself a nice little lingerie ensemble.  It fits her like a glove, but why is that little belt thing necessary?  Benedikte's adapted the lingerie theme to an outfit more appropriate for her age.  I can't see a silk gown covered by floating lace without thinking nightie, sorry.  But the worst one here is Silvia, who ran in exactly the opposite direction and swathed herself in one giant nightgown.  She and the King arrived late to the concert because of volcanic travel issues, so there were no pictures of the couple.  What you're seeing here is a screencap from the concert broadcast along with pictures of the red Yuki (a designer, not an opinion) dress as it was worn for the Nobel ceremony a few years ago and her sapphire tiara from another outing.  Yuki is famous for his draping; he typically uses large pieces of fabric with very few cuts and seams.  Sure, there's art there, but I find everything he's done for Silvia to be totally disappointing (see also this dress).

Best of the Tapestries

L to R: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Queen Anne-Marie, Princess Alexia

These heavy floral fabrics are more reminiscent of a wall hanging than anything in the sartorial realm.  Sure, they can be successful on a dress, but one must tread lightly...unlike Mette-Marit.  I just think this dress looks like it weighs fifty pounds, and it's attempting to age her fifty years.  Fabric overload.  Anne-Marie's is age appropriate, but all that pattern is fighting with emerald weight on her necklace.  You should always let the emeralds win.  Now, Alexia I think came the closest to getting it right.  She limited the tapestry to the jacket of the dress, and it's cut well.  I don't even mind the little 80s pouf on the sleeves.  Well played.

Best of the Frills

L to R: Carina Axelsson, Crown Princess Victoria

Victoria's gone full-on foufy here.  I like it, don't get me wrong.  But that kind of ruffle overload needs to stand on it's own, without the orders and everything else.  Plus, that train was hazardous: her brother stepped on it on their way up the theater stairs and nearly caused a right royal wardrobe malfunction.  Thus, Carina wins by default.

Best of the Best

L to R: Princess Nathalie, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Queen Margrethe, Crown Princess Mary

Now we're talking!  These ladies hit the sartorial jackpot.  Nathalie's wearing a borrowed gown that's simple and lovely, and a choker was the perfect jewel to pair with it.  Maria Teresa's sporting my fave Elie Saab again.  This dress is magically magnificent; so intricate!  The jewels need help, though.  That Wonder Woman tiara needs a better hair pedestal to live up to its full potential.  If I was writing this in April, I probably would have named Mary the best of the best, but she's worn similar things since then, so it doesn't quite have a full "Wow" factor working for it in retrospect.  So the prize must go to the birthday girl herself.  She repeated this for Victoria's wedding, and why not: she looks fantastic.  Totally flattering, and that color is just out there enough to suit this Queen's taste.  Plus, is there any better way to say "I'm the Queen!" than to show up in neon apple green with mounds of diamonds and emeralds all wrapped up in a fur package?  I think not.

What was your favorite dress from this event?  Has your opinion changed since April?

Photos: bt.dk/svenskdam/zimbio/getty



Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 5-11 September

Here's what Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore the week of 5-11 September:

1. Attending Dignity Day, 11 September.  Oh, for the love of some color!

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 29 August - 4 September

Here's what Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore the week of 29 August - 4 September:

1.  Awards ceremony, 30 August.
2. a), b) and c) Visit to Aust-Adger, 31 August.  So many things...all the same.  Why?
3. Visit to Aust-Adger, 1 September.  If she hadn't thrown the red in, I wouldn't even know it was a different day.
4. a) and b) Visit to Aust-Adger, 2 September.  Thank goodness for national costume!  Finally some color.  She's wearing the shoes with the little balls on them again in 2b.

Best and Worst of the Week

Well, this black coat is the best cut of the week.  Otherwise, what a boring week!  Why would you pack slightly different versions of the exact same thing for a trip?  Not even a hot shoe to keep me interested.  Snooze.

Photos: side2/PPE/Nieboer

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 22-28 August

Here's what Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore the week of 22-28 August:

1.  Opening a school and cultural center, 23 August. 
2. Attending the 50th birthday party of the Norwegian foreign minister, 28 August.  Same Valentino shoes as last week.

Only two outfits this week, so nothing much to pick from - but the fun with shoes pattern continues.  I'm all for it.

Photos: ANP/siste.no

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 15-21 August

Here's what Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore the week of 15-21 August:

1.  Presenting awards at a beach volleyball tournament, 15 August, a) in action and b) the Malene Birger top as modeled.  Looks better on M-M, no?
2. At a fashion show, 17 August, a) the Valentino shoes on display and b) in action.  SHOES!  I heart them.  Who cares about the dress.
3. Ingrid Alexandra's first day of school, 19 August.

Best and Worst of the Week

Hot shoes vs. an excessively large coat.  No contest.

Photos: FVN.no