Week in Review: Princess Nikolaos, 13-19 February

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

1.  a, b and c) in Vanity Fair (Spain). What's up with the leafy bits around the neck in 1a, huh?
2. a and b) Attending Samantha Cameron's reception for London Fashion Week at 10 Downing Street, 18 February. As per usual, I care only about the shoes, which are hot enough I'm willing to overlook the red bra peeking out from under the dress in 2a. You know I love Tatiana, but it has to be said: tone down the posing, please! You're at 10 Downing Street, not on the runway.

Best and Worst of the Week

Well, ball gowns always win, so 1b gets the week from me. (What a gorgeous pic, right?) I usually expect photoshoots to be styled to the top, which is why I am extra confused by 1c. Long sleeved shirt under a not-vest not-shirt contraption. No thank you.

Photos: Dave M. Benett/Getty Images/Vanity Fair

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: 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: Princess Máxima, 13-19 February

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

1. Family ski vacation in Lech, 19 February. Kudos to Princess Pink and Purple there (also known as Princess Ariane) for busting out some personal style on the slopes. Amalia (in the middle) isn't doing so bad either, with her silver take on giraffe print. 

If I could get Ariane's coat in my size, that'd by my ski style. But if I couldn't find that, I might go with Mabel's style instead (and it's not very often that I say that!). Glam ski bunny all the way:

Photos: AP Photo/Daylife

Week in Review: Princess Mathilde, 13-19 February

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

1. Attending the Eucharist Mass, 17 February. Still like it! Not the shoes, though. Never the shoes.

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: 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

Royal Fashion Awards: Belgium's Eucharist Mass

The Belgians all turned out today to remember deceased members of the royal family with the annual Eucharist mass at Notre Dame de Laeken church in Brussels. Curious mix of outfits here: from those that came kitted out for a full-on royal occasion (read: coordinated outfit + hat, etc.) and those that came dressed for just another royal day. Let's hand out some awards, shall we?

Coziest and Comfiest

Queen Paola

This is what I mean: she's wearing a hat, but a fairly informal one, and this is a pretty simple outfit. Still, she looks toasty warm and cozy. Makes me want a hot chocolate.

Most Welcome Sight

Queen Fabiola

I feel like I breathe a sigh of relief every time Fab turns up somewhere: I'm just glad she's doing well! She's wearing her regular white wardrobe, and per usual, she gets a pass.

Most Unrecognizable

Princess Claire

Where's the crazy outfit? Where's my snark fodder? All I'm left with is the fact that she's wearing headgear that should be left to the 12-year-old girls of the world. Alas! Maybe she made a conscious decision to blend into the background today and leave the crazy to her husband, who just got his driver's license suspended for the third time. (Insert eye roll: here.)

Best Twin

Princess Esmeralda

Esmeralda, or Marie-Esméralda if you prefer, is half-sister to the King as her parents were Leopold III and his second wife Lilian, and for today only, sartorial twin of Princess Claire. Of these two, who have unwittingly put themselves in fashion competition, I much prefer Esmeralda here. First of all, I love her name. (These things matter to me.) Second, she's working more of a fascinator and less of a headband, which helps with the 12-year-old girl situation. And third, she's not turned her legs completely black with some combo of leggings and stretchy boots. You've got to break up that line somewhere!

Classiest Act

Princess Marie-Astrid

No hat on display, but still: this is pure class. I don't know that much about Marie-Astrid, but I already like her.

Most Intriguing

Princess Léa

This is Léa in the bottom left corner of the left photo, displaying her curious fashion sense in all its glory. (Léa is the widow of Prince Alexander, who was the King's half-brother.) Trying to distract from her strangely unflattering coat by reviving hair fashions from the days of Dynasty, I imagine. Intriguing indeed!

Best Dressed

Princess Mathilde

My first thought: this is some kind of costume reject from the set of a Harry Potter film, from the overturned fur Tupperware hat on her head to the pump/SHOOTIE hybrid on her toes. But it grew on me. (Like a fungus?) Here's what I love: she turned up dressed for a proper royal occasion, matching hat and all. Also: it isn't black. (What, it's not like anyone was going to show up at the memorial mass in sunshine yellow. Gray gets points.)

I have a feeling, though, that she's probably making many of your worst-dressed lists instead, so have at it: who makes your best- and worst-dressed list for the day?

Photos: PPE/Nieboer/Belga/RPE/Reuters/Daylife/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: Crown Princess Pavlos, 23-29 January

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

1. Attending the Christian Dior fashion show, 24 January.
2. At the Chanel show, 24 January.
3. At the Jean-Paul Gaultier show, 26 January, a) so you can see the jacket, and b) because you can't miss the scarf.

Leave it to the fashion shows to bring Marie-Chantal out of hiding! Safe, tame and elegant - a real couture lady - right up until the end, when she hits us with the scarf and flat leopard boot double whammy. Just...wow.


Photos: Profimedia/Pacificcoastnews.com/Getty Images/Pascal LeSegretain

Week in Review: Princess Máxima, 23-29 January

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

1. At the Tango musical, 23 January.
2. At the Responsible Finance Forum, 27 January.
3. At the taping of a financial TV show, 27 January.
4. Opening a cultural center, 28 January.

Best and Worst of the Week

Well, obviously #1 has to be the worst - see through anything is grounds for that. But #3 is hot on its tails: please, please no more black tights with light colored shoes! For the best, I suppose I'll go with #4 - it's the best appearance of this leather-topped dress I've seen.

Photos: PPE/RVDA/BNN/Nieboer

Week in Review: Princess Mathilde, 26 September - 2 October

Here's what Princess Mathilde wore the week of 26 September - 2 October:

1.  Attending a mass for Belgium's presidency of the EU, 29 September.
2. Attending a gala night for the King Baudouin Foundation, 30 September.
3. Inauguration of the new building at international arts campus De Singel, 1 October.

Best and Worst of the Week

Hmm.  I like the gray cape-ish thingy.  But neither #2 nor #3 is flipping my skirt.  What do you think?

Photos: Belga

Week in Review: Princess Mathilde, 19-25 September

Here's what Princess Mathilde wore the week of 19-25 September:

1. Visiting CKG, a help center for children and families, 24 September.   She looks good.

Photo: Belga

Week in Review: Letizia, Princess of Asturias, 19-25 September

Here's what Princess Letizia wore the week of 19-25 September:

1.  Opening the new school year in Lardero, 20 September.
2. Opening an exhibit in Castile and Leon, 23 September, a) front view, b) dress and cardigan from Mango, and c) the back view because you need to see the patches on the elbows.

What a gloomy week.  I can't even get excited about the skirt length or the professorial cardigan and gladiator-esque sandals combo on the second outfit, these colors have so depressed me. 

Photos: Terra/Life/Mango

Week in Review: Princess Máxima, 12-18 September

Here's what Princess Máxima wore the week of 12-18 September:

1. Attending the start of the money week ‘Week van het geld’, 13 September. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Big Bird.
2. Opening of the royal complex in Utrecht, 14 September. Still love this one - whole lotta print here, but she can handle it.
3. Visiting a project aimed at reducing school dropouts, 15 September.

Best and Worst of the Week

Sure, the last outfit of the week could have used a pop of color - but look! She did her hair! Maxima's hair can look so dissheveled when worn down. Pulling it back like this is a sure way to win the week. A sure way to lose the week, on the other hand, is to overdose on the yellow (and mustard yellow at that!).

Photos: PPE/v.d.Werf/Nieboer/ANP/Robin Utrecht

Royal Trend Watch: Máxima's Other Twin

NATAN's fashions, as we know, run unfortunately amok among the ladies of the Benelux royal houses.  We've seen Princess Máxima play the twin game with Luxembourg's Princess Alexandra - on the same day, even - and now we're moving on to her other twin, Princess Mathilde.

Mathilde, today:

Máxima, two days ago (she's carrying a tan cardigan, even):

At least Mathilde wasn't wearing black tights with brown shoes.  (Seriously, Máx?)

You'd think their stylists or dressers would pay attention to this.  I mean, it's happened before:

And surely it will happen again.  Until next time, ladies...

Photos: Belga/Albert Nieboer/Eric Vidal

Week in Review: Princess Mathilde, 12-18 September

Here's what Princess Mathilde wore the week of 12-18 September:

1. Attending a cancer symposium, 13 September, a) on Mathilde and b) from Diane von Furstenberg.  Fabulous dress, totally unfortunate shoes.  Yikes. 
2. Attending a function at the University of Leuven, 17 September.  Well, this one becomes the default best of the week because you know I can not abide by a bad shoe pairing.  Even if this one is...blah.

Update:  Here she is visiting the SOS Children's Village on 16 September:

Photos: Belga

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mary, 5-11 September

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

1.  With the Danish Refugee Council, 5 September.  The Malene Birger top looks a little big here, but I love the draping.
2. Gala evening for the Danish Refugee Council, 5 September.  Repeated dress.
3. Premiere of Eksperimentet at Dagmar Teatrat, 7 September. 
4. Opening the Buster film festival, 9 September.  Love this combination!
5. Charity dinner for the World Wildlife Federation, 9 September.

Best and Worst of the Week

Oh, I love a purple dress.  If I could change one thing, I'd take those leafy things off (they remind me of the stuck on adornment of the dresses that Victoria lent during her wedding, and I don't think they're necessary), but I love the rest enough to make up for it.  Speaking of unnecessary adornment, let's move on to the yellow dress.  All that froufiness at the top is just adding bulk, and the leopard accessories are overdoing it.


Photos: PPE/Colourpress/NDam/Abaca/Purepeople