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 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: 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: Catherine Middleton, 1-8 January

Here's what Catherine Middleton wore the week of 1-8 January:

1. a. Attending the wedding of Sarah Stourton and Harry Aubrey-Fletcher, 8 January; b. the coat from Libelula; c. the dress as worn to the wedding of Peter and Autumn Phillips. I think the dress is Issa?

Well, now. See, here's the thing: she goes and wears a sheer dress that I have to think more suitable to a New Year's Eve party than to a wedding, and it's black (oh, so much black! Not another one with all the black, please!) - but then she goes and pairs a hot purple shoe with it and now my mouth is shut. Purple shoes are like my Kryptonite. She's crafty, this one.


Photos: Libuella/Hello

Royal Style Duel: Sarah vs. Mary

Poor Sarah Ferguson.

First she voluntarily places herself in fashion competition with her two daughters by dressing ridiculously below her age. Now she's got something that could be age-appropriate, but she's still placing herself in competition with younger princesses in a dress well-known from its outings on Crown Princess Mary.

I love Alexander McQueen (this is from the Fall 2004 RTW collection - both ladies have worn this dress more than once), and I love a purple dress, but I don't know about this one. Seems designed to draw lines exactly where you don't want them.

What do you think?


Photos: Daily Mail/Brennan/Simpson/Marcio Madiera/Style.com

Royal Fashion Awards: Prinsjesdag 2010

The Dutch royal family was out in force today for Prinsjesdag (where Queen Beatrix gives a budget speech and opens a new year of parliament).  This event has a most curious dress code: the ladies wear long dresses along with their orders - but with hats.  Every year I cross my fingers in the hopes that they'll just go ahead and upgrade to a full-on tiara event, but you know me - any royal event without bling is a missed opportunity indeed.  (Priorities, people.)  Well, we'll work with what we have...

Most True to Form

Perhaps Beatrix should adopt this mixed dress code for her every day (and night) wear - she always seems to look her best for Prinsjesdag.  She's working a very flattering silhouette here.  Sure, you've got your standard UMO (Unidentified Millinery Object) topping the whole thing off, but without that nobody would recognize her.

Best Museum Steal

Maxima must be pilfering from the nearest sartorial exhibition, because this is straight up My Fair Lady.  In fact, change the color and make that hat a little larger and you'd have an extra fresh from the set of the Black and White Ascot.  Or maybe I just have to envision her as a character because the sheer daintiness of this outfit is so unexpected.  What's she done with the big, bold Maxima that we've come to expect?  Maybe that's what the hat's all about.

Most Retina-Searing

Where are my complimentary sunglasses, Laurentien?  That's a whole lotta pink.  Throw in the orange sash and you've got a seizure of color so potent it should come with a medical warning. 

Worst Absence

Mabel.  Sadly, she does not attend Prinsjesdag (or at least she hasn't that I'm aware of - I'm sure one of you lovelies will correct me if I'm wrong here).  Man, just think of the craziness she'd bring to an event like this...

Best Way to Show 'Em How It's Done

Princess Margriet knows what's up, see.  She doesn't need a costume or anything capable of giving the crowd an epileptic seizure to steal this show.  Simple, flattering, appropriate, and a win without competition.  Well done.

Who won this year's Prinsjesdag fashion stakes for you?

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

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

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

1.  Medical conference at Uppsala University, 6 September, in a gray dress last seen prior to the wedding.
2. Junior Water Prize ceremony, 7 September.  Greta is label run by 2 Swedish women that live in China.

Best and Worst of the Week

While I like the purple dress, I think the earrings and the heels are meant for something a little more evening, a little more polished.  So the gray dress wins, despite having almost nothing to chose from.

Photos: Abaca/PurePeople

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

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

1.  Polar Music Awards, 30 August, and the Escada dress and Yves St Laurent shoes that are reappearing after Nikolaos and Tatiana's pre-wedding party.  This is a little too rock star for a princess, I think, but at least she's showing that model a thing or two.  Mostly I can't handle the shoes. 
2. Attending the final concert of the Östersjöfestivalen, 2 September, a) from the back and b) from the front.  It's one dress but it would be so much better as a top tucked into a high-waisted skirt, no?  It needed something, but that necklace wasn't it.
3. Attending the ceremonial first blasting of the Karolinska hospital in Stockholm, 3 September.  Lovely color, but this outfit scares me.  It's too much like the Victoria of yore: dressing too old (the boxy cut on that jacket isn't flattering) and it marks the return of the dreaded ponytail.

I can't pick a best from these selections.  I refuse!  We've seen how good she can do, and these things are just not it.

Photos: Svenskdam, svt.se

Month in Review: Greek Royal Ladies, August

Here's what a few selected Greek royals wore in August:

Princess Theodora

1. American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, 7 August. Love that she's sporting this event, and love this dress!
2. Out and about in Greece, 24 August.
3. Pre-wedding party for Nikolaos and Tatiana, 24 August.
4. Nikolaos' and Tatiana's wedding, 25 August, a) on Theodora and b) from BCBG Max Azria. 

Princess Nikolaos

1. Wedding preparations, 22 August.  I ask you: is this the perfect outfit to be out and about on a Greek island, or what?
2. Wedding rehearsal, 22 August.  Once again, super cute.  This dress has little pockets too, which I love.
3. Out and about, 24 August.
4. Pre-wedding party, 24 August, a) from J. Mendel and b) on the bride.  Just ethereal.
5. Wedding, 25 August.  I see how it fits in the context of the location of the wedding, but I still can't say I'm a huge fan.
6. Day after the wedding, 26 August.  

Crown Princess Pavlos

1. Wedding rehearsal, 22 August.
2. Pre-wedding party, 24 August.  I love this more and more.  Even the shoes.  
3. Wedding, 25 August.  Did anyone ever catch a photo of this without the shawl?  I didn't see any, but I'm dying to know.

Best and Worst of the Month

Picking a best for the month among these three ladies was a tough one. (Especially when there's a bride involved, but I've already bored you with my thoughts on that one.)  But there's something about Theodora's flowered dress that does it for me - it's young, but appropriate, and insanely flattering.  I'll tell you what isn't any of those three things - Marie-Chantal's metallic thing there.  I'm sure this is by some high-end designer that I haven't been able to identify, there's probably a good chance it cost more than my car or something, but come on.  M-C's usually a very chic woman, but sometimes I think she rests a little too heavily on the strength of her designer labels.

Photos: Sevenpixnews/Tlife/JMendel/Style.com/Royal Press Europe/Nieboer/Svenskdam/Chris Jackson/Getty Images/Zimbio/BCBG/BEW Photo

Month in Review: Princess Madeleine, August

Here's what Princess Madeleine wore in August:

1.  At Villa Solliden, 1 August.  I can't tell if that's a sweater or a jacket.  But I kinda like it.
2. Evening out with friends, 19 August.  This is a lovely dress, but something I'd expect to see out on a royal engagement, not out for a night on the town.
3. Bernadotte 200th anniversary, 21 August.  A sea of pastel purple.
4. Evening celebration of the Bernadotte anniversary, 21 August.  Simple and lovely, but I wish she hadn't worn black shoes with it.
5. Arriving in Greece, 24 August.
6. Pre-wedding party for Nikolaos and Tatiana, 24 August, a) on the Oscar de la Renta runway and b) in action.
7. Boating in Greece, 25 August.  Here's a princess that never misses a chance to sport a bikini.  And hey, if I looked like that, I'd be the same way.
8. Out and about in Greece, 25 August.
9. Greek wedding, 25 August.  Still looks like produce threw up on her.
10. Changing planes in Copenhagen on the way back from Greece, 26 August.  
11. Attending the 10th anniversary of the "My Big Day" Foundation, 29 August.  I love this!  Every bit the modern girl, but still a princess.  And a great choice for a youth-oriented engagement.
    

Best and Worst of the Week

At first glance, I liked outfit #3.  But looking further...the jacket's adding fictional pounds to her body, the headband looks like something you could buy at the discount store for little girls to play dress up with, and the lavender shoes are taking the color theme a bit too far (and this is coming from a girl that LOVES a purple shoe!).  No competition for the repeated Oscar de la Renta worn to the party the night before the wedding.  Perfection.

Photos: Abaca/PurePeople/PPE/Nieboer/Marcio Madeira/Style.com/Svenskdam/Sevenpixnews/ANP/Diario Feminino

Week in Review: Letizia, Princess of Asturias, 25-31 July

Here's what Princess Letizia wore the week of 25-31 July:

1.  Inaguration of the Princess Letizia Center, 27 July, a) without and b) with accessories.  This is perfectly fine on its own; I like the purple top and the trousers, even if I can't understand why she threw pink shoes into the mix.  But then she added a scarf, which was perplexing enough, and then a skinny strap across the body purse.  What?!  This is the kind of mix of things you'd normally expect to see on a tourist that's come prepared for wherever the day's sightseeing will take them.
2. Audiences at Zarzuela Palace, 29 July, a) full view, b) close up, and c) you can find it for purchase at Mango in the T-Shirt section.  Listen, when I first saw this, I was on board.  But then I saw the closeups.  And I have now disembarked from the cruise ship Letizia, where the activities roster apparently includes classes such as "Taking a $5 Men's Tank Top from Drab to Fab with Tie Dye", "Brooch Making for 7 Year Olds" and maybe "Intro to Disco Dancing".  Though I will concede that this is the best her hair has looked in a long time.

Best and Worst of the Week

This is all I get to chose from?  No.  I'm abstaining. I think Letizia began her summer vacation a little early; both of these outfits would just be more at home in Mallorca.

Photos: Terra/Mango

Week in Review: Princess Máxima, 4-10 July

Here's what Princess Máxima wore the week of 4-10 July:

1. Christening the MS Nieuw Amsterdam ship, 4 July.  Mathilde has the same dress in white, so I'll wager a guess it's NATAN (even though it looks to be more refined than his daywear usually is).
2. Annual photocall with Willem-Alexander and their daughters, 5 July.  I have an inherent objection to drawstrings on any article of clothing other than sweatpants, but this dress makes Máx look really skinny.
3. Watching the Netherlands vs. Uruguay World Cup semi-final, 6 July.  A repeated coat with added team scarf, this time worn with the orange dress underneath as it was on Queen's Day.  

Best and Worst of the Week

Like I said, she looks really good in this one.  She also looks good in the first dress of the week, but the clumsy snakeskin shoes and bag and the oddly positioned brooch at the waist are ruining it for me.

Photos: PPE/Nieboer/ANP/Daylife

Month in Review: Queen Rania, June

Here's what Queen Rania wore in June:

1.  Inaguration of Family Protection Directorate center, 4 June.
2. Visiting Al Karak, 7 June.
3. Crown Princess Victoria's wedding, 19 June.
4. Visiting Aqaba for the Jordan River Foundation, 25 June.  Pretty typical Rania here, but she really should have belted this jacket (shirt?).  This just looks like a windbreaker thrown on at the last minute.
5. Zaha Cultural Center in Amman, 28 June.  Yes, belts are defnitely the way to go.
6. Meeting with US Entrepreneurial Delegation, 29 June.
7. Jordan Festival, 30 June. 
8. Military ceremony, 30 June.  A summery and fun take on the traditional thoub.

Best and Worst of the Month

Rania, like Letizia, enjoys a safari style jacket.  But there are right ways and wrong ways to wear it; the first appearance this month is pulled together with a colored belt to create a professional look.  The navy version, on the other hand, looks sloppy worn loose.

Week in Review: Letizia, Princess of Asturias, 20-26 June

Here's what Princess Letizia wore the week of 20-26 June:

1. Attending the Principe of Asturias Foundation's Patronage yearly meeting, 23 June.  LOVE this purple, except for the hoodie-type strings dangling from the top.  Felipe Varela needs to see what he can do about getting Letizia permanently into color-mode.  They're his best creations.  
2. Closing of the Wharton Global Alumni Forum, 25 June.  Snooze.  There's no fun going on here.

Best and Worst of the Week

Well, she might not have taken a vacation after the wedding, but it was still a pretty light week in Spain. With a whopping two choices to pick from, I'm going purple for the win.  It's not that there's anything wrong, per se, with the white suit; it's just that there's nothing exactly right either.

Photos: EFE/Manuel H de Leon/Belga/PPE/Thornton

Week in Review: Crown Princess Victoria, 13-19 June

Here's what Crown Princess Victoria wore the week of 13-19 June:

1. Gym visit, plus a party at Madeleine's apartment, 15 June.
2. Cathedral visit, 16 June.
3. County Governors Dinner, 16 June.  Roger Vivier shoes.
4. Cathedral visit, 17 June.
5. Private wedding dinner at Drottningholm, 17 June, a) on the Elie Saab runway, and b) in action.  Repeat from those fantastic portraits released early this year.
6. Cathedral Visit, 18 June.
7. Government reception, 18 June.  Also Elie Saab Spring 2010 Couture.
8. Pre-wedding dinner and concert, 18 June, a) on the red carpet, and b) on the Elie Saab runway.
9. The wedding, 19 June.  Oh, did you forget that was this week?  Good thing I reminded you.

Ho-hum, just another week in the life of a Crown Princess.

Best and Best of the Week

 I tried to name a worst of the week, I really did, but the closest I came was #6, and there's nothing wrong with it.  Seriously, if that's the worst you can do, you deserve 2 bests. 

Victoria and Daniel are on their honeymoon now, and they don't have anything scheduled until 21 August (hell of a honeymoon, huh?), so it might be a while before we have another week in review post for Victoria.  

Photos: Reuters/Daylife/Scanpix/Aftonbladet/John Foremost/Camera Press/Marcio Madeira/Expressen

Meet Pär Engsheden

The Swedish Royal Court has been absolutely mum on Victoria’s wedding dress. Even the designer has remained a secret, but most are guessing the honor will go to Sweden’s own Pär Engsheden. Some have speculated that she might go with a foreign designer (her mother was married in Christian Dior, and she and her stylist were spotted making private visits to some Parisian houses), but Victoria herself once said she’s like to have a Swedish designer make her dress, and Pär is the only one on the official guest list.

If true, it wouldn’t be a surprising choice: Engsheden has become one of the Bernadotte ladies’ go-to gown providers. And they’ve achieved varying degrees of success with his clothes: while he was behind Victoria’s turn of purple perfection at the last Nobel Awards presentation, he was also responsible for the night Madeleine’s cleavage won several Nobel Awards of its own (popularly known as “the Baywatch dress”).

More Par creations:

Clearly, this is a guy that likes a statement; if he can’t make it in color, in what other form might it manifest itself?

Queen Elizabeth at Trooping the Colour and Capel Manor College

The Queen attended Trooping the Colour on 13 June and visited Capel Manor College on 12 June.

What's going on with the weather in England?

Seriously, yesterday the Queen visited Capel Manor College in Enfield, Middlesex, wearing this:

And then today, for her official birthday parade, she recycled this outfit from last year's Ascot:

From Christmas to summer in 24 hours.  Global warming, or serious sartorial confusion?

Photos: Profimedia/BauerGriffin/Zimbio

Mary in Washington, Day 4 Continued

At the premiere of "The Wild Swans":

And we're back! Mary's recovered from her unfortunate caftan incident in true Princess form, by which I mean: purple!

Photo: ANP/EPA/MikeTheiler

I'm such a sucker for anything purple, especially this shade - dark, gorgeous, utterly regal. And this dress is exactly what the caftan wasn't. It fits beautifully, the draping on the front adds interest without adding bulk, and the length is just right.

Photo: Belga/Nieboer/DPA

Also, purple shoes! Fierce, Your Royal Highness. I knew you'd get the style train back on the tracks.

HRH The Princess Royal: King Constantine of Greece's 70th Birthday Party

Princess Anne is well known for her frugal ways, and recycling outfits is par for the course.  Anne, however, doesn't just recycle from the past few years for a fashionable re-wear.  No, the Princess Royal is prone to busting out gems like this one:

Photo:  Newspix/Belga

Yikes.  Let's play a game of "How old is this thing?"  Don't place your bets until you've seen the rest of what this ensemble has to offer:

Photo:  Newspix/Belga

OH YEAH.  The Eighties are back, baby.  Well, not really, and only for her, but hey.