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

Gold Star: Sheikha Mozah's Glamorous State Visit

You know, we've been seeing a lot less designer clothes lately. Royal families are trying to be a little more down to earth, I guess, not going around shoving the fact that they have money in the faces of those that are dealing with recession and unemployment. Buckingham Palace went out of it's way to point out that the Queen has an evening dress with detachable ornamentation for maximum reuse, and that it was made by her dresser. Victoria's been out and about in H&M, and then of course you have the Queen (or Princess, rather) of this: Letizia, and her wardrobe of high street staples.

Nothing wrong with that, quite sensible really. Sheikha Mozah, though...now she seems to belong more in the "you know I'm rich, I know I'm rich, let's not play games about it" camp. Her wardrobe from the recent state visit to England is pure couture: Armani Privé, Jean Paul Gaultier, Valentino, Chanel, Dior.

I love it. It's like eating a decadent dessert after a day of salad. And if there's a woman alive that can carry off those names without looking like she's trying to hard, it's the Sheikha.

It's not just the clothes, either. How about those jewels? Bestill my little magpie heart.

And while we're accessorizing...

Heh. The mind of Karl Lagerfeld at work. Couture is the highest form of fashion as art, which means sometimes you'll get it and sometimes you won't. I say if you're going to go couture, go all the way, fug or not.

Gold star: awarded for pure glamour.

Photos: Getty/AP/HuffPo

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

Runway Monday: Armani Privé Fall 2010 Couture

Having dressed no fewer than 5 royals for Crown Princess Victoria's wedding, Armani Privé is obviously at the top of the list of royal couturiers.  Presented last week, the Fall couture collection is absolutely ripe for royal picking. 

There was a whole forties vibe in the daywear that I am dying to see more of from our royal ladies:

And the evening gowns were absolutely luscious, the epitome of elegance:

Also, I can't help but notice that every one of his models was either blonde or sported a blonde wig.  Now, we know that Charlene Wittstock is already a devoted Armani fan...I like to think of it as a veiled pitch to be the royal wedding designer.  I'm thinking the skirt and train on the bottom center evening gown up there would be an excellent start, no?

View the rest of the collection here.

PS: If you haven't been back to the Fashion Awards post for Victoria's wedding I linked to above in a while, I've been updating periodically with dress designers as I find them.

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.

Month in Review: Charlene Wittstock, June

Here's what Charlene Wittstock wore in June:

1. Attending the 40th birthday party for Jimmy'z nightclub in Monaco, 4 June.  Well, it is at a nightclub, I guess?
2. Monte Carlo TV Festival, 9 June.  Glad to see Albert took my everyone's advice on resolving the awkwardness here.
3. World Cup opening ceremony and South Africa vs. Mexico match, 11 June.  I missed a royal in my trend watch, didn't I?  Despite the national scarf spirit for Charlene's home team, the game was a draw.
4. Inauguration of Ikhaya Lemidlalo humanitarian sports and recreation project, 12 June.  Looks like some kind of dress or long top over leggings and knee high boots, maybe?
5. Pre-wedding concert and dinner, 18 June.
6. Crown Princess Victoria's wedding, 19 June.
7. Engagement portraits, 23 June, a) on the runway and b) in portrait.  Have to say I'm shocked she didn't go for an Armani number; Giorgio's been her regular sartorial boyfriend for some time now.  Nice posing on the portrait there - this is a number that looks better from the back and side views.
8. Attending a synchronized swimming event in Monaco, 30 June.  Sleek and simple, though I can't help but think it would have been more at home at a proper cocktail hour rather than in a stadium.  The real question, though - Charlene doesn't seem to have worn her whopper of an engagement ring.  She looks like she's sporting a smaller diamond instead.  Did she get two rings?

Best and Worst of the Month

The beige Armani may have been a near duplicate of the dress she wore the night before, but it's gorgeous nonetheless.  It was a very appropriate choice for a not-yet-engaged girlfriend of a sovereign.  Not appropriate, on the other hand, was that tropical number.  The dress and the hair should have stayed at the beach.

Photos: PurePeople/Abaca/Michelly Rall/WireImage/Stella Pictures/Belga/Marcio Madeira/PPE/Palais Princier-Monaco/Getty Images