Week in Review: Catherine Middleton, 20-26 February

The week's not over  yet, but we have things to discuss. So without further ado, here's what Kate wore from 20-26 February (and I shall add on if necessary):

1.  a) Christening an RNLI lifeboat in Anglesey, 24 February, b) the fascinator, c) the SHOOTIES, and d) the coat from its 2006 appearance at Cheltenham (crafty with the re-cutting, I must say).
2. The trip back to St. Andrews University, 25 February.
3. Signing the New Zealand earthquake condolence book, 25 February. A double outfit day already! This is Royal Prep 101: Advanced, I guess.

Best and Worst of the Week

All signs point to me hating outfit 1: I mean, it's all neutrals. And SHOOTIES. But...I kind of dig it. I can't believe I'm saying this about something including that footwear, but this is the best of the week for me. I think I've been swayed by the video from this appearance. I thought she was adorable, and I'm not a born Kate fan. Just chatty and happy to be there, none of that stiff trying-too-hard-to-be-regal thing. Also: HAIR UP! (Out of necessity, but still: victory!)

On the other hand, I should adore outfit 2, for it is RED and the belt/jacket flare is giving her pencil-thin physique some curve. Plus, she's working the timeless angle in a suit that she'll be able to recycle, Princess Anne-styles, for decades to come. But...I'm not feeling it. It's aging her too much? Turtlenecks worn like this terrify me because I can't tell if they're dickeys or not? Am I confusing you as much as I'm confusing myself?

And outfit 3, well, I don't know what she was going to wear to such an occasion (no, I do: I'd have preferred a smart navy suit) but this is alright. Except for the hair. Too much wind in one day = worst of the week.

Oh, friends, I don't know. This week is defying all my Laws of Sartorial Splendor. Do chime in and straighten me out.

Photos: Pacificcoastnews.com/Zimbio/AP/Telegraph/Getty/Daily Mail/Rex/Reuters/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.

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: Crown Princess Victoria, 30 January - 5 February

Here's what Crown Princess Victoria wore the week of 30 January - 5 February:

1. Presenting the Bertil Hult prize, 31 January.
2. At the Jokkmokk Winter Conference, 2 February.
3. More events at the Jokkmokk conference, 2 February. She wore this twice, I believe - also for a reindeer race. Oh, the life of a Scandinavian princess!
4. At the Same Education Center in Jokkmokk, 3 February.

Best and Worst of the Week

This is going to sound odd, but I think I prefer #3 over all else. And no, it's not just because of the dog. Everything else is ruined for me by The Dreaded Ponytail! I'm fickle like that.

Photos: Svenskdam

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

Week in Review: Crown Princess Victoria, 1-8 January

Here's what Crown Princess Victoria wore the week of 1-8 January:

1. Attending skiing races in Italy.

Extra cute points shall be awarded for hats with balls of fluff on top.

Week in Review: Princess Beatrice, 1-8 January

Here's what Princess Beatrice wore the week of 1-8 January:

1. Holidaying in the Caribbean.
2. Attending the wedding of Sarah Stourton and Harry Aubrey-Fletcher, 8 January. She also wore this coat to Christmas. I like the idea but I question the execution of the coat.

I like the idea of the coat, but I do question the execution. Either she's got a whole extra purse worth of stuff in those pockets, or they're just designed to sag out. Neither situation is desirable, really.

Updated: Missed this one, leaving a bar on 7 January.

Photos: EaglePress/BigPicturesPhoto.com/Daily Mai/Belga

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 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

Royal Fashion Awards: The Duke of Parma's Wedding

I'm not very familiar with a lot of the royals on parade for the Duke of Parma's wedding this weekend, but that's not going to stop me from snarking on their wedding attire, oh no. Especially when so many of them didn't even bother to do it up right...

Most Occasion Confusion

Left to Right: Princess Margriet, Princess Anita, Princess Christina and daughter Juliana

Now I know that the bride and groom were civilly married way back in the summertime, and the wedding's been postponed due to the death of the groom's father, but come on. It's still a wedding, ladies - spruce it up a bit! Margriet and Anita may as well be going to any old day function (alright, Anita's is a little bit sparkly, but still), and Christina and Juliana...I don't even know what to make of that.

Best of the "At Least They Tried" Category

L to R: Princess Mabel, Princess Máxima, Princess Aimee, Queen Beatrix, Princess Irene

Yes, you get credit just for making an effort on this occasion. Mabel gets credit for veering away from a total trainwreck, even though the outfit really doesn't make any sense. Máxima manages to look put together, even though it's not her best showing. (And somehow I feel like the trousers are alright here. Am I losing it?) I like Aimee's coat, but the shoes and the length are off - plus, her dress underneath is lace, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Beatrix...well, that's a lot of look when you add the wrap in. Per usual, really. Irene, she looks good, but I don't get the silver with that purple color. Shame, too, because the suit itself has potential.

Best of Those That Made the Effort

L to R: Princess Marilene, Princess Margarita, Princess Annette, Princess Carolina, Princess Laurentien

Marilene has turned up in a perfectly lovely wedding outfit, I like the combo of brighter spring colors and winter fabrics. Pregnant Margarita is one of my favorites: the different textures among the reds make her monochromatic look work. It wouldn't have killed Annette to put a hat on for the day, but her coat is well cut and the shoes are fab. Carolina is the only one out of the entire bunch that really made a lasting impression, with her gorge purple dress, so structural, and a fascinator to match. And now we've come to Laurentien, and I know what you're thinking: first I don't have a problem with trousers at a wedding, now I've included Laurentien among my favorites. I know. And you can't even see properly in this picture that her skirt is kind of sequin-y. But like I said, at this wedding you get points for bothering to put an outfit together in the first place, and I think Laurentien actually looks pretty good here.

Best of the Day

No competition. Princess Annemarie looks positively lovely. The dress, by Jacques Devos and Pamela Hoffman, is extremely flattering, and I love the mermaid cut and train length. There were a few photos that weren't as flattering, so I suspect this is a dress not meant to move around quite so much, but that's alright. The tiara, from the Dutch royal family, isn't one of my favorites - it always manages to look off because of that v-shape at the base - but this is the best I've seen it look. She's certainly bested Laurentien here, on whom this tiara always manages to look like it's about to fall off. Well played, Duchess.
What do you think? Who's your best dressed for the day?

Photos:PPE/Nieboer/ANP/AP IMAGES ROYAL MARCEL ANTONIS/Belga

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: Queen Margrethe's Birthday Celebrations, Part 2

And now it's time to glance back to the next event of Margrethe's 70th birthday celebrations back in April.  The morning after the gala, the royals attended a luncheon.  We'll get to that in a second, but first - because we need some bling to sustain us - a gala held prior to the big shebang.

Left to Right: Princess Benedikte, Princess Marie, Crown Princess Mary, Queen Margrethe

I must say, this is a pretty good showing all around for the ladies of the Danish house, but Benedikte and Mary here are absolutely schooling Marie and Margrethe in Gown Sleeves 101.  It's all about fit, fit, fit, and Margrethe looks unnecessarily large and Marie looks a little like she's playing dress up, no?  Total toss up between naming Benedikte and Mary the best of this evening, but Mary wins because I just love that red dress.  Looovvvee.


Anyways, now onto the day event of our flashback.  We're back to the day after the gala event we've already discussed, and by this time a few more royals had been able to figure out their transport situations and join the party.  Bit strange, I thought, to don hats for an indoor lunch event, so let's see how the royals handled it:

Best of the Large Hats

L to R: Carina Axelsson, Princess Benedikte, Crown Princess Mary

Oh, not a fan of any of this.  Nope.  Carina's dress looks like someting from The Golden Girls.  Mary's trying to contrast the froufy lines of her skirt and her hat with that strong coat and she is not succeeding.  Benedikte looks like something out of the conservative early 1990s, but who knows - she's probably had this outfit since then, so I'll allow it.

Best of the Small Hats

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

Much more conducive to eating, these hats.  Except Mette-Marit, who's got some sort of ribbon trailing down from some headband she bought at the dollar store.  Also taking a cue from the school of fascinators for little girls: Alexia.  Silvia and Victoria went feathery, while Margrethe went with some kind of curly thing - but flattering colors and cuts on the clothes for all of them.  Victoria wins because come on, how good does she look in her white dress and sky-high heels?

Best of Retro

L to R: Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Queen Anne-Marie, Princess Máxima, Princess Nathalie, Princess Marie

Lots of cues from eras past on show here; thank you, ladies, you know I eat this kind of thing right up.  Maria Teresa channeled a 1940s vibe, fur wrap and all.  Anne-Marie went all Jackie Kennedy with her simple coat and pillbox.  Also from the 1960s: Máxima and Nathalie.  Call me the victim of a Mad Men overdose, but I love Máx's look here.  Crazy flattering coat, and she's just nuts enough to pull off the matching turban.  Nathalie's got a more universally flattering thing going on, though, and she gets bonus points for being stylish while pregnant, so she wins.  And as for Marie...this is late 80s, early 90s at best and the hat is just an upturned cloth bucket. No.

Photos: Profimedia/IBL/bt.dk

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?

Month in Review: Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, August

Here's what Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie wore in August:

Beatrice

1.  At the Castle of Mey, 2 August.  Do you think that she and Eugenie dressed like school girls because they felt like it, or because that's appropriate for the atmosphere of a holiday with the rest of the royals?
2. At the V Festival, 21 August.
3. Watching Richard Branson kite surf, 24 August.
4. Alice Ferguson's wedding, 28 August.  Repeating from Trooping the Colour.

Eugenie

1.  At the Castle of Mey, 2 August.  I kind of like this dress, though I shall complain about the length as I always do.  Cue the broken record.
2. On vacation in Spain, Unknown date.
3. Alice Ferguson's wedding, 28 August.  Peeking out in the middle in the pink, repeating an outfit from Ascot with what looks to be a different fascinator this time.

Best and Worst of the Month

Beatrice gets the best and the worst of the month here - the blue repeated outfit is appropriate and suits her.  The festival outfit, well...what's with the black shoes?

Photos: Daily Mail/Getty Images/Zimbio/Bauer Griffin