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Kate Wears Hobbs for Greenhouse Charity Announcement + Fall Jubilee Tour Dates Announced

Kate selected a Hobbs summer dress for today’s launch of a new charitable initiative with William and Harry.

Lewis Whyld/PA Wire/Press Association Images

The event took place at Bacon’s College in Rotherhithe; it is a new project of the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. The partnership with Greenhouse will test a groundbreaking initiative designed to improve sports coaching in schools and communities. More on the project from the Foundation website:

Together we are piloting a new programme for school or higher education leavers to train as professional sports coaches whilst they are still in education.

The project aims to improve the quality and availability of sports coaching and mentoring in inner city schools whilst creating employment at a time when many young people are facing long term unemployment.

Kate, William, and Harry all played sports with the young people gathered for the event, here we see Kate playing table tennis, with thanks to Greenhouse for the photo.

Greenhouse Twitter Feed

Another look at Kate’s playing the game from CNN’s Max Foster.

Max Foster, CNN Twitter Feed

Kate chose the Hobbs Wessex dress in linen with a subtle grey checked pattern.

It is a classic silhouette, one well suited to the Duchess.

Hobbs

The Wessex is from Hobbs’ spring/summer collection; it has a modified boat neck, short sleeves, fitted waist, and full skirt and a concealed back zipper. Here are two images showing other angles, thanks to Rebecca English of the Daily Mail for her twitter photos.

Rebecca English/Daily Mail

This dress originally sold at Hobbs, John Lewis, and other retailers for £119 ($180 at today’s exchange rates), but most recently was discounted to £35 ($55). The dress is sold out on all the online sources I spot-checked. Here is a better shot of the braided rope belt Kate wore with the frock.

Press Association

William spoke at today’s event, Richard Palmer of the Express shared some of William’s comments via his Twitter feed:

We saw Kate’s trusty Pied a Terre Imperias again.

UK Press Association

The espadrille-style wedge has a canvas upper and buckle slingback; the shoe is available in many colors, including the ‘natural’ worn by Kate. (£80, $160)

Pied a Terre Imperia

This was a beautiful summer look for Kate; the fit and flare silhouette is very flattering on her; it looked ideal for the event without being too dressy or fussy.

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We also have news to share on the Jubilee Tour Kate and William are doing in September. Here is the schedule as released by Clarence House yesterday.

  • September 11 – 13: Singapore
  • September 13 – 15: Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur and Sabah, Borneo)
  • September  16 – 18: Solomon Islands
  • September 18 – 19: Tuvalu

More from the Telegraph’s story:

They will be representing the Queen in celebration of her Diamond Jubilee on their first foreign tour since visiting Canada and the US in July last year.

During their stay in Borneo they will visit a rainforest where they could come face to face with orangutans, and where they are likely to learn about efforts to preserve the world’s oldest rainforest, which dates back 130 million years.

Additional Links:

We’ll be back later today with our post on the Torch Relay.

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BEE

Monday 6th of August 2012

The dress is beautiful and the shoes are a good match. but the shoes are Ivy P and not the Imperias.

katefanatic

Monday 30th of July 2012

Loved this outfit. Felt like the accessories made the look----the wedges helped make it a more casual look (as it needed to be) and the belt tied the whole thing together. All in all, she looked cool and crisp and casual and approachable. Pumps would have made the look too dressy for such a casual and relaxed event. The duchess looked fabulous from head to toe.

Scarlett

Saturday 28th of July 2012

Love the style dislike the checked pattern, I would like to see it in a different color on her..

Elle

Friday 27th of July 2012

In case anyone is a little bit obsessed with earrings like I am: the earrings Kate wore with this dress (the best shot I could find was at the Daily Mail: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/07/26/article-2179244-1439DDC2000005DC-331_964x965.jpg) look to me to be the same ones worn with the pink Emilia Wickstead at the Buckingham Palace Garden Party in May.

Sandy

Thursday 26th of July 2012

I think this outfit would have been perfect if it was colorful. Grey on such a nice, summery day doesn't make sense to me. Also, knowing she would have been playing light sports, she should have had a nice half-up do or a cute ponytail. The makeup is too heavy and too much, as usual.

Other than that, this was a lovely outfit. The dress is so flattering and all her accessories compliment the dress very well. I'm ecstatic that she paid such 'sane' prices for all her pieces.

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