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Kate Brings Back Elegant Alexander McQueen Dress for Palace Garden Party (UPDATED with Shoe ID)

For this afternoon’s garden party at Buckingham Palace, the Duchess brought back a much-loved frock.

She wore the bespoke lace dress by Alexander McQueen admired by many fashion followers.

ohn Stillwell/WPA Rota/Nunn Syndication/Polaris

John Stillwell/WPA Rota/Nunn Syndication/Polaris

It was a beautiful day for the party at Buckingham Palace. There was a special reason to commemorate the day, Prince Philip celebrated his 93rd birthday.

Many readers will remember Kate’s dress, first worn almost two years ago to the day for the Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving held at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

AP Photo/Tim Hales, Pool/PA Wire

AP Photo/Tim Hales, Pool/PA Wire

A closer look at the garment as seen today. 

Today the Duchess accessorized with a new hat from Jane Corbett.John Stillwell, PA Wire/Jane Corbett

The hat was created specifically to coordinate with this dress. From Jane Corbett’s blog:

So delighted to see HRH The Duchess of Cambridge wearing one of my hats at today’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. The new hat was specifically designed to be worn with the beautiful Alexander McQueen lace dress that HRH has worn previously. How perfect to have summer sunshine for a Garden Party!

Kate accessorized with a pair of nude patent heels we’ve not previously seen. We will update as soon as we are certain of the brand and style. (Currently under discussion: Russell & Bromley’s ‘Power’ heels by Stuart Weitzman and the  ‘Florete’ pumps from LK Bennett.)

UPDATED JUNE 12, 2014:

It appears that Kate was wearing Russell and Bromley’s 5th Avenue heels. Thanks to everyone who got in touch with Russell & Bromley about this one, as well as those getting in touch with me directly, in an effort to sort out just what shoe Kate was wearing. This includes Anna of My Small Obsessions (she was told by Russell and Bromley they couldn’t confirm Kate was wearing their shoes), WKW Facebook friend Stephanie, and Ashley Marie, who was persistent and ultimately told by a more senior Russell and Bromley employee that Kate was wearing a past season pair of the brand’s 5th Avenue heels.

Sang Tan/WPA Rota/Nunn Syndication/Polaris Images

Kate’s nude patent color is no longer offered, Russell & Bromley tell Ashley the shoes are from 2013. Thanks also to Adriane, she posted a link on the WKW wall to an eBay auction showing the older style in a different color.

eBay

eBay

The 5th Ave is currently available in a variety of colors and materials:

Russell & Bromley

Russell & Bromley

From the product description:

These point toe courts are a must-have silhouette in every woman’s wardrobe. The delicate point toe and slim 8cm heel height is the perfect modern update to the essential court shoe.

8cm is just about 3″, still much taller than a pair of flats. (One tip: the shoe’s actual name is 5th Ave, not 5th Avenue.)

One element of this that is interesting: the shoes worn by Kate when changing planes in Sydney at the start of the recent Tour were not identified. Tatiana’s Delights suggested they might be the 5th Ave., today’s information could lend credence to that theory.

The Duchess carried her nude patent Park Avenue clutch from Russell and Bromley.

John Stillwell/WPA Rota/Nunn Syndication/Polaris Images

John Stillwell/WPA Rota/Nunn Syndication/Polaris Images

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One other quick note: Legoland Windsor is getting all dressed up for Royal Ascot, wearing hats by Rachel Trevor-Morgan.

But those aren’t just any figures wearing the talented milliner’s creations, they are names you know, here is more from the Western Morning News:

Describing it as her most unusual commission yet, Royal hat-maker Rachel Trevor-Morgan said the process of creating the tiny headpieces was an intricate one.

“They are all made in exactly the same way that we might be making our hats in the work room. Each edge is still stitched as we would do in any of our hats so the detailing is there and they are quite intricate.”

Below we see Kate.

A better look at Her Majesty.

There is a link below that takes you to a site with fairly large pictures of the whimsical royals in their finery from Ms. Trevor-Morgan.

(With apologies for a not-quite-complete post, your fearless correspondent must depart Planet Kate for a bit, with hopes of returning later this afternoon or evening to add more photos & supplement information.)

LINKAGE:

  • The Mirror’s live blog is here, The Daily Mail’s story can be seen here,
  • ITV’s coverage of today’s royal events can be watched here,
  • for large photos of all of the royal LEGO™ figures in their Rachel Trevor-Morgan styles see this story in the International Business Times
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Renee in California

Saturday 14th of June 2014

Thank you Duchess Kate for always looking so wonderful. Compared to the rest of the Royal family, she is such a refreshing, modern, TASTEFUL, elegant woman. She could wear a paper bag and make it look fantastic.

When I look at the rest of the royal woman, they all look like Her Majesty. It's an okay look when you are 88, but Princess Anne? Black gloves to an afternoon tea?! Who dresses her? I'm sorry, but I just have to say "what a bunch of frumps". The Duchess should be giving them tips on how to dress and not the other way around. Apart from lowering her hemlines, I don't see any of the other changes that were "suggested" to her by other royal women (if we are to believe what we read). Thankfully she seems to be going her own way. I like to think that she made the hemline decision on her own. She is in her 30's and you can't work the short skirts forever AND she is the mother to the future King.

MB

Saturday 14th of June 2014

I think the dress is older than that! I have a book (Kate Style??) with a couple photos of her in it from well before they were engaged. I'm sure it's the same one because of how the lace is at the edge.

Leah

Thursday 12th of June 2014

The dress seems heavy and if pressed I don't know if I'd be able to tell you why I think that. It seems too dark and the sleeves too tight. I expected something brighter and looser, Springy not Wintery, pink or yellow or even green.

HannahE

Thursday 12th of June 2014

Beautiful look! And totally appropriate as well. I do think the dress is better with the ribbon belt, but she still looks amazing. I LOVE that hat!

ElizaMo

Thursday 12th of June 2014

Very creamy, very lacy, very regal garden party – a neat recycle by Kate to get a lovely frock to segue from formal cathedral service to tea on the lawn. I like how she has updated with a charming new hat and, bless me! do my eyes deceive me? a real live new pair of nude courts. I think I like these better with this dress than the platforms, they’re a bit more up-to-date.

The below-the-knee dress length also shows that Kate has not suddenly taken to lower hemlines just recently

But it’s a strange business about that waist-sash. I liked the contrast it gave last time against yards of beige lace, but it was marred for me by an all-too-obvious extension in at the back. Maybe leaving it off this time was another last-minute decision since a photo posted over fb showed the waistband indentation still clearly visible:

http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Kate+Middleton/Queen+Elizabeth+II+Hosts+Garden+Party/lgg5Wv4F-A_

Did no-one think to press the frock? And is it beyond the realms of feasibility that a fresh sash could be made up in the right size? Maybe that’s what’s happening of course, a tailor is stitching away frantically even as I write and all will be revealed on a further outing!

In the meantime, voila la princesse! in a peach of an outfit for an al fresco summer refreshment.

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