Canada Earring PolI & That Red Preen Dress

We are back with a number of updates and our first post-tour poll. We begin with engagements that have been added to Kate’s calendar, including one this Monday.

• Monday, October 10: This is World Mental Health Day. Kate, William and Harry will mark the day with events at London County Hall and the London Eye. The trio will speak at a reception that includes the charities that are part of the Heads Together campaign; they will also meet with people who have received mental health help. After the reception they will go for a ride on the London Eye; it will be lit up in purple later that day in support of World Mental Health Day.

• Friday, October 14: The Duke and Duchess visit Manchester for four separate engagements. Their day begins at The National Football Museum, located in Manchester’s iconic Urbis building. (Click here for images of the building.) Next on the schedule, the Manchester Town Hall, for a WWI Centenary event at the Sir Edwin Lutyens-designed Cenotaph. Kate and William then head to The University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute where they will “tour state of the art cleanrooms and laboratories.” The couple’s final stop is at Francis House Hospice, opened in 1991 by Diana, Princess of Wales. The couple with tour a new £3.5 million wing and meet staff, patients, volunteers and family members. 

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As anticipated, there are many ‘wardrobe wrap-up’ stories covering Kate’s style in Canada. Today we share just two, starting with a piece from The Telegraph I think you will enjoy: “Every outfit analysed: How the Duchess did Canada in serious high fashion style.” A portion of that story:

When the great white future hope of the Royals (aka The Cambridges) landed in Canada for the start of their latest foreign tour, last week, it was as a perfectly colour-co-ordinated family in navy blue.

Despite a ten-hour flight with two children under four, the Duchess herself looked ready for business in a Jenny Packham fitted dress and elegant hat.

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The article by senior fashion editor Victoria Moss also notes:

Over the next eight days, there was a killer £2k customised Dolce & Gabbana dress in forest green (a great colour on her) and a winning £1,190 CH Carolina Herrera red coat – an ensemble which had more than a touch of the Jackie O about it.

From reading your comments and what I have seen on the Facebook page and other social media sites, many would agree with Ms. Moss’s thoughts about Kate’s red Preen dress:

By contrast, on this trip she took the red theme and ran with it: the asymmetric-bodiced, midi-length Preen by Thornton Bregazzi dress (designed by a London based husband and wife duo, and again a new label for the Duchess) was perhaps the best thing she’s ever worn.

She looked young, fabulous, and modern – and there was no mistaking this for something Carole Middleton might sport for Ladies day at Ascot.

It was a stunning style statement. The look is on my ‘top ten’ list, but I am curious what you think? Is it among Kate’s best-ever looks? Click here to read The Telegraph piece in its entirety.

And from The NY Times, Kate Middleton’s Tour of Canada: A Designer Scorecard:

 On the eight-day flurry of a trip in late September, the duchess appeared in a mix of high- and low-cost British brands, diplomatically sprinkling in a few Canadian choices, plus looks from Carolina Herrera (Venezuelan-American), See by Chloé (French) and Dolce & Gabbana (Italian).

“I think she’s very much watched by the British fashion industry,” said Sarah Mower, the chief critic for Vogue.com and a member of the British Fashion Council. “We really like it when she wears something from a British designer. It’s fantastic for our exports.”

Kate in the Alexander McQueen dress and one of her casual ensembles.

“She’s very cleverly navigating her role,” Ms. Mower said. “I think she’s achieving a balance because of the sporty, normal, laughing, active side of it.”

Click here to read the entire Times story by Valeriya Safronova.

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We now have more accurate images of the Troy London parka Kate first wore when fishing with William while visiting Haida Gwaii.

Here is how the parka looks in the updated product photos. Thanks to Sophie, also known as Sand Dunes and Pine Trees on Instagram, for letting us know about the updated pictures.

A quick note about our Retail Roundup page: we did a quick update this evening with the latest on the availability of Kate’s Superga sneakers, as well as her Large Bronze Ulu earrings by Shelley MacDonald, and the Soru Pearl Earrings.

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We launch the first of our tour polls today, beginning with a look at the earrings Kate wore while in Canada.  

When arriving in Canada the Duchess wore the tanzanite teardrop shape pair that is commonly attributed to G. Collins and Sons.

On the second day of the tour Kate accented a bespoke Alexander McQueen dress with a pair of earrings we’ve yet to identify. They feature a pearl suspended from a diamond (or other stone) stud. Anna of My Small Obsessions believes they are a pair belonging to HM, previously worn by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and on loan to Kate for the tour. (Anna shows a photo montage here of all 3 women wearing the earrings.) UPDATE OCT 11: Kensington Palace confirms HM has loaned them to Kate, so they are the pair Anna has written about.   

Kate was in casual styles for a visit to the rainforest when she debuted the Large Kite style earrings by Canadian-born/English-based jeweler Pippa Small.

For the Government House reception the Duchess brought back her Soru Baroque Double-Sided Pearl Earrings.

In Kelowna Kate accessorized her Dolce and Gabbana dress with a new design from Monica Vinader, wearing the ‘Siren’ style drops.

For the couple’s engagements in Whitehorse Kate wore a familiar favorite with red Carolina Herrera coat, the Annoushka Pearl Drops and Kiki McDonough Diamond Hoops.

When Kate and William were in Carcross, Yukon, the Duchess wore the Large Bronze Ulu earrings by local artisan Shelley MacDonald.

Kate wore her Kiki McDonough Lauren earrings for the much anticipated children’s party at Government House.

We saw another familiar pair by Kiki McDonough when the Duke and Duchess spent the day in Haida Gwaii, the designer’s Citrine Drops.

NOTE: The Annoushka/Kiki McDonough are only included once in the poll, I did not think we needed to consider them multiple times.

Now it’s time to let us know your thoughts via a vote, as well as a comment, if so inclined!