The Duchess debuted a new coat by Matthew Williamson for this morning’s visit to the Pembroke Oil Refinery in Wales.
Stephen Lock/I-Images.co
The refinery was the first of two engagements in Wales for Kate and William today.
Kate wore the brand’s ‘wool blend coat’ in a soft blue color that is officially called Pacific Opal. The fitted piece features double-breasted styling, double flap pockets on each side, peak lapels and bright silver buttons. The coat is available at Net-a-Porter, where it is selling at $2650.
Net-a-Porter
It is also offered at Flannels. That retailer is selling the piece for $1920.
A side view shows the buttons and pockets.
Robin Nunn/Nunn Syndication/POLARIS
These tight shots offer a closer look at the fabric and silk lining.
Net-a-Porter
Another perspective via Mr. Williamson’s Twitter account.
Matthew Williamson Twitter Feed
The Duchess previously wore Matthew Williamson in April of 2012, to a benefit premiere of the film African Cats.
Splash News/Splash News
Kate and William unveiled a plaque while at the refinery, as seen in this Instagram photo from People magazine’s Simon Perry.
Simon Perry, People Magazine Instagram
The Duchess wore a rich brown shirt dress from Hobbs. The knee length dress is silk jacquard embossed with an animal print. Our thanks to Kate J for sharing the dress identification on the WKW Facebook page.
Hobbs
In this color-treated view you have a better look at the dress against her coat and hose.
Stephen Lock/i-Images/POLARIS
The Duchess accessorized with her Aquatalia Rhumba boots; we show them at Nordstrom ($725) where they appear to be available in almost all sizes.
Courtesy Alyssa Phillips/Aquatalia
The boots are also offered at Neiman Marcus, where there is broad size availability, as there is at Zappos.
And she carried her Stuart Weitzman Muse clutch.
i-Images.co
Kate wore her Kiki McDonough earrings.
Stephen Lock/i-Images/Polaris
She chose the green amethyst pair.
Splash/Kiki McDonough
As it turned out, Kate did not wear red as I predicted in yesterday’s post!
With apologies for the odd formatting and oversized images, I will update tomorrow once I return from a little weekend getaway.
NOTE: An earlier version of the post said Kate and William were attending tonight’s Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance. They are *not* attending, that was my error.
Her stupid her is always a mess. For God’s sake tie it back!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Other than that, I love the powder blue coat and the brown shirt dress very nice and elegant.
really…how many coats does any woman need ? she has many coats diff style/same color…makes no sense to me
I’m with you on this. She has no style and no signature look. It’s really pathetic. Wearing the same style coat dress over and over and over does not make it a signature look, but a style rut. I think she does this because she looks safe in a coat/coat dress and that’s why she continues to wear them. To us it seems like a lot of coats, but to her is just another safe outfit. Check out the the black Alexander McQueen coat she is wearing to remembrance day. Does she really needed to wear a $3000 dollar coat to this somber event? She has many many many coats she could have worn on this day but she needed a new outfit and a new best look, hence a new coat. Too bad her coat looked identical to that of Sophie’s.
The outfit is neither a hit or a miss – perhaps safe would be the best word. Also Kate looks rather drawn in this picture unlike what the headline of the article says. Perhaps it’s the colour – it should have been a blue with pink tones.
I love the colour of the coat but the dress is too matronly and not a fan of the tired boots.
This coat looks really nice on her, the military styling looks great. Maybe it is a bit tight in the middle but it’s not terrible. The dress collar over the coat looks strange though.
I think the blue, brown and black are fine, but I dislike the platform and silver zipper pull on the boots.
While I have nothing against animal prints generally, this particular embossed print is a bit overwrought…
Think the jewelry looks nice.
How fabulous to see a new coat on the Duchess – the days of reticence over parting with four-figure sums look to be over. It’s a beautiful garment and I’m delighted to see a departure from the inevitable red for Wales. The Williamson sports many favourite Kate features in being double-breasted, with angled pocket flaps and with a forgiving flare which comfortably accommodates the growing bump.
I’m also a big fan of the dark chocolate brown against a pastel shade, very chic, though I’m a little sorry the coordination couldn’t be carried through to the accessories. However the black is mostly at a distance from the brown collar, giving a visual match at least.
The dress on its own as illustrated looks quite dour and unrelenting in its sombre colour, very 1940s, but with the gathered yoke style Kate has chosen before. The good news is that she has found another straight skirt to keep her respectable under a flared coat.
I’m also pleased to see another open neckline, following on from last week’s plaid McQueen, a welcome departure from being buttoned up to the throat. I’m not a fan of shirt collars against open lapels as they can look messy, but this dress collar is neat enough to work. Over the years I’ve found it generally easier to stick to a plain neckline under revere collar outerwear.
Okay, so I know this is silly, but I wanted to comment anyway. The DM has a picture of Kate putting something in her clutch (you can’t really see what). But I was slightly excited because I have never seen her do anything with her clutch other than hold it. It made me wonder if the clutch was more of a prop or security blanket. I have always wondered what a Royal carries in there. Anyway, it was just interesting to see a photo of her actually using it. 🙂
Hi Erin,
I think she was taking her gloves out of her clutch. I read somewhere that she carries lip balm, tissue and blotting paper in her clutch. Just the usual things a woman would carry.
I agree with most everyone’s thoughts about the dress.
One photo I’d like to share is of Kate looking through her handbag– I don’t know if I’ve ever seen her do that before: http://www.celebdirtylaundry.com/wp-content/uploads/kw114.png
I don’t think this look is very nice. Very disappointing and a rather boring look for the ever so dashing looking duchess. It almost feels like she has a new stylist, all her colour choices have been very safe (baby blue, grey, black) for the last few engagements. I hope she finds her way back to colour, personally I find the baby blue an aweful colour on Kate.
I have to agree with the comments so in so much that this feels like a miss. While I love all the pieces and I am fine with blue blue and brown, for me it all comes down to one detail…the collar. Having the collar of the underneath piece out and over the coat is so old fashioned and for me is the only reason this is a fail.
Reminds me that even the tinest detail can make or break an outfit.
The collar of the dress looks quite small to me and if she tried to tuck it in I think it might slip out anyway. I think it’s a hazard of wearing one collar under another like this.
I’m very glad to see Kate looking so happy, healthy and lovely. She is a true beauty, no matter what she wears.
That said, I’m not a fan of the pale blue coat. For one thing, the sleeves are too tight, and you can see the fabric pulling, particularly at the upper arms. As others have pointed out the round silver buttons at the apex of the bust look awkward. The lapels are set too low and look unbalanced. All in all the coat, looks poorly designed, especially given its $2,650 price.
Early second trimester – nothing fits or feels right. Feel this coat may have missed being tailored to adjust the buttons for the babe. You can see where the coat is pulled taut at the button probably causing the misalignment elsewhere.
(I want to add I mean no disrespect to the Duchess with my remarks – I empathize! She actually inspired me to dress differently my second pregnancy and I felt and looked a lot better. Getting dressed whilst pregnant is a new adventure every day…)
What I did love and notice was how well the color of the coat coordinated in the group photo with the workers uniforms. Felt too, that she may have not worn red as predicted because the group photo was in front of a red door or equipment….wonder if the photo spot is described to them in advance?
And I love those boots.
the top two buttons are sewn on crooked one is higher than the other or left button is higher than the right button and this makes the whole coat look awkward.
For me the alignment of the top two buttons is unfortunate given Kate’s fuller bust…
😀 You said what I’ve been thinking. Even on someone slimmer, the placing would be rather unfortunate.
🙂 !!!
I think you’re right, the buttons are unaligned but even in the ad photos they seem crooked, I don’t necessarily think it’s because of her pregnancy maybe because of the cut of the coat. And the color is nice but it’s a bit heavy with the black/brown colors.
Well, as others have pointed out, this is an odd mish-mash of an ensemble. The coat is basically very attractive, I love the baby-blue, but while the coat seems to have been beautifully tailored to fit, the design is nothing special. Still, I have no problem with pairing baby-blue with the rich chocolate-brown of the dress — chocolate-brown is a color that works surprisingly well with many pastels — and I also have no problem with wearing black suede boots with a chocolate brown dress, though that look would work much better if the tights were also brown.
However, all of these items, the baby-blue coat, the chocolate-brown dress, and the black boots and tights and bag just — don’t work together. Especially not when you throw in the green amethyst earrings, which are not only the wrong color but also seem a bit too dressy for an outfit that I think the Duchess wanted to look a touch on the casual side, given the oil refinery venue and then the rugby game to which she wore it.
So, a miss, and a rather puzzling one. I’m really a little perplexed by it. I would have been happier if the Duchess had worn the coat with, say, her sage-green Ralph Lauren sweater dress and the black tights and boots. The earrings, while still a little too dressy, would have fit the color scheme, and since she wasn’t taking the coat off, the sweater dress, sans a belt, would have been a comfortable choice now that she’s heading toward the end of her fourth month of pregnancy.
Someone suggested that the brown Hobbs dress had a 70’s feel to it, and I agree. I thought that the instant I saw it. It’s not bad if you like shirtdresses, which I used to love (as a teenager back in the 70s, of course), but I’ve rather gone off them. They’re trendy again right now, and I’ve been trying to figure out whether I can wear them again, but somehow I can’t find one that I don’t think looks dowdy and unflattering. That might just be a matter of my advancing age, I realize.
I’d have to see the Hobbs dress on the Duchess, without the coat, to decide whether it was a successful choice for her. However, though I have no problem with baby-blue and chocolate-brown worn together in other contexts, in this one, the textures of the “embossed silk” dress and the woolen coat seem to clash.
I repeat: a puzzle.
Do you think the earrings are all that green? I certainly take the point that you and others make here that things look a little thrown together this time around, but the earrings are quite translucent and able to blend at least to some degree.
Kate’s clearly been through a bit of a rough patch of late, as per last pregnancy, and we saw one or two slip-ups re coordination and fit then. I thought this outfit was some improvement on trying to stretch slim coats over her tum as she did a couple of times back then.
They are pretty obviously green when seen close up, and that’s how people meeting the Duchess yesterday would have seen her. I just think the green would have worked better with another dress, and again, I think the earrings were a little too dressy for this outfit and venue.
I think I broached this thought during the Australia/NZ tour, but I don’t think the Duchess is especially careful of matching her jewelry to her outfit, unless she is attending a formal event. Far too often pieces have been selected that just don’t seem to match the formality of an event or the colors of the outfit. Even more noticeable, often the necklace lengths do not suit the bodice of the garment, and keep slipping beneath her clothes.
I suspect she chooses her jewelry based on sentimental reasons as opposed to selecting the piece that most matches her outfit. Just a thought.
If she hired a stylist–or ME 😉 –she could avoid this, but then I fear we would lose the intangible “Kate-ness” of her outfit and jewelry choices.
Thanks for the update on the green-ness of the amethysts, and I accept your point about their relative fussiness for an industrial followed by a sporting context.
I also think along with AshleyOlivia that Kate doesn’t always make consciously formal choices. I sometimes think she sometimes takes whatever is to hand for convenience as much as anything. Some of her outfit mis-matches stand out more when she has such a beautifully tailored coat such as this one.
We might all wish she had AshleyOlivia on hand to guide her!
The coat looks really nicely made, and the color is mouth watering.
However, I kinda agree with kelleyrm on the poor delivery. I can’t put my fingers on but something seems a bit off. Plus many may think its a fashion faux-pas to match brown with black, which I don’t fully follow…but I can see some may see it as a wrong idea. 🙂
Kate looks well and energetic.
I agree with the colors not going together at all. I am fine with all her pieces individually, but green and gold earrings with a blue coat with silver buttons and a brown dress with black tights and black boots is just…not harmonious.
It is a very nice coat in a lovely color, however, I do believe it was a very poor ensemble choice–both in color and texture combinations. While very nice pieces, the smooth pastel blue wool, textured brown and black suede just don’t work together. I think the coat would be better offset with winter white neutrals. And, as the previous commenter noted, the silver buttons of the coat rather stand out oddly. Again, perhaps combined with a lighter neutral backdrop, they would not seem so bright and out of place. I also just don’t understand the Duchess’ penchant for wearing her hair down during windy, outdoor engagements. All in all, just not as polished a look as she usually has when wearing coats.
Great to see Kate looking so well and healthy, and another lovely coat – blue really is her colour.
I like the dress, but I’m not a fan of the tie waist, I think it would look so much better with a smart belt.
Am I the only one that thinks the brown dress with the embossed animal print looks more like something guys wore in the 70’s? Especially with the collar over the blue coat especially reminds me of the 70’s. I generally like a brown and blue combo, but something about the baby blue with the embossed print just screams 70’s to me:(
Each piece on their own – gorgeous. Paired together – I’m not so sure. The brown dress and what looks like black tights and boots is so heavy for the coat. Susan’s musing that the Duchess may have worn a red coat to Wales may have worked better. But nice to see something new on the Duchess.
I love the coat. I would like it two inches longer or with a slightly lower heel. The proportion is a tiny bit off. I do not mind chocolate brown and black together.
I think is one had MISS written all over it. The coat is very nice but it is too small for her and doesn’t really go with either black or brown. It’s more of an elegant, nightime coat designed to be paired with a dress and light coloured shoes. She also had too many colours on her. Kate’s hair also looked particularly lackluster. All in all, very dissapointed.
I do hope she brings this coat out again when she is not pregnant and it will fit her again.
Hope she does better tomorrow, if she attends.
Hi Susan,
Thanks for the nice post, I happen to love the oversized pictures, easier to see the details.
I think this coat is beautiful, the color and cut are wonderful. But… I’m not too sure about the second pocket flap and the bright buttons, both of these together are a bit much for me. I do like the brown/blue combo but why then add black tights and boots? I think dark brown tights and her brown suede heels would have been a better look. But I am glad to see that she didn’t button her dress all the way up, she does this frequently with her coats and to me, it’s such a severe look and a little prudish.
Lastly, her hair, Did no one check the weather forecast before they left? In the wind and rain having her hair back would have made a much more pulled together look, similar to what she did on the Aussie tour when she wore that beautiful blue coat. Also, it looks to me like she could use another trim. The pregnancy hormones are kicking in and her hair is really growing. 🙂
Agree with you that it’s a relief to see the dress wasn’t buttoned up to the throat. Prudish is a good word for it, I also think it looks a bit childish or even choked!
A lovely new coat! What a treat. I believe I will be adding this coat to my list of favorites. The color is divine. It looks as if the pastels in winter trend is still in style for the moment, and I for one am hoping to add a sweater in this sky blue color to my winter wardrobe at some point in the near future.
I do have one small quibble with the coat. While I find the bright silver buttons exquisite, those two at the very top seem out of place. I know decorative buttons that extend past the waist are a standard design element on many double-breasted coats, but I’ve never been particular to the style, especially here.
I’ll be interested to hear what others think about the overall outfit. I like the chocolate brown dress, but I’m not sure about the Rhumba boots in this ensemble. I’m not opposed to pairing black and brown (the Rhumba boots are black, I think?), but I generally proceed with caution. Of course, perhaps the Duchess was primarily thinking about comfort and the weather, to which I say fair enough.
Eep. I just saw that the Hobbs dress is “embossed with an animal print.” I am not a fan of animal print, however subtle. (I went through an animal print phase in college and overdid it, so I think the patterns are forever verboten in my book.) I cannot detect the print on the picture posted, so I will just pretend I didn’t read about that detail and my appreciation of the dress will remain intact.
I totally agree about the buttons and would remove the upper two. The coat is lovely though and the colour suits Kate.
Brown dress, black boots? No, for me this just doesn’t work as it can look dreary. Black boots with the pale coat looks great though.
Agree with you about the animal print, it nearly put me off the Hobbs dress as well. But when I took a closer look it’s not much more than a generally crinkled look, like seersucker cotton — hope that’s what you call it over in the States!
http://www.hobbs.co.uk/product/display?productid=0214-5952-3192L00&productvarid=0214-5952-3192L00-LGT+BITTER+CHOC-10
Hmmm. I’m relieved to see that it isn’t lightly embossed leopard print, but I’m not sure I like this embossed print either. It first appeared reminiscent of a snake skin pattern to me, but then after closer inspection it looks like what happens to leather when it has been exposed to the elements for a really, really, really long time. (Like some leather prop from a John Wayne movie.)
As you may have gathered from my John Wayne comparison, I’m still not a fan. But, I take your point earlier about the virtues of a straight skirt, especially when worn under a flared coat in windy weather.
Fascinated to learn of your familiarity with John Wayne movies and can understand your reluctance to accept anything too animal-like in the fabric line. I would agree that this is definitely a borderline case, helped by the fact that the dress is hidden under the coat.
A textured collar is as much as the civilised observer should have to tolerate!
Oh ElizaMo, I live in Oklahoma, and I’m afraid exposure to the Duke is inescapable.