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Duchess in Goat Fashion & New Boots for SportsAid Workshop, Remembrance Sunday Dress ID, More

For today’s SportsAid workshop Kate returned to a label she has worn previously, Goat Fashion.

Clarence House Instagram

Clarence House Instagram

Many readers know the Duchess is Patron of SportsAid, an organization helping potential world class athletes, future Olympians and Paralympians, reach their potential.

David Parker/WPA-Rota/Press Association Images

David Parker/WPA-Rota/Press Association Images

There were thirty athletes involved in today’s workshop, held at Glaxo Smith Kline’s Human Performance Lab.

Clarence House Twitter Feed

Clarence House Twitter Feed

Kate watched the athletes being measured in a variety of ways, including strength, power, and cognitive abilities. From the SportsAid news release:

The Duchess of Cambridge took two cognitive tests to experience firsthand what the athletes had been doing. The tests measured reaction time and help facilitate skill acquisition and skill execution in athletes.

More from Victoria Murphy in her Daily Mirror story:

The Duchess of Cambridge threw herself into a cognitive testing exercise at an official engagement for Olympic hopefuls today.

Taking part in the hi-tech tests, that used a large plasma touch screen, she said: “Finally, something I can do while I am pregnant!”

Dave Parker/Ken Goff Rota/GoffPhotos.com

Dave Parker/Ken Goff Rota/GoffPhotos.com

An amusing anecdote from The Daily Mail’s story:

The Duchess of Cambridge couldn’t help laughing today, after realising that she had been attempting to have a conversation with a young athlete who was wearing heavy-looking mask and unable to speak.

Golfer Emma Allen, 17, from Southampton, was one of a group of athletes to be put through their paces in front of the Duchess as she toured the GSK Human Performance Lab in Brentford.

Realising that Miss Allen was unable to reply, a clearly amused Duchess burst into laughter before getting the explanation she was looking for from one of the lab staff instead.

Below you see Kate and Miss Allen.
Dave Parker/Ken Goff Rota/GoffPhotos.com/SplashNews.com

Dave Parker/Ken Goff Rota/GoffPhotos.com/SplashNews.com

The Duchess wore the Vreeland dress from Goat Fashion.

Goat Fashion

Goat Fashion

The frock is a shirtdress style, done in 100% wool crepe fabric. Other design attributes as described by Goat:

  • a fit and flare design
  • button cuffs & concealed side zipper
  • self belt with colour matched buckle

Like most (if not all) of its garments, the Vreeland is made in Britain. The dress is available in another color, ‘iron,’ at Diani Boutique, where it is actually on sale for $580, discounted from $725.

Diani Boutique

Diani Boutique

Another view of the dress via Goat’s Pinterest account.

Goat Fashion

Goat Fashion

The dress was a solid choice for today’s event; a more casual look that works with an engagement of this nature, and most likely very comfortable for Kate.

Previously Kate wore Goat’s ‘Scarlett’ for an IMPACT school event in July of this year, as well as the brand’s ‘Redgrave’ coat when visiting the Child Bereavement Center in March of last year.

Photos: James Whatling/Splash News

Photos: James Whatling/Splash News

The Scarlett remains available in other colors. Below, we show it in a color exclusive to Matches Fashion, in a color they refer to as navy ($680).

Matches Fashion

Matches Fashion

For those fond of the Scarlett but wincing at the price, the Outnet has the Scarlett marked at 50% its original selling price of £440 (about $700), it is now £220 (roughly $350).

Goat Fashion 'Scarlett' Dress a The Outnet UK

Goat Fashion ‘Scarlett’ Dress a The Outnet UK

This is only on the Outnet UK site. Unfortunately Goat isn’t stocked on the Outnet’s US site, but the UK site does offer shipping to the United States. The UK site has other discounted Goat styles for those who like the brand but are also price-conscious.

The Redgrave remains available in the color Kate wore.

Goat Fashion 'Redgrave' Coat

Goat Fashion ‘Redgrave’ Coat

The Duchess accessorized with a new pair of boots, the “HalfNHalf Stretch Rider” by Stuart Weitzman for Russell and Bromley. The boots have a stretch panel on the back and suede on the front, with lower heels than what we frequently see Kate wearing, about 1.25″, or 4cm.

Russell & Bromley

Russell & Bromley

They sell for €575 (roughly $725) at Russell and Bromley, where they appear to be available in all sizes. They are very similar to Stuart Weitzman’s 50-50 boots, the version of the boot sold in the US.

She also carried her Stuart Weitzman for Russell & Bromley ‘Muse’ clutch.

PA Wire

PA Wire

She wore her diamond and sapphire earrings as well.

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Also today, an ID on the dress Kate was wearing Remembrance Sunday beneath her Alexander McQueen coat. It was the Tuxedo Trim Matte Jersey Dress by BCBG MaxAzria.

Kate BCBG Tuxedo Pleats Dress Remembrance Sunday November 2014

Nordstrom

A reminder of how the Duchess looked Sunday.

James Whatling/Splash News

James Whatling/Splash News

And now a more detailed examination of the collar, which has been digitally enhanced in the two photos on the right. The box pleating, or tuxedo pleating at the neck is the giveaway that shows Kate is wearing the frock.

Kate Remembrance Sunday BCBG Tuxedo Pleat Dress Comparison Shots

The dress is a 2008 style. From the Nordstrom dress description: “Charmeuse ruffles trim the Mandarin collar and split neckline of a matte jersey dress styled with cap sleeves. Pleating below the banded waist lends beautiful drape to the skirt.”

  • Button-and-loop closures at front.
  • Side slit pockets.
  • Unlined.
  • Polyester/spandex with silk trim; dry clean.
  • By BCBGMAXAZRIA; imported.
  • Dresses and Petite Focus.

Today’s tip of the tiara goes to super sleuths Dawn M. and Poppy G. on the WKW Facebook page for their ID work on this one.

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Our final topic is the poppies at the Tower of London.  CNN’s Max Foster spent Armistice Day (yesterday) amid the poppies and people at the Tower, his story may be seen here.

CNN

CNN

Yesterday the final poppy was planted by 13-year-old Army Cadet Harry Alexander Hayes.  Here you can just about see artist Paul Cummins handing the poppy to the young Cadet. Mr. Cummins came up with the idea of planting almost 900,000 as a way of honoring UK and Commonwealth lives lost in the First World War. He created thousands of the poppies himself and then trained volunteers to help create them.

And now it is time to remove the poppies from the Tower’s dry moat. More from the Telegraph:

Hundreds of volunteers on Wednesday began removing the nearly 900,000 blood-red ceramic poppies from an installation at the Tower of London to honour the UK forces killed in the First World War.

The artwork has proved hugely popular, with more than five million people travelling to the landmark to see “Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red” in the 11th-century castle’s moat.

The Telegraph article links to a good ITN video story showing the volunteers working in the moat. ITV correspondent Richard Gaisford tweeted a photo of the first poppy being removed. It was taken from the moat by the longest-serving gardener at Hampton Court, John.

Richard Gaisford, ITV Chief Correspondent 'Good Morning Britain'

Richard Gaisford, ITV Chief Correspondent ‘Good Morning Britain’

Some of the poppies will be on display until the end of the month. More from the BBC:

The weeping window and wave segments of the installation will be the final sections to be removed and will be on show until the end of the month.

Historic Royal Palaces asked that the 21,688 volunteers who planted the poppies be thanked.

Historic Royal palaces

Historic Royal Palaces

It is mostly volunteers who are taking the poppies down, getting them ready to be cleaned, packed and shipped to their new owners.

A reminder that Kate’s next engagement is tomorrow when the Duke and Duchess attend a benefit concert for the Royal Variety Charity.

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Fashiophile

Thursday 13th of November 2014

The Duchess has a great personality and the boots are great. The dress is just another dress - if worn by another person one would not even give it a second glance.

Elizabeth G from TN

Sunday 23rd of November 2014

Haha, your comment is "spot on" as the British say :) I love the style of dress and the boots, but I have to admit I genuinely don't understand the prices!! I am obviously just a regular person, but even the discounted prices are so outrageous to me! I admit I wish that we saw the Duchess wearing pieces that weren't so incredibly expensive, but I also realize these things are very relative. But to all the fashion savvy ladies on here, what generally constitutes such high prices for a garment, shoes, purse, etc.? I understand quality of the product is a big part, but I am always curious does a $700 shirt dress look/feel that much different than one that is $50?? I'm just genuinely curious and not making any judgements on the Duchess or others who do purchase items at high prices! I am just very uninformed as to how these things are determined :)

AshleyOlivia

Thursday 13th of November 2014

While this dress doesn't excite me, I think the Duchess was deliberately attempting to dress low-key at a casual event where the focus should remain on the athletes, instead of wowing fashion aficionados. I'm not personally fond of purple and I tend to steer clear of dresses with self belts, as they just look so very basic to me. Yet the Duchess looks comfortable and appropriate, which is all that really matters at an outing like this one.

I will say that I love the boots, but I would pair them with jeans, not a dress. From the picture, the soles appear thick and to have grips. Something about pairing boots with grips and sapphire and diamond earrings just doesn't jive with me.

I have to add one more glum note: of all the pieces Kate has ever worn, I think my least favorite has to be the Redgrave coat (though the Odette comes in a close second...). It is so juvenile and isn't doing any female over the age of 5 any favors. Let's just stop talking about it. It's giving me frightful fashion flashbacks! ;)

ElizaMo

Thursday 13th of November 2014

Apologies for mentioning it, AshleyOlivia, I know the black coat you mean and share your view of it, but I think it's called the Odele. I miscalled it Odile elsewhere, which, matched with Odette, brings us rather closer to Swan Lake and the world of ballet than fashion aficionados!

Erin

Thursday 13th of November 2014

I have boots very similar to these that Kate wore, as this style is everywhere right now. Mine do not look good with dresses, only jeans, which is what I bought them for. I was trying to figure out if I thought hers worked with a dress and I am on the fence. Until I read your post and a light bulb went off. The treads and thickness of the soles are what make them not work! So much better with jeans. I completely agree, so thank you!

ElizaMo

Thursday 13th of November 2014

This is a dress which takes anonymity to the point of disappearing – I wonder if the creative genius directed at manufacturing the hefty price tag might not have been better directed at garment design. Perhaps arrival at the reverse outcome takes the talent of an Orla Kiely or Celia Birtwell.

Clearly a perfect outfit for the daily office commute, if not for the average clerical salary, the many practical features are well suited to the sporting context and sympathetic to the uniforms in the team photographs. There is stretch and comfort for ease of movement in a rather lifeless and clingy fabric, which struggles with the cut and styling of a classic shirt dress.

I certainly preferred the earlier Scarlett dress; I think the Redgrave coat has yet to have a successful outing, overall I remain underwhelmed by the Goat label.

I’m no fan of most flat boots with skirts, they tend to make the feet look clumpy, but again comfort and ease of movement suit both Kate’s present condition and the gymnastic theme. Her hair looks wonderful, glossy, sleek, and free from gusts of wind.

However the best thing she wore for me was a wonderful smile when she laughed, a big improvement on the sad Dolarosa of the weekend. The latter expression worn with those particular sapphires give me a slight shiver.

Faith

Thursday 13th of November 2014

Well said ElizaMo! I second all of that!

ElizaMo

Thursday 13th of November 2014

Had meant to add congrats on the major ID! Agree with other commentators that the BCBG dress might not look well on its own, but then the average tux itself is designed for a supporting role and Kate has used it well.

perthreader

Wednesday 12th of November 2014

It looks like her dress has a big pleat in the front, or like it has been caught up in the belt - but no sign of it in the product pictures. what do you think that is? Not really a fan of it - just a blah piece really, and boots are practical but also blah. Not an outfit we will remember!

mel

Wednesday 12th of November 2014

not a fan of this matronly dress it's so boring and hate the shoes

jab

Thursday 13th of November 2014

the boots are rugged and casual and don't go with the light silk dress. a boring disaster.

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