This evening the Duchess elected to wear an American designer, Tory Burch.
Andrew Parsons/i-Images
Kate and William started their evening at a reception celebrating the work of the Tusk Trust and United for Wildlife. Simon Vigar shared this picture of Kate and William arriving at the British Consul General’s residence, meeting Hillary and Chelsea Clinton.
Simon Vigar, Channel 5 Twitter
The Clinton Foundation co-hosted this evening’s event, the foundation has partnered with several organizations to stop elephant poaching and United for Wildlife’s primary goal is ending the illegal wildlife trade. More from Rebecca English’s story in The Daily Mail:
…the Duke chatted to supporters of wildlife charities in a room so packed the guests were standing shoulder to shoulder. The reception was co-hosted by the Duke and Duchess’s Royal Foundation and the Clinton Foundation.
Kate and William leaving the Consul’s residence.
Stephen Lock / i-Images / Polaris
The royals then headed to the Barclays Center for tonight’s NBA game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Brooklyn Nets. The evening’s business purpose was to announce a partnership between the Royal Foundation, United for Wildlife and the NBA. Josh Haskell of ABC posted this photo of Kate and William with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
Josh Haskell, ABC News Twitter Feed
If you’ve ever wondered how everyone knows where to stand, note the yellow line marking places at the bottom of Simon Perry’s photo.
Simon Perry, People Magazine Instagram
The new initiative comes under the NBA Cares public service umbrella. More from The Daily Mail:
…to mark a unique partnership between the National Basketball Association and the couple’s Royal Foundation.
The NBA will support the charitable foundation’s work with United For Wildlife. It also plans to work with the Royal Foundation’s Core Coach program, an initiative which aims to help young people join the next generation on inspirational coaches.
Here you have a good look at the coat from the front. Kate is standing next to former player Dikembe Mutombo, who will be a United for Wildlife Ambassador.
Robin Nunn/Nunn Syndication/Polaris
After spending the first half of the game having dinner, Kate and William moved courtside, accompanied by huge cheers from the audience.
NBA Twitter Feed
The British Consulate posted these images of Kate and William.
British Consulate in NY (@UKinNewYork)
The pair obviously enjoyed themselves.
James Whatling/Splash News
During a break between quarters William and Kate met Beyonce and Jay-Z as Rule Britannia played.
James Whatling/Splash News
The NBA posted photos of tonight’s events on its website.
The NBA
We move now to specifics on what Kate wore this evening. As noted, she was in a Tory Burch piece, the Bettina coat. Below we show it at Lane Crawford, where it remains available in just one or two sizes.
Lane Crawford
The coat originally retailed at $595, most recently selling on the US site at $357, where it is now sold out. The Bettina is available in very limited sizes at the Tory Burch UK website, although it is not discounted on the UK site, selling at £515, roughly $800.
One of the more distinctive elements of the coat is its “belted” collar.
This photo shows Kate’s collar just a bit. (You can also see a hint of the new earrings she is wearing.)
©i-Images
The fabric is described as “a cotton blend, woven with bouclé, slubbed and metallic yarns — updates the look of classic tweed with a horizontal-stripe effect and a hint of shine.” This is the second piece Kate has worn on the trip that is constructed of heavily textured fabric. It works well on her frame. You get a sense of the metallic fibers in this photo.
i-Images.co
This same fabric is used in other Tory Burch pieces. Below we show the Deandra dress at Bloomies, as well as the Jane jacket, both at Bloomies in limited sizing.
Bloomingdales
Many readers will recall that Kate wore Tory Burch for Prince George’s playdate during this spring’s tour. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tory Burch become a staple in her wardrobe.
James Whatling/i-Images/Pool, SplashNews.com
The Duchess carried her black Mulberry clutch again and wore her Stuart Weitzman ‘Power’ pumps.
i-Images.co
Kate was in a pair of black skinny jeans that we have not identified, as well as a black knit top or sweater that haven’t been IDed. Nor have we been able to get any traction in terms of identifying the new earrings. I have hunted and hunted for photos better showing them but have come up empty-handed.
i-Images
Melissa J on the WKW Facebook page wondered if perhaps Kate is wearing a pair of Patrick Mavros Crocodile Stud earrings. I think she may be on to something. The photo below left offers a different perspective than that shown above, and Kate has worn the brand before.
i-Images/Patrick Mavros/Patrick Mavros
Perhaps most importantly, thematically the earrings would sync perfectly with the evening’s mission and message. The jeweler is based in Zimbabwe and he is a strong supporter of wildlife conservation.
As always the post will be updated if/when we have better info/photos of the yet-to-be-identified items.
UPDATED 7pm Dec 9, 2014:
- Kate was wearing Patrick Mavros earrings last night.
- It’s said she was in J. Crew denim at the reception and game. From a post on the WSJ Speakeasy blog by Elizabeth Holmes (quoting Ms. Lyons, Crew’s president): “I was told she wore J. Crew jeans last night to the game. I was so excited. You couldn’t tell, but that’s okay. At least I know that fact.” It’s possible Kate was in the Maternity Toothpick Jean, or perhaps the Maternity Minnie Pant.
We’ll leave you with this shot of Lebron James presenting the Duke and Duchess with an NBA ‘Cambridge’ jersey, as well as one for Prince George.
NBA Twitter Feed
LINKAGE:
- Learn more about United for Wildlife at the organization’s website here, the organization’s Facebook page is here,
- You can visit the Tusk Trust USA website here, see its Facebook page here
- See a brief clip of Prince William speaking this evening by clicking here, a video of the new NBA tv spot about the can be seen here
- Learn about the NBA Cares program here, Wildaid here
- The Barclays Center has a quick video of Kate & William meeting Beyonce & Jay-Z viewable here, and another here of the couple waving at the Jumbotron, there is one more short Vine video here of the couples meeting
- The Daily Mail‘s coverage is here, Victoria Murphy’s Daily Mirror story is here, CNN’s coverage is here (including Max Foster’s story)
- The NBA’s photo gallery is here, MTV’s story is here
- For a fun recap read this piece from Elizabeth Holmes and Jason Gay in the Wall Street Journal
Do you think the earrings are the small or large version?
The Power pumps in black leather are on sale for 50% on the SW website.
I loved the tweed, the black skinny jeans and the heels.
Thanks for helping out, great info. “The laws of probability, so true in general, so fallacious in particular.” by Edward Gibbon.
I love this outfit! When I first saw photos I thought she was overdressed, then saw that Beyonce was just as dressed up down to the heels. Black pants can be dressed up or down so well and I think Kate struck a good balance here. I completely understand keeping the coat on. I used to go to NHL games all the time back when I lived in Canada (NHL and NBA teams in the same city usually use the same arena) and while there are obvious differences from basketball, namely the lack of ice, those arenas are still freezing considering they’re made of concrete and barely heated due to the sheer amount of people inside.
Hope we see these pieces again!
Yes, I would guess the one given to him on his Calgary trip.
I’m not going to fault them for not knowing quite what to wear to our Basketball Game, but they could have at least matched in level of formality.
Kate has been absolutely glowing this entire trip and has many times showed exuberance about the New York experience. I think she thoroughly enjoyed coming, even if some Americans (ahem Lebron) don’t know how completely inappropriate it is to touch the Dutchess. And the pile up at the Jay-Z / Beyonce meet looked like a crash on the NJ Turnpike. (For you Brit friends, just think Audoban)! Just shows how, uh,… Laid back…we yanks can be…oh well. We still love the mother country and her Royalty. A good time was had by all.
Those pictures where they realize they are on the jumbotron are pretty adorable.
I think Kate looked chic with this combination. It fit in for both events, as I am guessing that Kate didn’t want to have to changed clothes between events (especially the reception with Hillary I think was supposed to be a solo engagement for William and Kate decided to join him). I used to work for an NBA team and Kate isn’t overdressed at all. Every game I worked, I saw plenty of women dressed even more formally than Kate. Sitting court-side is like its own little world, people sometimes sit there knowing they are going to be seen (be it by the players, coaches, owners and/or the TV cameras) and dress with that knowledge. It’s not just about attending the game, it’s an experience. I saw pictures of Beyonce and Jay-Z, and Jay-Z is in sweats while Bey is in a patterned blouse, a tight pencil skirt and pumps. If I could wear heels, I would wear Kate’s outfit in a heartbeat.
Can Prince William please, please, please update his causal attire!???? In my opinion, she looks wonderful but its his outfit that makes it weird – like he’s about to shift stock on the farm! His belt must be a favourite, basically get worn at every opportunity! Even though some of the comments re: Kates clothes are quite critical (that’s what this is for mind you – and I love reading everything!!) don’t you think she has amazing inner beauty and style to constantly look great? She’s sparkling!
Agree –both about poor old William and that stra–aange shirt and Kate’s wonderful qualities which shine out even when I don’t quite get it with the outfit 🙂 This tour has been short but so much fun — big Thank-You to Susan for holding such a great party for us all every time!!
Absolutely! Walking out of the reception, he had to be freezing in that shirt with open neck and rolled-up sleeves!! Shifting stock on the farm – too funny!
I have to agree. I feel like both William and Harry could look so good with just a few tweaks in their wardrobe. They just need a few things changed around and added and I think they could look amazing and very stylish.
I do love this outfit. I have a weakness for pairing tunic-like dresses with cigarette pants or slim-cut pants. For me, it’s evocative of a kurta tunic with very slim-fitting churidar pants (similar to a salwar kameez). She looks festive and happy.
It’s exciting to catch a glimpse of the Patrick Mavros crocodile earrings, especially since I remember the designer alluding to her purchase of them. Think this appeared in a reputable magazine several years ago.
In addition to the playdate dress, Kate has also worn another Tory Burch dress– the Chrissy dress in Madura, from last year’s Resort collection.
Here’s the picture: http://www.gofugyourself.com/well-played-as-far-as-i-can-tell-kate-middleton-06-2014
For sure on those earrings, too bad their site won’t let me order to US address!
Great post. I love the coat. It fits beautifully and was the smartest choice for the evenings events. The perfect choice.
I think Kate looks fabulous! And a very nice touch that she wore black and white, which are the Brooklyn Nets’ colors.
She’s very on-trend wearing a looser fitted jacket with skinny pants. It’s a silhouette that is very popular among young women, who are almost not wearing wider trouser pant legs at all right now (my own boot leg work trousers sit in the back of my closet, hoping they ever become fashionable again–at least while I’m still the same size!). I hope to see variations of the coat and skinny pants look more often on Kate this winter! It looks much warmer than tights and pants don’t leave those uncomfortable skin impressions that tights do at the waistband. It looks like she has some room to grow in the coat, so perhaps we might even see a repeat of this lovely Tory Burch number (although if it really bothered her at the neck, probably not).
I confess to not understanding Kate’s fashion anymore. The outfit itself is OK for a reception but at the basketball game she looked- and I am sorry to say this- like a slightly shimmery updated version of Mortitia Adams. William was all relaxed in a trucker shirt and loafers and she was buttoned up to her chin in a formalish coat, wearing heels and with her hair in her face. In most of the pictures I found online only her nose was visible. They obviously had time to change before so why not ditch the coat or the shoes and be a bit more casual?! I actually missed the wedges.
As for the earrings, if you are going to wear a statement piece that is indicative of the cause you are championing make sure it is perfectly visible in at least 1 photo. There’s no point in wearing jewelry that is supposed to send a message is no one can see and get it. Tuck ur hair behind your ear, pull your hair up, something!
To me she seemed supremely uncomfortable during the game. She was beaming yesterday but today she appeared a little flat. I’m sure she’ll wow tonight though.
Thanks Susan, for everything.
Kate doesn’t do casual very well. I’d say a basketball game never calls for stiletto shoes. I nice pair of black flats would have been a preferred choice. A simpler earring would have been more sporty. As for all that hair, it needs taming and about six inches lopped off. An up do looks so good…anything that gets the hair off her face, is a plus. A pony tail to a basketball game would have been appropriate.
Lorelia,
I was actually at the game yesterday, and I assure you Kate looked happy, chatting non-stop. I was amazed how non-jet-lagged Kate and William appeared — I would be way more impacted by the time difference if I had to travel overseas for just a couple of days.
I would also like to note that the part of the outfit that looked aging and very out-of-place was the jacket. It looked matronly, too glittery and super weird next to William’s plaid shirt. If she kept the skinny jeans, heels, and hair, but replaced the jacket with a sweater or a shirt, she would fit in perfectly.
I also have to say, the nice pictures of them realizing they were on screen were taking by a camera man who jumped forward when they were being welcomed by the commentator. The camera was three feet from their faces and the whole thing seemed very intrusive. And when Beyoncé and JZ walked over, the media literally descended en masse–the two couples were surrounded by about hundred people–it looked bizarre.
I am crazy about tweed so my comment could be totally biased. Love the topper but to a basketball game, i would have chosen something even more relaxed than a tweed dress coat, and a ponytail would have done a better job for this ensemble. Kate looks great, great skin, makeup and heart warning smile as always…
Oh my – Wills knew how to dress for the game but Kate sure didn’t – that coat is 100% wrong, wrong, wrong and it’s no excuse that BB is an American game – it’s the same to do to an indoor soccer game in the UK as a BB game is in the US – is she just not ready to show her bump off or has not quite figured out what to wear for this part of her pregnancy? Seems really odd the couple is dressed so differently. Kate could have gone to a med./upscale restaurant in NYC in that outfit
Totally agree!!!
I’m somewhat uncertain about this outfit. I realize that the Duchess had to dress for two events, but the reception looked fairly casual, and Prince William was dressed VERY casually. The tweed coat and the pumps were really a bit much for the basketball game. Next to William, the Duchess looked a little overdressed.
I think this look would have worked better for both the reception and the game if the Duchess had worn her “shooties” — the shoe boots she wore on her arrival in New York — instead of the pumps. Moreover, while I recognize the possible symbolism of the earrings, I think they were perhaps a bit too large and glitzy for a skinny jeans outfit chosen with a basketball game, as well as the reception, in mind.
I’m not a huge Tory Burch fan, though I do own one of her dresses. I really disliked the TB dress worn on the Down Under tour. I like this coat rather better but think it would work more effectively worn open over a high necked sweater, jeans, and low-heeled boots. I’m a great fan of mixing the slightly dressy with the casual but think there are better ways to do it than the Duchess’s solution.
Actually, the reception didn’t look particularly casual, since all the men – William included – were in jackets/ties, and multiple women appear to be wearing cocktail dresses. Given that Kate went with black jeans and the Burch jacket, she did add some casual to the overall look. I agree with you about the shoes – the ones she arrived in would have been a great choice here. But honestly, when I see the photos of Kate, William and Dikembe, William looks like the odd one out, not Kate. That being said, good for William for his quick change into what he felt most comfortable wearing for the game!
You’re right about the way the men were dressed at the reception. I was really commenting on the contrast between the Duke and Duchess at the basketball game. The Duchess just didn’t achieve the casual/dressy look I appreciate owing to the pumps and the large, rather glitzy earrings.
I agree with you about the footwear — I would have thought this the perfect outfit for those shoe-boots.
She looks stunning and elegant as always. You are so right as the tweed coat just enhances her frame and provides enough height without weighing her down. And the price of the coat is not too exorbitant either, allowing us commoners to own one too. Sweet!!!
The skinny jeans is a good match for her coat, letting it be the centre of attention. Both Willliam and Kate look so adorable together, pretty much still deeply in love. Sigh…just looking at them makes me happy.
Hints of Peppermint & Chocolate
I saw a similar picture of the couple with LeBron James on ABC News, and Mr. James had his arm around Kate. I wonder if he wasn’t given a quick lesson in royal protocol before the meeting.
Kate and William don’t seem to be all that into royal protocol to be honest. Remember when they were in Canada they asked everyone to just call them William and Katherine?
http://hrhduchesskate.blogspot.com/
hrh blog has a great shot of the earrings and its obvious there are crocodiles! Good job on whomever found those!
i love this coat and i love that she didnt just do jeans and blazer look again. Two thumbs up for this!
There’s nothing specifically wrong with this coat, but it doesn’t do much for me. Mid-trimester dressing is tricky, but I think at this stage she would be better to opt for dedicated maternity pieces; this just looks as if it’s a little too tight. It doesn’t strike me as totally appropriate for an indoor basketball game, either; I know it’s tricky as they had a more formal engagement earlier in the evening, but it would have been nice to perhaps have changed into a shorter jacket in the car. That sounds very nitpicky, I know, but the Duchess looks so well in athletic-type gear (remember all those great outfits from the Olympics?) that it would have been nice to see that look again.
Thanks for the quick and detailed post! I am in love with the Tory Burch coat, I would be thrilled if you could do a post on a Replikate of the coat sometime. I especially love the collar and the fabric, Kate pretty much always hits the nail on the head with her choice of coats!
I just realized that part way through the game it looks like Kate is wearing a turtleneck. I wonder if she was wearing it all along and just pulled the neck part out during the game? You can tell the neck of the coat was bothering her the whole time because she kept grabbing at it. Maybe it’s itchy or a little tight or both
I like the outfit, but I wouldn’t have worn skinny jeans to meet a potential President of the United States. That’s my only complaint.
If you look at other photos of the event, it looks like Ms. Clinton herself may be wearing skinny jeans.
Considering Ms. Clinton has yet to even announce her candidacy, that’s expecting a lot of foresight…
I like the coat and outfit (as well as William’s belt) but kept wondering why they dressed so differently: she is much more formal and much warmer dressed than William. Makes a weird impression when looking at the pictures, almost as if they did not dress for the same event and one of them changed their mind and they ended up there together 🙂
I suspect William did NOT want to attend the basketball game in a suit and tie, ha! At the earlier reception they appear to complement each other more closely in level of formality. Also, William appeared to have been in that suit from the crack of dawn through the evening, and probably was more than ready to unwind from the business attire for a bit, while Kate had some earlier downtime in which to change – three changes in one day for this trip seems a bit much, but that’s just a guess.
Hmmm – when reviewing the sequence of photos again, it appears that William got to change clothes at the Consul’s residence, as he ditched the suit before leaving the reception, while Kate and Chelsea are still in their reception attire…and I’ll again note that in the photos prior to the game, all of the men are in suits and ties – including Dikembe – so William’s super-casual look stands out more at that point, while he blends in perfectly during the game. Men are very fortunate that they can take off their tie, stuff it in a pocket, and unbutton their collar to instantly take things down a notch. Though Kate unbuttoned her coat, not much else she could have done unless she too made a clothing change at the reception.
Nice outfit and suits Kate. The Duchess does look good in jeans/trousers. The previous jacket could have been worn with these trousers and that would have upped the fashion ante. The Stuart Weitzman Power pumps are great too.
I love the Tory Burch jacket with our latest touch of glitter tweed for seasonal effect. The belted collar is especially neat, a quietly conservative fashion touch. A long jacket style like this benefits much more from being paired with trousers than with tights as per yesterday, I’m glad we have left extending hems behind.
I’m no fan of such tight trousers but at least the black complements the coat as I now see black tights did the Goat offering yesterday. It’s a shame the Duchess doesn’t try tailored pants, I think they would greatly improve some of these outfits.
Intrigued to see new earrings – again not my own personal taste but appropriate. Her hair is looking wonderful of late and it’s just great to see the royal couple so evidently enjoying themselves on this trip. Thanks so much for your speedy and well-informed posts!
Maybe this is a silly question but: why does Kate (as well as all the other Royal woman) always carry a small clutch? Even at such a casual event such as a basketball game where another handbag would be appropriate, she is always carrying a clutch. Is it so she has something to do with her hands? So she isn’t just standing there? Or is there no real significance at all?
I know it’s not fashion related, but what letter or combination of letters is under the crown in the Royal Foundation logo? I haven’t see it before. I’m used to seeing one or both of their initials.
Did anyone else laugh out loud at that awkward photo of the three putting their hand on top of the basketball? They just look so awkward doing that, that it is painful to look at!
HA yes!!! I absolutely giggled when I saw that photo. The only other moment that eclipsed this one in awkwardness was when they were shown on the jumbotron at the Barclays Center. #awk
I thought the pic of them both studiously trying to look as though they were enjoying the popcorn and doing *relaxed* was pretty funny too! 😀
http://i1.cdnds.net/14/50/618×583/kate-middleton-jay-z-prince-william-popcorn.jpg
Overall, I really like this look for the Duchess. It’s nice enough for the reception, and casual enough for the game. My only wish is that she would have opened the coat up at the game to give it a slightly more relaxed look. She looks too “buttoned-up” for me for the more casual event. William has no jacket or tie, and his shirt sleeves are up. Even the men around her in jackets have no ties and unbuttoned collars. I understand the style for the meetings and photo ops, but after that I’d prefer that she open the coat or something. I can almost feel that collar choking her while sitting on the sidelines.
She did.
I actually really like this outfit! Though I am glad for once she kept the coat on, because if she is really wearing a black sweater underneath the coat it would be too much black (which btw how do you know she is wearing something black knit underneath)?
Also, I find it interesting that she chose to keep nylons on even though she is wearing pants. She doesn’t normally do this and opts to go barefoot in her pumps with jeans. Maybe this time it was for an extra layer of warmth?
Nevermind I see at the basketball game she opened up her coat and there is a black knit top. That is a lot of black!! Lol
Btw her ‘jeans’ look soft, not like denim.
Amazingly, I got this coat on super clearance at Tory Burch on black friday. With all the discounts, I paid about $200. I was really pleased with it before hand, and now I feel extra lucky! Funnily enough, the sales woman said she thought the coat looked Kate Middleton-esque.
Does her coat have an added black band around the bottom, or is that from a dress underneath? Or…is it simply a shadow?!
I love this look, the coat is really cute and looks nice with actual trousers instead of the staple tights!
Don’t worry, I can tell, when zooming in, that it’s a shadow.
Oops! The post was updated with that suggestion while I was writing my comment. Sorry for the duplicate.
No worries, not at all, you obviously have a good eye for jewelery! 🙂
Could those earrings be Patrick Mavros? Maybe a larger, custom version of the crocodile stud earrings?
William is wearing a Native American beaded belt.
What a great catch!
Maybe the one from Calgary?