Kate wore a new Catherine Walker coat for the annual St. Patrick’s Day event with the Irish Guards.
©James Whatling / Splash News
The Duke and Duchess were guests of honor at today’s festivities. The couple arrived early at Mons Barracks, where the Guards are based, and spent some time in the Mess Hall before coming back outside for the public events.
Robin Nunn/Nunn Syndication/Polaris
Kate and William always appear to enjoy this event.
Andrew Parsons/i-Images/Polaris
Before she could present shamrocks to others the Duchess needed to have her own pinned on her new coat.
Andrew Parsons / i-Images / Polaris
The Guards are a British Army regiment, part of the Foot Guards. They were founded by Queen Victoria in 1900 “in recognition of the many courageous acts of Irish soldiers” during the Second Boer War. Below, Kate being presented with a posy.
Jason Dawson/Nunn Syndication/Polaris
Below you can see William affixing shamrocks to his cap.
©Stephen Lock / i-Images
Kensington Palace explained on Twitter the shamrocks are tucked behind the star on a cap.
Kensington Palace Twitter (@KensingtonRoyal)
Another look at the shamrocks atop a uniform.
Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal)
From Gordon Rayner’s story in The Daily Telegraph:
Ever since their marriage the couple have upheld the 114-year-old royal tradition of presenting shamrocks to the officers and guardsmen of the regiment at their St Patrick’s Day Parade.
The Duchess presented baskets of shamrocks to the battalion’s warrant officers who, in turn, issued the sprigs out along the ranks.
Andrew Parsons / i-Images / Polaris
The Daily Mail notes this year’s parade wasn’t quite as big as in recent years:
The parade this year was much smaller than in past years as the battalion currently has troops deployed around the world, although they were not forgotten – special packages of the fresh plant were flown out to those abroad, including to the Falkland Islands and Oman.
©2015 Richard Watt/ Crown Copyright/The British Army
We always like to show a picture or two of the Guards’ official mascot, Domhnall, the Irish Wolfhound.
Splash News and Pictures
Domhnall is based at Mons Barracks, along with his handler, drummer David Steed. The majestic animal’s name means ‘World Leader’ in Gaelic.
Kensington Palace Twitter (@RoyalKensington)
From the Daily Mirror’s story:
The three-year-old dog, which weighs 11-and-a-half stone, was also treated to a sip of Guinness after the ceremony.
(Unfortunately Domhnall’s shamrocks took a tumble, there is a little bit of that shown in ITV’s video about the day’s engagement; we share a link to that below in our ‘Linkage’ section.)
After the shamrocks are given out it is time for the group photo.
Richard Watt/The British Army/©2015 Crown Copyright
A closer look.
Richard Watt/The British Army/©2015 Crown Copyright
After the official ceremonies there are refreshments. It was while enjoying some of these that Kate told Jeannel Duncan-Dolcy she loved the color of her yellow coat. Ms. Duncan-Dolcy shared that information and a photo on her Instagram page.
Jeannel Duncan-Dolcy
Kate was in a bespoke piece by heritage designer Catherine Walker.
©Andrew Parsons / i-Images
Catherine Walker tells us the color is chestnut brown, and the fabric is a double wool crepe. A closer look at the modified portrait collar.
i-Images.co
The coat features princess seaming, no pockets that I could see, and box pleats both front and back. The tailoring on this piece was impeccable, as one would expect with a Catherine Walker garment. Kate accessorized with her Emmy Shoes ‘Valerie’ pump in chocolate brown.
Emmy Shoes/R. Nunn, Polaris/Emmy Shoes
She wore a hat we’ve seen previously, including at this particular event. It is the ‘Betty Boop’ by Lock and Company.
Splash News/John Lock & Company/i-Images
It looked like Kate carried her Emmy Shoes ‘Natsha’ clutch in brown suede.
Emmy
I believe Kate was wearing her brown ‘Imogen’ gloves by Cornelia James. Below, the gloves in ‘parchment,’ a better way to show off the details, especially the bow.
Cornelia James
The Duchess wore the gold shamrock that is traditionally seen at the ceremony, previously it has been worn by the Queen Mother and Princess Anne. Technically the brooch is owned by the regiment and then loaned to whomever is wearing. You can just about see the pin in this photograph.
Robin Nunn/Nunn Syndication/POLARIS
She also wore her Kiki McDonough Citrine drop earrings.
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Also today, congratulations to our StyleRocks contest winner, Stephanie. She was entry number #349 and that’s the number chosen at random.When suggesting a gift from the Russian Rings collection that she thought William might select for Kate, she went with the Willow ring in multicolored gold.
StyleRocks/Random.org
Stephanie is no newcomer to the Kate club, she lives in Santa Barbara and attended the polo match there when Kate and William visited during the 2011 Tour. Our thanks to Pascale at StyleRocks for sponsoring such a wonderful contest, and also for the very generous $500 donation she will be making to EACH.
We will see you tomorrow for Kate’ engagement at the Brookhill Children’s Centre in London.
LINKAGE:
- For more information, there is a non-official Irish Guards website that has loads of info and photos click here to visit that site; the official MOD page for the Guards is located here
- Visit the Band of the Irish Guards Facebook page here, its official MOD page is here
- Read about Domhnall’s training by clicking here
- Read the Palace statement about Prince Harry leaving the Army here
- For a video of the Band of the Irish Guards playing at today’s ceremony, click here
- The Daily Mail’s story with plenty of photos is here; The Daily Mirror’s photo gallery may be found here, The Daily Telegraph’s story and video may be seen here, Richard Palmer’s story in The Express is here, PopSugar’s photo gallery with those jumbo pictures is here
- An ITV video is here, ITN’s 4-minute+ video is here (including @Domhnall losing his shamrocks!), the BBC South Today video is here
Lovely outfit but why does she insist on wearing these platform shoes? She looks so lovely and elegant but would be much better in courts without the platform, the LK Bennett sledge if she must. I can’t help thinking these look at bit ‘New Look’…
I don’t see her carrying the clutch bag in any of these photos?
In several videos you can see Kate place the bag on her chair on the dais when standing up to observe the official ceremony and national anthem.
After a frustrating day of surfing the net I always come to “What Kate Wore” for an elegant breath of fresh. Lovely!
When I saw the first photo, I admit I thought, “ugh, I hate this look” but as I looked at the rest of the photos, I started to like it. Why? She blends right in with the men in all their military uniforms, the shamrocks “pop” against the brown and in the end, the focus doesn’t become on her and her pregnant figure. Well played, Kate. I don’t know about everyone else, but when I was pregnant, one thing I didn’t like about it was how my body and figure were just so on “display”, everyone thinks they can comment to you about your shape. It’s sort of embarrassing, you lose some dignity in a way. I’m probably over stating it, but I just feel like I understand her look here, within the context. She blends in and looks like a person, not a fashion plate. Also, I LOVE how happy and relaxed she and William look!
I couldn’t agree with you more Emily.
I really like this look! I do prefer her hair up and the hat is perfect. I think the brown is perfect for the occasion, it photographs nicely and the perfectly highlights the green shamrocks. And again, the perfect accessory his her smile, the Duck and Duchess to seem to enjoy this event!
What a splendid coat! The tailoring is faultless. The design, the neckline and above all the pleating makes it really unique and interesting. I actually also live the colour-I’ve been waiting to see the ducheess in a non highstreet brown coat (like the hobbs one) and this certainly didn’t dissapoint. It’s such an interesting shade of brown.
The White max mara, the navy beulah, and this one to name a few, have been a winning choice for the duchess. Bravo!
I own the hat which I simply adore and I’m planning on getting the shoes and bag as they seem to be matching the hat so well and there is sth very elegant about them.
I thouhgt the time would come when the duchess would introduce more new items than reuse old ones, as especially wearing many coats is what women of her status do. Afterall it gives us more to admire and discuss upon!
Thanks for a great post, you put it so well 🙂 I’m glad to hear the hat is proving its worth!
We’ve seen quite a bit of the monochromatic look over the last little while…all pink, all navy, now all brown. I like it and find it to be elegant, although conservative. The coat has magnificent lines and tailoring. We’ve also seen her hair up twice lately. I hope she continues with this style, as I find it more sophisticated. It also means that on a windy day she isn’t constantly brushing her hair off her face. Kate really is a trouper, far along in her pregnancy, wearing high heels, smiling and gracious to everyone she meets. She represents the royal family so well.
I love everything about this look! The coat is beautifully tailored, and she’s wearing one of my favorite hats. Lovely hair, too. The Duke and Duchess appear relaxed and happy.
Green may be traditional, but at eight months pregnant, that would be a lot of green! I think the brown looks fine against the shamrocks.
I’d like to add that one of the strengths of this coat is the neckline. Its openness draws attention to the face – and Kate has a beautiful face. It also lightens the look of the coat, making it less severe.
Although I do like the shape of the collar, the first thought that came to mind when I saw her in the coat with the shape of the hat was “Brownie Scout”. Not an appealing color. Something less UPS and more green would have been better here.
Love the coat! The collar is so sophisticated and the color is far from drab in my opinion. I think the almost grey tone of the brown works perfectly with her complexion. However I wish she had of brought back the adorable green suede shoes she wore last year! It was refreshing to not see her in an obnoxiously green coat (I have to admit I’m not the hugest fan of the bright green Erdem that some were hoping for) but green accessories would have been nice – she has so many, after all!
Is it selfish that I’m a tiny bit disappointed that she’s going be in hiding for a few months now? I’m very excited for her and the birth of a little prince/princess, but hey I’m going to miss seeing all these new outfits!!!
I love the cut and fit of the coat but, I think brown does bodysuit Kate as well as some other colors. The coat at Christmas would overworked just as well and added some pizzazz and looked goodvwithbtge shamrock if She did not want to wear green again. Or, if there was a scarf or dress with a pattern of green, gold and brown. I love monochromatic looks in general but brown is not the color for her. So happy she has chosen to wear her hair up garbage last few appearances. I hope she continues to do so, even.if it is a high ponytail! Obviously, she isn’t going to cut it even a bit! 🙂
I am willing to bet that there is no way that the coat she wore at Christmas would fit over the bump now. Also, I respectfully disagree with you on the color as I happen to think that this shade of chocolate brown is one of the best on our duchess.
Even though this is not a spring color, I think this look is absolutely beautiful. This shad of brown works well on Kate, and the fit is perfect. Nothing tight or pulling anywhere. I think she absolutely intended for this look not to upstage the military uniforms. Past outfits for this event, while green, where quite muted. I only wish she would have worn her emerald earrings, but that’s just my own preference for almost anything other than the citrines.
she looks gorgeous from head to toe love the whole ensemble
I love this coat, it’s incredibly well tailored (those box pleats are fabulous!) and I’m sure it will be taken in to be worn again after her pregnancy. Much as I love that hat, however, I would have preferred a different colour of accessories with the coat. Her green hat and shoes would have worked well.
I think we all might be disappointed that this look is just so dull. Yes, beautiful tailoring, and collar, but I am losing interest in all these coats. She has way too many coats. Some quite wonderful, like the white one, which would have worked with her green hat and brightened a bleak setting. There are just too many blues, greens, that great burgundy one which was never identified. So to spend money on a bespoke piece this late in her pregnancy seems a bit much. She could have reused one of the green ones and scored more points with the ordinary people who watch what she wears and spends.
I’m not disappointed at all. I think the coat is a gorgeous and quite sophisticated color. I truly love it.
As for the number of coats she has, all royal women have many. The Queen must have worn thousands by now. Elegant coats are pretty much part and parcel of the royal woman’s “uniform”. It’s certainly not necessary that they all be brightly colored in any way (nor do I find this setting “bleak”), and I also think that this quite elegantly tailored coat can almost certainly be altered for wear after the Duchess gives birth.
In other words, this coat scored quite a lot of points with me, and I have to point out that while there are many people who like the fact that the Duchess often re-wears clothing and also buys clothes at prices many other women can afford, there is also a loud and vocal contingent who want her to dress more like their conception of a princess, in far higher-end and more custom-designed items. It seems she just can’t win.
Ditto…. Well said!
I thought your own earlier comments about possibly looking meringue on stilts in a white coat underlined the accepted reasoning that pale colours can add bulk. These darker colours can be employed in the hope of down-playing size — a major plus this far on in pregnancy.
Well said on all points, Lili.
I agree- I think she looked fabulous. I for one want her to dress the part and was thrilled to see hers coordinated. I wish she had worn a fabulous pair of earrings but other than that small disappointment she looked FABULOUS.
I was about to reply to this comment, but will only repeating what you wrote, so will suffice to say I agrre with everything you wrote.
Lili, at 25, Elizabeth became Queen. The Duchess is twice removed from being Queen, and if Camilla was wearing new clothes all the time and bespoke pieces, tongues would wag. And given that Kate was not born into royalty, you would think there would be more concern with looking like she’s frivolous with money. I love today’s ASOS dress, it is youthful, and appropriate.
I would have said Camilla has as many new and bespoke outfits as the next royal, she’s been on more foreign tours than Kate for a start.
And it would be inappropriate for Kate to wear something like the inexpensive Asos dress to a military parade. She needs to turn out in a manner which respects the tremendous attention to detail that goes into the average soldier’s uniform, never mind the amount of drill they perform for the parade.
It is a great mark of respect to armed forces to wear her very best since, after all, these are men and women prepared to risk their lives for their country. It’s the least the Duchess can do to honour them.
Overall, I would have said Kate’s conservative fashion choices were as far removed from frivolity as it’s possible to be. It’s something which I would say she has very much in common with the present Queen and is a major contribution by Kate to preserving the future of the monarchy.
I think I would like to give Lili credit for excellent judgement in stating this is a gorgeous coat in a sophisticated colour.
And thank you for your spicy comments, Ginger, you liven up our page a treat!! 🙂
I disagree…… I think it’s perfectly fine that she has a bespoke cost made for her final weeks of pregnancy. Perhaps she chose this color because like you said, she has so many blue and green coats already. I’m guessing this coat will be adjusted after pregnancy and worn again. I don’t feel that Kate should have to ever buy off the rack items for me to feel more of a connection to her. She is, after all, the future Queen Consort of England. She doesn’t truly have a budget for anything she does. For me, what makes Kate relatable is not her clothes, but her overall low key attitude, her close relationship with her parents and siblings, how hands on she is in raising her child, and her amazing marriage to William.
I love commenting on what Kate wears, but that will never be what makes her so special. 🙂
I agree that it seems odd to have a bespoke piece debuted so late in her pregnancy. But then I had the happy thought that maybe there will be more than two little ones in her family! 🙂 I would love to see them have three or four!!
Overall, I think her maternity look in her second pregnancy was even more shapeless than with her first pregnancy. Maybe third time will be the charm. 🙂
Liked the coat, didn’t love the color. Loved her hair.
But the most impressive thing to me was how she was able to bend/squat down in those high heels with her big stomach and not keel over. The lady has amazing balance!
Everyone’s complaining about the color, but I think it works well – especially in that group photo. She stands out in a totally appropriate way. She looks comfortable and the dress fits – I’m sure that’s her biggest concern at this point in her pregnancy!
I know a lot of folks are disappointed in the color of the coat, but I think the immaculate tailoring, the beautiful neckline, and the hairstyle with the hat make this a wonderful, elegant look for the Duchess
Couldn’t agree more! I think she looked beautiful, and who cares she isn’t wearing green? Catherine Walker is such a talented designer and I’ve always loved her designs. It’s nice to see the Duchess wearing a true designer piece as opposed to her off the rack, ill fitting choices as of late. Love this look!!!!!!
Totally agree! Tailoring is spot on and that color works so well with her complexion and eyes. Her hair is as gorgeous as I have seen it in a while.
A slightly surprising colour choice for Kate today, but I think this coat fits her beautifully. The style details make it ‘pop’ and I have always loved this hat and accessories. Overall a lovely look for the Duchess, I think the choice of more muted colours is appropriate for this occasion. To me it would look incongruous if Kate stood out like a beacon in her outfit at this sort of ceremony. She looks very polished and totally appropriate. Well done.
It is NOT easy to fit an expanding pregnant belly, so I am very impressed with this tailor-made coat. It fits her beautifully. The collar is gorgeous and the pleats don’t add bulk. When I was 8 months pregnant, I would certainly not have wanted to wear a bright green coat that would have emphasized my girth. I think she looks lovely and pulling her hair back shows off the elegant neckline of the coat. Brown also keeps the focus on the green shamrocks. Great job, Duchess!
I like this coat very much, and I like the sepia color. I don’t even mind that the hat and the coat don’t match precisely. Brown is a tough color to match, and at least they seem to be close enough.
The coat is beautifully made, especially that gorgeous pleating, and I would expect Kate will have this made smaller for fall. I definitely would like to see her accessorize it with black — velvet gloves and suede boots. And, it would be wonderful if she continues to wear brooches. Imagine how golden topaz would look with this coat. Or, just a good solid piece of gold jewelry.
I agree that it would have been nice if Kate had worn something green with this coat. She could have dressed it up with a touch of peridot or emerald, or even added a green ribbon to her hat. But, she’s done green three years in a row on St. Patrick’s Day, and perhaps she felt in a brown mood.
Are we scheduled to see her again, or is this it?
I’m glad you think the coat might be refashioned for future use. I’d found myself wondering if the amount of fabric in it might not require a near re-make to adapt to Kate’s usual shape.
I also support your call for a good brooch on such a coat – one of those fabulous items in the royal hoard would do nicely!
We are due to see Kate one more time at least, tomorrow.
I liked that she wore something different than green this time. It has an element of surprise.
This look, like the one she had at the commemoration in London, is so regal. So elegant. I hope she continues this way.
This is my favorite look of her pregnancy. She looks elegant and classy — which isn’t always the easiest task at this stage of pregnancy. The coat is beautifully tailored, and fitting perfectly along the shoulders. I love that she didn’t wear green this year; the shamrocks just pop off the brown!
I totally agree!!!! So happy she didn’t wear her green cost again! The tailoring on this coat is unbelievable, it almost makes her look like she hardly has a tummy! That’s what true tailoring and a brilliant designer can accomplish!
The hazards of trying to guess what Kate might wear are certainly underlined for us in this surprise brown for St Patrick’s Day. Still, it all blends in with the dull shades of surrounding uniforms and this is another winning choice of coat.
I love the open portrait collar, echoing the shape of the hat, and low enough to show some of Kate’s neckline, giving a breathing space amid the monochrome. It’s a clever trick to have a coat fit so well in late pregnancy and there are none of the signs of strain shown by the previous blue Beulah.
I also love having another gorgeous updo — along with the hat and earrings, it all skilfully takes the eye away from the dear old Bump. Everything — hair, make-up, shoes, the tilt of the hat — all combine to make a truly polished performance from the Duchess today.
I love your commentary! So well spoken and exactly my thoughts as well! 🙂
I love the collar too, ElizaMo. I can see why it’s called a portrait collar — it frames her face beautifully.
Personally I like the colour very much, and I like Brenda’s designation of it as sepia.
I don’t envy her her public role, even for the coats, but I do envy her ability to look terrific in colours from white through to black, and including yellow and bright green along the way. Ah well!
Thanks to you both for your kind comments. That’s a nice point about a portrait collar framing the face! I’m not sure if I buy the description of the brown as “sepia” as I thought that would be paler than this. But it hardly matters — this is a gorgeous deep shade of brown and looks wonderful on our Duchess!!
Sorry, it just seems wasteful of me to get a new (brown? for St. Patrick’s day?) coat when she already has a green maternity coat.
Wasteful? She lives in a palace, which received a 3 million dollar reno, and spent 4 million on improvments to her country house. She is also the future Queen of England. The current Queen rarely wears an outfit more than once, and all her clothes are bespoke! Sophie Wessex regularly wears Tom Ford, Dior, Prada, McQueen, and Victoria Beckham, and no doubt spends more money on clothing than Kate does. Her getting another coat to fit her pregnant tummy in her final weeks is not wasteful spending, especially since she will probably recycle it. I feel she should wear even more bespoke and really look the part of a future Queen.
And then there’s the other point that if she turns up less than dressed-to-the-nines the cry will go up CheapsKate! She can’t win. I think a smart new outfit would mean a lot in this particular context, when you think of all the work that goes into keeping a military uniform immaculate, especially for a big annual parade like this.
Exactly… Excellent point!
I very much thought we were going to see the Mulberry green tweed coat she wore when she was pregnant with George. I absolutely loved that coat. I know she wore that piece earlier in her pregnancy with George than she is now. I love love love Kate but must confess I was a little disappointed with her brown ensemble from today. Since she wore a new piece and isn’t re-using something she already owns I wish she would have gone with something green on St. Patrick’s day 🙂
I really like this whole look very clean, neat with some retro flare, although with the hat she does remind me of those pretty flight attendants from 1970s. 🙂
Is this coat brown or olive? aren’t we supposed to wear green?
I don’t think there’s a mandate, and I actually appreciate that she didn’t do the expected. People don’t have to march in lockstep with one another when it comes to clothes, fortunately. Moreover, I really like the way the green shamrocks look against the brown of the coat.
Her pale-green Mulberry coat would, I think, have looked a little too like warm-weather wear for this occasion, while the green Erdem coat, which I very much like, probably isn’t roomy enough for her late-stage pregnancy. A brown coat with some expert adjustments could prove quite versatile for future engagements. I imagine the designer at CW kept that in mind.
I would have thought the pale-green Mulberry would have been too light for our chilly spring this year. And I would imagine Kate learned the value of wool when wearing the summer-weight dalmatian Hobbs in breezy Margate.
Does anyone know who the head designer is for Catherine Walker now?
I was hoping for green, but I’m happy with the brown because her complexion and eye color always pop with brown. And I love her hair back because her cheekbones show up, even when “puffed” a tad with pregnancy.
All in all, this was a look that put emphasis on the troops–and how can that be wrong?
I must say I don’t like this look very much. The monochromatic look in brown is quite boring, although the recent navy and pink looks were elegant and worked well. I don’t mind the coat but would have loved to see some color accents with the hat, shoes or purse. A burgandy would have complimented the brown well I think.
I love the way the collar frames her face 🙂 I like the brown – the green of the shamrocks pops out against it beautifully.
I think this is my favorite wearing of this hat, though I can’t quite say why.
Thanks for a lovely post!
I think the cut of the coat is very obviously superior to the off the peg stuff she sometimes wears – the collar and shoulder fitting is immaculate. I’m not personally a fan of dark brown but its obviously a favourite for her if one goes back to how she used to dress in the early days of her relationship with Prince William – a lot of this brown – and I thought it showed off the green shamrock beautifully, which a green coat would not have done. Once again, her chignon is so much more flattering than wearing her hair down. Susan, London
While she looked great, I do wish she had worn something green! Maybe the hat she wore last year? It would’ve gone well with this coat and shoes too. All in all, still very well put together today, albeit monochromatic.
So disappointing to see her wear brown. It looks so drab. She looks great in spring colours. Would have loved to see her wear a warm lime green colour.
I was hoping she would wear one of the bright green coats she wore in Australia – especially the Erdem…that one seems roomy. Or even the green Mulberry coat she wore in her previous pregnancy.
But I think the color is super terrible…especially for an almost spring day! I can’t believe this is bespoke. I just feel like if I could have bespoke coats made by amazing designers this would not be the result. Though it has some feminine touches (I like the dramatic pleats and the collar) overall it just hangs and isn’t flattering. I know she’s 8 months along – but still!!
The monochromatic navy from a few days ago worked because it was a dramatic color. But the monochromatic light pink on the McQueen outfit and now the monochromatic brown are just too much of a color that just isn’t worthy!
I agree Katie. This outfit is just so boring. Way too much brown, it is quiet drab. She needed to mix some other color in there. Also, I have never been a fan of brown on Kate. I don’t think it is her best color. I think the cut of the coat is not bad, I just wish it had been in another color. There are so many better colors even if she didn’t want green this year. I feel like this coat was a waste of money sadly. It will be a forgettable outfit 🙁
I love her hair though!!
Good point about the Erdem — I’d clean forgotten that one, it was kind of roomy when she wore it. However I think both it and the belted green Catherine Walker she wore would both have had too much of a stretch to cover an eight-month pregnancy!
She looks great. Really like the portrait collar and always fond of a box pleat! The color is so muted it’s hard to say what it is. I’m assuming a green, a very greyed/brown loden. It’s a bit dull, but may be a deliberate move to not highlight her or pull focus from the uniformed. Never a bad idea. This color could also prove to be useful in the future for somber events or be versatile as it could be accessorized with nearly any other color to change it’s look. Well done.
I’m fond of box pleats too, but I’ve found they can be a bit heavy to wear with all the extra fabric involved. On skirts which only have them at the front the whole of the front can be pulled lower than the back. Of course, used like this in maternity-wear, they are skilful way to get enough fabric in there to cover over the bump while keeping a clean line to the whole garment. A canny move by Catherine Walker!
Very lovely and appropriate look today for the Duchess. Does she have a blanket on her lap during the group photo? It seems like the coat hem but it’s impossible because it arrives to the knees when she stands up.
I applaud the Duchess for doing something different than her usual green coat, and I like how the green shamrocks play against the brown coat. But brown is probably my least favorite color, and I think there’s way too much of it here. If she had worn a green dress under the coat that would have provided a nice contrast to all the brown.
I’m curious–folks, what color would you say this coat is? To me it looks not quite brown, not quite black….it kind of defies description!
It’s sepia.
According to the folks at Catherine Walker it is “chestnut brown.” (Although sepia is a good word as well!) 🙂
Another splendid coat, beautifully tailored. The pleating is a particularly fine touch that enlivens an otherwise very simple design. The Duchess looks great in it.
I admire this shade of brown, which I’m hard-put to characterize. It’s rather a grayed brown but obviously significantly darker than taupe. I’m not sure what I’d call it. I’ve always liked this hat and the shoes, which are a richer chocolate shade, and I dithered a few minutes over whether they worked with the shade of the coat. I decided that there was enough of a difference in the shades that they did, as a matter of contrast. When two shades of a color are very close, the effect can sometimes be problematic. That was the case with the green coat with a blue undertone that the Duchess wore to a previous St Pat’s Day event, with a green hat that had a yellow undertone. The two shades of green simply did not work together.
I do like the Duchess in chignons, but I actually think wearing her hair down works a little better with this hat. However, I like the coat so much that my admiration of it overrides any petty little complaints I otherwise have.
With such wonderful tailoring to fall back, I wonder if the coat might have its life extended beyond maternity duties. I would like to think so!
She looking ebullient today :-), yet this is a somewhat disappointing look for me. Rather dull and boring with several different shades of brown going on. I will say that the coat is exquisitely executed with the collar and shoulderline framing her face nicely. While the dark brown does make the shamrocks pop it is a heavy color. I don’t feel she needs to show up in green each year but can you all imagine this coat in a brilliant emerald green? Fabulous! Congratulations Stephanie!!
Pretty coat. I love the portrait collar. And, the Duchess looks so happy and relaxed, especially with those little girls.