A New Erdem Coat for Kate’s Day in Manchester with William

Kate was in a new coat by Erdem for today’s engagements with Prince William in Manchester.

The pair started their day at The National Football Museum. Upon arriving they met some local schoolchildren who were having some early Halloween fun. More from Simon Perry’s People story:

A group of mischievous school kids decided to have a little fun with the royal couple’s visit to Manchester on Friday morning by wearing masks of the royal family, including Kate and Will themselves!

Back to the People piece:

“Have you taken the day off school today?’ William asked one of the kids before spotting the mask.

 

“Oh, is that really me?” he joked. “It’s quite creased, you look like you have been sitting on it!”

In the quick video you can see/hear William looking at his mask.

Video: William and Kate examine masks… of their own faces. #royalvisitmanchester pic.twitter.com/SM93ZpUc2s

— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) October 14, 2016

This was the couple’s first official trip to the city together. Kate visited Manchester in April of 2013.

From The Daily Mirror’s coverage: 

They headed straight for a reception with some young Mancunians, who are making a difference to their communities.

Then it was off for a tour of the museum, which aims to explain to fans and non-fans alike how and why football has become ‘the people’s game’, a key part of England’s heritage and way of life.

William donned gloves as he looked at a ball from the 1966 World Cup, the year England won the Cup. 

Greeting crowds after touring the Museum.

While greeting people on the crowd Prince William met a young lady whose story prompted him to break his no-selfie rule. More from the Manchester Evening News:

Prince William broke his own ‘no selfie’ rule and posed for a photo with a 16-year-old girl who is recovering from a bone marrow transplant.

Rachel Simpson joked with the Prince that she shared the same ginger hair colour as his brother, Harry, as she told him about her long recovery outside Manchester Town Hall.

She said: “It was incredible, he was so lovely. He told me he doesn’t normally pose for pictures or selfies but he would break his rule for me.

The Duke and Duchess then moved to the Manchester Town Hall.

Their primary focus was a World War I Centenary event.  

More from the Manchester Evening News:

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge take a look at commemorative paving stones to honour World War One Victoria Cross recipients after laying a wreath in their memory at the cenotaph in St Peter’s Square.

Six paving stones were unveiled today, one for each Mancunian who received the Victoria Cross. The ceremony was held at the town’s Cenotaph, designed by British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. Other war memorials designed by the renowned architect include the one in Whitehall where the annual Remembrance Sunday service is held, as well as India Gate, visited by the Duke and Duchess as part of their tour this April. 

Kate and William laid a wreath of poppies at the memorial.

And spent time chatting with families of the Victoria Cross recipients.

The couple’s next stop was the University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute, where they toured “state of the art cleanrooms and laboratories.” You see them being welcomed by President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell. Prince William in the world’s first graphene car. 

Below, Kate signing a photograph that went into a time capsule at the University.

The couple’s final engagement was at Francis House Hospice. 

The hospice was opened in 1991 by Diana, Princess of Wales. More from People:

During the emotional visit, the royal couple walked by a large photograph of the prince’s late mother on the wall, and William commented on how nice it was to have the “family connection.”

“I was saying I was here when Princess Diana opened Francis House 25 years ago, and he said it’s nice to have the family connection and that it feels very family here,” said Natalie Hands, clinical leader of Francis House.

The hospice provides services to 370 children, teenagers and young adults.

The Duke and Duchess toured a new £3.5 million wing at the facility and met patients and family members, as well as volunteers and staff. The hospice has an online shop offering things like the Francis House Mouse (£5), Jigsaw Puzzle Bracelet(£3) and Hoodies (£26), with proceeds going to Francis House.

Francis House

Kate was given flowers as the couple was leaving Francis House. 

Now to what Kate wore for the day’s engagements, an Erdem coat from the designer’s 2016 Resort collection in a navy and pink pattern with white flecks.

Michelle of Perth’s Fashion Style identified the piece. The knee-length coat features a fitted bodice, inset waistband, concealed placket with snap closures, lightly padded shoulders, and two flap pockets on each side that hit near the upper hip.

Hopefully the pink arrows will help show where the pocket flaps are located, this is an example of a pattern being well-matched at the seams.

i-Images/Polaris

The coat also has softly rounded lapels.

Below left we show a dress in the same fabric, the Atella Check Print Sheath, a piece found by Kate’s Closet. On the right, Erdem’s ‘Mae’ coat ($1009), a piece Kate Middleton Style discovered.

Saks Fifth Avenue/Matches Fashion

The fabric used for the Mae coat shown above is perforated neoprene, the same sort of material used for diving suits. But while the pattern on the sheath dress and Kate’s coat is the same (in a different colorway), the fabric is not pierced as the neoprene coat is; the textile is described as polyester and elastane on the Saks website.

More from The Telegraph:

With its oversized grey, pink, blue and black check print, the design has a distinctly British and wintery feel with just enough pops of colour to ensure the crowds could spot the Duchess at a distance.

Kate appears to be wearing the same garment beneath the coat today as she wore under a Paule Ka suit seen in at an April 2012 engagement.

Chris Jackson/PA Wire

A closer look, with thanks to Alyssa on Twitter and Kate J on the Facebook page for sharing their recollection of this detail, something yours truly would *never* have remembered.

The Duchess also wore Erdem for her first Manchester visit in April of 2013, the brand’s Sophia dress.

Kate has shown a fondness for this designer’s dresses and coats. We show other Erdem outerwear the Duchess has worn: a bespoke grey design for the Commonwealth Day service this March, and the green ‘Allie’ coat first noted in April 2014 and worn several times since.

Kate accessorized with her Rupert Sanderson Malory pumps in navy suede ($675). The shoe features a pointed toe and 100mm heel, that is roughly 4″. (We have a repliKate here.)

The Duchess carried her Frome clutch by LK Bennett.

Penelope on the Facebook page suggests LK Bennett’s Fay clutch as a repliKate, it is a little longer than the Frome and has the added bow.

LK Bennett

The Duchess wore a new pair of earrings by Oscar de la Renta. They measure about 2/3″ in diameter and feature a faux pearl inside a hammered gold-plated pewter border.

Net-a-Porter / i-images / Net-a-Porter

They are available at Zappos ($190), as well as Net-a-Porter ($190) and at Halsbrook, along with Farfetch (for a slightly higher price – $217). Our thanks to Kate J. on the Facebook page and Sarah of the Royals and I on Twitter for their speedy identification of the earrings. While we usually steer clear of Diana/Kate comparisons in this space, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the Duchess’s earrings are somewhat similar to those worn by the late Princess in 1991. Diana’s are a mabé style and Kate’s are not, but they both feature a strong goldtone border with a central pearl. 

A look at Kate’s hair for the first two engagements.

When we next saw Kate at the University her hair was down.

©Andrew Parsons/i-Images/Polaris

We will see you Tuesday for the Team GB/Paralympics GB reception at Buckingham Palace.

LINKAGE:

• The Telegraph’s fashion story is here; The Daily Mirror’s fashion story is here
• People magazine’s Halloween mask story is here & its hospice story is here
• The University of Manchester’s news release about today’s visit is here
• PopSugar’s photo gallery is here; The Daily Mail‘s photo-intense story is here