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Casual and Formal Styles Maternity Polls & Newsbytes

We are back with the final two maternity polls we wanted to put together, the first covering Kate’s casual styles when she was expecting Prince Louis.

We begin with a mid-October Coach Core event where we saw the Duchess in a Philosophy blazer, skinny jeans and a new pair of Fallon Dry boots from Russell and Bromley. For a Lawn Tennis Association engagement Kate wore the ‘Clarice’ jacket by PlayBrave Sports, her Monreal Tuxedo Track Pants, and a new pair of sneakers, the Nike Air VaporMax Flyknit style.  In mid-November Kate had two engagements in Birmingham; at the second stop she changed into her red Perfect Moment ‘mini duvet’ jacket and New Balance/Sweaty Betty trainers.

At a late November school engagement celebrating the Royal Horticultural Society’s School Gardening program we saw the return of Kate’s Barbour jacket and Penelope Chilvers boots.  January brought a Wimbledon Junior Tennis event where the Monreal track pants made another appearance, along with the PlayBrave ‘Clarice’ jacket, this time in white.  When visiting Sweden in January Kate played a little bandy hockey wearing Burberry’s Toddingwall trench coat and a new pair of Sorel boots. The Duchess and Duke wrapped up their visit to Norway with a trip to Holmenkollen National Ski Area, where Kate wore a down jacket by Kjus and Dale of Norway sweater.

Now for the poll.

Now for the formal looks worn by the Duchess while she was expecting Prince Louis.  Kate returned to Diane von Furstenberg for a November gala in support of the Anna Freud Centre, bringing back her Zarita lace dress, with its fitted bodice and sweeping, fluted hem. The Duchess dazzled at the Royal Variety Performance in November, wearing a heavily embellished Jenny Packham gown with sheer sleeves and shoulders. At a dinner at the British Ambassador’s residence in Sweden Kate wore an Erdem dress that became the talk of the tour for some fashion followers. Called the ‘Stephanie,’ the silk-satin dress was done in a distinctive print called Winterbourne, with a high neck, ruffled elements and a tiered skirt. For a formal dinner in Norway Kate chose a blush pink gown by Alexander McQueen with a sheer cape-style overlay and rhinestone embellishment in a floral motif at the neck.  In February we saw another Jenny Packham gown for the BAFTA Awards, this one in dark green chiffon with a black sash.

Two events not included in the formal styles voting: the 70th anniversary party for HM and the Duke of Edinburgh.

And the annual Diplomatic reception.

We really couldn’t see enough of what Kate wore at either occasion to include those styles in the poll.

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A social calendar note: Royal Windsor officially gets underway tomorrow.

HM was there today, looking just delighted to be out in the sun and fresh air.

While it’s not something we regularly write about in this space, it is a terrific event.

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I really wanted to share this link to a detailed (and fascinating) post about Kensington Palace at Cote de Texas, an outstanding blog I used to read years ago. My friend Joyce shared the link yesterday and I clicked on it, immediately falling down the interwebs rabbit hole, not to emerge for at least fifteen minutes, I became that engaged with the images and info in the post. It’s something I think many of you would enjoy.

A quick shopping note; the Preen X LK Bennett collaboration. All of the pieces in that group that are shown on the US website are on sale. Here is a sampling: on the left, the Syd Blue Floral Dress is on sale for $297 (it was originally $495); the Black Vali Print Dress is discounted to $417 from $695; and shown on the far right, the Reed Silk Floral Print Dress, now $477 (it was priced at $795).

LK Bennett is also offering 20% off almost everything through Sunday night with promo code SPRINGFEVER. While the promotional email says “20% off everything,” that is not the case: the discount excludes the retailer’s Signature collection (which includes Kate’s Fern and Floret pumps) and the Jenny Packham collection.

For those interested in the upcoming wedding, we have lots of info at What Meghan Wore, including an excellent list of ways to watch and stream the wedding on the 19th, as well as a look at the special programming leading up to the big day.

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Cahron

Thursday 17th of May 2018

Have we seen this dress before? https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/961183/kate-middleton-prince-william-windsor-castle-the-queen-royal-wedding-meghan-markle-harry

Anne-Christine

Tuesday 15th of May 2018

I voted for the Barbour and Penelope Chilvers boots-- just a classic, classic look that Kate wears so well. I LOVE the fact that Kate has had those boots for years-- they probably bring back lots of good memories for her. I also voted for the icy blue Jenny Packham-- absolutely a stunning outing for Kate. I have to say, she was also very regal in the blush McQueen, and it was a perfect dress to wear as she grew into her role and her pregnancy.

Stephanie

Tuesday 15th of May 2018

Holy Moley!!! An hour later and I have resurfaced from the Cote De Texan blog post. Fascinating!! And now I FINALLY know why Kate and William have that extra bit across the courtyard. That has bugged me for years. Thanks for the link!!

Jack Bing

Tuesday 15th of May 2018

Thanks for putting these polls together, I was starting to get withdrawal symptoms.

I think I've said it before but those track pants are the ugliest thing in the DoC's wardrobe, hands down. They may be functional, but I can't believe they are flattering on any body shape.

For the formal looks, I love the icy Jenny Packham, but the chiffon Alexander McQueen is really a glowing maternity look, whereas the JP could have been worn at any time. It factually fits into the timeframe so I'm not complaining, but the McQ is a look that shows off the bump without swamping her. It's lovely.

Susan

Monday 14th of May 2018

I totally followed you down the rabbit hole on the KP info! I spent more than your 15 minutes checking out every detail. There were a couple of pictures of the interior during Diana's time that I didn't have. Really interesting to see the changes in recent years as well as the way the rooms looked back almost a hundred years ago. Keep the polls coming - I love them!

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