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Kate Brings Back Red Preen for Royal Foundation Dinner

We are back with a very quick post.

Last night the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for the Royal Foundation’s annual autumn dinner. The private function was at Victoria House.

 

The venue offers a number of options for entertaining, including its ballroom.

We knew the event was taking place, thanks to a tweet by Cepe Smith with the information from the Court Circular.

We did not expect to see any photos from the dinner; historically, none have been released. We are fortunate because Scottish singer-songwriter Tom Walker performed last night and he released photos today via his Twitter and Instagram accounts.

The singer-songwriter with Prince William. Seeing the screens in the background makes me think it’s likely videos or graphics were shown related to the Foundation’s work.

Meghan wore a Roland Mouret dress; visit our sister site, What Meghan Wore, for more info. Mr. Walker has a new album coming out next year.

Now for our very speedy look at what Kate wore Thursday night, starting with her ‘Finella’ dress by Preen. Below left, Kate wearing the dress yesterday, and on the right, the first time we saw the Duchess in the dress at a party during the Canada tour.

The piece features an asymmetrical neckline with a fitted, draped bodice and a full skirt with box pleats. It is made of a midweight stretch crepe that is a blend of acetate/polyamide/elastane.

UPDATE Nov 17: With thanks to several of you who left a comment, this is the third time Kate has worn the dress. The always-on-top-of-things-Jane at From Berkshire to Buckingham shares information and photos in this post from the second occasion when the dress was worn last December.

Some readers will remember that the Duchess also owns the frock in black.

The red version is no longer available. There is a pretty teal or turquoise that is available at The Outnet, Net-a-Porter’s discount arm. That turquoise is offered in all sizes except small, and it is $486.  The black version is carried at Farfetch, where it is priced at $1455. (I digitally lightened the black dress seen below to better show its details.)

Kate carried the same bag used the first time she wore the dress, her ‘Casa’ clutch by Jenny Packham. UPDATE: With apologies for any confusion, this photo of the handbag was taken during the Poland trip. It is not new or recent. (But it does show the UFO ring Kate first wore on the trip.)

The Duchess had on what appears to be a new pair of earrings. They look like goldtone metal, good sized on both the top and bottom portions. Initially, I thought they might be the same pair worn Wednesday night to Prince Charles’s birthday party, but when put side by side it’s clear my theory is wrong.
 
That is it for tonight; we hope everyone enjoys a wonderful weekend!
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Rickyrebarco

Friday 30th of November 2018

Absolutely stunning. Love this dress so much. I am glad to see Kate wearing it again. The dress is very flattering, the length is in style and the asymmetry makes it very up to date and chic.

Joanna

Wednesday 21st of November 2018

Ick. I’ve never liked this dress. It’s an interesting neckline for a fun and flirty knee length frock with pockets on a spring day. It’s not an elegant gown. The length is wrong. The silhouette is just conflicted. And it swallows the Duchess’ lovely figure. I feel like she just buys things. There’s no thought about what’s flattering or consistent with her personal style. It’s just like a checklist or something.

Also, WHEN is someone going to tell her that her dress, bag and shoes do not need to be the same color. In her vast wardrobe, she surely owns a suitable clutch that is not a clashing shade of red.

Stylist Rachel Zoe who is elegant and has a knack for modest fashion has publicly announced that it’s her dream to dress the Duchess. I say it’s time to give RZ a call.

Anne-Christine

Tuesday 20th of November 2018

I loved Kate in this dress the first time around, but I'm thinking that it's a little plain without the brooch this time. As always, though, she looks gorgeous. I find it so interesting that there are very few colors that she doesn't wear beautifully, and in fact I can't think of one. That's amazing, because usually there's at least one color that is not flattering to a particular person. She is very fortunate that way!

Donnq

Monday 19th of November 2018

Kate always looks beautiful. Thank you for everything you do to inform us about Kate. Can you tell us where and how to buy the calendar.

Again, thank you for all the information and effort you do to inform us.

admin

Monday 19th of November 2018

Hi, Donna, and thank you for such a nice comment! We'll have an ad on the side of the page and I'll also write about it in a post (or two!). :)

The Way We Were

Monday 19th of November 2018

I am intrigued by this dress and keep wondering what it would look like if Kate went off shoulder.

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