One-Hit-Wonders & the Return of an Iconic Royal Fashion Item

I thought maybe we could all do with a little fashion distraction and have a look at a few one-hit-wonders, along with news about the return of a royal classic. But first, a couple of updates on Remembrance events. 

Yesterday, the Duchess of Cornwall viewed the 92nd Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey. 

The event commemorates those who lost their lives in the armed forces. It is organized every year by the Poppy Factory, where poppies are made that are sold by the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Shop. The Duchess is Patron of the Poppy Factory. 

I believe the Duchess wore the Poppy Print Mask (£9.99) sold by the Poppy Shop. 

Now an update on other Remembrance events on the schedule. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall are confirmed to attend the taping of this year’s Festival of Remembrance. The program airs Saturday night on BBC One at 9:10 pm (4:10 pm ET) Below, a portion of the program description from BBC One.  

I don’t believe we will see the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the event.  The Royal British Legion notes “In light of current government restrictions and social distancing guidelines we are unable to offer the opportunity for members, staff, volunteers or members of the public to attend the filming of the event.” 

Additionally: 

• As anticipated, this year’s Remembrance Sunday events are greatly scaled back.  The National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph will take place, but there will be no march-past, nor is the public allowed to participate. Among a small group of Royal Family members, I think it likely we will see the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.  The ceremony will be carried live on BBC starting at 10:15 am (5:15 am ET).     
• On Armistice Day (Wednesday, November 11) there will be a special service to mark the centenary of the burial of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey. The event will “commemorate the funeral of an unknown British serviceman, the Unknown Warrior, whose body was brought from Northern France and buried at the west end of the nave on 11^th November 1920 to represent all those who lost their lives in the First World War but whose place of death was not known, or whose bodies remained unidentified.” I think it’s possible we will see Royal Family members at the service, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. 
  • As noted by several on social media, HM carried out her first London engagement since March when she visited Westminster Abbey yesterday. I wouldn’t look for her at next Wednesday’s service but do think her time at the Abbey yesterday is related to the service; it’s possible photos were taken or perhaps a brief video was shot for next week’s service. 

If I learn anything more about any of the ceremonies I will update the post. 

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Now for our one-hit-wonders.  UPDATE: Well, this is embarrassing: the first dress is actually a two-hit-wonder, argh! My apologies, it was repeated when worn to the Imperial War Museum, argh! (Hangs head in shame.)

We’ll start with one of my favorites, the blue dress that anchored a chic ensemble when the Cambridge family arrived in Canada on September 24, 2016.

The family flew into Victoria Airport in British Columbia. In the original post, I described the family as wearing ‘a symphony of blue shades.’ 

After being greeted by dignitaries they traveled to Government House. Then it was time for more official ceremonies at British Columbia’s Parliament Buildings. Below, the couple after they placed a wreath at the Cenotaph.

Kate returned to a favorite designer for her arrival dress, Jenny Packham. Here you see the royals with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau.

The dress color was a sartorial nod to the host country; blue is one of the primary colors in British Columbia’s flag. The piece is a classic sheath that hits just below the knee.

It has a self-belt, slightly puffed bracelet-length sleeves, and a concealed zipper. The collar detail was a nice change, as was the vee at the back neckline. 

The Duchess’s hair was in an updo. 

Her hat was by Sylvia Fletcher for Lock and Company, almost identical to the red chapeau worn for the Diamond Jubilee River Pageant in 2012 and then again in 2016 for Order of the Garter shown below right. You can see the blue hat is embellished with maple leaves, a change from the floral motif on the red hat.

The Duchess accessorized with her Gianvito Rossi suede pumps in the ‘praline’ colorway.

She carried her trusty Nina hard-sided clutch in the ‘trench’ color from LK Bennett. 

We saw the return of the Queen’s platinum and diamond maple leaf brooch, also worn during the 2011 tour. Kate wore her tanzanite earrings. We show them below with the pair by G. Collins & Sons almost identical to hers; the difference being Kate’s aren’t suspended from the trio of diamonds. 

The ensemble is included in our ‘Iconic Looks’ section. This is the montage accompanying that entry. 

Here is a look at the “two-hit-wonder” as worn on both occasions.

Today’s other look is a bit more formal. 

It is the black velvet evening gown worn to the Night of Heroes: The Sun Military Awards.

Held at the Imperial War Museum, the gala evening was mid-December 2011. 

The Duchess chose a spectacular black velvet frock by Alexander McQueen.

The design showcased a fitted bodice with a sweetheart neckline trimmed with pleated black tulle or chiffon and a full, sweeping skirt.  It looked like it was a customized version of the label’s “Strapless Velvet Gown.“

Kate accessorized with her Jimmy Choo ‘Cosmic’ heels.

Kate’s bag is by Pretty Ballerinas, by Jaime Mascaro. 

The Duchess debuted a new necklace and bracelet set by Mouawad. 

The jewelry is believed to be a wedding gift. More from The Court Jeweller:

…the demi-parure was made by Mouawad, a Lebanese jewelry firm with headquarters in Geneva and Dubai. The pieces were reportedly one of Kate’s wedding gifts, though we don’t know the identity of the giver.

The necklace is a modern fringe, with diamond circles that radiate out to diamond and ruby floral elements.

The coordinating bracelet features alternating diamond circles and diamond and ruby flowers.

It turned out there were also matching earrings with the set; we saw those when they were worn to the March 2020 Commonwealth Service. 

A closer look at the necklace and earrings.

When Kate wore the earrings to the Commonwealth Service, Mouawad posted on its site that “The earrings are crafted from 2.52 carat of diamonds and 3.62 carats of rubies set in 18k white gold, and form part of a matching set with a necklace, bracelet, and ring, featuring a total of 34.68 carats of diamonds and 35.27 carats of rubies.”

Returning to the Military Awards outfit, Kate brought back a pair of earrings said to be a gift from Prince Charles, below left. They were first noted when worn to a Canada Day concert during the North American tour, seen below right.

Two more views of the Duchess. 

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Now to the return of a very well-known sweater. 
The jumper worn by Diana became an instant hit. More from The Telegraph: 

Can a jumper speak a thousand words? When it’s a bright red knit covered in sheep, all white bar one black, and it’s being worn by Diana, Princess of Wales, then fashion legend would suggest, yes.

Indeed, the sweater has become one of the style icon princess’s most famous outfits, a look which is marvelled at for being at once witty and, perhaps, laden with meaning. 

It was created by Warm and Wonderful, a British brand founded by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne. More from the Telegraph’s piece: 

Muir and her co-designer Joanna Osborne have seen their famous sweater copied many times over the years, whether as cheap knock-offs or by big design houses (last year, pictures of Harry Styles wearing a sheep-emblazoned knitted tank by Lanvin went viral) but they’ve never quite got around to reviving it themselves. 

That was until Jack Carlson, founder of preppy-cool US label Rowing Blazers, came calling. He’d been fascinated by Diana’s sweater since he was a child in the early Nineties and his mother owned the same style. The launch of his first womenswear collection, he decided, was the perfect moment to orchestrate a tribute.

Below, the sweater as it is now being offered at Rowing Blazers. 

The jumper hadn’t been manufactured since 1994, but it is back now. The Sheep Sweater ($295) is available for pre-orders on sweaters that will be delivered in January-February 2021; they note “each sweater takes approximately six hours to make.”

The piece is done in an 80% wool/20% nylon blend. 

For those skilled enough to make one of their own, the pattern is available through Ravelry. 

LINKAGE: 

• Visit the Royal British Legion website here; the organization’s Facebook page is here, and its Twitter feed is here
• The Legion’s online Poppy Shop is here