Hello-Hello, and welcome to another post as we continue with our year-end polls and also share two fashion flashbacks. In the poll starting today, we are looking at Kate’s new day dresses. For the purposes of the poll, I have not used dresses that we only saw in a Zoom call; we will cover cocktail/dressier designs in a separate poll.
We begin with the Zara dress worn for a day of engagements in Bradford. 
The brand’s Printed Dress with Belt is midi-length in 100% polyester. Done in an oversized houndstooth print, the piece buttons up the front, has a pleated skirt, v-neck with attached bow, elastic on the inside of the waistband, button cuffs, and wide self-belt. 
The next design is also by Zara, seen when Kate and William were in South Wales. 
It is made 0f a viscose/nylon blend. The knit design features a round neck with modified balloon sleeves with an extended cuff.
Kate chose a dress by Alessandra Rich for the couple’s first day in Ireland. 
The Rose-Print Pleated Silk Dress is from the label’s S/S ’20 ready-to-wear line. The fabric is a print silk crepe de chine, and the dress features a pleated bodice, structured bishop sleeves, and a peplum waist.
Next, a vintage frock that was also worn on the Ireland trip. 
The dress appears to be silk with a ruffled (aka ‘pie crust’ collar) collar and jabot trimmed in black velvet, double-banded cuffs also trimmed in black velvet, a black velvet belt, and gathers at the shoulder and waist.
Our third dress from the Ireland trip is by Suzannah, worn for events in Galway. 
The Valerie Polka Squares dress is 100% silk crepe de chine in a style inspired by a 1940’s design. It showcases a fitted bodice with a vee-neckline, pleat detailing at the shoulders, bodice, cuffs, with a “slightly higher pitched waist seam, with the skirt being a soft a-line.” 
In an April Clap for our Carers video, we saw the Duchess wearing the Ghost ‘Anouk’ dress. 
The dress is 100% viscose in a pattern called ‘Suzie Floral Spray’ in blue. Described as a feminine shirtdress, the garment featured a ruffled collar, cuffs, and hem, fabric-covered buttons, and pleating at the sleeve head. 
Kate debuted a new label when helping plant a garden at The Nook Hospice in June. 
She wore the Marie-Louise Midi Dress ($189) by Faithfull the Brand. It featured a vee-neck and faux front closure with self-covered buttons, a shirred panel to define the waist, puffed sleeves with rows of elastic at the cuff, an invisible back zipper, and a floaty A-line skirt. The handmade, hand-dyed & hand-printed piece is 100% rayon. 
When attending a July tea party at Queen Elizabeth Hospital to celebrate the NHS’s 72nd birthday, the Duchess chose a Beulah London design. 
She wore the Shalini Midi Dress, crafted of 100% silk crepe de chine. The fabric was digitally printed in Italy, while the dress itself was constructed in England. It is midi-length with a contrasting white point collar and cuffs, concealed front placket, fitted waist, flared skirt, and self-belt. 
The Duchess was in Emilia Wickstead for a July engagement launching Tiny Happy People with the BBC. 
It looked like she wore the Anatola Pleated Polka Dot Shirtdress. The dress is polyester with a touch of elastane for stretch; the lining is also poly. It features pleats on the roomy bodice and full skirt, buttons under a concealed front placket, a wide point collar, a buckle belt, and long full sleeves with button cuffs. Kate’s dress appeared to have some of the volume removed from the sleeves.
For a July meeting at Sandringham about the Royal Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund, the Duchess returned to Suzannah. 
Some may recall this was a tough dress to ID at the time. It turned out to be Suzannah’s Cotton Shirt Dress in a pattern called ‘Blue Polka,” made of lightweight organic cotton with a semi-fitted bodice, side seam pockets, the coordinating belt, and box pleats providing the volume for the skirt. 
In August, the Duchess wore another shirtdress style, this one by Boden. 
The Viola shirtdress is a maxi style with a ditsy floral print. Made of viscose, it has a button front, point collar, tiered skirt, and self-belt. 
For September engagements in London, the Duchess chose another style by Beulah London. 
We first saw the piece in a video marking Mental Health Awareness Week in May. The Calla Dress is 100% silk with a cotton collar. Other design elements include a shirtdress silhouette with a concealed front placket, A-line skirt, and slender back tie.
Also in September, a new dress by Gabriela Hearst for an outdoor screening of David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet with Sir David Attenborough and the entire Cambridge family.
It looked like the Duchess was in the label’s ‘Marley’ style, from the designer’s pre-fall 2020 collection. It is 100% cotton with a cotton/silk lining. The style features a buttoned bodice with concealed placket, adjustable sleeve length with tabs, a self-belt with snaffle closure, and a full skirt accented with mother of pearl snaps on the side. 
In October, the Duke and Duchess met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine and First Lady Olena Zelenska at Buckingham Palace. 
The dress was never officially identified, so it is on our UFO list. However, it does bear several design elements similar to Emilia Wickstead pieces Kate has worn. It is knee-length with a classic fit and flare silhouette, a vee-neck, and a self-belt in a style like other Emilia Wickstead belts. It has darts on the bodice and gathers at the waist like other Wickstead designs.
We wrap up the new day dresses with another Alessandra Rich design seen when the Cambridge family attended a performance at the Palladium in mid-December. 
The Petal Print Silk Dress (out of stock) is 100% silk with a multi-tiered ruffle collar, yoke waistband with gathers, button cuffs, and hidden back zipper.
Now it’s time to vote for your favorite. NOTE 4pm Jan 19: Apparently the poll is not recording votes. I am going to create a new poll and embed it.
UPDATE: Here is the new version of the poll and it appears to be working. Thank you for your patience, and apologies for the confusion!
Now, our Fashion Flashbacks. The first was worn four years ago this past Sunday.
The occasion was a Heads Together event. 
The Duchess wore a dress by Erdem called the ‘Evita.’
It was made from matelassé fabric, providing a textured background that adds dimension to the garment. It is a basic sheath silhouette, with a fitted bodice and waist, concealed zipper, and vent at the back hem. Erdem called the print Black Lily Collage, while multiple retailers referred to it as navy.
You get a sense of the fabric texture in this image.
Kate accessorized with her Tod’s Leather Fringe Buckle Pumps.
And her oft-carried Bayswater wallet clutch by Mulberry. 
She also wore her Gold Disc Button Earrings by Oscar de la Renta, seen in the lower right corner of the photo below. 
Our other fashion flashback includes a dress you will see in the ‘dressier dresses’ poll for 2020, a design worn one year ago tomorrow. 
The dress was by the British label Needle and Thread, a version of its ‘Aurora style. The occasion was a Buckingham Palace reception capping off the UK-Africa Investment Summit.
The upper layer of dress fabric is inspired by vintage lace and done in tulle embellished with sequins, some in a floral motif. (The tulle sits atop a solid layer.) The frock features lace frills at the collar and shoulders, sheer sleeves, a defined waist, and a back zipper.
Kate repeated her ‘Casa’ clutch by Jenny Packham and Gianvito Rossi suede pumps ($695). 
The Duchess wore a new pair of earrings by Soru similar to the pair seen below, the Ruby Earrings in Gold ($186), minus the wide border of crystals.
I voted for the white/floral suzannah dress it was so pretty and practical.
I wasn’t a big fan of a lot of the dresses kate wore last year!Too many frumpy and old looking outfits.
The erdem “evita” dress was beautiful sexy,and classy i would love to see her re-wear it again
Exactly my thoughts! Kate is so tall and slim she gets away with them, but many of these dresses are granny dresses, and would look like it on any other figure. The Erdem “Evita” is beautiful and flattering. Kate should show a little knee or shoulder a little more often, and take some fashion risks!
Somehow in all the overwhelming news of last year, I missed the (from my perspective) catastrophic return of ruffles. Oh dear.
I know some like prairie dresses. I don’t oppose them in general- I like shirtwaists – but the ruffles. Fun to sew, but too nightgownesque for me.
Beautiful girl with a sense of style out of date most of the time sadly, I am still a fan but boy she could be more sophisticated than this
I didn’t actually love many of those dresses at all – I don’t care for the long prairie style, and I’ve never been fond of shirtwaist dresses. And sadly I didn’t like anything Kate wore in Ireland. But omigosh, the flashback to the Erdem Evita is just divine. This is by far my favourite length and silhouette on Kate. This dress is in my all-time top favourite list for sure. And doesn’t her hair look amazing that day – so full, and not covering her face😊 I’m still finding it hard to believe the stones on the earrings worn with the Needle and Thread dress are genuine rubies. I’m drooling, and I hope we see them again soon.
Thanks so much for another poll so soon it’s a real treat to review Kate’s 2020 dresses. The winner by a royal mile (see what I did just there?) has to be the stand-out green Alessandra Rich dress. The impressionist flower print is to die for, those casual black floral outlines work perfectly on bold jewel tones. The top style is unusual, clever, and distinctive; the high neck, those vertical pleats plus neat inset waistband, and the gentle swagger of the bell sleeves with their deep cuffs make this a creation of elegant originality and flair. Hope we see it again before too long.
The closest contender for me was the immaculate lilac/blue suspected Wickstead, which, in contrast to the Rich, made use of established classic style devices to produce a fresh take on a delightful and elegant couture look. It still remains a surprise to me how many new dresses there were despite lockdown, and how pretty they were.
The Erdem Evita is a favourite for me and a very welcome flashback, I’m only sorry it hasn’t been repeated so far. The creative Erdem take on things floral has been nicely contained in a classic sheath, thus avoiding the overcrowded look that comes with some of that label’s more complex patterns and designs. I loved how the Tod’s pumps blended with it, though I wouldn’t myself choose to put such a heavy heel against a slim skirt.
The red Needle & Thread was another instant hit with me, though it echoed much of what Kate has previously worn from both Packham and Temperley. It was simply perfect cocktail style for the occasion and the ruby Soru earrings were knock-out with it.
The flashback Erdem “Evita” is a dress I love for so many reasons — the print, the fabric and the shape of it. But obviously someone has made a decision that Kate is not to show off her lovely figure, as she did in the Erdem, but rather to go in a way more conservative direction, style-wise. I don’t recall a dress as short as the Erdem in 2020 at all. And the long flowy prairie look is so consistent throughout all her recent choices that perhaps it is not a choice at all, but a mandate (or at least a strong suggestion).
The only other reason I can think of, other than that Kate has been watching a lot of old movies on tv during the quarantine, is that she does bend down A LOT to visit with kids and the drapey long dresses would likely make that much easier than the form-fitting short dresses.
Sorry to repeat myself, but there is another reason: Kate herself prefers the styles she wears.
It turns out I have more traditional tastes than I thought! I know the fashion commentators have been pleased to see the Duchess in designs that incorporate current trends, but it turns out I just love the fit-and-flare style. I went for the clean and crisp Suzannah cotton shirt dress.
I would LOVE to see the red Needle and Thread dress again. Dreamy.
P.S. Would it be possible for you to link to the 2019 day dresses poll? I would be interested to see if the shift in style that many of us have picked up on is a 2020 vibe or if it has actually been happening for a while. Thanks!
That is such a great suggestion, Jack. Unfortunately, I didn’t do most of our usual polls last year. I was still recovering from surgery and just never got caught up enough to do them.😣
Oh no problem! I shall dig into the archives. Thanks for all your hard work putting together this year’s polls.
Ok I seriously swoon every time I see the cornflower blue UFO. It’s just absolutely, positively gorgeous!!! I adore the colour! It goes so well with the duchess’s hair and colouring. The belt adds a vintage touch which every dress, in my opinion, needs. And lastly, I believe that the A-line silhouette is universally flattering.
Second favourite? That has to be the Suzannah white shirt dress from July. It’s so cute, and looks comfortable. Definitely falls into the,”I would wear that” category.
Hope to see both again in the very near future!
The unidentified blue dress for the Ukrainian visit is one of Kate’s best looks in 2020, very elegant. The lavender print was fun and I think is one of her best midi looks. The LittleHouse on the Prairie looks need to go!
As I look at all these dresses, I see things in many of them that I don’t care for. They include hem flounces, polka dots that don’t line up, a frilly jabot at the neckline, granny/prairie looks, overly embellished cuffs etc. So my vote went a somewhat plain dress that I would wear myself, the blue denim Marley.
Of the two flashback dresses, I am lukewarm towards the Erdem…it is just okay, not awful, not fabulous. But I absolutely love the elegant, red, sparkly, Needle and Thread dress. It is one of Kate’s best evening looks. I was really surprised that on checking out the earrings, that the rubies are genuine (although they have inclusions.) I had no idea you could buy rubies of that size for $186.
I love the Needle and Thread dress as well. The colour is warm without screaming “look at me” and the fabric is a bit unusual. Lovely. I wish I had one of those, I would never need another party dress for the rest of my life (do not party often).
I do not think that the earrings have rubies, I think they are garnets. Many people do get them mixed up. Garnets are semi precious, ruby coloured and quite cheap, but equally pretty.
Sometimes, I think that people are too critical, when it comes to Kates day wear. Remember, in advance, she will never really know whether it will be rainy and cold or warm (the British weather), also there might be wind, children, older people to kneel to etc….
This is why I personally think that dresses with a bit of longer hem will give her more of easy movement, when necessary, and she would not need to press her knees together so tightly, when sitting down.
I do think that many people would like to see her in narrow knee length skirts and more fitted tops. But think of yourselves, never really knowing what is going to confront you at the scene and having really tight fitted shorter skirts/dresses would make it less comfortable for hours of sitting down. (has any of you tried to sit in a shorter, narrow skirt for hours, pressing your knees together in a “duchess slant” and/or receiving/huggind little cildren AND wearing extrememly high heels.?)
She is almost forty, not twenty anymore.
I have done it at work when younger,and can tell you all, it’s not for the faint hearted or anybody with a weak middle core muscles! (Air hostess)
It might look cool, but she is also a human being, she can not teeter on too high heels, narrow skirt etc. all day long. -Could you?
Just give her a bit of slack, she does as best she can!
Bernicke, I am aware of the difference between rubies and garnets. Generally speaking garnets are darker and much less expensive. If you click on the link that Susan gives, it is underlined as Ruby Earrings in Gold, it will take you to the manufacturer’s site. There is a picture of the earrings and it says, “Handcrafted from 18kt yellow gold vermeil plated on to sterling silver, genuine ruby gemstones are set within multi facetted sparkling crystals.” That is why I said that I had no idea you could purchase rubies at such a low price.
Berenike, So sorry I spelled your name wrong above. I should have added that I agree with what you say about the ease of wearing longer skirts. I am fine with longer skirts, on Kate and on myself. That is not what bothers me about some of the dresses shown. What I dislike is the pussy bow, hem flounces, extra frills and such. It is isn’t the length of the prairie/granny dresses that is wrong. It is the excess fabric and fussy details. I do love the Needle and Thread red wonder, which is quite long.
I agree with many of your insightful and practical comments. Thank you. I would add that I see the longer skirt and dress lengths on Kate continually criticized this past year and just don’t get it. Wouldn’t Kate be respecting the current fashion length and wouldn’t she be amiss to ignore them?? Though we have evolved from the decades ago rigid hem lengths does anyone remember when Jackie Kennedy wore the mid-knee length and the whole country went wild? I spent my high school years re-hemming my skirts frequently as the mini-skirt continued to go up and land at the hip length by my senior year only to have the maxi -coat craze in 1970, my freshman year in college. What fun! This longer length is current ( how long who knows ).
Bonnie, as I frequently do, I totally agree with your take here. I am also sick of the ruffles, super long hemlines, and the flounce. I also adored that ruby red evening gown 🙂 Hopefully we’ll get more looks like that in 2021!
I have to say that this year I disliked more of Kate’s outfits than I liked. The midi-dress prairie look, as I’ve taken to calling it, is simply not flattering on Kate, in my personal opinion. These ultra-long dresses, which appear to be her new uniform, give Kate the appearance of a very slim person drowned in fabric, and I don’t understand why she’s adopted such an oddly conservative style for her role and her age. I hate to be consistently negative about someone I admire so much, who is so lovely inside and out, so I may comment less on WhatKateWore in the coming year.
However, I will say that when Kate gets it right, nobody looks more beautiful. The ruby red dress for the African reception and the cornflower blue dress for the Ukraine reception were true standouts this year. The red dress, in particular, ranks among my favorite of Kate’s outfits of all time.
To be fair she did repeat some sheath dresses during the zoom calls last year ( blue Stella McCartney, yellow Roksanda, green DVF) and remember these are just half the outfits she wore last year. One of my favorite looks from last year was the black McQueen pantsuit she looked so exquisite.
I also loved that pantsuit! It was truly exquisite. I have a bit of a different take on your sheath dress comment. I think the point of Kate’s wearing the sheath dresses during Zoom calls was precisely that only her upper body would be shown. I believe her styling team has decided that the midi dresses are more regal, modest and befitting of her role – and I strongly disagree with that call and consider them dowdy, oddly conservative, and aging. Lots of her evening looks have also been extremely conservative compared to years past.
Rebecca took every single word out of my mouth.
I think the prairie dresses often look well on Kate, I like the way her lean figure is emphasised, I think it’s a quietly funky touch. They are rarely favourites with me, I must admit, but I find them endearing as classic ‘Mum’ dresses, I can just see them working for the school run. I think it’s a touch unfair to get tired of a certain look on Kate, I think the amount of exposure she gets with everything she does and wears means that most of us simply see too much of these outfits, so there are times when I think I may suffer from my own greed for pictures. I’m often struck when seeing dresses much later how much better they can look to me than they did on the day.
It’s hard to retain objectivity on someone who’s style we study so closely, especially once a group of commentators decide a thing is either ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. It’s also unfair to criticise Kate on solely style terms, she’s simply not there as a fashion plate, her outfits have to cover many eventualities as has been pointed out above.
I understand what you’re saying, ElizaMo. But I do remember in years passed certain commentators got very tired of the endless parade of sheath dresses (and criticized her quite sharply about it, I might add). Some considered them too tight, too monotonous, etc. I was very pleased during those years, since that look hews much closer to what I think is appropriate and business-like for her role. So I don’t think that mine and other commentators frustration with this latest trend in Kate’s fashion is anything unique or overly critical based on what I’ve seen on the blog 🙂
I am aware that she has to bend down, be prepared for different audiences, etc, but she did that for years prior dressing quite differently than she does today, so I personally just don’t buy that justification for the long dresses. However, it is a good point, and I know others find it much more persuasive than I do. Just my two cents!
Both of Rebecca’s comments cover my general sentiments entirely.
The red BP reception dress was a stunner – and for that sort of occasion/dress the midi-length is perfect.
The v-neck style longer dresses (green Suzannah and the very summery floral Faithfull) are about the only ones I would rate as not being so ‘prairie, fussy, voluminously overpowering’, although I did love the colour of the Irish Alessandra Rich.
We always seem to have two distinct views on this site (respectfully worded towards Catherine) about these dowdy dresses. In my opinion to say it is ‘suitable for her age, position, future role, etc’ is tosh. Age-wise Sophie Wessex has just turned 56 and certainly gives Catherine a run for the money in her outfits. I have to hope it really is Catherine’s own taste although it seems such a shame to have veered so far off from her earlier more tailored years when she looked stunning just about every time…..
My own personal preference is for a clean sheath style of dress too, but I think my point still holds re prairie dresses that Kate is simply following fashion, the better to show she’s in touch with current trends. I like coming here to have my eyes opened to fresh possibilities for royal dress and welcome Kate experimenting with styles. I’m a little sad if I think there’s a group of comments that converge on single viewpoint without apparently being perhaps a little open to change.
In the end, I went with the white Suzannah shirtdress. Best silhouette, summery and fresh, not too much fabric like other dresses she wore this summer. I can’t say I have any great love for any of the others.
A silver lining of the lean 2020 appearances is that all the polls feel quite manageable!
Agree with you that the polls are so much more manageable this time round! That Suzannah was a very fine shirtdress, though the delicate print struck me as something a bit like a nightdress fabric. But it was definitely a refreshing treat to see in the summer.
I am totally obsessed with both the Erdem and Needle and Thread dresses and dream of wearing them! Absolute perfection. I hope I find them online one day!
I voted for the Faithfull the Brand dress because I own it and I always get compliments when I wear it! The label is also half Australian so I am being very patriotic.
Thank you again for such a fabulous in-depth article – I hang out for your IDs so I too can buy and wear some of the things owned by the Duchess!
LOVE the red Zara dress especially the way it’s styled on the model. Had Kate worn this without the belt and heels it would have kept the look more streamlined.
The two flashback looks are both winners in my book!
Sorry, meant to say boots, not heels, in my first post!!
I agree the belt over complicated the look and competed with the sleeves.
What a treat to have this poll and the chance to review so many dresses.
Thanks so much, Susan, for brightening a gray day!
Even though some of the dresses weren’t my taste (I agree some had too much fabric, etc.), I really enjoy the variety of colors, patterns and styles. I appreciate the differing opinions of my WKW friends and find I’m pretty easy to sway on some things. It’s also a delight to have the chance to review the Duchess’ events and many causes she highlighted.
For the “poll within the poll” that has emerged, put me in the shorter-hair-length category. Her hair is certainly beautiful, but can sometimes be distracting (says the girl with short, ho-hum hair!). I agree it would grow back if she (or William or their children) couldn’t bear the change. 🙂
Anne, I’d certainly like to see shorter hair on Kate. Not a pixie look, but a few inches off the bottom of her current hairstyle. As luscious as her long hair is, it sometimes overwhelms her beautiful face. Often it covers up an interesting neck detail on a dress. If the style were shoulder length it could still be glamorous and would be very professional looking.
I also think that Kates hair would look more age appropriate when a bit shorter (shoulder lenght) when curled, would take a few years off her. At the moment, I think her hair is too “girly” for her age. But I DO love her lighter auburn colour.
Ageing does not mean that you should look drab, but long hair at almost 40, will draw your features down and make you look like as you are in the middle of young girl and a grown woman, and do not quite know which you are.
Just look at her now, a simple ponytail taking her hair off her face is more flattering than having it all around her face. Her face and cheekbones come into their own right and her cheeks looks thinner in a good way. She also has come to her own and does not need to hide behind her hair anymore 🙂
I also would like to see her in “higher” updoes. Seen one picture of her with that king of hairdo, cannot remember when, but it flattered her profile something amazing! She really looked queenly!
But, on the other hand, if I would have hair like hers, I’m not sure, I could cut it. I’ts her “crown”. Creating lovely, but simple higher updoes (a’ la 70-s), could be the answer. Just look at old pictures of Audrey Hepburn, Crace Kelly etc. in their middle years. A very high ponytail with ends tucked in would do it, without having to cut it. They are not wery complicated to achieve, but would do her a world of good in the daytime look.
I think she has reached a moment in time, being the Duchess of Wales in the waiting, that she should have a hairdresser at ready every time she is going out for an appointment.
Higher updoes flatter most womens profile and cheekbones. The “modern” spanish style updoes, that just grace your neck are not as flattering for most people.
Given Kate’s hair is so thick I think it might be too heavy in a high ‘do’. Lovely as she looks, I don’t ask her to suffer that much for the sake of her royal role, and her lower styles are often quite exquisite. Of course, the more inches she takes off, a common move as the years pass for many women, the more limited she may be in the matter of updos.
I loved the flashback to the gorgeous Erdem and it reinforced my dislike of all the midi dresses, what I always call the Little House on the Prairie look. I picked the green Alessandra Rich dress which she wore in Dublin, mostly because green is my favorite color, not because it was a “wow”. I loved the red sparkly dress worn a year ago. She has a Marchesa dress in red that I loved too. As always, thank you for a new post, I was excited to see it this evening.
I share your dislike of the prairie dresses haha! 🙂
Lakegirl, my hero!! The only other shout-out I’ve seen for the magical green Alessandra Rich!! Thank you so much xx
I’m sitting here grinning that you called me your hero! Yours are the comments I always wait for and look forward to! I believe we share a love for the much reviled Erdem floral evening gown, have always hoped Susan would revisit it as a one-hit wonder.
Thank you for making my day! Great minds think alike!
That wonderful glowing yellow Erdem…hahaha
Ahhhhh! These flashbacks are two of my all-time favorites! I dream of owning that Erdem. And, when Kate finally wore Needle & Thread, I was over the moon (had 2020 not cancelled everything, I had plans to buy her dress in mini/black for a wedding). Who knew that today was so significant in my Kate fashion obsession! Haha.
As for the poll, it was quite hard to choose. I think she looked amazing in the Faithfull the Brand dress, but I went with the vintage Oscar. It was a treat to see her in vintage and I hope she dabbles in it again.
Well, I guess I am way more excited to have another poll than I am with any of the dresses she wore last year. The results are fun and interesting too because some of it surprises me.
The fashion flashback made me wish she would go back to the shorter sheath dresses like the Erdem, and while Erdem is not always my favorite, that look was one of my all-time favorites. That’s probably why I chose the cornflower UFO because, while she has lots of older dresses that style, it just works for Catherine, I think.
Looking forward to seeing the fashion in 2021, but I do love the polls that review the past.
I terribly miss her shorter sheath dresses! I had the same reaction to the flashback
Much to discuss here! Such a range of dresses.
Give me vintage any day…and I nearly chose that divine pink ruffled dress as my top pick. But there was just something “off about” it to me. The distracting side fringes perhaps? Her hair had many busy elements that pulled focus. I’m imagining this dress with a sleek French chignon. There was a lot going on with the double ruffles. And I still find it perplexing and mildly infuriating that Kate paired that vintage treasure with such casual earrings. Not a successful pairing of high/low to my eyes. (She arrived in Ireland with the most dazzling pair of diamond earrings…so we cannot say she left her good pair at home! Yes, I’m still cranky about this!)
In the end I chose a dress that I’d love to own…that swishy Marley chambray dress (which had a steep price tag, so I shall only wear it in my imagination). It looks so luxurious and simply beautiful.
Honorable mention to the adorable pairing of white trainers with that green Boden dress. How fun and kicky!! The duchess’s shoe choices often leave me wishing for another choice (those chestnut brown pumps with that red dress make no sense to me) but this was fun, youthful and comfortable!
And lastly, the Erdem Evita dress is one of my “Top 10” Kate looks. Every element was perfect…peak hair (I like it dark), stunning dress and interesting shoes in a contrast color. Full marks from me!
Is it just me or can no one else actually see the poll part of the post?
I clicked through from a reader and don’t see it, either.
I’m so sorry you can’t see the poll, I don’t what the problem, but will try to find out. 🙁
Hi Susan,
I can see it on the mobile site but not on my laptop. Hope that helps!
That is helpful, Spruha, thank you! 🙂
I think my “favorite” is the green Susannah dress with white polka dots (squares?). I liked the boot and belt with it, she accessorized it really well. I also am partial to the red Zara dress, the Gabriela Hearst shirtdress for the David Attenborough movie viewing, and the other Susannah dress in white with blue polka dots (again rectangles?).
However I really struggled finding dresses that were to my tastes because the rest of the selection leaves me disappointed. I think we can all relate on some level that wearing a fashionable wardrobe while most of us were working/staying home in 2020 kind of went out the window. Staying safe and healthy was the priority. There wasn’t much point in getting dressed up when we’re all Zooming/Google Meeting/Slacking and in a way I think some of that may be reflected in Kate’s wardrobe choices to a degree. But she also seemed to stick to her more frilly and froufrou outfits this year and there seemed to be a lot of Little House on the Prairie type outfits too, which are not a favorite of mine. As time goes on, she tends to favor these kinds of outfits a lot it seems.
I’m curious about the UFO dress: is it not customary for Kensington Palace to ID frocks? Or is that casualty of Covid? Also, how do you know a dress is vintage–it looks so modern. I always enjoy these flashbacks. Thank you!
As a rule, the Palace shares the primary designer the Duchess is wearing, as they did with the Oscar de la Renta dress. We have been through singular instances, as well as longer spells of time when they do not. For the Ukraine audience, no information was released. 🙂
It has been written that some of her UFO dresses are actually Angela Kelly designs. It could be that Kate wanted something she’d seen or just wanted a special kind of dress that she could not buy for an occasion and turned to Angela, also maybe saving a lot of money.
Don’t know, but this is a persistant rumour.
It was hard to pick a favourite, I found most of these dresses did very little for her and looked almost matronly. Kate would look good in a paper bag but still, I there’s a few standout European princesses and queens who manage to look both conservative and fashionable at the same time and I don’t they’d wear any of these dresses!
Amen!!
Tough call for me too, but I went with the vintage Oscar de la Renta. I also really love her hair in that one. I know I am in a major minority here, but I would love to see her chop her hair to shoulder length. It would lighten up every outfit she wears. And, if she doesn’t like it, it’s just hair – it will grow out!
Dale, I’m on board with your hair cut suggestion! She does have gorgeous hair…but I like it when it doesn’t distract from the rest of her look.
I liked the Oscar de la Renta cut and style, but I’m really not a fan of the bright fuchsia. Maybe a muted shade of mulberry or pine green would have been a wee bit more current?
However, I’ll gladly join you at the “would love to see shorter hair” table!
I agree, Dale, that Kate would look far hipper with shorter hair. I do love her elaborate updos but they aren’t always called for and she invariably wears it down.
That vintage OdlR was a stand-out pick for Kate, I think, she pushed some boundaries there with style and colour while being able to stick with some of her favourite style details. And I agree, it would be great to see her hair shorter, just to see what it’s like. I think she’s close to the point where it might look better. She did have quite a chop at one point, but seems to have been keen to grow it back. Husband preference??
I voted for the Emilia Wickstead black and white polka dot dress. This was not a good year for Kate’s day dresses. I hope she moves away from all the prairie chic styles we saw last year.
I love her in a classic, formal working Duchess look, so my fave was the UFO/probably Wickstead. But I also really liked the red Zara and the Suzannah and Boden shirtdresses, as well as the chambray dress for meeting with Sir David Attenborough. Beyond that, most others are actively problematic for me.
Both the flashbacks are great. I had completely forgotten about the red dress! The Evita I remembered well from your extensive polls of floral looks earlier in the pandemic. One of Erdem’s wonderfully rich and innovative prints.
Usually I have a hard time deciding which dress to pick. This time I had a hard time deciding because there was no WOW dress for me. Many of the dresses looked too big on the DoC, many had ruffles on the bottom I don’t like and some had prints I didn’t like. The DOC has such a beautiful figure I don’t understand the yards of fabric in the skirts. If 1/2 of the fabric was taken out of the skirts I think the dresses would look much better.
The Elvira dress is a favorite of mine. She looked perfect in it and what fabulous hair!!
Ooooh I think I was first to vote! When I got the post-voting results, it was 0 votes for everything!
Some great looks in here – the red Zara, the black and white polka dots, and the denim dress are my favourites. And some real clunkers too – but the prairie look is not one I care for. But Catherine has such an incredible figure and height, and is so beautiful she could wear a sack.
I have to say – January is a month I now look forward to, for participating in and seeing the results of all these fun polls.