We have a very quick update today on the dress Kate wore to Prince Philip’s 90th birthday party Sunday night.

The occasion was a private family dinner at the upscale Waterside Inn, put together by the grandchildren. We’ll put this one in the “not a stellar moment” for Kate, the Stella McCartney dress is simply not a flattering style on The Duchess.

The utterly amazing Leisa, one of the incredible WKW Facebook detectives we are so grateful to have helping us, made the early call:

WKW Facebook Page

As many readers will have already learned (I am very late with this one), the dress is one worn by Madonna at the 2008 amFAR gala in Cannes. Grazia says the silk dress is from Ms. McCartney’s Spring/Summer 2009 collection.  The Grazia story also notes that Kate was frugal, purchasing the frock three years after its original release. (Good for her!)

We made no secret on FB or Twitter we are not fond of the look on Madonna or Kate, and doubt it is flattering on anyone. To be clear, we are big Stella McCartney fans. We love that Kate is wearing an ‘edgier’ designer, and like the color a great deal. Unfortunately this seems one of the designer’s rare misses – while the dress design *looks* in theory like it should be lovely, the satin fabric isn’t able to sustain the cut and construction of the garment. The tie at the neck drapes nicely, just as it should, but that same weight of material that works for the tie makes the center embellishment too heavy, it pulls at the fabric.

By no means is everyone of a similar mind, several people we admire and follow on Twitter/Facebook like the look, pointing out it could well be a dress that looks great in person but photographs poorly. Satin can be problematical, it will *always* wrinkle (I swear if you look at it wrong it wrinkles) and it reflects light in an odd way, especially from flashbulbs.  It’s just not a style we find flattering for Kate.

Thanks also to our friend at Kate Middleton Style Blog for making the Grazia connection, a wonderful tip!