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Archive for Princess Catherine

Kate in Orla Kiely & “Miss Catherine” Apron for Art Room Engagements

Posted by admin 
· February 21, 2012 
· 52 Comments

Kate chose Irish designer Orla Kiely for her engagements in Oxford today.

James Whatling/Splash News

James Whatling/Splash News

The Duchess was greeted by cheering crowds at Rose Hill Primary school and Oxford Spires Academy, she was visiting both on behalf of The Art Room, one of her patronages.

Georgina Brewer ITV Twitter Feed (@GeorginaITV)

More on the organization and its work from The Telegraph’s story:

The Duchess, who studied history of art at university, chose The Art Room as one of the first four charities to which she has given her patronage, as she is a firm believer in the power of art to help build self-esteem.

The charity helps to fund art teachers who give children intensive sessions in a specially-designated part of each school, where they create objects they can take home and keep

The students created an apron for Kate, much like those worn by their Art Room teachers.

Mark Stewart (@RegalEyes)

Here we see Kate with one of the young artists at Rose Hill, watching students paint their interpretations of the famous Edward Lear poem “The Owl and The Pussycat.”

British Monarchy

After her time at Rose Hill Kate moved on to Oxford Spires, where students eagerly awaited her arrival.

Twitter Feed (@MaxFosterCNN)

Below we see Kate being presented with flowers as she arrives.

The British Monarchy

The dress is officially called the Birdie Shirt Dress, crafted of a wool jacquard.  The dress originally retailed at £325 ($485), but was on sale for £162 ($242), a discount of 50%.

Orla Kiely Birdie Print Dress

It features 4 oversized buttons on the front bodice, deep pleats at the waist front and back, pockets on the side seams and a self-belt.

Orla Kiely

The UK site offered the piece in Walnut and Turquoise, while the US site also carried it in Slate, all sizes at all online sites now appear to be sold out.

Orla Kiely

This talented designer is best known for her distinctive prints, her products have been sold handbags, stationery and other paper products, housewares and tabletop pieces, she also did a line for the Tate. You can visit the Orla Kiely shop here, and have a peek at her spring styles. If you would like a look at many of the Kiely style’s shown for London Fashion Week, they are in our previous post here.

Some US residents may have been first introduced to her work via her collaboration with Target in 2009.

Target

She has even designed for cars and other motor vehicles, like this bus.

Wikipedia

There is also an Orla Kiely yoga mat created as a fundraiser for another of Kate’s charities, Action on Addiction.

Action on Addiction/Orla Kiely – Yoga Matters

Many will recognize Kate’s booties, they are the Aquatalia Rouge, originally noted by fashion fans when the Duchess joined her fiance at the time, William, for an appearance in Anglesey.

Via Aquatalia Passport to Style

The booties are now sold only at Nordstrom, they have been renamed the “Royal,” and appear to be available in all sizes as of this writing.

Kate also carried her black clutch and wore her Kiki McDonough Grace earrings.

Kiki McDonough

To learn more about the Art Room, visit its web page here, or its Facebook page here, or visit the group’s online shop.

For more on what Kate wore, the Mirror’s story is here, the Daily Mail piece is here, and the Telegraph’s is here.

The Telegraph

The BBC also has a video story up, as well as a slide show with wonderful (and large) photos, and The Independent’s stories (print & video) are found here.

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Also today, a quick look at several style by designers at London Fashion Week.

McQ by Alexander McQueen held its first London show in quite some time, below we share two pieces well-suited to the Duchess, in a silhouette she seems to like.

NOWFashion

If one added several inches in length to either of the red McQ frocks they would appear almost tailor-made for Kate.

NOW Fashion

Showing in London yesterday, Erdem.

NOWFashion.com

The designer’s signature touches were evident: the lace overlays, circumspect hem lengths, along with sophisticated suits and dresses.

NOWFashion.com

Simply put, the collection exuded a ladylike aesthetic, one Kate appreciates.

NOWFashion.com

Today’s final note involves Kate and William’s dog, Lupo. That’s right, today it was revealed the four-legged family member has been named Lupo.

52 Comments
Categories : Clothing, Specific Designers
Tags : Duchess Cambridge Art Room, Duchess Cambridge Art Room dress, Duchess Cambridge Orla Kiely dress, Duchess Cambridge Oxfordshire, Duchess of Cambridge clothes, Duchess of Cambridge fashion blog, Duke Duchess Cambridge dog name Lupo, Kate Middleton Art Room, Kate Middleton Art Room Oxford, Kate Middleton brown dress coat, Kate Middleton clothing, Kate Middleton favorite designers, Kate mIddleton jewelry, Kate Middleton Oxford Spires Academy, Kate Middleton purses, Kate Middleton style, Kate Middleton Style blog, Kate Orla Kiely Art Room, Kate Patron The Art Room, Prince William & Kate puppy name Lupo, Princess Catherine, what is Prince William and Kate's puppy name?, What Kate Wore, what Kate wore to Oxford schools

Kate in Hobbs & Oasis for Liverpool Engagements, Official Kate & William Barbie

Posted by admin 
· February 14, 2012 
· 70 Comments

Kate selected a Hobbs coat purchased back in September for her visit to Liverpool today.

Read More →

70 Comments
Categories : Clothing, Coats, Dresses, Handbags, Jewelry, Mysteries Solved, Repeats, Shoes
Tags : Duchess brown Hobbs coat, Duchess Cambridge smoothie, Duchess Cambridge Valentine, Duchess Oasis turtleneck, Duchess of Cambridge clothes, Duchess of Cambridge fashion blog, Kate Hobbs Celeste coat, Kate Middleton alcohol free bar, Kate Middleton clothing, Kate Middleton Liverpool, Kate Middleton polo neck dress, Kate Middleton purses, Kate Middleton style, Kate Middleton Style blog, Kate Middleton Valentine's Day, Kate Middleton William wedding Barbies, Kate Oasis turtleneck dress, Princess Catherine, what coat did Kate wear Liverpool?, What Kate Wore, what Kate wore Alder Hey, what Kate wore Liverpool, William Kate Mattel Barbie dolls

Kate Surprises at National Portrait Gallery in Jesire

Posted by admin 
· February 8, 2012 
· 64 Comments

Tonight Kate made what many are calling her first solo performance at an official public engagement, she attended a private viewing of the National Portrait Gallery’s Lucian Freud exhibit. The evening last October when she stepped in on behalf of Prince Charles for a charity dinner is apparently not considered a public engagement. (More on that evening here.)

The Duchess’s attire this evening definitely stymied Kate fashion followers.

Via Majesty Magazine Twitter

The Palace revealed it was made by now-defunct fashion brand Jesire, a bit of a surprise for many Kate fashion aficianados. The double breasted coat dress had an exaggerated shawl collar, three-quarter sleeves and the full skirt style Kate is known to favor, she also wore an ornate belt.  Many of us have looked high and low, we’ve yet to locate any photos of this exact piece.

Here we see Kate speaking with Sarah Howgate, curator of the exhibit, and Sandy Nairne, he is the National Portrait Gallery Director.

Picture by Jorge Herrera © Jorge Herrera 2012 via National Portrait Gallery Facebook Page

Here is a better look at the back of the garment.

Frances Vale, Sky News Twitter

Kate accessorized with the glittering diamond bracelet and earrings we first saw in Canada, described only as being “a gift”. She also wore the Asprey Button Pendant again, white pavé diamonds surrounding a central amethyst, all set in 18ct white gold.

Asprey

We also saw the reappearance of Kate’s sky high black suede heels (previously discussed in this post), originally identified by WKW FB friend Ashley and others.  This evening we were able to look at an outstanding closeup of the shoe’s sole, the general consensus is now that these are the Jimmy Choo Cosmic.

Via Net-a-Porter

The heel really is high, 5″, but there is also a 1″ platform, making it less of a nightmare to walk in. More on the style from Net-a-Porter.

These shoes are part of the Jimmy Choo 24:7 capsule collection of best-sellers and classic styles that every woman should own. Jimmy Choo’s black suede pumps provide a chic foundation to any outfit. Wear them to punctuate a draped dress for a polished evening look.

The style can be found in many other shops, just not the black suede version. Kate also carried her black suede clutch with the tiny bow.

Many will remember that Kate’s degree from St. Andrews is in art history, the show is something very much up her alley. Also on hand for the event, Sir Paul McCartney’s daughter Mary, who is a photographer and a Museum Trustee. Other notables at the function included Lucian Freud’s daughter, Bella.

Reaction to Kate’s first big solo appearance from London media was interesting:

The Daily Mail:

The Duchess of Cambridge looked buoyed and confident as she embarked on her first solo engagement since joining the royal family.

The Daily Mirror:

Kate may have slipped on a belted Jesire coat dress (aka a Cress – consider it a formal Jacardigan) for the Lucian Freud Portraits exhibition but the subdued colour and black accessories are light (slash bright) years away from her favoured green and/or red frocks of late.

The Express:

THE Duchess of Cambridge looked every inch the confident royal tonight as stepped out for her first solo public engagement.

Below we see Kate leaving the Gallery.

Peter Hunt, BBC Twitter Feed

For those interested in learning more about the exhibit, tickets, etc., click here. The Gallery has a wonderful selection of items in its gift shop related to the Lucian Freud Portraits show.

National Portrait Gallery Shop

As far as upcoming engagements, not including the Liverpool appointments on the 14th, here is a snippet of the Telegraph’s story:

A spokesman for the Duchess said: “It’s an honour for the Duchess to be patron of such a distinguished body and having spent the last few months preparing for the role she has been looking forward very much to this.

It marks the start of a six to eight-week period in which the Duchess will visit all of the charities of which she is Patron.

The Daily Mail has a brief video of Kate’s arrival, it gives you an idea of the blinding flashbulbs she faces on occasions like tonight’s.

The Daily Mail

As far as Kate’s portrait being done, the London Evening Standard has more:

Kate, who broke with protocol when she refused to pose for a formal painting as a new royal bride, has begun talks to sit for her first official portrait.

Gallery director Sandy Nairne said: “It’s very early days, but we’ve started a discussion. It will be at least the summer before there’s anything concrete and we can start to look for an artist.”

The paper also has solid background on Kate’s initial meetings with the Gallery about being a patron.

Mr Nairne said: “It’s very exciting. She came to see us last September when she was deciding which organisations to support. She was fizzing with intelligent questions.”

This was a stellar appearance by Kate, the piece was tasteful, she accessorized elegantly and looked very nice.  It had to be somewhat daunting for the Duchess, making her first (or second, depending on your perspective) solo appearance, from all accounts she handled it with aplomb and looked lovely while doing so.

64 Comments
Categories : Clothing
Tags : Duchess Cambridge museum, Duchess Cambridge portrait, Duchess Jimmy Choo cosmic, Duchess of Cambridge clothes, Duchess of Cambridge fashion blog, Duchess of Cambridge Lucian Freud exhibit, Jesiré dress Kate, Jesiré Duchess dress, Jimmy Choo Cosmic Kate Middleton, Kate Cosmic shoe, Kate Middleton clothing, Kate Middleton Jesiré, Kate Middleton portrait, Kate Middleton portrait exhibit, Kate Middleton purses, Kate Middleton style, Kate Middleton Style blog, National Portrait Gallery Kate Middleton, Princess Catherine, What Kate Wore

Kate’s Calendar Gets Crowded, She Opts For Milly NY Jacket On Mustique Return

Posted by admin 
· February 5, 2012 
· 16 Comments

With multiple public appearances on tap for Kate we thought it a good time for some updates and a look at her upcoming appointments.

The Duchess plans to stay busy while William is on his six week RAF training mission in the Falklands. The Ministry of Defence has released video of Flight Lieutenant Wales at work in the Falklands, it may be viewed on many sites, our version is from The Telegraph.

Ministry of Defence via The Telegraph

The Times has an excellent story about William’s deployment for those interested in learning more.

This Wednesday Kate will enjoy a private viewing of the National Portrait Gallery’s Lucian Freud exhibit, the show opens to the public on Thursday.

National Portrait Gallery

The NPG is one of Kate’s patronages, the Freud exhibit is generating a significant amount of buzz.  Below, banners for the show hanging outside the Gallery.

National Portrait Gallery Twitter feed

For US residents interested in seeing the exhibit, it comes to the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth this July.

On Valentine’s Day the Duchess heads to Liverpool for several events.  Kate will visit the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, in addition to touring the facility she will spend time in the Oncology and Burn units.  The Duchess is also slated to visit the Alder Hey Ronald McDonald House on the hospital grounds. The House offers 69 rooms and 15 apartments where family members of critically ill children may stay while they are being treated at the hospital. Below, a ceremonial check presentation to the Ronald McDonald House.

Alder Hey Ronald McDonald House

Kate’s third function in Liverpool on the 14th is a visit to The Brink, an alcohol free bar and restaurant. The Brink is affiliated with Action on Addicton, one of the charities for which Kate is a patron.

The Brink Liverpool

The Brink carries a full menu and also features concerts, film showings, and other activities. A special smoothie has been created in Kate’s honor, below we show several Brink staffers with one of the frosty drinks.

Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo

Dubbed “The Duchess,” the concoction is made of “banana, honey, almonds, milk and cream,” according to the story in the Liverpool Echo.

Kate has been spending time familiarizing herself with Action on Addiction, Thursday she paid a private visit to Clouds House, a residential treatment program for those abusing alcohol and other drugs.

Clouds House/Action on Addiction

The Mirror has more on Kate’s visit.

The royal met staff at Clouds House in East Knoyle near Salisbury – a former private residence set in beautiful parkland where addicts are treated. Many go through detox when they arrive then start a 12-step programme of intensive counselling.

There have been multiple reports Kate will accompany the Queen on some upcoming engagements, today’s Daily Mail offers a bit more info:

The 30-year-old Duchess is to accompany the Queen on two Diamond Jubilee engagements next month, and a courtier says: “The Queen is taking a very close interest in the Duchess’s development.”

And The Telegraph says the Duchess will join Prince Charles in the next several weeks for a joint appearance on behalf of the Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts. As soon as we know more we’ll share the info here, on Facebook, and Twitter.

Kate’s patronage of another charity, Scouting UK, has landed her on the cover of the group’s magazine.

Scouting UK

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Other Bits and Bytes:

Canadian Heritage/British Monarchy

  • Kate has been named “Hat Person of the Year” by the Headwear Association in an online poll.  From the Association’s blog: “Kate received an overwhelming 91% of the vote, beating Rachel Zoe (4%), Ne-Yo (2%), Justin Timberlake (1%), Bruno Mars (1%) and Charlie Sheen (1%).”
  • We have known for some time Kate and William’s Jubilee tour will take them to Malaysia, Tuvalu and Singapore, it has now been announced that tour will happen in September.

British Monarchy

  • Jenny Packham fans will be delighted to know that she is doing a capsule collection for UK retailer Debenhams, with The Telegraph reporting the line is slated for a spring release. For those not familiar with Debenhams, I generally compare it to a Kohl’s or Penney’s in the US. Above, just a few of the Packham pieces she has worn.
  • The Telegraph reports Kate may stage an exhibit of her own photography as a fundraiser for her charities

“She is understood to be working on her portfolio of pictures in the hope of putting on a show of her photographs in the next few years.

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Photos from the Middleton family’s vacation in Mustique have surfaced. mPop Sugar has the pictures; the group on holiday included Carole, Michael, Pippa, James, Kate, and William.  In the photos showing the group returning home Kate mixed familiar pieces with some we hadn’t seen before, putting Milly’s Gabrielle jacket over her Warehouse Lace Kimono top. Our thanks to WKW Facebook friends Debbie and Therese for their fast work in identifying the piece.

Milly Gabrielle Jacket/Warehouse Lace Kimono Top

The wool crepe jacket is from Milly’s 2010 collection, it originally sold for $315. Both Saks and Neimans offered the garment, it is now sold out on those sites as well as others we checked.  If interested in learning more about this brand (one of my favorites), our sister blog consistently follows Milly, the most recent post is here, a more extensive piece with a look at the spring 2012 runway show is here.

Kate also wore her J Brand skinny jeans, wedge espadrilles, and carried a Longchamps Le Pliage bag.

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The Paris Haute Couture shows wrapped up last week, we thought it would be fun to share a few styles from Elie Saab.

It’s no secret many Kate fans are fond of the Lebanese-born designer’s party frocks, he is a particular favorite of the WKW Facebook community.  We thought his inspiration for the collection would be of interest as well, as shared in this story:

“In this collection I thought about a very modern princess…”

Here are several full-length gowns.

Elie Saab Facebook Page

The dresses all look exquisite.

We leave you with a reminder that as of tomorrow, the Queen’s Jubilee is officially underway.

Official Jubilee Website

It is now 60 years since Her Majesty’s accession to the throne. For a remarkable series of photos featuring Queen Elizabeth, visit this link to Canada’s National Post.  A new official portrait of Her Majesty has been released for the Jubilee.

© Royal Household/John Swannell

16 Comments
Categories : Clothing
Tags : Action on Addiction, Duchess Cambridge charities, Duchess Cambridge Lucian Freud show, Duchess Cambridge Milly black jacket, Duchess Cambridge Prince Charles appearance, Duchess of Cambridge clothes, Duchess of Cambridge fashion blog, Duchess of Cambridge Lucian Freud exhibit, Kate Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Kate Liverpool Valentine's Day, Kate Middleton Brink alcohol free bar, Kate Middleton clothing, Kate Middleton Liverpool Children's Hospital, Kate Middleton Milly jacket, Kate Middleton Mustique, Kate Middleton patronages, Kate Middleton Queen joint appearance, Kate Middleton Ronald McDonald House, Kate Middleton style, Kate Middleton Style blog, Milly by Michelle Smith Gabrielle Jacket, Prince William Falklands, Prince's Foundation Children Arts, Princess Catherine, Princess Kate, What Kate Wore

Final Dress Poll Results & Kate’s Pantyhose Brand…?

Posted by admin 
· January 24, 2012 
· 29 Comments

We have results from our “Kate’s Favorite Dress” poll, with 4355 votes tallied the frock you selected as your favorite of all daytime dresses worn by Kate in the last year is:

Canadian Heritage

The Erdem Cecile was your number one choice, most will remember it was worn for William and Kate’s arrival in Canada on the first day of last summer’s North American tour. The dress is described as “stone with navy lace overlay, a bateau neckline, scoop back, and sheer three-quarter sleeves.”

Here is a look at the actual voting.

©2012 WhatKateWore.com

One of the more fascinating aspects of the poll was the designers whose dresses were chosen – Kate has worn multiple garments by each of the 5 designers shown in the poll. I’m not surprised, as the Duchess has shown herself to be comfortable relying upon a select group of designers, I was struck by the fact all dresses in this final poll are from labels she wears with such frequency.

The second most popular frock is Kate’s Reiss Shola dress, worn for the meeting with The President and Mrs. Obama in May of last year.

White House Flickr/Reiss

Many thanks to everyone who voted in any or all of the polls, they have been loads of fun to put together. Seeing how you felt via your votes and reading your comments has been the best part of the process, I often gain more insight from comments than I do from online research. Here are a few, beginning with Vicki, she made a stellar observation about Kate’s hair in the final dress poll:

Fascinating. Please note the hairstyles in the above 6 photos. Only 2 of them have her “signature” hair.

From Misty, a thought about Kate looking lovely regardless of what she is wearing:

“…looking at what was the least favorite, i still catch myself going “WOWWW she’s gorgeous in that!!!!”

A good point from The Way We Were:

Sounds like Erdem and Issa truly are the best brands for the future queen. I notice that several of her looks voted as ‘most favorite’ are from either brand.

At least one reader found it impossible to make a choice, here is what Cathie shared about the Suits, Separates & Dresses Part 2 poll:

I’m not voting. I can’t. I have way too many that would be criminal to choose from. Love your posts as always!

The ‘takeaway’ from the comments here and on the WKW FB page leads me to believe we should do the following:

  1. Take a break from polls for a few weeks;
  2. Do one on Kate’s overall ‘best look’ (for lack of a more elegantly phrased descriptor);
  3. Leave shoes out of the equation and consider doing one on handbags.

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We also wanted to share a tidbit on yet another story about what we refer to as the ‘Great Pantyhose Debate,’ the Philadelphia Inquirer ran a piece on the topic last week. Here is snippet from that article, “Hose Regains a Toehold“:

Pantyhose occupy a dicey place in the world of fashion.The dainty intimates are on the rise thanks to Kate Middleton’s penchant for them. Couple that with ultra-fashion-forward stars like Rihanna, Katy Perry, and Jessie J wearing sheer black hosiery, and you have a burgeoning trend.

The most surprising thing to me in the story has nothing to do with the popularity (or lack thereof) of pantyhose; rather, it is the claim that Kate’s favorite hose are by Philippe Matignon.  The names most frequently mentioned in terms of brands Kate hypothetically wears are Wolford and John Lewis, Matignon is a company I wasn’t familiar with, although I imagine many of our international readers are familiar with the company, the firm is Italian in origin. (If interested in visiting the company’s Italian site, click here.)

From the PEEK Brooklyn description for a style called the ‘Jade 20’:

These nude “pantyhose” are a favorite of the Dutchess of Cambridge and are the hottest trend in Hosiery to cross the pond since the invention of NYLON.

PEEK seems comfortable very closely aligning the Matignon brand with the Duchess.

Philippe Matignon/PEEK Brooklyn

They are sold out of the ‘Jade Sheer 20 Denier’ tights (Jade is the style name, not color), they are available for $24 at Fresh Pair, where they are described as “Favored hosiery brand of Her Royal Highness Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge”. I included the following photo in an effort to show the sheen the hose have, something many noticed on Kate at times this summer.

Philippe Matignon at FreshPair.com

Philippe Matignon itself is far more discreet, making no claims whatsoever about Kate on its new US website. Here is the Matignon page for the Jade 20 tights (pantyhose), the company prices them at $24 per pair.

Philippe Matignon

From a description of the hose:

“Give your legs a touch of color with a sophisticated glossy finish. These luxurious hose are ideal for those occasions when you want a refined look with a touch of stand-out style. Lycra has been added to the fabric to give it extra smoothness and durability

The most notable fact discovered while learning about the brand tonight? Matignon offers a non-slip style in their ultra sheer (my term) 8 denier weight, the Cool Summer Weight Non-Slip Tights.

Philippe Matignon

That is music to the ears for those of us who have tried to track down non-slip hose that are also elegant, I very much thought it a non-starter, it’s lovely knowing there is an option available in the US now.

I have not yet been able to verify if Kate has actually worn this brand or not. It is the first time I have seen stores mentioning a specific brand they say Kate wears/has worn, newspaper stories (and this blog) have talked about Wolford, Pretty Polly & John Lewis, but not this brand. I have an inquiry in to Philippe Matignon, if we learn anything definitive I will update the post.

 

 

29 Comments
Categories : Clothing, Polls, Specific Designers
Tags : Duchess Cambridge lace dress, Duchess Cambridge pantyhose brand, Duchess of Cambridge clothes, Duchess of Cambridge fashion blog, Duchess of Cambridge Philippe Matignon, Kate Middleton clothing, Kate Middleton Erdem dress, Kate Middleton favorite pantyhose brand, Kate Middleton no slip pantyhose, Kate Middleton non-slip tights, Kate Middleton purses, Kate Middleton style, Kate Middleton Style blog, Kate Middleton's favorite tights, Philippe Matignon pantyhose, Philippe Matignon tights, Princess Catherine, what brand pantyhose does Kate Middleton wear?, What Kate Wore
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