Showing posts with label Eveningwear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eveningwear. Show all posts

Royal Races of the Day: March 12 (Updated)

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    Hats, anyone?
    The Cheltenham Festival races are on, and you can always count on a Zara Phillips sighting. And that Zara sighting will typically be in a dark neutral (check) and a small hat with some sort of froofy embellishment (check check). That tall collar sure is handy for shrinking down and going incognito, though.
    A little pattern to liven up the game on day 2, and I do like any sort of white/black thing. She coordinates well in her check with the Duchess of Cornwall, who also put in an appearance yesterday:
    This is really all part of her uniform, and I can't disagree with that. A nice fit, and that soft green scarf is a great color for her. And her standard fur-trimmed hats, well...
    ...I sure do like her daughter Laura's red hat, is what I would say about that. (Son Tom was also there, just on her other side.)

    Speaking of people that enjoy horse racing...don't question the segue...the Princess Royal was at a reception at Buckingham Palace, and this is noteworthy:
    Noteworthy because is that a sparkly version of a Cosby sweater, or what? Discuss. (P.S.: Check the scalloped shoes too.)

    UPDATE:
    Day 3 of the festival is upon us, and these two hats are my favorites yet! Exclamation point!
    Lady Gabriella Windsor showed up in this vibrant blue hat, which I adore. This shade of blue as an accent is just one of my favorite things, can't be helped.
    And Zara was there again in another shade of blue that I happen to adore. The luxury of her fur wrap and my favorite hat on her in some time is checking all the right boxes.
    The color's a little duller here, but still a win in my book.

    Photos: via Getty Images as indicated

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Royal Races of the Day: March 12 (Updated)


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Tiara Watch of the Day: March 4

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    State Visit Month, I love you. Yesterday gave us two more state banquets to drool over: the state visit from Mexico to the United Kingdom (which has been covered in full over at the Jewel Vault, so please head thataway for discussion) and this one we're about to talk about right now.
    Kungahuset.se
    Sweden's own King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia headed out for a state visit party at the neighbors' place, a.k.a. Finland. They were received by the Finnish president, Sauli Niinistö, and his wife, the always well-turned-out Jenni Haukio (above). Liked the color of Silvia's suit, liked CG in uniform, everybody looks swell, etc. Let's get to the tiaras. (Okay, just tiara. Not plural, because we can't have everything I guess.)
    Let's hear it for the Leuchtenberg! The Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara with accompanying necklace and earrings, that is. Any time Silvia brings out her blue big gun, it's cause for celebration.
    However...(you knew this was coming...) I'm mad at this dress. I don't mind that Sil is doing a little color combining - I like that a lot, actually, because why wait for a blue dress to bust out these baubles? - but the spangles on this most figure skater-y of dresses combined with the collar* are seriously inhibiting my love of the Leuchtenberg necklace. That's too much going on up top. For shame, red dress, for shame.

    *Your Order Report: The King and Queen are both wearing the collar of Finland's Order of the White Rose. The President has on the collar from Sweden's Order of the Seraphim, while his wife has the sash of the Order of the Polar Star, a lower Swedish order also often given to members of fellow royal families that aren't either a monarch/consort or an heir. These are the primary ones on display; each is also wearing home order(s) as is typical.

    Photos: Kungahuset.se and via Getty Images as indicated

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Tiara Watch of the Day: March 4


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Tiara Watch of the Day: March 3

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    On Sunday, the King and Queen of Spain welcomed the President of Colombia and his wife for their state visit to Spain.
    For the welcome ceremony, Letizia wore a repeated dress from Spanish label Oky^Coky which has the look of separates (but isn't) with a Felipe Varela black coat and Magrit beige heels. I do like the mix of textures here and the softness added by the blouse portion, but this is a state visit, and this isn't what we're here for.
    There we go! Monday night gave us what we needed, a gala dinner complete with tiara (the Spanish Floral Tiara, worn with her wedding earrings which were a gift from King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, her fleur de lys brooch, and the riband and star from Colombia's Order of Boyaca). Queen Letizia's Varela dress is another repeat, originally worn for the Dutch inauguration in 2013:
    I was definitely a fan of this ensemble at its original appearance, with a jaunty hat (so many of you couldn't handle the angle, but I liked it) and the color worked quite nicely with the light blue of her Spanish sash. The dress is still lovely as ever and she looks fantastic - but I can't help but note that I am starting to see a pattern emerge from her recent tiara appearances.
    Take a look at the 2014 Mexican state visit, or her Carolina Herrera black gown from last October's state visit (which I loved, but still). You take a sheer neckline, a slim silhouette, add in some lace or other doodads, throw the Spanish Floral Tiara on top, and VOILA! You've got yourself a Letizia tiara appearance. Anyone else feeling my déjà vu here?
    But there is a positive side to all these similar appearances: Letizia has apparently switched her favorite tiara from the Prussian Diamond Tiara (worn for her wedding, and for the majority of her subsequent tiara appearances) to the floral tiara, and that's a change I can get behind. She can wear that bauble all she likes, right up until she decides she should give it to me instead, ahem.

    Photos: via Getty Images as indicated

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Tiara Watch of the Day: March 3


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Royal Flashback of the Day: March 2

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    As noted yesterday, this month should bring us some treats to discuss (we'll be checking in with the Spanish state visit tomorrow). Typical me, though, I'm already looking forward to some of this year's big royal events, primarily Queen Margrethe's 75th birthday celebrations in April and the Swedish royal wedding in June. I predict that my excitement will lead to random outfit flashbacks involving previous similar events in the weeks to come, so you've been warned. Starting...now!

    For Queen Margrethe's 70th birthday celebrations, a gala concert was held on the first night of the big royal gathering. Today's flashback features two of the gowns from that night on two of our lovely crown princesses:
    Unfortunately, a volcano in Iceland decided to erupt just as the celebrations were getting underway, wreaking havoc on the travel plans of many of the scheduled royal guests. Crown Prince Haakon was among those delayed (he was coming off a solo visit to the Middle East), but Mette-Marit made it in time and Crown Prince Frederik pulled double date duty to escort M-M and Mary.
    Mette-Marit's dress hits everything she typically goes for, no? A little bit of ruffle, a little bit of floral. A thoroughly standard appearance with one exception: we got to see the Amethyst Necklace Tiara instead of her standard Diamond Daisy Tiara! Only because the Diamond Daisy would make a later appearance and not because she actually chose this one first, but still.
    Mary brought out her big gun, the Danish Ruby Parure, and this was its first public appearance after she had the shape modified to her tastes. She wore the ruby earrings with pearl pendants, the brooch, and the ruby bracelet as well. All of which served as a perfect complement to her sleek white Jesper Høvring gown, with the shoulder strategically placed to accommodate her Order of the Elephant riband. This was a winner for me, and I think it's time we see this gown again. Please?

    Photos: via Getty Images as indicated

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Royal Flashback of the Day: March 2


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Royal Outfit of the Day: February 24

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    I was excited to see the Oscar party scene yield a pair of familiar faces:
    Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and Princess Marie-Chantal attended the 2015 Vanity Fair Oscar Party
    I was slightly less excited to see Princess Marie-Chantal's gown, sadly. Listen, I consider myself a fan of her style; even when I don't like the exact pieces she selects, there's an easy elegance to her styling that I admire - she manages to make interesting choices without looking like she's playing dress up. But this Alexander McQueen dress seems doomed from the start. I'm not sure any amount of tailoring can make this satin behave when it clearly wants to make all kinds of folds and puckers at the slightest sign of movement or curve. But I still like the softness of the color palette and the floral design.
    As shown in the Alexander McQueen Pre-Fall 2014 collection, far left; and in the retail version, full-length in ivory satin with floral embroidery in nude and silver.
    Another part of the reason I like following Marie-Chantal's looks was well on display in spite of all that: her jewels. She has a collection of unusual pieces and she doesn't make them wait for a vanilla outfit to go on parade. These earrings, which I believe are from JAR, one of her favorites, are a great touch to bring out the pink tones in the dress. Yet another piece for me to covet...

    P.S.: My fave from the Oscar after parties? Diane Kruger, making me love a red jumpsuit in Donna Karan Atelier. That's some serious style power, right there.

    Photos: Pascal Le Segretain and Venturelli via Getty Images / Alexander McQueen / Matches

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Royal Outfit of the Day: February 24


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Royal Outfit of the Day: February 11

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    Photo: HRH The Duke of York
    To celebrate the joint 50th birthdays of the Earl and Countess of Wessex (his was last March, hers in January), the Queen held a reception at Buckingham Palace last night for representatives from the couple's many patronages and affiliations. The Duke of York was present too, and he shared the family photo above on his Facebook page. Cute, right?
    If you're part of the reason the event is being thrown, you might as well turn up looking fab-u-lous, and Sophie was all over it in a chic black dress from Victoria Beckham's label. (The Queen wore one of her favorite evening suits, which she paired as usual with her favorite Aquamarine Clip Brooches from Boucheron.) (Edward wore a suit.)
    The dress is a simple LBD, ripe for a little jeweled embellishment, and Beckham has very kindly taken care of that by adding a "hand-embroidered wave shaped detail that includes crystals, metallic beads and metal mesh, all sewn onto a silk organza panel and inset into the left shoulder." It wraps over the top of the shoulder, adding a little interest to the back as well.
    Victoria Beckham
    I'm not always a fan of built-in jewels, but this is perfect. The Countess kept the rest of her accessories to a minimum, also a good choice. The dress was previously worn on the red carpet by model Arizona Muse, who added a necklace which was a little unneeded:
    I've been wondering when we'd start seeing more of the Victoria Beckham collections on our British ladies. We've seen a bit on other royal ladies, such as Crown Princess Victoria:
    This Victoria Beckham shirt was worn during a meeting with John Mullins last month, and during Victoria and Daniel's San Francisco visit.
    Photo: Kungahuset.se, My Theresa
    But I like that Sophie's taking the dive. A lot of VB's stuff has a sleek and modern line to it, not unlike Roland Mouret, which is already a favorite label for certain Windsors. I'm ready for more.

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Royal Outfit of the Day: February 11


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Royal Feathers of the Day: February 9

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Royal Feathers of the Day: February 9


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Royal Outfit Grab Bag of the Day: February 4

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    Today's outfit grab bag has a British flavor, so locate a scone and settle in:
    The Earl and Countess of Wessex embarked on a visit to Finland, meeting with President Sauli Niinistö and his wife, Jenni Haukio. This black Tom Ford dress (per the Countess of Wessex blog), black boots, and print scarf on the Countess seems a little too clingy and a little too casual to me, so I have to give this one a miss.
    Later on, Sophie opted to repeat a burgundy guipure lace dress. I'm not the biggest fan of the large scale laces, but this is lovely on her. It's from Stella McCartney, but most definitely in the shallow end of the Stella pool, so to speak (which is most definitely where Sophie should stay).

    And now we bop over to the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, who attended the British Asian Trust Dinner last night.
    Camilla's worn this gown many times, and the best thing about it is that she uses it to showcase whatever purple gems she can dig out of her vault.
    Hellooooo, amethysts. You know you're dealing with some major earrings when they're powerful enough to be spotted through the signature Cams 'do. She's also sporting her diamond serpent necklace, one of her favorites, but I only have eyes for the purple.

    And finally, also out and about...
    Prince Harry met marathon runners raising money for RFU's Injured Players Foundation and visited a youth project. And here's your Very Important Harry Update: He continues to do casual wear better than any other royal.
    And he knows it.

    Photos:  @TPKanslia, @ukinfinland, Net-a-porter, Chris Jackson and WPA Pool via Getty Images

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Royal Outfit Grab Bag of the Day: February 4


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Royal Outfit of the Day: January 6

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    Many of you were just as enchanted as I was with Crown Princess Mary's evening cloak from the other night (and many of you were not, fair enough, more cloaks for me), which brought up some of the cloak's previous wearings. The concert for Queen Margrethe's jubilee in 2012 is one example; another is the same New Year's Court event from 2008:
    Which reminds me, we should talk about this purple dress. It's an interesting one, that's for sure. Not necessarily in keeping with Mary's current style, but that's because it dates from the days before her style was fully defined.
    The gown was first worn in 2004 during a state visit from Romania, shortly before Mary and Frederik were married (hence her lack of orders above), and was made by Henrik Hviid from fabric purchased by Mary at a market in her hometown in Tasmania. You can actually see her buy the fabric in a documentary filmed after the couple's engagement (video link).
    Based on the dress alone, you might guess it came from the closet of then-Princess Alexandra, now Countess of Frederiksborg, Prince Joachim's first wife. And with good reason: Hviid was one of her favorite designers. But despite my love for Alexandra's over the top early princess style, and despite my love for a purple gown, this one has never been a favorite. I think it mainly leaves me glad Mary went on to develop a style of her own, if you know what I mean. What's your verdict?

    (By the way, there was also quite a bit of discussion about what color that evening cloak is, exactly. It's dark velvet, so that's naturally going to take on a few different shades. Given that Mary paired it with a purple purse this year, purple earrings in 2012, and a purple dress in 2008, I'm going to guess it's more purple in person.)

    (And also by the way, the daytime New Year's Courts are happening in Denmark, and we'll check back in later this week to discuss.)

    Photos: Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images

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Royal Outfit of the Day: January 6


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Royal Outfit of the Day: December 15

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    As we all know, Queen Máxima's looks can vary widely from elegant to...uh, not. The elegant ones are always worth a mention, and so we come to this:
    Máxima opened a museum exhibit on Friday.
    This is an oldie but goodie, if you will, a chocolate brown suit with velvet trim that's been around for several years (past appearances include the christening of Norway's Prince Sverre Magnus in 2006).
    Neckline made to show of a strand of pearls: check. A wide brim hat that's a favorite and with good reason: check. An occasionally boring color made rich by fabric contrast and cut: check. One for the elegant winners pile, I say.
    Some guessed she may have chosen the subdued color as a nod to Queen Fabiola's funeral, happening on the same day. Whether that's true or not, I don't know, but it's a cozy color choice for a dreary December day anyway. And it was the designated color of the day, apparently, as her evening event gave us a bit of the same:
    I'm not as sold on brown with sequins as I am on brown with velvet, but my A grade for the day stands.

    Also...last week, the Dutch royal family also gathered to celebrate Pieter van Vollenhoven (husband of Princess Margriet), who turned 75 this year, and the Victim Support Fund, which he started 25 years ago.
    An entrance into the Shiny Fabric Danger Zone for Máx, but I'm loving the patterned purple theme on sisters Beatrix and Margriet.
    The couple with their sons and their daughters-in-law
    And even a bit of purple on the extended family too, on Princess Marilène (see? Make a lace dress purple, and I'm good). Lovely!

    Photos: As indicated and  Het Fonds Slachtofferhulp

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Royal Outfit of the Day: December 15


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Royal Closet Raid of the Day: December 12

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    Congratulations are in order for the Monaco bunch! Prince Albert and Princess Charlene welcomed their twins on Wednesday. They'll be officially introduced to the people of Monaco on January 7. The announcement from the palace:
    It is with immense joy that TT.SS.HH the Prince and Princess of Monaco have the great pleasure to announce the birth of Their children named:

     - Gabriella, Thérèse, Marie (born at 17h04)

     - Jacques, Honoré, Rainier (born at 17h06)

     The births took place on 10th December 2014 at the Maternity of the Princess Grace Hospital Monaco.
    The Princess and the Children are doing well.

     The Prince Jacques, Honoré, Rainier is the Crown Prince. In accordance with the historic custom established by the treaty of Péronne (1641), He shall receive the title of Marquis of Baux (in Provence).
    The Princess Gabriella, Thérèse, Marie, second child in the line of succession, shall receive the title of Countess of Carladès (in Auvergne).
    Welcome to the world, Gabriella and Jacques! (I'm digging the names, by the way.)

    In this particular corner of the world, we celebrate with fabulous outfits, and I've been saving up Charlene's day in the closet raiding spotlight for just such an occasion. Do you enjoy beige, hmm? How about black? Then it's your day in the spotlight too. As for me, I think you know what color I'm heading for.
    I can still only echo what I originally said about this appearance: Char killed it. How could she not, in a dress so fab? I'd like to try it out for myself, so you can bag this one up for me.
    Throw the gems in there too, pretty please.
    On the Ralph Lauren runway. I approve of her color change.
    Your turn: 
    What are you coveting from Charlene's wardrobe?

    One more piece of news from Monaco: Hello reports confirmation from an "insider" that Princess Caroline's son, Pierre Casiraghi, will wed his longtime love, Beatrice Borromeo, on April 20, 2015. We're still waiting to see if an official confirmation will be issued by the family.

    P.S.: Yesterday's Nobel post was updated late with the second evening of festivities, so check back if you haven't already!

    Photos: Michel Dufour/French Select and Pascal Le Segretain via Getty Images, Style.com

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Royal Closet Raid of the Day: December 12


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Royal Trip of the Day: December 10

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    The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been on a trip to New York City this week, culminating in the St. Andrews 600th Anniversary Dinner last night.
    A trip full of new outfits (coats, mostly coats) and wouldn't you know - it's the repeat that catches my eye.
    I liked this Jenny Packham the first two times we saw it, and now with added jewels and an updo, what's not to love?
    The Duchess debuted new emerald and diamond earrings with a matching emerald and diamond bracelet. The pieces were private gifts. Based on new pieces given to other family members by Middle Eastern monarchies, I wouldn't be shocked to hear these have the same origin, but that's just guessing. They look pretty modern to me, and those are pretty big emeralds with a lovely bright color.
    And there's that updo - aw, it's like she knew we'd demand a proper look at those earrings - with a bonus Princess Eugenie sighting! The NYC resident was kind enough to come and say hello to her cousins. A better look at her color blocked gown:
    I really can't decide if all those angles help or hurt the situation, but I'm leaning towards a thumbs up. Et toi?

    Photos: Pool and Samir Hussein/WireImage via Getty Images; Jenny Packham

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Royal Outfit of the Day: December 1

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    Last week, another academy formal gathering was held in Sweden - there are a few of these, and they usually entail a white tie dress code, but the royal ladies leave their tiaras at home. We need to talk about Victoria's dress.
    It seems to be Escada, one of her favorite labels, from the Spring/Summer 2013 collection. And I'm just not sure about this one - I think the sash at the shoulder isn't doing the draping any favors, but the potential for elegance is there. I also just really want to like it, because I haven't found much of note in Victoria's outfits in the past couple weeks. (Click here for a gallery including this event and plenty of other recent Swedish events.)
    What I do know is that I love Victoria in a nice strong blue color, and any association this dress can draw to notable blue gowns of the past (as seen below) is a very strong entry in the pro column.

    Photos: Escada, Mattias Edwall / The Royal Court, Sweden

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Royal Event of the Week: November 24

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    National Day in Monaco was last week, so let's catch up with the Monaco Bunch (they're a lot like the Brady Bunch, but with more Chanel).

    The day includes a cathedral service, a ceremony in the palace courtyard, a bit of waving from the balcony, and an evening gala. I genuinely loved Princess Caroline's outfit for the day events - an elegant Chanel blazer and dress, a bit of a hat, some fab hair. Princess Stephanie also looked pretty sleek in her simple coat, though her choice of a scrunchie instead of a hat (she never wears hats, but still) removes any and all coat bonus points.
    Tatiana went for the nutty professor look in her Dolce & Gabbana coat and mortarboard-looking hat, but I kind of like it. Not that anyone was looking much in that direction given the debut National Day appearance of little Sacha and his little knees, clinging to dad Andrea and grandma Caroline.
    Also present at the cathedral were Monaco residents the Duke and Duchess of Castro. She's prone to dramatic outfits and this one certainly does have some flair, but you know the purple is right up my alley.

    Princess Charlene skipped out on most of the day's events and I can't blame her, those twins are due next month and if she wants to shuffle around the palace in her bunny slippers all the time right about now, more power to her. But she did make a beaming balcony appearance in an Akris double faced cape with a jaunty beret. (That's the smile of a woman who's still wearing her bunny slippers, fancy outfit and all, right?)
    Also on the balcony, Caroline's daughter Princess Alexandra showed off her dress which is adorned with CROWNS and that is the BEST.
    "Stephanie, look. Look at allllll those people who remembered to leave their scrunchies at home." I think Sacha's on my side here.

    At the evening gala, we weren't at risk for scrunchie infection, but we did catch a serious case of ADLD. Another Dang Lace Dress. No fault of Tatiana's that we've seen so.very.many. of these in a row, so I'll just decide she wanted to confirm those reports of her second pregnancy and leave it at that.
    Caroline can be trusted to be different, at least, and her repeated coat is the rare piece that works both as an evening coat and also with your favorite pair of bunny slippers. I'm all for it. I hope she shares with Charlene.
    Caroline's Chanel coat, Tatiana's Dolce & Gabbana coat, Charlene's Akris cape (runway version)

    Photos: Pascal Le Segretain via Getty Images, Style.com, My Theresa

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