Gold Star: Beatrice and Her Accessories

The York girls are such a sartorial roller coaster, I love it. When they (or, I suppose, the stylists they're said to have) get it right, they're so deliciously on point. And Beatrice pulled a win last week which is so fab I'll retroactively forgive her for that Ascot butt ruffle incident.

Attending the Britain Creates 2012: Fashion & Art Collusion VIP Gala, in Roksanda Ilincic (right)

She's appropriately flying the flag fully with her Roksanda Ilincic dress, Anya Hindmarch clutch, and Nicholas Kirkwood heels, but it's the particular combination of all three that puts some jump in my claps. She hasn't gone bridesmaid-matchy or overly safe (look Ma, no nude shoes!) but the blue on the spectacular shoes pulls out the blue cuffs, and the pink on the bag brings out the slight blush tone of the rest of the dress.

Gold star: awarded for a refreshing break from the royal accessory stalemate.

Photos: Getty Images/Roksanda Ilincic

Week in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge, 10-18 June

1. Visiting Nottingham alongside the Queen and Prince William, 13 June, in an array of repeats.
2. Watching The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with students from The Art Room, 15 June.
3. Trooping the Colour, 16 June.
4. A whole day of cuteness, 17 June, first visiting a camping excursion for kids and then watching polo with a few of the most adorable members of the royal family (I’m referring of course to Lupo and Savannah). (And Harry.)
5. Garter Day, 18 June, repeating her 2011 Trooping the Colour coat.

Photos: Getty Images/Daylife/Reuters/FameFlynet/Daily Mail

Week in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge, 22-28 April

1. At the premiere of African Cats, 25 April. It's all in the details this week...an off week in accessory land to me.
2. Attending a reception for the Scott-Amundsen Centenary Race, 26 April.
3. Launching the World War I galleries at the Imperial War Museum, 26 April in the gray version of an oatmeal sheath we saw before.
4. She was also spotted this week recycling the (a) Erdem lace from Canada and (b) wearing this shirt.

Photos: Daylife/Getty Images/Reuters

Week in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge, 26 June - 2 July, Part 2

If you need a refresher, here's where we left off with The Adventures of Kate and Wills in Canada. Now, to finish out the week through Saturday:

1. Canada Day, 1 July, a) Kate's outfit, b) the Maple Leaf Brooch, c) the red shoes, d) the dress from Reiss, e) the hat from Lock and Company, f) the clutch from Anya Hindmarch.

Confession: I'm disappointed. If there was a day to get a new dress, and make it from a Canadian designer, today would have been the day! It's Canada Day! I can't help but think that it looks like she planned on repeating the Reiss dress from her engagement photographs, and at the last minute, panicked and realized it wasn't Canadian enough. Cue the red shoes and stuck-on maple leaves in the hat. There's just a lot going on here.

2. Evening concert on Canada Day, 1 July, a) on Kate, b) the dress from Issa, worn with Prada pumps and another Anya Hindmarch clutch, and c) the maple leaf brooch again with diamond earrings.

After the Maple Leaf Brooch (on loan from the Queen, also worn by the Queen Mother and the Duchess of Cornwall) spent most of the day underneath Kate's hair, she threw it in the evening mix with an updo (yes!) and a purple Issa dress. This one I like standing up, not sitting down. (Weird, right? That's me.)

3. Day 3 of the Canada trip, 2 July, a) the Kensington dress from Catherine Walker with an Anya Hindmarch clutch, b) the back detail (with a bonus precious wee one), c) gamely sporting a chef's coat, d) the shoes, and e) swapping to black Prada shoes and a black Anya Hindmarch clutch.

A brand new designer on parade: Catherine Walker, she of my favorite Diana gown ever (and Carole Middleton's wedding outfit and so much more). A savvy choice, as Walker was French. I love the sweet sleeve and neckline details, and you know I love the first shoes of the day. But later she switched back to basic black, leaving me to wonder if they were uncomfortable or if she (gasp!) got them muddy in a tree planting haze. I long for an updo, though. There was a lot of hair flicking, even more than usual, what with the planting and meeting kids and playing chef, plus the back detail of the dress really deserves to fly on its own.

And now I'd like to give a shout out to an unsung fashion star on this trip so far: Prince William.

Two cases in point: lookin' good at the concert, and pulling a Barack by losing the jacket while on a hospital visit. I like to spread the praise around, you know.

Yes, I know this doesn't bring us up to everything she's worn so far, but you'll have to sit tight. In the mean time, did any of these three tickle your fancy?

Photos: Just Jared/AP/Reuters/Daily Mail/Camera Press/Mark Stewart/Splash/Michael Dunlea/Bancroft Media

Week in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge, 19-25 June

Here's what Catherine wore from 19-25 June:

1. Official portrait released for the Canada trip, repeating the Amanda Wakeley jacket we saw pre-wedding.
2. a) Presenting medals to the Irish Guards on Armed Forces Day, 25 June, wearing b) a shamrock brooch previously worn by the Queen Mother and the Princess Royal while on Irish Guards engagements, c) a new charm bracelet engraved with her royal cypher, a Rachel Trevor-Morgan hat, Anya Hindmarch clutch, Prada shoes, and an Alexander McQueen coat dress, a combination of styles d) and e) from the Pre-Fall 2011 collection.

To all of those that called her out for pulling a Diana move with the military coat for the military engagement, I say: pfffft. That's not a Diana move, that's a royal move. See also: Elizabeth, Camilla, Sophie, pretty much everything Anne's ever worn, etc. If you want to see a Diana comparison here, in my opinion, you have to go to the bracelet. Diana had a known penchant for gifts with the personal touch. Interestingly, this bracelet appears to have been a gift from Camilla as it seems to have Camilla's cypher on the other side.

The hat seems a little froofy (technical term) to me when paired with that stark coat. But at the same time, it's the froofiness of the hat that's keeping this from being a soldier costume, or from being something that the Princess Royal might wear. And I do like the coat (c'mon, she had McQueen make her something, you know I'm loving that). I think it was a great choice for this engagement. She went simple, since it's not like she could compete with her hubby's ensemble:

This, by the way, solves the mystery of the second uniform William wore on his wedding day as the couple drove Prince Charles's classic car away from Buckingham Palace. I shall update his wedding post tout de suite.

In other Armed Forces Day news, Camilla made a half-hearted attempt to compete with her man's uniform with this kicky new hat:

Alas, her efforts were for naught. I mean...look at that uniform. Yowza.

What did you think of Kate's military effort?

Photos: Chris Jackson/Getty Images/Alexander McQueen/Style.com/Daylife/Daily Mail