Royal Outfit of the Day: January 24

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa (left) wore a modified version of a runway look from Elie Saab Fall 2012 Couture (center) for her son Guillaume's civil wedding to Stéphanie de Lannoy in 2012; actress Lupita Nyong'o (right) wore the runway version earlier this year.

Lupita (or LUPITA!, as that will always be said in my head) is the talk of this awards season, and she's quickly becoming one of my new girl crushes. Our discussion of her appearance at the Golden Globes reminded me that she herself has worn a royal repeat, wearing the runway version of an Elie Saab Couture look previously modified by Maria Teresa. But despite my Lupita love, I'm going to give this battle to MT - this conservative number suits a grand duchess better than it suits a younger actress, no?

Speaking of Elie Saab Couture, the Spring 2014 couture shows have been happening in Paris, and it's all kinds of pretty.

Links for some of the collections we might see on royal parade:

• Valentino: The opera meets The Lion King. Interesting, this collection. A potential for Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Queen Máxima, Princess Marie-Chantal, Sheikha Mozah, and more.
• Giambattista Valli: Some nice ball gowns here. We've seen this designer on Mette-Marit and Charlotte Casiraghi, to name two.
• Elie Saab: Always and forever my fave, and a favorite of the Luxembourg ladies plus Crown Princess Victoria. Clotilde Courau was in the audience for the show; she was at a couple other shows too, including Valentino.
• Christian Dior: Not as often seen on our regular line up. Current Dior designer Raf Simons is Belgian, which always makes me wonder if we'll see any of this pop up on Queen Mathilde.
• Chanel: For the ladies of Monaco, naturally. At least the sneakers Karl Lagerfeld sent down the runway would be an improvement over Princess Caroline's pedicure shoes...or would they?...
• Armani Privé: Sometimes dresses Mathilde or Queen Paola for special events, and can be seen on other royals too. Bit meh, I thought.
• And one extra: Zuhair Murad, a designer I wish we'd see more of on the royal scene. There are some really beautifully detailed things coming from this label.

Photos: Getty Images/Style.com

Royal Outfit of the Day: January 17

 

Last summer, Princess Marie-Chantal (left) wore an Oscar de la Renta Spring 2013 embellished dress (runway, center) for Princess Madeleine's pre-wedding dinner. At this year's Golden Globe Awards, Michelle Dockery of "Downton Abbey" fame (right) sported the same look.

You know, I very nearly included M-C's look in my honorable mentions for 2013, and when I saw it pop up this past weekend at the Globes, my appreciation for the royal styling grew even more. In the epic battle of "Who wore it best?", I have to give this one to M-C because the shoes and her overall bearing are making the look. This is one dress that benefits from the eh, I wear couture to grab the morning paper attitude, if you get what I'm saying. Et toi?

(Celebrity fashion isn't within our normal scope here, but I can't let a reference to the awards pass without saying LUPITA! and CAPES! That is all. If you missed the Globes gown parade, Buzzfeed's got the quickest fashion wrap up.)

Photos: Getty Images/Style.com

Royal Style Duel: A Whole Lot of Twinsies

Some of you recognized Princess Marie's dress from her recent tiara appearance, and your déjà vu is spot on.

We've seen the same dress on Princess Madeleine (from BCBG Max Azria), plus a similar one on the Countess of Wessex. I stick by what I said before - this is a bargain from the teenage post-dance sale rack - but I'll give this one to Madeleine for recognizing that this a black tie gown at best, not a white tie gown.

That's just one of several twin appearances we've seen lately in the royal world. Shall we have an omnibus style duel? We shall:

Máxima and Letizia own the same Uterqüe skirt, which Letizia wore again last month. I'll give it to Letizia, for overall polish.

We had a couple cases of déjà vu at the Luxembourg wedding, one of which was Princess Zeina's Matthew Williamson peplum number, previously seen in a different color and with more ornamentation on the Duchess of Cambridge. Pair Kate's version with Zeina's hair, and I think you'd really be cooking.

And in another case of Too Much Natan, Princess Marie Astrid repeated the red gown Princess Claire wore to Crown Princess Victoria's wedding in 2010. And I have to say, Marie Astrid did it better.

Who do you say wins these duels?

Photos: Getty Images/Splash/Matthew Williamson

Royal Trend Watch: Wimbledon Style, Part Deux

Turns out, all you need to rustle up a bunch of Windsors is a Jubilee or a Brit in the Wimbledon finals. Scotland's own Andy Murray lost out to Roger Federer yesterday, but it wasn't for lack of (royal) support.

Left to right: Lord Frederick Windsor and Prince Michael of Kent, Tim Taylor, the Duke of Kent (presenting the trophy to Roger Federer with Andy Murray in the background)

Let's start with the gents and their suits, shall we? Your standard range of Kents, with a bonus Tim Taylor, which is always lovely to see.

L to R: Princess Alexandra of Kent, Princess Michael of Kent, Lady Frederick Windsor, Lady Helen Taylor

And then there were the Kent ladies, working their elegant style (well, except for the spot of bedhead on Helen there). Sophie Winkleman wins this for me, in her tennis whites.

L to R: the Duchess of Cambridge, the Duchess of Gloucester

And speaking of tennis whites, of course Kate showed up in hers. Repeating her outfit, of course, as was the Duchess of Gloucester (in her Jubilee outfit, again).

L to R: Pippa Middleton, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (at Princess Athena's christening)

I wouldn't normally throw Pippa in here, but I couldn't resist an informal style duel: who wore the Project D dress best?

Photos: Getty Images/Wimbledon Facebook/Reuters/PA

Wedding Wednesday: 2011's Grooms and Tiaras

Ha! I bet you thought we were moving on this week. NOPE. After we chatted about our favorite royal wedding gowns from 2011 last year (that post has been updated with the poll results, by the way, and you'll never guess who won), it was clear we needed a second round of voting, this time focusing on the...uh...accessories. So, here we go again:

Best in Groom's Attire

By special request of the stunning Mrs. Whit, who had the best groom's outfit in 2011? William's Disney-tastic prince getup? Alexander's basic white tie? Albert's golf-ready white uniform? Rashid's extra medaled-up uni? Mike's standard morning coat? Georg Friedrich's jaunty top hat? The King of Bhutan's psychedelic boots? Do tell:

UPDATE: The poll is closed, and the results are...

1. Prince William, with 51% of the vote
2. The King of Bhutan, 20%
3. Mike Tindall, 9%
4. Prince Georg Fredrich, 8%
5. Prince Rashid, 6%
6. Alexander Johannsman, 5%
7. Prince Albert, 2%

Best Wedding Tiara

A few of you mentioned that you had to judge the tiara apart from the gown, and we certainly won't blame you for that approach around here. So, who sported the best wedding tiara (or tiaras, as the case may be for some lucky brides)? Was it Catherine's resurrection of a long-unseen modest gem? Nathalie's adherence to tradition? Charlene's double header? Zeina's floral number?

Or perhaps you prefer Zara's personality-to-tiara match? Sophie's double tiara turn featuring an additional dose of tradition? Jetsun Pema's crown-plus-tiara extravaganza? Vote it up:

UPDATE: The poll is closed, and the results are...

1. Sophie, with 23% of the vote
2. A tie between Charlene and Catherine, 18% each
3. Jetsun, 16%
4. A tie between Zara and Nathalie, 12% each
5. Zeina, 2%

Photos: Getty Images/Daylife/Bunte/Point de Vue

Wedding Wednesday: Your Favorite Bridal Gown of 2011

As we wind down and look back upon what really has been the Year of the Royal Wedding, it's only natural to ask...

Which is your favorite 2011 royal wedding gown?

Catherine Middleton married Prince William of Wales

Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg married Alexander Johannsman

Charlene Wittstock married Prince Albert II of Monaco

Zeina Shaban married Prince Rashid bin El Hassan of Jordan

Zara Phillips married Mike Tindall

Princess Sophie of Isenburg married Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia

Jetsun Pema married the King of Bhutan

UPDATE: The poll is closed are in! With 1752 votes, the results are:

1. Catherine Middleton, 44% of the votes
2. Charlene Wittstock, 23%
3. Jetsun Pema 18%
4. Zeina Shaban 7%
5. Everybody Else 3% Each

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 4-10 December

Here's what Mette-Marit wore from 4-10 December:

1. Attending the Save the Children party for the Nobel Peace Prize and then receiving the Peace Prize recipients at the palace, 10 December. Oh man, I love that coat. She also wore it when arriving at the ceremony.
2. a) At the Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony, 10 December, in a b) Valentino dress. She added length to the dress, we'll all be happy to note.
3. a) Arriving for the Nobel Banquet, 10 December, in a c) Valentino dress that was, yes, (b) a little bit see-through. Any time we fail to take into account the things that flash photography will do is a fail indeed, I'm sorry to say. Now, as I said, the look had already been done, by Marie-Chantal at Princess Máxima's 40th birthday concert:

And so we must put it to a vote: who wore it best?

UPDATE: The poll is now closed, and Mette-Marit wins it with 63% of your 515 votes!

Photos: Daylife/Style.com/Reuters/Mimote

Royal Style Duel: Charlene vs. Madeleine

Two princesses, out on the same night, in the same city, both in intricately detailed black see through/no wait/not really/just kidding gowns...you know what that means: a duel!

I have to give it to Madeleine: this is one of her best appearances in quite some time, according to me. Who wins it for you? Vote!

Event Roundup: The Duchess of Cambridge in North America

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's North American trip has given us days and days of outfits galore, and now it's time for a little retrospective. You can review all the trip entries here:

Day 1: Arrival and Ottawa

Days 2 and 3: Canada Day and Montreal

Days 4 and 5: Quebec and Prince Edward Island

Days 6 and 7: Northwest Territories

Days 8 and 9: Calgary

Days 10 and 11: Los Angeles

Day 12: Los Angeles and Departure

So, how did she do?

Quibbles about fit, color, and relative hair messiness aside, I think the overall answer is clear: she knocked this trip out of the park. She gave the sartorially-obsessed lot of us plenty to talk about, and yet the fashion remained a footnote to the trip. The focus stayed on the real purpose of the trip: introducing themselves (and their causes) to Canada and the rest of the world. Kate's not a fashionista, and I think that was precisely the note she intended to hit. Mission: accomplished.

But since this is a sartorially-obsessed zone, one last question...

Which look is your favorite?

Vote, and make your case in the comments!

What was your favorite Kate outfit from the North American trip?
	1. Navy Smythe Jacket and Roland Mouret
	2. Navy Erdem
	3. Black Issa
	4. White Reiss with Red
	5. Purple Issa
	6. Gray Catherine Walker
	7. Blue Erdem
	8. White Joseph with or without Jacket
	9. White and Navy McQueen
	10. Nike Jacket with Skinny Jeans
	11. Navy Trench with Skinny Jeans
	12. Beige Malene Birger
	13. Navy Trench
	14. Beige Burberry Shirt with Skinny Jeans
	15. Navy Smythe Jacket and Skinny Jeans
	16. Yellow Jenny Packham
	17. Western Kate #1
	18. Western Kate #2
	19. Red Catherine Walker
	20. Lavender Roksanda Ilincic
	21. Green Diane von Furstenberg
	22. Printed Jenny Packham
	23. Lilac Alexander McQueen
	24. Navy and White Whistles
pollcode.com free polls

Royal Style Duel: Máxima vs. Mathilde

What Ali wants, Ali gets...

Always with the twinsies, Máxima and Mathilde. Which wedding guest outfit is your favorite?

Royal Style Duel: Letizia vs. Mary

What do we have here?

A battle of the LBDs! Letizia and Mary both stepped out this past week in what sure does look to be the exact same dress, from Hugo Boss (just about the only designer these two ever have in common):

Let the battle begin!

Celebrity Style Duel: Rania vs. Reese

It's not just royal ladies that sometimes inadvertently copy each others style; sometimes celebrities get in on the mix, too.

Did you watch the Oscars? I can't handle awards shows (ugh, boring) but I do eagerly await the red carpet photos for a little high-fashion hit the next day. And this year, I couldn't help but feel a slight sense of déja vu:

Reese Witherspoon popped up in an Armani Privé gown strikingly similar to the Armani Privé worn by Queen Rania during a state visit in Italy in 2009.

Besides being a little surprised that each lady would get such similar custom gowns, I had to ask: who wore it best? Before you make your choice, consider the back views:

Rania's is bejeweled. Watch this video to see it sparkle.



Honestly, I prefer Reese. From the front, Rania's is more interesting, but from the back she's just giving off too strong of an Eighties vibe with the sparkle, and the way the white band wraps around, and that hair. Oh, the hair: so many people took issue with Reese's ponytail, but compared to Rania's mess of curls I much prefer it. Then again, I'm not averse to the odd well done ponytail.

Royal Style Duel: Silvia vs. Marie

When Princess Marie turned up at the first gala event for Queen Margrethe's birthday celebrations last April, I was pleasantly refreshed.

Here was Marie, who usually ends up in something more suited to a Hollywood starlet, actually wearing something completely covered up and demure! And doing something different with her hair to boot! Plus, I love a crisp white dress.

And then Queen Silvia busted this repeated Yuki gown out this week:

Here's my question: when an 35-year-old woman and a 67-year-old woman sport the same style, who wins?

Royal Style Duel: Letizia vs. Aimée

 Last year, we saw this Mango dress modeled by our usual Mango model, Letizia:

And this year, it's déja vu my friends, on Dutch Princess Aimée earlier this month:

Suit up, it's time for a duel! Who wore it best?



Me, I'm actually rooting for Letizia. Dark tights with light shoes make me want to crawl in a hole and cry. Plus, I dig the chunky belt. Et toi?

Photos: PPE/Life

Royal Style Duel: Sarah vs. Mary

Poor Sarah Ferguson.

First she voluntarily places herself in fashion competition with her two daughters by dressing ridiculously below her age. Now she's got something that could be age-appropriate, but she's still placing herself in competition with younger princesses in a dress well-known from its outings on Crown Princess Mary.

I love Alexander McQueen (this is from the Fall 2004 RTW collection - both ladies have worn this dress more than once), and I love a purple dress, but I don't know about this one. Seems designed to draw lines exactly where you don't want them.

What do you think?


Photos: Daily Mail/Brennan/Simpson/Marcio Madiera/Style.com

Royal Style Duel: Mary vs. Victoria

Yet another thing I'm way late in covering: another royal twin appearance!

Mary sported this gown first in white at Victoria's private pre-wedding party, followed by Victoria herself in the gray version while on duty with Willem-Alexander:

You think Victoria and Mary had a little fashion chat at the party? That's the scenario I'm going with, just because the picture of a couple of princesses sneaking off for a bit of girl talk makes me smile.

This, of course, is from Malene Birger:

Now, here's something I thought might be fun: let's put it to a style duel and see who wore it best! Cast your vote below:



Photos: Svenskdam