2011 in Review: Princess Mathilde

Best of the Year

Oh, help. As much as I harp and harp about color, the truth is that few things can make me go as weak as a simply perfect white dress. And Mathilde, at Princess Maxima's 40th birthday concert, got it exactly right. Stunning, end of story.

Runners Up

Visions in white aside, the best thing about Mathilde's style is that she's not afraid of color. Hot pink, orange (times 2), red leather, even leopard all make my list of favorite 2011 looks out of Belgium. And just because I'm a sucker for anything with even a teensy hint of retro, one all black ensemble sneaks in.

Worst of the Year

If color is the best thing about Mathilde's sartorial m.o., the worst thing is that she sometimes seems to lose her sense of what works for her. She struggles with fit, and where exactly the waist should be stuck. This outfit hits both of those problem areas, while adding a third: it's just not the kind of thing she can pull off. She did something I wish she'd do more of, which is explore non-Natan Belgian designers (this is Dries Van Noten), but she picked something that simply must be worn with a certain runway nonchalance. But on Mathilde, with her earnest and sweet persona, it's just a pair of too-big too-short trousers and a baggy shirt.

Which outfits make your best and worst lists for Mathilde in 2011?

Photos: Purepeople/Abaca/Isopix/Daylife

2011 in Review: Princess Máxima

Best of the Year

You'd think one of her tiara appearances would end up my best for the whole year, wouldn't you? No, no. Instead, I picked an appearance that exemplifies my two favorite things about Máx: her ability to turn up the style dial at just the right moment, and her talent for inserting as much bling as humanly possibly into a non-blingy occasion. This Valentino is just perfect and flattering and demure, all while working a turban. And for jewels, she went with diamond stars on the hat, a diamond necklace instead of plain old pearls or something, plus earrings. If I did it over again, either she or Princess Ameerah would win my pick for best dressed foreign royal at the Cambridge wedding.

Runners Up

A little bit of purple in Germany, a little bit of mustard in Monaco (ha! Only Máxima could make mustard sound appealing), a little of a blue lampshade in Monaco, a lot of blue in the Caribbean, RED - enough said, and divine black. The best of the best.

Worst of the Year

Alas, you know how it is with Princess Máxima: there are just as many candidates for the worst as there are for the best. Though I considered a turn in knickerbockers (uh, yeah) and the gold number that I just don't understand how so many of you loved (did you see what it did to her...er...chestal region? Did you?), I'm going with the most unfortunate of sartorial mishaps: the accidental see-through problem (speaking of chestal regions...). One simply must account for the hazards of flash photography. And also: what else is happening here? Some kind of sparkly collared top, but still with that hair that is the bane of so many of your existences. Baffling.

Which outfits make your best and worst lists for Máxima in 2011?

Photos: Daylife/Getty Images/Dutch Photo Press

2011 in Review: Grand Duchess Maria Teresa

Best of the Year

The same dress could probably be a candidate for worst of the year for some of you for its second appearance, but that just goes to show you that styling is everything. For now, Elie Saab remains the king.

Runners Up

It's all about silhouette. When it's right (and it was in Norway and on National Day), it's grand...

Worst of the Year

...and when it's wrong, it's slightly disastrous. Oh, MT. Let's don't turn ourselves into metallic bells ripe for ringing any more in the new year, okay?

Which outfits make your best and worst lists for Maria Teresa in 2011?

Photos: Daylife/Wort/Tageblatt

2011 in Review: Princess Letizia

Best of the Year

While scratching my head monkey-style trying to remember what I loved this year, I just wrote "The Mango" for Leti. And here we are: The Mango. Both retro and fresh, and one of her most glowing appearances. I have a girl crush on this specific look to be sure.

Runners Up

Let me tell you what I like about the gray and black business up there: the hair. Why doesn't she do it like that more often? I swear, she looks ten years younger. Anyway, back to the clothes: of course I loved her fairy tale turn the night before William and Kate's wedding - it was so surprising from such a no-nonsense dresser! - and I also loved her playful red and pink combo as well as the freshness of a white suit and a white minidress (more mod!).

Worst of the Year

Though I strongly considered anything falling in the "jumpsuit" range (such as this or this), in the end, what gets me about Letizia overall had to go on the chopping block: the business casual stuff. This is at a military graduation ceremony (as was this one, equally casual)...I'm sorry, but I just find that terribly inappropriate for one of the guests of honor. Happily, after these incidents I seemed to detect a slight shift towards dressing up, so maybe I won't have to ride quite so high on my own jeans-wearing horse next year.

Which outfits make your best and worst lists for Letizia in 2011?

Photos: Daylife/Zimbio

Week in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge, 25-31 December

Here's what Catherine wore from 25-31 December:

1. First church service of the day, 25 December. That's a lotta churchin' in a day. I suppose you better be game for a double-header church service if you're going to sign up for life as the wife of the future head of the Church of England.
2. a-d) Christmas service, 25 December, in a Jane Corbett hat, Mascaró shoes, new Kiki McDonough earrings (green amethyst with diamonds) and a coat by an independent British designer, who I don't think has been found out yet. I love that she used an independent designer, but I wish they would've stated the name. I mean, McQueen would still be McQueen with or without Kate - let's make some new fashion careers while we're at it! Talk about your economic stimulus. But, I digress...back to the outfit. This is, as I said, a bit of hat déjà vu from Remembrance Day, but I like it better with this sort of coat.

Photos: Zimbio/Daily Mail/Grazia

2011 in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit

Best of the Year

I like it when she gets saucy on us. This is the only Mette-Marit appearance that truly made my jaw drop this year. What can I say? Sometimes you have to wait a while between stunners from her, but she's got some serious game when she feels like playing it.

Runners Up

I just love it when she puts those little caps on the back of her head. Probably would hate it on anyone else, but with her nearly white hair and striking features, it just works. I also like it when she gets her LBD on, and also her purple on, and her perfect princess on, with a special mention for getting her national costume on. Gorgeous.

Worst of the Year

I fully expect her oddly colorful, slightly Oompa Loompa schoolgirl look to garner many mentions here, but for me, the worst was the height of something that brings her whole look down for me: such casually thrown together combos. What was with the business coat thrown over the frilly dress? She usually restricts her odd combos and too-basic business wear to her everyday dealings, but this one stuck out for being included in a state visit.

Which outfits make your best and worst lists for Mette-Marit in 2011?

Photos: FVN/Getty Images/Daylife/Aftenposten/AVB

Best of 2011: Crown Princess Victoria

Best of the Year

Well, let's be honest here: our V's had a rough sartorial year, particularly since the baby's come on board. Poor love. The best of that tough time, then, must make my best list: the Nobel Prize ceremony. Blingy, fitted, and blingy again. Done and done.

Runners Up

Runners up include things that fit well (the black with the waist, perfect), explosions of color (red the night before William and Kate's wedding, hot pink, and an early maternity turn in aqua) and a little bit of a sexy take on your standard royal wedding attire (also because you know I had to have some Elie Saab up in here).

Worst of the Year

The tent dresses. The tents and the SHOOTIES. This is by far the worst tent/shower curtain/muumuu she wore, because it is just so comically huge (and again, it's not maternity wear! This bad boy is made for people that don't have a bump to conceal!). If she'd put the shooties on with it, she'd've killed me. Killed me dead. I also have to throw out (dis-)honorable mentions for a double dose of snakeskin...at the Holocaust Memorial, and her odd showing at the Monaco wedding. I should state though, all grousing aside, I still heart her and I will miss her next year, as we're bound to see her disappear for maternity leave and other assorted baby business.

Which outfits make your best and worst lists for Victoria in 2011?

Photos: Daylife/Getty Images/Svenskdam

2011 in Review: Crown Princess Mary

Best of the Year

In a year ruled by navy and beige and blergh, there's no way the most aggressive use of color all year wasn't getting a special mention from me, the eternal color cheerleader. This is a stunning shape on Mary, and slyly interesting in its color combo. A+.

Runners Up

We didn't get very much Mary this year, comparatively speaking, what with the babies and all. But the perfectly simple christening outfit, the rest of her outfits from Monaco (easy and breezy in white on arrival and a perfect ocean teal at the wedding), the intriguing blue tweed, the perfect print, and the reworked Swedish wedding gown all stood out. That last one was a close runner up to the ultimate winner for me. So, so elegant.

Worst of the Year

The curious run of mismatched pieces in New York paired with the accidentally va-va-voom gold number nearly did me in, but in the end this droopy Prada gets the "prize". I know some of you like it, but I. Do. Not.

Which outfits make your best and worst lists for Mary in 2011?

Photos: Purepeople/Abaca/Hello/Daylife

Week in Review: Princess Mathilde, 18-24 December

Here's what Mathilde wore from 18-24 December:

 

1. At memorial for the victims of the attack in Liege, 20 December.
2. Visiting the Queen Fabiola Children's Hospital on its 25th anniversary, 21 December.

Photos: Deredactie

2011 in Review: Princess Charlene

Best of the Year

Behold, the gown that gets my personal vote for Best Royal Wedding Gown of 2011. None of her other outfits even came close here...the hair, the hair ornament, the makeup, the veil, the whole thing. Char never looked better.

Runners Up

See what I did there? Are you on to my game? Yeah...I picked out most of the colorful Charlene appearances for the year. She's been such a festival of beige n' black n' gray this year (let's just call this collectively the blergh color family from now on), I had to go for the two luscious greens and the hot pink - which, even though I still think her makeup was tragic, was the best in color for her all year. Color! It's essential for the blondes, these are things I know first hand! Also making my runners up are kicky prints and youthful stripes. And I made two exceptions from the blergh color family for her princess perfect appearance at Westminster Abbey and her chic National Day day outfit. See, when you do it right, all is well...just don't do it exclusively, is all I'm saying.

Worst of the Year

Coulda put all the beiges and blacks here, grumble grumble grumble. But - with great restraint - I have picked but one: a peek-a-boob (and tummy) jumpsuit (yeah, I think it was a jumpsuit) with some of the worst royal hair we saw all year. Thankfully she's got a handle on the hair these days (though not always...).

What makes your best and worst lists for Charlene in 2011?

Photos: Getty Images/Daylife/Zimbio/Palais Princier

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mary, 18-24 December

Here's what Mary wore from 18-24 December:

1. a) Doing some shopping, 20 December, in b) a coat from Prada.
2. Christmas Eve church service, 24 December.

Photos: bt.dk

2011 in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge

Best of the Year

Boom! The late entry wins the game at the buzzer! Yeah, I lurve it. The dress is just divine, I think this is the most flattering thing she wore the whole year. Like so many of you noted, I have some reservations about the necklace (I'd take the ruby flower deals off, that's too wee and twee for my tastes), but: she wore it. And what did I say about that? Step 1: put the diamonds on. Step 2: do other things. Here's hoping for a blingy new year!

Runners Up

I love a killer shoe and I love purple - these are not secrets well kept. Therefore, the very first Kate appearance of the year must make my list of runners up. Nods also go to what I found to be two of her most young, fresh, and feminine takes on the old school jacket and dress/skirt combo, the blue and black and the crochet look (which I know some of you will very much disagree with me on). At the time of the big tour, I favored her lilac Roksanda Ilicnic dress, but fickle me has now switched my affections to the twirly purple McQueen. The pink Jenny Packham was actually going to be my #1 until the black velvet slinked in at the buzzer because, well, I love a sparkly "Look at me!" number. I just do. Sue me.

And then there's the wedding gown. The wedding gown is in here simply because I recognize that it would be ludicrous not to include it, though I still agree with my first impressions. Thus, I include my favorite view: the train, which is and was perfection.

Worst of the Year

Nobody has a perfect year, alas. I thought about the Salmon Stella, which is probably the only thing I'd call an actual hot mess for the Duchess' whole year, and I thought about a couple of the entirely oatmeal ones - seriously, contrast is your friend - but I'm giving my title to the Alexander McQueen outfit worn to visit the aftermath of the riots. And that actually has nothing to do with how the thing looks (though I do stand by my initial assessment, which was: work it or go home).

No, this is about public relations. Katemania dictates that everything she wears will be analyzed to death and just a hair beyond that, and there's nothing she can do to stop it. It's a monster, and it's coming for all of us. But the newest Duchess on the block is a careful player in the sartorial game. She's done her best to restrain the debate over her outfits...except for this one. Debuting a pricey ensemble on this particular occasion was a misstep. I don't care if it personally offended you or not (it didn't bother me), but it was a rare PR mistake, and for that, I hereby dub it the Worst of the Year.

Which outfits make your best and worst lists for Catherine in 2011?

Photos: Daylife/Getty Images/Hello/AP

Week in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge, 18-24 December

Here's what Catherine wore from 18-24 December:

1. Arriving for the annual big fat royal Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, 19 December. Anybody up for a round of Caption This? Here's my entry: "I'm in a car, the windows are blurred with rain, you can't see past my shoulders...are you seriously going to try and analyze my outfit? Seriously?"
2. a) At The Sun Military Awards, 19 December, in a b) a custom Alexander McQueen. Delish, still.
3. a) Visiting Centrepoint, 21 December, in b) a Ralph Lauren sweater dress. Would've stuck with the brown accessories myself, but I think black is her default. But what's the point of getting all dressed up when you're just going to be out-dorked by your hubs anyway?

While the world awaits a lil' Cambridge announcement, Prince William perfects his embarrassing dad dance moves.

UPDATE: Kate and Harry watched William play football on Christmas Eve in a sweater from Temperley London, a jacket from LK Bennett, and Le Chameau boots.

  
Photos: Daylife/Getty Images/Net-a-porter/Ralph Lauren/Lynn News

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 11-17 December

Here's what Letizia wore from 11-17 December:

1. Attending a lunch at the palace, 13 December.
2. At a ceremony for the Prince of Girona Foundation, 14 December. Again with the strangely matched shoes. Why?

We also got a glimpse of the family's Christmas card this week, prepare your awwws:

 

Photos: Daylife/Getty Images

Week in Review: Crown Princess Victoria, 11-17 December

Here's what Victoria wore from 11-17 December:

1. The King's dinner for the Nobel laureates, 11 December. Wow, some of you really hated this one. I don't know...it still doesn't bother me. Mind you, I'm working with a SHOOTIE and non-maternity dress frame of mind.
2. a) Meeting the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, 12 December, in b) a By Malene Birger dress.
3. a and b) Receiving the palace Christmas trees, 15 December. Still looking for an appropriately funky canvas for that Lanvin for H&M necklace, I see.

Photos: Svenskdam/Malene Birger/Kungahuset

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mary, 11-17 December

Here's what Mary wore from 11-17 December:

1. Shopping with her sisters in Australia, 12 December, in a repeated Heartmade top and some saucy Nike kicks.

Photo: Bauer Griffin/Zimbio

Gold Star: Cambridge Black and Bling

Did your teacher give out gold stars when you were a kid? Mine did. And while sometimes those stars were for a job perfectly done, other times they were for progress well made. You know, a little encouragement along the way. It is in this spirit that I award the Duchess of Cambridge her first ever Gold Star.

Because tonight, at The Sun Military Awards, Catherine busted out her first major piece of ice since that tiara she wore that one time - a new necklace and bracelet, a wedding gift. Seems to be a diamond necklace with circles of diamonds alternating with fringes ending in petite flowers made of colored stones, maybe rubies. The bracelet appears to be a part of the demi-parure, as we can see the same motif and colored stones. (And we pause for a FAQ quick hit: What are the stones? Don't know for sure. Who gave them to her? Don't know. Can it be a tiara too? Don't know. Isn't the bracelet just the one she's worn before but with different inserts? Doubt it, as they're different scale and have different spacing.) She paired these pieces with the same diamond earrings we've seen several times before.

These are the most substantial jewels we've seen her wear, and simply breaking them out is something worth a little applause around here. The velvet Alexander McQueen gown is applause-worthy too - simple and black, but it fits her incredibly well. Stunning. And when you have a piece like that necklace, you don't need competition.

Would it have been MAJOR jumpy claps if she would've pulled the hair back? Yes. Are there other things to pick at? Of course, and I'm sure many of you will do so in the comments. But, baby steps. Step 1: put the diamonds on. Step 2: do other things. Gold Star, Catherine.

And another two Gold Stars for her escorts, Cambridge No. 2 and Prince Harry, for suiting up the James Bond way. You can never go wrong with a tux.

Photos: Getty Images/Reuters/Daylife/Just Jared/Grazia

Week in Review: Princess Charlene, 11-17 December

Here's what Charlene wore from 11-17 December:

1. At the Arbre de Noel for Monaco's children, 14 December. See, appearances like this are what get me. Elegant silhouette, great classy hair...beige beige beige.
2. a and b) Spreading more Christmas joy, 15 December. Much better with just even a little pop of blue!
3. Visiting College Charles III (a school), 16 December. If it isn't beige, it's black! This one has a little off-duty nun flair to it.
4. Receiving an award and attending a charity gala in Berlin, 17 December. Color! A whole outfit of it! A shade of red I'll call "almost brown". I think she looks fab, in what I'm guessing is Akris (of course).

Photos: Daylife/GettyImages/Frederic Nebinger/WireImage/Purepeople/Junior/BestImage

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 11-17 December

Here's what Mette-Marit wore from 11-17 December:

1. a) At the Nobel Peace Prize Concert, 11 December, in b) Emilio Pucci. The whole look, right down to those hot shoes, straight off the runway. Rawr.
2. Dinner with the artists performing in the Crown Prince and Crown Princess' holiday concert.
3. a) The Christmas concert, 15 December, in b) Valentino. Thank the fashion gods she didn't go for the ruffled collar, am I right?

Photos: Reuters/Daylife/Style.com/Hans Frederik Asbjørnsen/The Royal Court

Week in Review: Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, 4-10 December

Here's what Maria Teresa wore from 4-10 December:

1. At the closing of the European Year of Volunteering, 5 December.
2. Hosting a reception at the Grand Ducal Palace, 8 December.
3. The Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony, 10 December. I think the side view shows the good the dress can do, when not chopped in half by a sash.

Photos: Ministry of Family and Integration/Cour gr ducale/Svenskdam