Year in Review: 2013's Bests From Our Regulars

We have a handful of leading ladies around here that we follow regularly, and now it's time to reminisce about the best they looked this whole year - one of my favorite things to do. So! Much! Pretty!

I always enjoy going back through the year as a refresher, but in truth, I'm looking for the outfits that made such an impression they require absolutely no refresher. We're talking about the best of the whole year, after all. And you guessed it, those often come from those extra special events. These are my personal favorites, one for each lady...

Queen Máxima

Look at that, I'm sneaking two in right away: I think the glory that was Queen Máxima on inauguration day deserves a second best, which is excellent because I've recently decided that I am just as enchanted by the lace gown she wore during the evening celebrations as I was by the caped wonder she sported for the inauguration ceremony. (Both by Jan Taminiau, of course.) We know now that she has dipped back to her old ways in the months since, but never mind. We'll always have April 30th.

Queen Mathilde

Mathilde took a much lower key approach to her outfit the day her husband became king, but the official portrait they released included all the regal fierceness you could want: a simple Natan gown done in a strong color which played beautifully off of the purple of her Order of Leopold, a mega diamond brooch, and a new-to-her tiara development in the form of the bandeau from the Nine Provinces Tiara. A queen indeed!

Crown Princess Victoria

This one is easy. Soooo easy. Victoria's stunning Fadi El Khoury gown at her sister's wedding has certainly earned a spot on my list of all-time royal faves, right up there with Máxima's double best. Plus, everyone knows that WEE ESTELLE and a purse- and pacifier-toting Prince Daniel are the ultimate accessories. We got some jewel news out of it, too: this was a first appearance for Victoria in Lilian's Laurel Wreath Tiara and in the necklace Lilian so loved to wear.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit

Another number from Madeleine's wedding, Mette-Marit and her Emilio Pucci gown paired with her amethyst tiara. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: all this one has to do is bust out a train in pastel and there's a 95% chance I'll be sold.

Crown Princess Mary

Mary's Birgit Hallstein gown for the pre-inauguration dinner in the Netherlands took my breath away when she wore it, and it still does. Just so darn elegant. Add this to the list of all-time faves.

Princess Letizia

I'm surprising myself here, but the heart wants what it wants. This is the lone best of the year that came from a regular event (an audience) and not a big fancy special occasion. And yet there's something about her Felipe Varela combo that just sticks - it's classic, but the animal print makes sure it still has that Letizia stamp on it.

The Duchess of Cambridge

As much as I would like to put her second-ever tiara appearance here, we don't know much about what that dress looked like! I'm going with wee George's christening instead, in custom cream Alexander McQueen.

Yes, we will have a look at some bests from other ladies (and also some worsts...), so stay tuned for those. Until then:

Which outfits make your list of personal bests for our leading ladies this year?

Photos: Getty Images/Jan Taminiau/Belgian Monarchy/Fadi El Khoury/Felipe Varela/PA

Wedding Wednesday: Victoria at Royal Weddings

Since we're inching closer to the sparklefest of the Nobel Prizes in Sweden in December, and since I'm still thinking about Crown Princess Victoria's appearance at her sister's wedding earlier this year, I decided to dig up Victoria's royal wedding appearances over the years: the bold, the beautiful, and the bland. She's been attending royal weddings for a long time and she goes to, well, pretty much all of them, so there's no shortage here to discuss - in fact, there's too much, and this is not comprehensive.

And we're off! To a very bland start, I'm afraid. With the exception of the amethysts in Norway in 2002, these are a primarily forgettable bunch - style still under construction.

Something about Spain in 2004 brought out her experimental side, because yes, that is a jumpsuit with an attached cape there in the blue. The orange for the day wedding with barely a fascinator in place was quite a departure too. We also have here a wedding repeat (2008 and 2010), and a tiara repeat (poor Denmark, always with the Four Button).

Victoria's style has much improved, but it's still a bit of a mixed bag - the day weddings are greatly enhanced by the evening appearances, and forever saved by that dreamy creation from Madeleine's wedding. Certainly on my list of favorites for the year, and absolutely, without competition, my favorite here.

Which one's your favorite?

Photos: Getty Images/Rex/Polfoto/Scanpix/IBL/WireImage

Princess Madeleine’s Wedding: The Royal Family

Princess Madeleine’s immediate family gave us so much to talk about with their royal wedding attire, they get a post of their own!

The King wore the mess dress model 1878 uniform of an admiral in the Swedish Navy, with the Order of the Seraphim sash and star, the star of the Order of Vasa, and the neck badge of the Order of the Sword, plus chest decorations. He walked the bride down the aisle, before they were met by the groom; he did the same with Crown Princess Victoria, and it caused some controversy since fathers walking their daughters down the aisle is not a standard Swedish tradition. But it seemed right here, with so much of the ceremony in English and nods to the culture of the British-American groom.

Since her husband was accompanying the bride, Queen Silvia arrived on the arm of her son, Prince Carl Philip, who was dashing in the mess dress model 1878 of a captain in the Swedish Amphibious Corps with the Order of the Seraphim and other chest decorations. The Queen’s dress was described by the Royal Court as “a jade-coloured dress with a train. The dress is silk organza with embroidered silk lace and Swarovski stones.” With it, she wore Queen Sofia’s/Sophia's Tiara, known around here as the Nine Prong Tiara, or the Pronger, or Sil’s Favorite Party Antlers. Longtime readers know that I don’t have a lot of love for this diadem, but I’ll say this: it did its job today, and was sparkly and grand as can be.

(Though she is not a member of the royal family and attended as a regular guest, I'll also give a shout out to Carl Philip's girlfriend Sofia Hellqvist, who I thought looked lovely and purposefully understated in her lilac frock and gold jewels.)

Crown Princess Victoria arrived with Prince Daniel, in tails and the Order of the Seraphim just like the rest of the family and gamely carrying pacifiers and purses as needed because he’s a solid dude like that, and wee Princess Estelle! Estelle got her own little chair for the service, though she seemed to prefer climbing on various family members. She also got a class in blowing kisses to the bride from her dad. It’s probably a good thing they didn’t try and outfit her in the baby sash she wore at her christening, because that would have truly done me in.

Honestly, Victoria’s dress alone has practically done me in: I’m in love, y’all. The court describes it as “a greige rosé dress with aubergine accents. The dress is made from hand-dyed double-sided silk organza with layers of hand-dyed tulle in three shades, silk threads, Lurex threads, pearls and Swarovski crystals in amethyst and pale grey opal.” It’s been reported to be the work of couture designer Fadi El Khoury. With the gorgeous detailing and dramatic train, it could have been a scene stealer, but the muted color makes sure it doesn’t take away from the bride.

Victoria also wins mega points for her jewels. My guess, and hope, was that she would wear the laurel wreath tiara of the late Princess Lilian, and she did me one better: she wore both the tiara and the diamond necklace which was a favorite of Lilian’s. The necklace is made from a stomacher that belonged to Queen Josephine, which you can tell because it’s a slightly odd shape for the necklace. But this dress must have been made to showcase it, and it works perfectly. A beautiful way to bring Lilian’s memory along. Definitely one of my favorite looks – probably of the whole year.

How did you rate the royal family’s outfits?

Photos: Pool/Scanpix/Getty Images/Reuters