Weekly Royal Fashion Awards: October 6-14

Most...Interesting

Queen Mathilde

Video: The King and Queen visit Liège

This hairy little number is from Belgian designer Veronique Branquinho. And all I can say is that if Mathilde's response to calls for her to add some variety to her Natan-filled Belgian wardrobe is to don her Sesame Street Halloween costume early...well, we're in for an interesting ride! (Also up this week, another non-Natan outfit: a sparkly dose of Armani.) 

Best in Visits

Crown Princess Victoria

Left to Right: Victoria at a meeting for the International Paralympic Committee (with plenty of other royals) and at a seminar, the Swedish royal family welcoming the Dutch King and Queen for a one day visit, and Máxima in Washington

Pretty sure that red dress would qualify as a Máx favorite, but alas it is overshadowed by all that excess fabric in Sweden - and Victoria instead is left to shine in her simple and sleek blue number from Tiger of Sweden.

Best in Annual Events

Princess Letizia

Video: The Prince and Princess of Asturias attend the military parade on National Day in Spain

Letizia was at her prim and proper best in a berry dress with a light pink jacket for the parade - though I may like it better without the jacket (as seen later at the reception), I do enjoy the color pairing.

Best of the Rest

Crown Princess Mary

L to R: Letizia at a trade fair in Germany, opening a vocational course, and at an awards ceremony; Mary at a meeting, at the opening of a joint exhibit of the creative works of Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik, and pictured as part of a pictorial and interview given in advance of the couple's trip to Australia (click here for more on that).

This is more of a tie, really - the rest of Letizia's pink week and Mary's regular deal. So I freely admit that it is the event here that sways me: Margrethe and Henrik in a joint artistic exhibit. How cool is that?! And they continue to hold their spots on my list of Royals I'd Like to Drink With.

And an Honorable Mention to...

Princess Charlene

Attending a Ralph Lauren event in Paris

Yes, in her purple and her jewels there's only one thing to say: Charlene killed it.

Who was your best dressed last week?

Photos: Getty Images/BestImage/Kungahuset/Casa Real/Sex og Samfund via Kongehuset/Stiften/Good Weekend

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

Week in Review: Crown Princess Victoria, 18-24 September

Here's what Victoria wore from 18-24 September:

1. Attending a memorial in Uppsala, 18 September.
2. Visiting Turku in Finland, 19 September, a) with and b) without coats. Different shooties are still shooties. Sigh.
3. Official dinner in Turku, 19 September. Ah! Very thankful for the repeated color and print.
4. Day 2 of the Turku visit, 20 September.
5. Attending an emergency simulation exercise, 21 September.
6. At the opening of "Victoria Square" in Haparanda Tornio, 22 September. Three shootie appearances in one week. I have a headache.

Photos: Lehtikuva/Purepeople/Abaca/Suomen Kuvalehti/Kaleva

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

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

1. Attending a boat detachment as part of the Sustainable Seas seminar, 12 September. So this is basically just the navy version of the black one she has.
2. At the International Paralympic Committee meeting in the Netherlands, 13 September. And this is basically the maroon version of all the rest of the dresses she's worn so far in the pregnancy.
3. Attending the opening of the Swedish Parliament, 15 September. But THIS is how you do it, see. This is how we do the sorta-maternity wear.
4. At the Opera House, continuing the Parliament celebrations, 15 September. And this is NOT. No, no. I know some of you have given Vic here a free pass on account of how adorably happy she is, but this is a shower curtain and a tent and a muumuu, and she's too cute to be dressed like that. Also, I find the necklace a bit dubious.

Strange. Queen Silvia was thoroughly typical for the whole Parliament extravaganza, which leaves Madeleine to be my star.

She's so hit and miss, but when she gets it right, I think her take on the trendy young princess look is the best one around. (And in case you're wondering: black and white is the dress code for the Parliament opening, they didn't just all wake up feeling boring.)


Photos: lehtikuva,fi/Bekia/Expressen/Stella Pictures/Belga

Week in Review: Crown Princess Victoria, 28 August - 3 September

Here's what Victoria wore from 28 August - 3 September:

1.  Naming a paddle steamer boat, 29 August, in a symphony of beige.
2. Attending the 2011 Polar Music Prize ceremony, 30 August. I find this...questionable. Questionable sheerness, questionable hair...just questionable.
3. Visiting Gothenburg, 31 August, with (a) and without (b) the coat. SHOOTIES. Yes, I am having a conniption, you called it right. What a cute, swingy take on the sack dress she's favoring on account of the bébé...ruined by a dubious pair of boots. Le sigh.
4. Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Swedish National Union of Local Governments, 2 September. A cute little tropical antidote to those horrible winter shooties.

Photos: Svenskdam/ANP

Week in Review: Crown Princess Victoria, 24-30 April

Here's what Victoria wore from 24-30 April:

1. Easter with Daniel's family, 24 April.
2. Pre-wedding dinner in advance of the royal wedding, 28 April.
3. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding, 29 April, a) on Victoria, and b) from Elie Saab. My favorite!
4. Attending a wedding after party at Pavlos and Marie-Chantal's house, 29 April. Update: This dress is from Filippa K.
5. Back in Sweden for the 65th birthday of the King, 30 April. And...back to suits and ponytails. She gets an excuse for being in London until midnight and back in Stockholm by noon on duty again, I guess.

What's your favorite outfit this week?

Photos: Aftonbladet/Getty Images/Daylife/ANP