Yay! Duchess Kate is wearing a new outfit! Huzzah! See? I don’t complain when she wears new outfits – I complain when she goes shopping every other day and barely manages one charitable visit a month. But this is a happy day because she wore a new outfit AND she made a charitable visit. Kate and Prince William made an appearance at Child Bereavement UK Charity which “gives families access to support and information when a child grieves or dies.”
Kate wore a rather mod/awesome wool crepe “Redgrave” coat by Goat, which was over a black and white minidress by Topshop, black tights/hose and a pair of Kate’s favorite black shoes (she’s not a shoe person). Although I’m typically against Peter Pan collars (I associate them with Rosemary’s Baby, no joke), I particularly like this gorgeous coat and I love the clean, mod vibe Kate is working. I love a smart black-and-white look, and Kate did well here. One complaint: Kate’s hemline problem has overtaken her Button Problem. The shortness of this skirt does not say “I’m sorry for your grief.” That hemline says “My legs are holding up really well with this pregnancy, don’t you think?”
I also have to say… this is the happiest Kate has looked in a while, right? She’s super-animated and I swear, in some of the photos she was even doing a funny little walk to amuse the crowd. Maybe she’s really happy that she doesn’t have to spend an extra 30 minutes a day doing her hair in perfect sausage curls? Because although she seems to have curled her hair a bit, it really feels like she’s finally let go of her beloved sausage curls. HUZZAH!
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Very Jackie O! 😉
Jackie O’s turning in her grave!. She looks like she’s regressing lately to a little girl. The Peter Pan collar is silly. The shortness of her coats making her all leg recalling a 12 year old. Skyscraper heels with anything that short is OTT.
The last thing she looks is chic or elegant.
Love it!
She looks great, and the extra weight really fills her face out nicely
She’s beautiful.
Great. Pregnant Kate is visiting a Child Bereavement Charity. I find that to be pretty insensitive. And I want to ask this question: why is it that the only thing that is ever discussed about this woman is what she wears? What’s up with that? Is her appearance the only thing that matters?
It’s not the only thing that matters, it’s just the only thing there is to discuss with Kate.
I completely agree. The Palace should have just sent Willy – or anyone else in the royal family except for Waity. It really seemed insensitive to me, too.
The reason why the only comments are about her wardrobe is because this is all there is to talk about regarding this chick. She doesn’t “do” anything other than prance around in her 4 inch heels.
What do you suggest, for Kate to abort? I can imagine no greater personal tragedy than for my child to die, but grief and joy are not zero sum games. Her happiness does not increase a grieving parent’s pain.
seriously who said she should abort? seriously your statement is so bloody illogical . this is william’s charity and i don’t think kate should have been there , it wasn’t necessary for her to be there. it was insensitive of the palace ,not her ,as i blame her handlers to send a pregnant woman to meet parents who have lost their child.
Seagulls
Don’t take it to a crazy extreme to defend Kate. She can’t help the fact that she’s pregnant right now, but this is a serious charity. She looks like she’s having the time of her life meeting people who have lost and consoled children who lost family.
Seagulls was merely pointing out the absurdity of thinking that a pregnant woman couldn’t possible sympathize with child grief.
I wonder if the Child Bereavement Charity is one of her official causes as Duchess? I don’t think it’s insensitive. Insensitive would be bringing her newborn baby with her!
It’s one of William’s charities, not hers. But this was the first time he’s visited the charity!
It’s not just for parent’s who have lost a child, but also for children who have lost a parent/sibling. And looking from the pictures from the charity website, the latter group was the main one she was meeting with.
http://www.childbereavement.org.uk/
So I don’t think she or the charity was being insensitive at all. Her pregnancy isn’t a slap in anyone’s face-like someone said grief and joy and not zero sum games.
Apparently… If her attire is all she’s really about….why isn’t someone in that royal mess making sure her shoes don’t always look scuffed? Just saying. LOL
Her shoes appear to be suede, rather than scuffed. I think she looks great!
She refuses to hire a dresser so presumption is she has no ladies’ maid either hence the scuffed looking shoes.
You’d think William would lend her his valet.
@lak – your comment gave me ‘Downton Abbey’ flashbacks lol
Why is it insensitive? Even parents who have lost a child don’t begrudge other people for having one. Not to mention it sounds like this charity if for the those who grieve the loss of their child at any age, not just young ones who died. And that they work with sibling loss.
India, as a woman who lost a 20 yo son from an auto accident, and also had 7 miscarriages over my lifetime, I see nothing wrong or insensitive with any pregnant woman doing community service visits with grieving families. Visiting with her was probably very therapeutic for them and gave them something to take their minds off their grief. Those of us who have lost children are around pregnant women and other peoples kids all the time, you’d have to be really twisted to feel bad about that.
Loved her outfit btw.
She looks old. They are Kardashians of the UK.
Jesus! I can’t think of a snottier thing to say about someone (not the old part). We have lived near the horrible Kartrashians for years, long before they had their craptastic tv show and I can tell you from firsthand experience that not only are the unbelievably arrogant and conceited and rude, they think they are the only people who matter on earth. They drive like freaking maniacs (all of them) running stop signs, cutting you off, not staying in their lane (we’ve almost been hit by them lots of times), & text while they’re driving. Now that they’re super rich & famous, they now expect to be comped everywhere and not have to wait in line. In any restaurant, instead of taking a table in a corner (for privacy) which they can always have, they have to dominate the room and sit in the center, taking up several tables when they have a group. They are loud and rude and if you are walking opposite them and there isn’t enough room for both, you have to stop and let them pass first. They don’t have even a shred of manners.
There is no way in hell the UK royals, as privileged as they are, come close to the kartrashians.
She looks great, but if we have to see those worked over suede pumps one more time… can’t she just have a rotation of black suede pumps? Or maybe just ditch the suede altogether?
I just basically said the same thing! Shoes tell a lot about a person! Nothing worse than a man in a suit with a scuffed up, worn down pair of shoes!
Can we ditch the black tights too?
The coat is GORGEOUS though!!!
If the hemline was any shorter we would have seen the baby peeking out of her vaj. And whoever thought it was a good idea to send a pregnant woman to a child bereavement center??
William also sounds really callous here: “‘He just mentioned the fact he had lost his own mother. William said ‘you do realise I’ve been in similar circumstances’,’ the father said.” Yeah we all know that Willy boy.
Willy is a cad.
Yes, he sure does work his mother’s tragic death. Harry certainly does not. He just adopts some of his mother’s causes, like land mine eradication and AIDS. A more fitting legacy to Diana.
Agree about the hemline… it seems Kate has decided that her best ‘pregnant’ look is a short, mini-type dress that shows off her legs. For many others, I think this is a cute pregnant look, especially someone who is slender with great legs (and a cute basketball kind of baby bump!), but for Kate, it seems inappropriate.
As for Will’s stupid comments… I have always heard it is a no-no to try to comfort someone who has just lost a loved one by suggesting that you ‘went through something similar’ or that you understand their grief because you too have lost a loved one. Unless you are part of a bereavement group that shares their stores, trying to compare your own ‘similar’ experience to someone who has just suffered a loss makes it about you, which is inappropriate.
Belle
Right on. The last thing a child or anyone wants to hear is that they know how you’re feeling or their pain has been experienced by you. Even if they went through it it’s not the same. It’s dealt with differently. You can share a story, but to say it’s similar is a line crossed.
Agree. Lovely outfit but much too short. Pregnancy suits her, though, she really does look great.
I disagree. When I lost someone I loved the only two people that helped me with what they said were people who went through the same, they shared their stories and their grief with me and that helped me just a little bit to meet someone who understands. Everyone else was “he’s now in a better place”, “there’s a reason for everything” etc and that’s all bullsh**
Mare
It’s not the Golden Rule to only address people that have lost family like that. All are different with circumstances and the people they lost were unique to them.
I personally hated it, but if it helped someone else that’s wonderful. On William’s part though it seems thoughtless for him to say that imo.
Those people helped you because there was follow through i’m assuming. William is only telling them he’s been through the same thing. He knows a thing or 2 about losing a parent. To act like that seems condescending to me.
@ Alexandra Bananarama – Maybe he did say something more? Is there a video, do we really know how the conversation went? I don’t see what he did wrong. It’s hard to say the right thing in those situations. I think it’s just a case of wanting to attack him for everything and because of that interpreting every word he says in negative way.
Mare i took it and interpreted it as i view William. He never came off very caring so it’s opinion based. We may never know the whole conversation. If it was Harry i’d say it was thoughtful because Harry has proven himself very thoughtful. Since William has proven himself uncaring and willing to name toss his mother for any reason i bet that happened.
I think he is cold, distant, and self involved, but again, it’s an armchair diagnosis i’m giving.
I’ve volunteered for a charity like this. For me it is easier to find the right words. I rarely bring up my experience to them. It isn’t about me. I think he made it about him.
That’s my stance.
@Mare: It’s not that he said he’d been through the same thing, it’s the fact that he started his sentence with the phrase “You do realise…”, which sounds very derogatory. One only starts a sentence with “you do realise” when one is trying to put down someone else for insinuating that one did not do X, or that one doesn’t understand X because one has never experienced it–in Will’s case, that he did not lose a parent at a young age, or that he doesn’t understand the grief at loosing a family member. What would be interesting would be to know what the man said to Will right before that, that made Will say “you do realise I’ve been in similar circumstances”.
This coat would look better with pants – or a little longer – for someone of her royal status. I think she has heard from the sugars that her legs and hair are her best features and so she’s trying to demonstrate that now that she can’t show off a tiny waistline. I don’t like the rounded hemline, either. The black and cream combo is nice, though.
The collar looks juvenile to me. It reminds me of prep school. So far, I’ve not been very impressed with her pregnancy wardrobe. Style “icon”? NO.
LOL! It always makes me laugh when people go on about what a ‘style icon’ she is? Uhmm…. to who? Now, I know that a ‘royal’ has to play it safe and can’t be seen in the latest daring Versace frock, but the Scandinavian royals show how it’s possible to be both conservative and stylish. Kate just looks like a 40-something Home Counties housewife who shops in M&S.
The funny thing is Crown Princess Mary wears H&M, Mango, and Zara, and makes them look designer. Kate wears McQueen and it looks budget. She desperately needs a makeover, starting with that awful hair. I think a style like Claire Danes wears to red carpet events would look good.
I am not sure what’s so great about this coat.
It’s nice. She had better coats.
It’s not particularly flattering to her or any other woman’s figure.
Agreed, she has worn far better in the past. It is missing a nice waist and the length is completely inappropriate.
Clothing with a waistline, including coats, often look awkward on a pregnant body… when a woman has no waist line, and a pregnant belly. 😉
I think the length of the coat is fine… it is that short dress (again) under it that is the problem.
Yeah, I’m not crazy about it either but then I really dislike Peter Pan collars. Maybe if it had a bit more structure to it, instead of just a big mass of cream fabric? IDK, I’m not a fan.
Agreed, it’s not that great, to me it looks something my mother would have made me wore when I was six…
i agree too.
Kim Kardashian can a learn a thing or two from the future queen of England on how to dress demure.
Demure? Your joking right? Granted she is classier than Kimmy, but we wouldnt have as many panty-less crotch and ass shots of her as we do if she was so demure.
Btw, there is no such thing as the ‘Queen of England’. Its Queen of The United Kindom and the Commonwealth.
Well excuse me! I didn’t get the memo that they had changed the title from ‘England’ to ‘United Kingdom. Even though you are right it doesn’t mean you have to sound so preachy.
I wasnt being preachy, just letting everyone know. A lot of people get it wrong, I wasnt attacking you so sorry that you took it that way.
@M : actually I overreacted to your comment so I do apologize. It was actually enlightening.
Her legs DO look great! I love this coat but looks like something that can only be worn over very tapered/skinny pants or skirts because of the shape.
I saw old pics of Kate recently and I have to say she did look much more youthful and happy with about 10-15 pounds on her! Her face looked much more luminous
Yes – the pregnancy weight has done wonders for her face. She’s much prettier now.
Love the black and cream, and she looks fabulous. Diana had great legs too and wasn’t afraid to show them. I think Kate is just wearing what is fashionable in skirt length right now (see her assistant), and why wouldn’t she?
I think that now that she’s been in the family for a while and having a kid she’s finally comfortable in herself again. She looks way more relaxed and is wearing more of what she likes and is following her own tastes and not being so matronly.
I notice that pregnant celebrities switch to showing more leg as their belly gets bigger. Maybe it makes them feel sexy or to distract from the belly.
Maybe so. I wore a lot of tunics with leggings before my legs started to seriously swell. I’m quite jealous of how good she is looking! I might start taking a good prenatal vitamin again.
I really wish there was more to this woman than what she wears. Even Kim Kardashian has more substance than Kate. Both being reality stars.
She is only a ‘celebrity’ because people make her one. You can’t follow her every move, read tabloids about her and comment on blogs about her, thus turning her from royal into celebrity and then complain about it.
She does look very happy and energetic. She is definitely NOT a shoe girl but I think that girls who mainly like t wear black, brown, gray can be considered shoe gals they just like to stick to basic colors and let the design speak for itself.
Is her coat considered a swing coat? I’m not sure what it is but I like the silhouette and how it’s bigger and looser on the bottom. She is definitely a coat girl!
Yes! A swing. I love my jcrew swing cardigans. They are so forgiving.
Suddenly she’s wearing all these super short dresses which show off her skinny legs. Perhaps the Duchess is feeling awkward about the pregnancy weight gain and wants to highlight the skinniest part of her body right now – her legs.
+10000
Yes. Other pregnant celebs do it too. Show off more leg to distract from the blooming upper body.
By Goat? Really?
Goat is a really cute company. They’ve been around for some time. Their look is a cross between unfussy Marc Jacobs and 60s era Mary Quant/Twiggy done in plain solid colours. If you recall VB’s initial collection for her Victoria line, it looked like a straight rip off of Goat, which isn’t surprising since VB had taken to wearing a lot of Goat.
It’s a great little label.
Ooh thanks for the info LAK. I will have to check them out.
Love this coat. Totally nowhere near my style but it looks really good on her.
When I hear the word goat, I think of concentrated smelly things.
I have a sweater by Goat. It is just the warmest sweater ever.
It’s rare she looks happy. Maybe Wills decided to break with habit and actually be nice to her on the car ride over. Sometimes she seems like a sad whipped dog craving affection.
What? Is Wills unkind to her sometimes before public events? If so, that’s awful.
To be fair, people are assuming that. 😉
I got the same impression. Will decided to be kind to her. Maybe they even slept under the same roof. She’s got that glow about her and seems comfortable. I hope she didn’t get carried away with her happiness and got Willy annoyed with her again.
The coat collar screams Rosemary’s Baby!
Whipped dog is sadly very accurate to how she looked sometimes.
Wow just seen that Kate is out on another engagement today (wednesday) with the queen, that’s 3 days in a row she has worked! And she’s also working Friday……
Hmmmmm. I wonder if any #@%! hit the fan?
(Up date)
The Sausage curls are back today for the trip out with the queen. 🙂
In the tailored blue coat she wore to the London Underground anniversay today she doesn’t even look pregnant.
Looks like Uncle Gary is shooting his mouth off again – he has given an “exclusive” to the illustrious “Hello” magazine full of nuggets about Kate I’m sure.
The press are throwing him under the bus for being the “first” of Kate’s relatives to cash in. It looks like they’ve never heard of her sister writing that book then.
so true!
I just looked at those new photos, and there are several shots from the side where you can tell she is pregnant. From the front, not so much though.
At the tube event she is quoted as saying ““I used to travel on the tube on a regular basis”. Anyone buying this?
LOL… even if she DID travel that way, what is the point of mentioning it? Just reminds everyone that she travels by helicopter now that she is no longer a peasant!
Actually, I bet she did use the tube. Good thing she didn’t mention now she uses the helicopters in Kensington Gardens.
i think she looks great and i love it.
Can we just take a moment to appreciate her REAL hair.
Look, no wiglet/extensions.
This ladies and gentlemen is her own hair.
I wish she’d leave the extensions at home. Her natural hair is fine.
I am with you!
*applause*
Real hair and a lovely coat… at a charity event! LAK, what is your opinion on the short dresses she has been sporting? I think they look awkward under the coats she has been wearing… and also seem a bit too short for a pregnant royal… Am I off base on that, given that I think a shorter dress is a cute look for many other pregnant women?
My theory about the shorter hemlines is twofold.
My younger cousins/nieces i.e. 16-25yrs all wear short hemlines when asked to dress smartly[whatever the occasion]. Since Kate is mentally still stuck at the age she met William, dressing smart still means dressing short. Her LIW, Rebecca, who is in the pictures above is also in a short skirt. She’s about the same age as Kate. Of course what is acceptable for Rebecca isn’t acceptable for Kate, but we live in hope that she’ll learn.eventually.
I think i agree with everyone else that since she can’t show off her waist, she’s compensating by showing off her legs, particularly to William.
This extra short pregnancy style seems OTT, even for her though. Will she be wearing a belt at the end? The only thing i can applaud is that she’s switched to dark tights, otherwise we would be getting crotch shots.
I did the wiglet check out of habit and sure enough I didn’t see enough evidence to make the claim. I’m thinking extensions because those side bangs should still be slightly visible.
hm, looks exactly the same as usual to me, and I don’t ever see wiglet.
+1, gg
You see what you want and you don’t want to believe her hair is fake. That her hair dresser that specializes in extensions needs 4 hours a week to only give her a blow out. It’s truly that simple. The facts and photographs are there for all to see.
@gg/Originalkitten:- It’s ok. one day, you’ll see it.
What is very plain about this outing, if you can’t see the additions, is that it is normally twice or three times as thick as it is above. You just have to compare thickness to the visit to Grimsby when she had the wiglet on.
I have to say that her change of hairdressers is probably what has separated her from her extensions/sausage curls addiction even if a wiglet is used from time to time. This new hair dresser is giving her the confidence to showcase her real hair which is lovely.
The coat is nice, but the mini & those sad tired, worn out, water stained suede shoes have got to go.
She does look happy & working, which is what she should have been doing for the last 2 years.
LOVE the fact that she appears relaxed and happy while ‘working’!
LOVE the coat… it looks beautiful on her!
LOVE seeing what appears to be her real hair!
Don’t love the short dress, tights or shoes.
Hooray (!) for the 2nd time this week! Waity sports her real hair, WORKS, and looks both good and happy. I wonder is the message finally getting through…
You realize there will be a vacation within 2 weeks time. That’s why she’s tallying up all the “work” hours.
Hope not, but fear you are right. Though would like to hear LAK’s view on this.
My reasoning is simple. In the past there’s a small flush of work before vacations. William appears with Kate in public more often. They will do some things for Easter, but will then consider their quota filled so the press can publish articles about how hard they work and they will sneak away with the Middletons for a vacation.
I understand wanting to hear LAK’s view. CB’s resident Royal Historian.
@littlepony – I am afraid Alexanderbananarama has it right. The annual Middleton ski holiday is coming up soon. WK have yet to turn down a single Middleton holiday. This flrry of activity is to put a credit in the work bank so the peasants don’t grumble too much.
ps:- Did you know that William was made a patron of this charity in 2009 and this is his first visit since he was appointed Patron [he made an initial patron visit then]? And we wonder at Kate’s royal work approach. She’s learning from a shoddy Royal.
Iam really surprsed to read that, LAK. First time he’s been there since 2009 — four years ago?
You’re right. We’ve been pointing our fingers at the wrong person.
(Polishing up pitchfork for revolt at William’s house)
bluhare _ which house? He has several. plus he is as elusive as the scarlet pimpernel!!
Dammit, LAK. I forgot about that. Well not London, because Kate’s there, and not Scotland because he isn’t there much, not the new one they just got because they’re renovating, so I vote Wales because he’ll be as alone as he gets and I bet the natives are restless!
Thanks for the reality check. My feet are now firmly back on the ground again after having somewhat high hopes about Waity developing into a more Scandinavian type of royal.
love the new blue coat she is wearing at today’s event with queen.
Her dress is a little short for the occasion, but I understand what it’s like to be a tall girl- cute dresses sometimes end up being shorter than you’d like.
While I totally disapprove of her new fascination with uber short hemlines I think she looks awesome – both at the bereavement charity and today with the Queen.
Something has clearly changed recently. Four events in a week?? Several of which seem to have come on short notice. I suspect the backlash in the press had an impact.
And I must admit, she looks truly happy to be out and about. This is good. I hope she keeps it up (while taking her skirt length down!)!
p.s. I LOVE what the Queen was wearing today. She also looks great!
i bet there is another vacation on the horizon around ester holiday.
The Queen did look lovely, didn’t she? I hope she is getting her strength back and feeling better!
Totally agree re the short hemlines, Mich. She could drop them a notch or two and no look so bloody obvious.
I love this look – clean lines, great color, and a little style to bring the fashion forward. I really like her hair and I believe it’s all hers in these shots.
This is the best I’ve seen her look since the wedding.
Plus she’s working, smiling and bringing up a slightly goofy side of her personality to the proceedings.
i’m not saying she can’t be goofy and show personality at events. It would be nice if she did that more often. However, I can’t believe she’s taking this trip very seriously. Of all the charity visits she decides to be goofy at this one? I hope she was more solemn inside when families were sharing stories.
Please don’t take this as a damned if she does/doesn’t argument. It just comes off very inappropriate. She needs to find that balance and learn how to relate to people. Or fake it better.
I did think about this as well. It is great to see Kate appear to be happy at an event, and I hope that she was reacting to the people who were there… as in, people were genuinely happy to see her and expressed this, so Kate responded in kind.
Well I certainly hope that she was appropriately respectful inside. I think it’s fine to be happy and a little goofy with the crowd outside. They came to see royalty and its nice when the royals look happy to see them.
Plus they are on a city street.
It would have been different if they had been visiting a Holocaust memorial or something where the very ground beneath your feet is sacred.
If I had those legs, I’d be showing them off, too.
I was thinking the same thing. Great legs.
I don’t have a problem with the short hem, mainly because she’s wearing tights. But Kate’s whole persona during this visit…I have a problem with that. She should have had on Somberface due to the nature of the charity.
She probably took her cue from the people she spoke with at the event. If they were happy and delighted to see her then she reciprocated in kind. If a person was somber and sad then she probably respected their feelings and turned down the happy, happy stuff while she was with that person. It’s just being polite.
It’s a nightmare getting heavy makeup off Peter Pan collars. I remember the 80s. (*cough*)
Lol her face in pics two and three are killing me! Though I agree she looks really good, if a little sexy, for a grief centre.
I think this should have been paired with a lighter-colored outfit. but she looks great.
She looks great! Kind of “pregnant Princess Di” in that she’s going Twiggy/innocent/simple shape here. Above all, nice to see her having fun.
Keep up the work, Kate, while you feel energetic!
Cute coat … but it’s a coat for a pants outfit … not a tacky dress with tights