Duchess Kate has already done TWO royal events in 2015. Remember this time last year? Kate pretty much went dark for like three months. It was sort of crazy. But she’s got a new American press secretary and I guess he’s convinced her that if she’s going to take off for a month to Mustique and then take off two years for “maternity leave,” she better get through some events right now. Kate met “foster carers” in London today at The Fostering Network. You can read more about the event here, plus the new Kensington Royal Twitter has lots of photos and stuff here.
Let’s talk clothes! She wore this brown jacquard dress from Hobbs, which apparently only costs £50 (about $75). I don’t believe this dress was originally intended as maternity wear – it seems like something that was bought oversized and then tailored to fit Kate’s bump. And you can tell that it’s been altered, especially in the back. In yesterday’s post, I noticed a lot of you were talking about the poor quality on so many of Kate’s alterations. Word. You guys are totally right. Sometimes, the alterations don’t even make sense, like adding a panel of fabric to a jacket so it can be worn as a miniskirt, rather than just investing in the coordinating pants or skirt.
What else? I find it weird that Kate wears coats as dresses (and never takes off those coats, even when she’s inside) and then she goes coat-less when it’s obviously pretty cold during an outdoor meet & greet. I also find it odd that she’s been doing so many dark colors while meeting with children (but hot pink for the 9/11 Memorial?). And maybe this is just a minor quibble, but I really hate black or navy tights with brown clothes. They make brown tights! She could have easily done a monochromatic look with brown tights and brown heels with this dress, but she went with black tights and black shoes instead. Is this just a Southern thing for me? In the South, that’s a styling rule: don’t style your brown ensemble with black shoes. And we know she has brown shoes too! Tell me: do brown & black combos make anyone else’s eye twitch? Is it just me?
Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.
How about the elephant in the room – that with around 2/12 months to go she barely looks pregnant. Christ girl put some effort in, like Beyoncé did, that is NOT a 6 month plus second pregnancy belly.
Everyone shows differently. Are you implying she can help how big her bump is?
I’m not judging her body either. That would be silly- completely out of Her control. But I, too, was really shocked to hear 6 months and see her be so small. I was pretty small the first time too, but the second time I looked like 10 were in there! 🙂 and I inly gained 18lb with each for whatever reason despite eating as instructed.
It’s okay to be who you are. You will be most happy using your own perception.
I was almost wondering if she’s being photoshopped? Looking at the DM pictures, some she looks like she has a reasonable sized bump and others she looks tiny. I understand some of that is movement, dress changing around, etc but seriously! I wouldn’t put it past them…….
She was with George. At the snowy camping photo op, her thighs were made to look larger. And at a charity meeting her bump was enlarged. This seemed pretty silly. Outrage came when people didn’t see the same alterations on other photos. Her bump size shrunk as a result.
Best to assume we’re always betting a false image.
Remember Kate’s 1st and 2n outing post hg downgraded to a tough go of morning sickness? We got a story here of how run down she was. She looked “barfy”. The DMO ran pics from same event and Kate was smiling, happy, glowing. Photos were touched up to make a story. It’s just not a true image.
FLORC – When was the “snowy camping photo op”and where did you see it posted? I think it’s weird that some publications decide to make changes to her body — I understand a “pro Kate” site photoshopping her face to hide blemishes and other imperfections to make her look good, but her body??
There was one in May 2013 where she was with other adult volunteers, learning how to cook bread on a stick. FLORC, is that the one you meant?
How embarrassing that women have to worry about their bodies, rather than the the whispers of their own souls, and it’s ability to discern the faithful, the brave, and the truly kind. What matters most in weighing value, is the soul, the most satisfying place to rest. We all hear it, echoing within – what does it need? Itself.
Of course, we live in joy.
@Wolfpup – Beautiful words, Wolfpup! I’m all set to read a book of poetry now, complete with tea.
Beautiful, wolfpup!
She carried this way with PG Tips – hardly a bump until about the last 6 weeks then she exploded. Everyone carries differently, and tall women especially tend to not bump out quite so noticeably.
Exploded? Didn’t she essentially go into hiding several weeks (2 months?) before the birth? The last pictures I saw she still seemed quite small. As others have said she has a very long torso
Jaded, she’s 5’5″ maybe 5’6″.
@notasugarhere: She’s 5’10”. It’s confirmed in her biography.
@Jaded
She’s not 5’10”. Go look at her in bare feet next to William — she’s maybe 5’7″. I know that many people think she’s taller but it’s not supported by photos.
@Florc
As you well know, a lot of photos are altered of Kate. In her videos she has been showing for some time.
Kate is 5’7′ ,5’8″
Nicole Kidman Towered over Kate when they met and Kate had on huge heels, bigger heels than Nicole.
Princess Charlene also was taller than Kate when they met.
Michelle Obama also towered over her, Middleton wearing 4-5 inch heels and Obama in kitten heels. I’m sticking with 5’5″ or 5’6″.
Best estimate of Kate’s height, is to see pictures of her with Prince Charles. Charles is 5ft 10″. In all pictures of them together, Kate is wearing 4inch heels. If she were the same height as Charles, she should be towering over him in those heels. Instead she is standing shoulder to shoulder with him. Therefore, she’s not 5ft 10″.
Diana was 5ft 10″ and always wore 1.5″ in her heels when on engagement with Charles, and you can see that she is taller than Charles in those heels.
@notasugarhere
But! Kate is noticeably taller than Autumn and Autumn is 5’4″. Just thought I’d mention that! Lol
NS, I don’t think Autumn is that tall. Sophie is 5’4″, generally backed up by photos of her with other European royals of known height who tend to tower over her. She’s usually one of the shortest at royal wedding gatherings, aside from MT of Luxembourg and the former queen of Romania.
I cannot post the link, but you can look for an Examiner article called Introducing Miss Savannah Phillips. The photo is of Sophie, James, Peter, and Autumn. Sofie is wearing flats, it looks like Autumn is in flats or small (1 inch or so) wedge heels. Sophie is 5’4″ and Autumn is shorter than she is.”
She also has an INCREDIBLY LONG torso (and short legs)… hence why the same style of dress all of the time to create the illusion of a higher waist (and visually longer legs) than her actual natural waist … so I’m not surprised she carries as she does.
AGREE that it’s her long torso. Also, I didn’t show much my whole pregnancy, I never “popped,” that’s just how it goes for some women. I gained 27 lbs.
Even more strange if baby weighs over 8 pounds such as George.
My friend had the sames morning sickness issues and she barely looked pregnant until she was 8 months. The baby was fine, but between the extreme morning sickness (my friend was hospitalized for a couple of weeks) and the baby sucking away all her nutrients she barely gained 20 pounds through the whole thing.
Isn’t she due in april? That’s like 4 months to go-not 2. For a taller 5 month pregnant lady-her bump looks just about what it was last time at 5 months.
Early April was what I heard ( though from the DM so….) that’s NOT four months – that’s 2.5 months, which is what I said…
The us magazine site has photos showing the bump much more visible.
At 7 months pregnant none of my friends knew because I didn’t show. I’m only 5’6″ and my torso is average. Nothing special. I suddenly ballooned up in the last month. Some people are just lucky that way. I was planning an adoption so I wasn’t sharing the news but I decided to keep my son. He weighed over 8lbs at birth.
She’s 5’10” That’s a lot of torso space for the baby to occupy.
I didn’t think Kate was as tall as Diana. I thought Kate’s about 5’8″.
Actually, this has been discussed quite a bit on this blog and elsewhere and she’s closer to 5’8″ despite some internet sources claiming otherwise. One has to look at pictures where’s she’s standing next to William (or other celebrities with known heights) and subtract her heels to get a more accurate estimate of her height. The 5’10” mark was widely circulated around the time of her wedding to invite comparisons to her late MIL.
Closer to 5’5″ or 5’6″ not 5’8″
@notasugarhere – not sure where you’re getting your information from but she’s at least 5’9″, more likely 5’10” which is confirmed in her biography.
I think she’s in the range of 5’7″ or perhaps 5’8″ tops. If she were 5’10” as claimed by various sources she’d be 6’2″ in her 4″ heels and she isn’t anywhere in that range. Her heels put her at 5’9″-5’10” so how can she have that height barefoot? Look at the height gap between William and Kate when she’s in heels — it’s about 5″-6″ (depending on heel height). Remember William is 6’3″ and flat footed she’s pretty short next to him.
Let’s confirm the height thing – here is her confirmed height, rigorously researched on a number of websites :
“At a height of 5 feet 8.6 inches, or 174.244cm tall, Kate Middleton is taller than 84.63% and smaller than 15.36% of all females in our height database. This makes her taller than average.”
Rigorously researched on many pro-kate middleton fan sites, so I’ll continue to take it with a grain of salt. Many people exaggerate their height. Do an image search for “kate middleton silver jenny packham.” You’ll see a photo of her and William walking side by side, her in the silver grecian gown not the beaded one.
She’s wearing Jimmy Choos that add 5.25 inches to her height. He’s wearing dress shoes that add 1 inch to his. She is 5’5″ or 5’6″. The average woman in the UK is 5’4″.
@notasugarhere….they are not pro-Kate websites, they are completely royal-unrelated sites that just deal with statistics. Whatever you get from looking at photos doesn’t add up to her real height. I don’t take into consideration Jimmy Choos, she is just under 5’9″ and that is a fact. Stop arguing. She’s tall. Period. Full stop.
To all of you who insist Kate is 5’10”: If she’s 5’10”, I’m the Queen of England. Use your eyes and don’t rely on PR garbage. She wears towering platform heels for a reason. Nota is correct.
Nota/Jaded: better google search is a picture of Kate in her 4inch heels standing next to Charles who *is* an undisputed 5ft 10″
If she was the same height as Charles barefoot, she’d tower over him in those 4inches.
Other pictures are WK walking side by side, barefoot on even ground.
At the most, she might be 5’7″. I don’t see why she feels the need to wear such high heels, either.
She looks great. Lucky her, to be carrying small.
You can’t control the size of your bump or how you carry. To suggest otherwise is really ignorant.
As for weight gain – agree that it could be the issue she was having with hyperemesis gravidarum. But I don’t think women should be praised OR shamed for putting on tons of weight in pregnancy.
Plus the guidelines seem to vary widely. In both my pregnancies I put on exactly 34 lbs, despite carrying babies of different sizes, sex and completely different eating and exercise habits. My Dr told me I was *just* within the weight gain guidelines for Canada for my size (overall gain of 30-35 lbs) where as in Europe I’d be waaay over (overall recommended gain 20-25 lbs).
No HG. It was dropped and no one officially would touch that term at all. This was shortly after they started using it. They called it other terms that were simply not hg. If she had it they would have continued to use it. Also, her weight gain a week after that was announced was normal. She was caught here and there shopping.
So, please don’t throw around the term ignorance to a simple comment making an assumption/suggestions. Let’s not fly off the handle calling people names.
And it’s worth mentioning the press has been caught altering the size of Kate’s bump. Sometimes to enlarge. Other times to shrink. I don’t get it, but it happens and is documented.
Can everyone just end the HG discussion. Some people believe it, some people don’t. But since no one this comment thread is actually her doctor I think everyone should stop diagnosising the patient. It’s just boring.
Megan, we get to discuss what we want. If you are not interested in this portion of the discuss, please feel free to move along.
@FLORC, HG often goes away after the first trimester, and can come and go during pregnancy. So perhaps “they” stopped using the term, because she no longer had it.
My comment re ignorance was that it’s ignorant to suggest a pregnant woman can control the size of her baby bump. I 100% stand by this as IT IS IGNORANT to claim that’s the case. The baby simply grows inside you. A pregnant woman’s eating and exercise habits may control the amount of weight she herself gains, but by skipping dessert the pregnant woman is not guaranteed to achieve a goal of a small baby bump.
Nude nylons and brown suede pumps would have looked much better.
Or if she was so dead-set on the black tights and shoes, throw on a black belt to try and tie it all together. But I agree, nude stockings and brown (or even a fun colored) shoe would be much better.
This. The black legs and shoes look really bad. And the dress wasn’t lined so it’s clinging to bits it shouldn’t be clinging to. Poor thing, such an awful look. I want to add that she needs to STOP messing with her hair! Can she not touch it constantly?
And it was said yesterday, if she were to wear slips this clinging fabric phenomenon would stop. And I agree with Kaiser, she wears coats & doesn’t take them off indoors, then wears a silk slip of a dress in the cold outdoors. Does she not do her prep, or is it her team that doesn’t do its homework? Stuff like this is too easily worked out ahead of time. Shoot, I factor in weather & events & etc., when I get dressed in the morning or pack for a trip. It’s not that hard.
@Hazel (love your name), If I had a job where I could wear really luxurious, beautiful slips under everything I totally would. Then I would go home and undress down to the slip and put on some furry heels and a silk robe and sit at my vanity brushing my hair with 100 strokes while I delicately sip cordials and rearrange my vintage perfume collection. It’s a good thing I’m not a Duchess. Who would make the sausages?
Yeah, this doesn’t match at all. If she only likes black tights and shoes, she should just avoid brown dresses.
Fun colored shoes? On Kate? Please let her get some fun colored shoes! I can think of several pairs of her shoes that I would replace in a heartbeat. She really needs some help in the styling dept.
And you know, with her penchant for matchy-matchy, I’m surprised she didn’t wear the brown shoes, hose, & clutch from her Christmas day appearance. Oh, and I’ve got to say here, without reading further down, those earrings! Bleh! What’s wrong with real gold, Kate? Not gold-plated, but real, solid gold. So much more attractive & interesting.
The duchess of frump.
I agree with you Kaiser. Brown and black are hard to mix in the
same outfit. This outfit is so boring too. Nothing unusual for Blandy McBoring.
It’s like she puts little effort into anything but showing off her legs and hair. The dress is clinging to her bottom because she forgot her slip. She also isn’t even looking at the people she’s shaking hands with. SMH Beginner mistakes she shouldn’t be making anymore.
I’m with Kaiser too. This is making me itch.
Horrible combination of black and brown. If the dress was patterned in black and brown, then I can see the black tights and shoes to pick up the accent. My eye is twitching along with Kaiser’s. Kate also needs a slip to prevent that dress from clinging to her body; that last picture of her rear and the short dress adhering to her thigh is just awful. I never liked that dress anyway; the material looks so cheap and wrinkled.
Brown and black together is a very chic look, and very popular in the urban northeast US. However, with her outfit, a tonally lighter brown belt and shoe would have had more snap. A bit of white at the collar is great also. Kate’s outfit is a fail because the dress is not lined and inferior in fabric. Good try, though!
Yes–totally budget and unflattering. Tragic that with all her money and time to shop she’d wear this.
+1
Bea and Cit
She looks much better on shopping trips in London than royal duties.
Plus 1000
I’m all for princesses wearing $75 dresses. But not if it looks like a $75 dress! Horrible. I could see her wearing this when she’s not pregnant, with some cute flats on a trip to the market with 2 kids in tow.
Agree.
The dress is nice but not in that color…….too much brown for her. Especially with dark nylons.
Hate the black, not really opaque tights and the pumps are all wrong, both in color and styling. This could be a cute casual look, but the black tights, and especially the pumps ruin it. Brown tights and boots or flats would work with this dress; pumps, no matter what the color don’t work with this dress.
But two events in 15 days of the new year, wow, she’s working so hard. /sarcasm.
Perhaps she doesn’t like working because her feet hurt.
She just don’t give a damn and it is sad.
About her fashion choices or her royal duties?
*rimshot*
But to answer your question, both.
No shade meant, but I’ve been following her new Twitter account and it’s basically photos of the Duchess sitting behind tables. She’s like the James Lipton of the BRF.
(I want that job, because why stand when you can sit, right?)
I really dislike brown tights – so I don’t mind black tights and black shoes with a brown outfit.
However, in some of these photos it looks like she has on navy tight with black shoes?! Maybe it’s just the lighting.
She really is so very, very blah.
Same. Brown tights are beyond awful. Black and brown together is fine. And I say this as a lifelong Southerner. Maybe there are rules about that in, like, rural parts of the South or small towns, or if you’re like super obsessed with Junior League, but I can’t think of any of my girlfriends here in Atlanta would give a single fuck about brown dress + black tights.
They make you look like a tree. No on the brown tights for me as well.
Yes, the overall effect of this outfit is ‘blah’.
This look would have been helped with more colour. Perhaps a bolero jacket with a mix of red and earth tones or a colourful shawl.
But then I look at the type of engagement and being a foster parent theme, I think Kate didn’t want to appear flashy, overindulgent.
I am so tired of the black tights/pumps on her that I don’t care what she’s wearing… I know it’s cold there but there has to be other options.
I think she looks fine. I wish my legs still looked like hers! I think the dress may have shown better with her hair back.
Spot on! Her legs are great!
I think Kate is afraid to cut her hair. I remember when she was early days while pregnant with George and wearing a long green dress. She had tried a different hairstyle ie- it had longish bangs but still long at the back and sides.
I thought Kate’s hair looked ok on her wedding day. It looked shorter all ’round (I think due to the curls) and darker.
Ha in the last pic, the girl to the right side wearing magenta reminds me of the NYC trip where Kate wore black and the mayor’s wife wore a stunning shade.
Will Kate ever learn? Oh wait, I forgot, work=fugly frump.
Beige or black legging/stocking/tights would have been better with brown dress and I like the fact that she chooses less expensive clothes even though she can afford to wear expensive clothes ALL THE TIME. She looks relaxed, pregnancy is going well. Everything is great!
I am also terrified by black and brown outfit combinations. I’m scared of all brown outfits because I’m a brunette, but why that doesn’t transfer to all black outfits, I don’t know. One side of my family is from the South, so maybe it’s a Southern thing? It’s like the fashion equivalent of nails on a chalkboard or biting your fork.
I was born and raised in the South, and live here now, and I have never heard of this absurd brown black crap.
Southerner
Black /brown yuck
Also don’t wear black tights with white/red/gold/silver shoes
Before I saw the photos, the thought of a brown dress with black bottoms/shoes made me cringe, but it actually isn’t that bad.
I don’t really understand her color choices either. What makes it stranger that she wore bright pink to a memorial event is that she hardly wears such cheery colors anywhere else.
Yes Regarded, it’s unusual.
Does Kate only, have the power to wear what she wants to any Royal engagements? It must be so because I can’t imagine any official aide to the Duchess choosing a pink bubblegum coat to a 9/11 memorial.
Money can’t buy common sense, it seems.
Kate has no style at all. Terrible dress with terrible tights and pumps once again.
And, yet, she’s often described as a “fashion icon”…
I remember at the wedding it was said that she did her own makeup, and she was wearing waaayyyy too much rouge. And she does not demonstrate fashion sense at all, especially with regard to completing an outfit. I can’t believe the Queen hasn’t assigned a stylist to correct her haphazard appearance. I wish William would give her some direction. It’s all very well to bill yourself as modern and not stodgy but without the proper undergarments, it just looks like laziness. I hate dresses without either a lining, or a proper foundation garment. Hint: there’s a reason undergarments are called foundation!!
I’m sorry, but this is a hot mess. If ever a coat should have been worn to cover up the dress underneath – it was this time. The tailoring (if there was any) on this is horrible. That hem! The black/brown combo doesn’t bother me as much as that navy/black situation from yesterday. Hopefully yesterday’s dress has already been shipped off somewhere, we don’t need to ever see that again.
I really don’t get the impression she’s putting a lot of effort into dressing. With all the beautiful clothing available, this is what she comes up with? There are some attractive fashions out there and Kate is just lackluster.
Yeah, that hem bugs me, too. Just rolled under & stitched on a machine. Then again, it’s a cheap dress. Problem is, it looks cheap.
My extremely well dressed Englishman friend tells me that brown/black is definitely done and accepted in London. I still can’t do it.
I know. From reading the comments so far, it seems some would wear black & brown with no problem, others not even if they’re life depended on it. I think overall, ‘rules’ such as no black & brown together, no white shoes after Labor Day, etc., are silly; on the other hand, Kate’s outfit today bolsters the no black & brown rule. Ick. I think it can be done, but this outfit sure isn’t the way to go.
It’s the wrong shade of brown.
Seriously woman, put some effort into wearing something that doesn’t look like you’re going to a funeral. She literally looks like she just got up, slapped on make-up, did a quick blow-dry and put the first thing on that she saw in her closet. Baaaaad choices honey.
No, it’s not just you. She needs a piece that includes all the colors to tie them together. Wearing one dark color dress and another dark color tights and shoes just annoys me, lol!
A black and brown houndstooth or plaid or stripes (or anything!)dress
would have tied it all together. But this monochromatic brown is so blahhh especially with her being a brunette.
I agree the look would be better with brown tights and brown shoes.
The material of the dress looks thin, quite cheap. Poly/cotton mix? And the hemline is too short (again) and looks crooked in some shots.
I don’t think the Duchess has ever worn a pantsuit (leggings or jeggings don’t count) has she? I mean a proper pantsuit with trousers and matching blazer. There are so many looks to choose from but Kate doesn’t seem interested.
Maybe she doesn’t like pantsuits – I never liked them and don’t wear them. I never really like them on others either (but I never say anything about it since it is not my business.) When I dress up I wear skirts or dresses, when I dress down I wear jeans. The fact that she doesn’t wear them suggests that she doesn’t like them. Each to her own.
I think she doesn’t wear pant suits – fitted properly but not tight in
the leg – because she can’t show off her legs like in short dresses/
skirts. She seems obsessed with showing off her long legs IMO.
Thing is… she DOESN’T have very long legs at all. What she has is a VERY LONG torso.
The style of dress she always wears, with their false higher waist emphasised create the illusion that she has a longer legs than she actually does.
I think she doesn’t wear pant suits because they would actually emphasis her real long torso-shorter leg proportions.
She may like to show off her legs (great shape, muscular, lean), but it’s not because they are long that’s for sure
Yes, like Claire Danes and Katie Holmes, she has a long torso and short legs, and does lots to try to disguise it.
Layla
The properly tailored trouser or pants suit would not make her torso look long at all. It’s all in the cut of the blazer and waistline of the pants. They make cuts and styles just for people with this issue.
*Big fan of pants suits. IMO the best way to show off your legs and butt without showing anyone the goods. Just enticing with some mystery. Also, when worn around other ladies no one can accuse you of revealing too much in a tight or revealing outfit. You are taken seriously.
FLORC, Letizia’s white pantsuit from their surprise engagement announcement remains a classic in my eyes.
Also lovely. Proper tailoring can do wonders for anyone wearing anything.
And if you have thin legs with a firm bottom it makes things look all the better.
I have this feeling i´ve said everything i have to say about her in the past. Kate either bores me with her looks or amuses me with her lazy, weak character. Wake me up when she does something of substance.
Just googled other royals.
Look at that little smiling baby face 🙂
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L8TcBxJVzFE/VLfLt7UL3nI/AAAAAAAAWJw/cBmxyUdstYg/s1600/Princess-Charlene-3.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TwaXCozPZxY/VLfLvqwcIQI/AAAAAAAAWJ4/D1odZcJIt38/s1600/Princess-Charlene-2.jpg
Sweet! I wonder if Charlene has been around babies much. Albert looks very natural, while Charlene looks like the baby is slowly slipping out of her arms in an awkward manner. I guess it could be assumed she’s sore from the C-section, but if she held the baby higher, it would avoid the incision.
So bad. Look at the hem! You can tell she had this altered to be shorter. And then because this isn’t a maternity dress, it’s ill-fitted. So much wasted money. Even if she paid $75 for it, that cost is probably doubled for the alterations. So bad. Reptilian pattern? Yuck. Sheer black hose. Get a grip, Duchess. Nude or brown opaque. But not quite opaque black? Nah.
It does beg the question why Kate doesn’t spend the money on a well-fitting dress, in this case getting a maternity one, than throwing extra money away on making bad alterations to an every-day dress. If she doesn’t know what to do with her money, then please give it to me!
I chalk it up to her not liking pregnancy and the weight gain, so she refuses to actually wear maternity clothes. She’d rather buy regular and have it altered. Silly.
I wonder what is going on with her – all the somber clothing (reptilian?!) when she ought to be wearing happy clothes, cheerful, because she is having a baby. Is this an SOS?
wolfpup – Someone suggested yesterday (I think) that so much black might be b/c she thinks it’s slimming. That seems very likely to me, more so than it’s a sign she’s feeling blue.
Why, after three years of marriage, is the Duchess called by the press as:
‘The Duchess Kate Middleton’ or ‘Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge’????
It’s strange.
Diana wasn’t called the ‘Princess of Wales, Diana Spencer’ or ‘the Princess Diana Spencer.’
Cit
Kate has been known for nearly a decade as “Kate Middleton”. And while some publications are trying to steer towards Duchess and Catherine it will take longer than 3 years.
Diana had a 6 month courtship and was more known in the press as Princess of Wales. Later the peoples princess ect… Had Diana tried to be known as something else after so many years of being known as those names/titles it would be tough and take some time.
It all comes down to time and how many still call her Kate Middleton or soem variation of that.
In a way, it’s like giving the Middleton family a peerage. I’m pretty sure that’s not the intention but to a population from a remote part of the world, introducing someone as ‘Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge’, they may think the Middletons have a long aristocratic lineage.
I think a lot of it is laziness; some of it is deliberate and some is ‘just the way the press is’. Diana was NEVER officially Princess Diana–she was Diana, Princess of Wales. Yet she was almost always called Princess Diana or Princess “Di”–even in the legitimate press. So for the time being, and possibly forever Kate will be called ‘Duchess Kate’ or Princess Kate or something inaccurate. I’m on a lot of royal and history blogs and some people absolutely lose it over her being called anything but the Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine or Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. But for most people, it’s really not that important and Kate is so much easier & quicker to type.
No, Diana was HRH The Princess Charles, Princess of Wales, etc.. As other posters have stated, only divorced women and widows use their own name in front of their title.
Diana was called ‘shy Di’ or ‘Lady Di’ for several years after her marriage.
Sarah Ferguson is STILL referred to as such rather than her title Sarah, Duchess of York.
William is rarely referred to as The Duke of Cambridge even though that’s his title now.
There are people now who don’t realise that William is now William Cambridge and Kate is Kate Cambridge rather than W.Wales or K.Wales, and that’s before you digress into their surname.
It’s ridiculous to insist upon titles when people aren’t familiar with titles especially where a title, like the dukedom of Cambridge, has had several creations and styles.
It’s much easier to pin point person you are talking about if you use their name rather than the title which can throw up any number of tangents.
LAK – your last sentence is a very good observation.
It’s this dress, no? It’s originally £169 though. £50 is the sale price.
http://www.hobbs.co.uk/product/display?productID=0214-5952-3192L00&productvarid=0214-5952-3192L00-LGT%20BITTER%20CHOC-18&refpage=search/results
It’s silk jacquard, so nice fabric in theory. *Definitely* not sold as maternity wear.
I don’t think the Duchess likes pregnancy. Can you see her having a third baby? I can’t. Though, you never know.
If it gives her 2-3 more years off from working? Yes, I can see her having another child.
She has been said she wants another. No direct comment. William has other times stated he only wants 2. We shall see.
notasugarhere and FLORC, I think if the second one is another boy, they may try for a daughter, since William has stated he wants a daughter.
Hard to speculate on this one given Kate’s history of severe morning sickness and the fact she is in her 34th year.
OMG … Nota are you using the welfare queen lie on Kate? That is so inappropriate.
Megan
How is it not welfare? If not directly paid there’s a direct link by trickle down from tax dollars. Without taxes and funds from the public could the BRF survive the way they do now?
Is it inapproriate to make that connection?
@FLORC because it is a racist stereotype. That is the definiton of inappropriate.
Megan, why are you bringing racism and welfare stereotypes into this? Trying to throw the discussion off-topic, just as you did when you claimed feminism as to why no one should question her staying home full-time.
She has proven herself to be remarkably lazy, has never earned a living or paid her own bills. She is not a stay-at-home-mother supported by her husband. She is paid to serve, in one way or another, with palaces, mansions, security, shopping budget from her father-in-law (which he takes off on his taxes as “work” expenses).
They have a full-time nanny and dozens of staff. If she isn’t going to work, they have to move into quarters at the base where he’ll be working, fire all the staff including the nanny, and live off of his salary. And I think she perceives maternity leave as a get out of work card. William encourages her in this.
Thanks for the link. I’m back to believing Natasha or someone who is not a trained tailor is altering her clothes. After yesterday’s photos of her actually looking ‘big’ b/c a too-big dress does that to a person, she’s gone back to non-maternity wear. She wore that dress before she was preggers or not showing. I didn’t recognize it in its altered state. I saw poor tailoring but assumed the original hem was shirttail. Not the case.
I’m sorry but who on earth wears pantyhose/nylons/tights anymore? Especially with pumps???? Huh? She is SOOO old fashioned I am so surprised. Is this common in England? Is it cool to be old fashioned and act older than you are? What to English think of her? I feel she is trying to hard. It comes off as annoying after awhile
She wears them because it is cold in Britain in the winter. Lots of people wear pantyhose because they realize that having bare legs in the chilly wintertime is not modern, but silly.
That said I don’t like this dress. It hangs poorly (probably because it is not a maternity dress and also because she needs a slip)
To add. Pantyhose is part of her dress code. She has to wear them for warmth and for dress code. Won’t shade her for following the rules.
“I’m sorry but who on earth wears pantyhose/nylons/tights anymore? Especially with pumps????”
Literally everyone? I work in a huge city (in America) and especially in the winter 95% of the women wear tights with dresses/skirts. Even more so with young women. I’d say you’re the odd person out for finding it strange.
Except in the middle of summer I always wear nylons or tights with a dress/skirt, particularly for work. It’s laughable to want to show pale, chicken skin legs in freezing weather when you are wearing a coat, boots and gloves.
I work in the West End in an office (London). Every lady wears tights/pantyhose/nylons. Especially with skirts and heels. This is standard office attire.
Are you serious? First, if you work in an office (or, like Kate, represent), it’s the official dress code to wear pantyhose/tights/nylons. Second, it’s cold in winter, and bare legs would simply be stupid. It also is a matter of taste to combine a dark dress/coat etc. with milky white legs. I can also assure you that in Europe, women do wear all of the above, whatever the season.
I normally love what she wears (*ducks*) but this is fug. The tights look blue, the dress is wrinkled and too thin to wear without a coat. If it were a coat dress with something black and brown under it, or she had a black coat over it I think it would’ve been more polished. I do like the dress but I think it would’ve looked better with her knee high brown boots, or brown ankle booties.
I feel like the only bigger fail she’s had is that awful polka dot shirt / bluegreen silk skirt she wore recently.
All IMO of course, I embrace boring, safe style.
The whole bussiness with the coats indoors/no coats outside in january is just odd.
I’m sorry but she strikes me as overall just kinda weird..?
And if I may compare her to crownprincess Victoria of Sweden who manages to look dignified AND cute and professional while kneeling in front of a toilet! Now that is something!
Imagine Kate in that position, it would be a spectacle of indescent exposure and lewd comments no doubt!
http://svenskdam.se/2014/11/ett-annorlunda-toalettbesok-for-kronprinsessan/
Generally I like CP Victoria’s style. The bun, well, at least it keeps her hair out of everyone’s way. She wore a horrible silver space alien top-and-skirt a few months ago, but usually most of her style choices are pretty good.
Kate’s style deserves its own made-up term.
I’m not sure of the term at the moment. But to me it’s a very very odd but unique blend of WAG-slut, sloppy, country-aristo.
How about “Parvenu Chic”?
In the second photo, shaking hands, she is doing her Thurston Howell III chin thrust. “oh hello luvvies!”
LOL!
I think it depends on the shades of brown and black. I do not like this combo she’s wearing AT All. It seems very blah and boring. I personally would have been fine with this outfit if she’d paired the dress and tights with a camel color coat and heeled boots. But if I were wearing it I probably would have done brown tights and boots and not the black. The brown is just so dark and when paired with the black makes it seem extra dreary.
In the past I have combined a dark brown suede skirt with burgundy tights – it was a nice effect.
This is a huge pet peeve of mine. Women who don’t wear slips with these sorts of dresses when wearing tights or pantyhose and the dress sticks and clings to the body. That is what a slip is for. It makes everything “hang” much better and the dress won’t stick to the tights and hose. I also don’t like the lightweight brown dress in the dead of winter.
I want to say that I read somewhere that the Queen won’t allow any of the women to wear pants or pant suits when doing official functions. Something about her mother and grandmother thinking it was inappropriate and she carries that belief into today’s royals. Think about it. When have you ever seen a working royal woman wear pants at an official working event?
There is a photo of Diana wearing black pants and black blazer at a visit with Centrepoint.
However I think at the time she’d been separated from Prince Charles for quite some time.
Diana threw away all the protocol rules once she separated from Charles.
You’ll find all her clingy, short, black, high heels (though I think heel height was her personal consideration for Charles), cleavagey etc clothing from around 1992 onwards.
Prior to that, unless it was a mistake, like the dress we discussed in an earlier thread, she wore these types of clothes in private only.
BooBoo
It’s not as often as dresses, but there are quite a few times when pants have been worn to official events by women of the BRF. What throws off the mental count is so many of these “official events” that we remember are galas and balls which are dress appropriate attire.
Links aren’t going through, but Diana wore pants here and there (while married to Charles). Kate also even if they are jeggins. Beatrice as well. And while I can’t find good examples I think it’s a safe bet Fergie, Zara, and others of just the BRF have worn pants to official functions.
I know other Royal families are better examples of this.
The smart and well tailored trouser suit is a favorite timeless style of mine. I notice those.
I seem to recall Queen Letizia of Spain wearing slacks
with a classic Chanel jacket to some official event and
looking very elegant. Letizia’s hair is also always under
control too. Kate is no Letizia.
Yes, but Chrissy, Kate could get close to Letizia’s look. The potential is there.
When I saw Kate’s hair at the Variety function in November, I could easily see a groomed just above shoulder length slightly layered haircut with highlights on her would be beautiful. Add to that a more polished look with her clothes and shoes and voila! a brand new look.
Kate likes her clothes clingy.
She appears unladylike.
HM has worn nice trousers on royal tour, so there is no such rule. I’ve also seen photos of Sophie in pants.
I think Sophie & Anne, and as has already been mentioned, Letizia & Victoria, have worn trousers when on official duty. Possibly Rania, too. (Too lazy to type the titles, apologies to all who insist on them.)
@BooBoo
Not true. Anne and Sophie (as mentioned by others) have worn pants and pantsuits on official engagements. Even the Queen has worn a pantsuit on occasion (after her knee surgery). It’s strictly a matter of personal preference.
Black and brown together are fine imo if the shades work well. Some more opaque tights would have worked better here. These looks like my grandmas “black” pantyhose.
I refuse to expend any more energy/words on maternity vs larger size fit.
Serious question here: what is the obsession with wearing non maternity clothes when pregnant? Wouldn’t it just be easier…especially with her resources and (snark) shopping skills….to buy cute maternity clothes? I have been pregnant twice and although I certainly don’t have her resources (or build), I didn’t want to stretch out/ruin my pre existing clothes and going up in sizes to accommodate my belly often led to bad sizing in shoulders, sleeves, etc. I too have a longer torso and with the added girth in the belly…nonmaternity clothes eventually became too short.
Promoting British designers of fashionable maternity wear wouldn’t be a bad thing either, would it?
In one of the articles on DM of her wearing this coat-dress, there are two photos of the top of her coat-dress being stretched open at the chest area, showing something white underneath. It’s when she straightens up, shoulders back, and the button area opens up a bit. She should have worn some tape to adhere the flaps together.
Anyhoo, I think the white underneath must be her bra or whatever, which kind of confirms to me that she uses her coats as actual dresses, and not necessarily to use as a cover-up for a dress underneath.
I think she’s using these short-length coats as a substitute for her usual short-length skirts and dresses. That way when people say her hems are too short on her coat-dresses (usually mid-thigh or higher), she can say that’s the way the coats are. She’s very intent on always showing as much leg as possible.
Someone upthread said her dress falls poorly in the back because she’s probably not wearing a slip. You’re probably right.
I can’t see past her tiny baby bump. Isn’t she 6 months along?
You know, it’s ok to mix brown and black or navy and black without the fashion police coming for you.
I noticed earlier the Daily Fail ran an article itemizing the cost of Prince Harry’s Saville Row suit and socks, then trumpeted Kate’s “thrifty” dress choice. Please tell me this machination wasn’t the work of the Cambridge’s new PR guy?
I saw that article too, CuriousCole. The difference is Harry seems to have one nice suit that he always wears when the event calls for it. So why shouldn’t it be a nice custom suit? This has Cambridge PR fingerprints all over it. Why would William allow his brother to be dragged down by his PR guy?
Because William is jealous of Harry’s popularity?
Harry finally has a good new suit, I’m personally going to applaud that. Their father has great style, they could stand to learn a thing or two about clothes from Charles.
This is the most ridiculous Cambridge conspiracy theory yet.
It has been discussed many times before, and has happened historically. Throw the popular younger sibling (or sister-in-law) under the bus. Both Palace PR and the press have done this before (HM and Margaret, Charles and Andrew, Diana and Sarah, William and Harry). It has been an observable pattern since WWII with this family firm.
While the ‘spares’ are often thrown under the bus to promote the heir but this article certainly isn’t part of that trend. This was just the DM (and other sites) creating clickbate.
The DM is just dumb. The headline titled her, ‘thrifty Kate’. Nonsense. I don’t know if their print journalists are such nincompoops, but their electronic writers certainly are. And yet, I always open that app….
The DM and the K and W’s pr need to give up all that ‘thrifty Kate’ spin. She’s ‘three kitchen Kate’ now. Though really the cat was out of the bag when she wore that $50000 Cartier necklace to an engagement.
It was is £49,000 or about $75,000. Tricky when our gossip keeps coming in different money measurements. Same happens with the discussions about Kensington, which were over $7 million USD.
I think she looks like she put a potato bag on herself. And yes, you’re right brown and black does look bad together. About the thing that she’s wearing a coat as a dress and then a dress without a coat…I think it’s soo British. Like it’s always so cold that based on that, she would wear a coat/coat dress all the time. So I guess she’s just mixing it up. Plus British people tend to underdress…like they’re used to the cold weather, so when we would wear a big winter coat and boots they would just go in a jumper. You can notice in some pics that people around her are all wrapped up and she’s just wearing a dress (I guess her coat is in the car???).
Maybe the Duchess was just feeling warm as do most pregnant women.
I note the Duchess doesn’t wear much in the way of winter sweaters either.
1. Britain and especially the South of England is hardly cold. It might be foggy and rainy but hardly cold. Oceanic climate and the gulf stream. Currently it is not very cold around Europe although it is January. In other years there was snow around this time of the year.
2. That dress is awful. Brown hair and then comes a brown dress and then black tighs and then black shoes. Boring boring boring. Funeral colours to visit a childrens art charity.
3. Kate doesn’t do anything for society with all the possibilities she has.
A few years out of style, but fuchsia, cyan or bright yellow tights with the right footwear would have looked much better with that dress.
Actually a lot of people wear tights. Keeps your legs warm in the winter and looks way better than bare legs.
Actually a lot of people wear tights. Keeps your legs warm in the winter and looks way better than bare legs.
She was so pretty when she was in her early twenties. Especially during the break up era. Even when her outfits were off she looked lovely and sunny. I’m so disappointed!
She really had such a pretty glow. Her best pictures are from 2007.
I hate that I almost always jump on and defend her but Princess Kate and I are only a month apart. I’m VERY tall and have the same proportions (long torso, short legs) and people that see me always seem to comment that I only look four months pregnant when in fact I’m 7.5. If I didn’t wear stretchy maternity things I could easily pass for not being pregnant at all.
And to the person who suggested wearing maternity clothes over regular clothes– They look bloody awful on those of us with little bumps, most of the time. Your choices are basically wrap dresses or dresses fitted underneath the bust which makes it even HARDER to tell if you’re pregnant or just concealing a big meal. I have a dress that I thought I’d fit into by four or five months that I bought when I was first pregnant and the belly still sags in it. No thanks.
Designer and pricey clothes do not look awful. And Kate likely still has loads of maternity wear from her last pregnancy. She went on a long shopping spree a few times for all weather maternity clothes.
On top of that you have local and far designers salivating at the chance to design for Kate. She could have her pick.
Main point here. She’s not like other pregnant women. Her pregnancy could be epicly stylish.
Reading along many commentors have made your point. All women carry differently. I think some are skipping over those after initial outrage.
I’m late and back to the clothes! This Hobbs dress looks a bit like a giant brown waffle. Further, we in the UK have access to wonderful leather goods so what’s with the woolie gloves and endless suede footwear? Yes I know suede is leather but what about the other leather textures which can be cleaned and never look scruffy. And NEVER wearing anything a little edgy….she is only 33….. This woman looked happier and dressed much better when she was single/just married. Somehow she’s fallen off the wagon – or her ‘advisers’ have seriously let her down.
Soph
Agree. She dressed a hundred times better before marriage. Someone is advising her poorly, because her casual style is still good.Just her work attire.
And at a closer look the brown sress looks like it has a croc scale pattern.
Kate is trying to be “uncontroversial” in her fashion style. But the short hemlines and her sky-high heels and her general preference for colours befitting a funeral are not uncontroversial. Princess Anne is more fashionable and more daring in her style. The Queen is more stylish than Kate. I would prefer Beatrice and Eugenie any day over Kate.
Kate’s style is awful because of its pretensiond to be absent. And that is a style of communication as well. She communicates something by not communicating at all. It resembles her working style. She is working and doing royal duties by hardly doing anything at all.
Kate could flay the (fashion) flag for all pregnant women. But instead she doesn’t do anything, as usual, our Dolittle.
“Princess Anne is more fashionable and more daring in her style.”
Even when PA digs into her retro clothes closet and wears her ’70s/80s outfits, she still has more panache and flair than Kate.
I liked that Anne wore the same outfit to W&K’s wedding that she wore when Charles and Diana wed.
The colour combo is awful. The dress looks terrible without a slip, yes, and there are so many options for beautiful, figure flattering maternity wear, particularly when budget is not a factor…. I am starting to feel sorry for her. She really us a clueless duck, isn’t she! And those black pumps, ugh. Personally I would have gone with tall boots, wedges, booties, almost anything else in that weather, a slim fitted tunic and a long skirt. Throw a trench coat on and call it a day. Put your hair up, add some nice gold earrings, wear blue or green to enhance your eyes and complexion… It’s like she is trying to look bad on purpose!
I miss the royal wedges…..
She’s already as Ma’s house after two days of ‘hard work’ next up a third event after some vacation time wouldn’t surprise if that her does she ever stay in the palace?
https://twitter.com/livelovelaughvr/status/556199329040728064/photo/1
$79 is the reduced sale price, it was originally £169 ($256) which for this dress is ridiculous. If you look at the actual website you get a pic of a model and her height and dress size are stated; just goes to show how different bodies look in different bits of clothing. Its winter here in the UK too and although we dont get north American temps it can be chilly so wearing heavy tights are pretty much the done thing.
As for her not showing, I didnt show until about 6 months and then I burst and was fit to burst every piece of clothing I owned.
In other news, the Telegraph has a piece on Sophie Wessex who is turning 50. Instead of talking about her fashion sense, the article goes into some detail about her royal work. Unlike Kate, Sophie knows the meaning of duty and hard work and does it without a lot of fanfare, much like Princess Anne. Is there any hope for Kate??
Kate would do well to follow Sophie’s example, but she won’t for 2 reasons: 1) she doesn’t listen to others and 2) William doesn’t want a partner/equal.
Also, when Kate is serenaded, praised and applauded for merely “showing up” and wearing decent clothes, what incentive is there for her to do more anyway?? Not to mention the fact that those who do actually “work” and for whom clothes are incidental, receive little recognition for their efforts — i.e. Anne, Sophie
Has anyone seen the DM’s latest on Kate? Really emphasizes the difference a little photoshop can do. I think it’s entitled “What a difference a day makes”. Anyhow, in the candid shopping photo, although she is obviously wearing make up, her skin looks crepey and in certain areas, downright unhealthy. In any case, not the skin of a healthy 33 year old.
I don’t know what it is with Kate, poor nutrition, too much sun, too little water or all of the above, but it’s not pretty.
+1000
Huge difference in skin (smoking sunbeds showing) shows – and trying to cover gains for baby instead of celebrating.
Addition to hangers on family compounding stressed instead of being a member of HM rf – wife/ mother; let’s hope the baby is ok.
Is anyone else enjoying Million Dollar American Princesses on the Smithsonian Channel? Hosted by Elizabeth McGovern.