It’s another busy day for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in India. They moved to New Dehli yesterday, and they were still in the city today. They had a boozy, amazing-sounding reception at the British High Commission’s residence in Dehli last night, but they looked somewhat fresh and well-hydrated for their luncheon visit with Prime Minister Narenda Modi, who claimed the office in a landslide election in 2014. He’s somewhat popular in his own country, and he has the reputation as a frugal, no-nonsense hardass.
For the lunch with the prime minister, Kate wore this mint-green lace dress by Temperley, which costs £800. While I always appreciate it when Kate gets out of her comfort zone with bright jewel tones, I am not feeling this in the least. Kate loves lace so much and it always makes her look like she’s wearing a doily. I like that she’s trying to be modest and covered up – the high neck is fine and bless her for not wearing an un-weighted full skirt – but the cut on this dress is not flattering at all. It’s also sweet relief to see her hair pulled back and looking professional, although this particular up-do looks sister-wife-y.
After the lunch, Kate and William traveled to the Salaam Baalak Trust to visit some street youths and work on some art projects with them. Kate changed into this £50 Glamourous dress. I thought she had actually worn another Indian designer, but no – Glamorous is an cheap British label, although I have to say – this inexpensive dress is so much more flattering on her than the Temperley. She also wore FLATS because wonders never cease.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
I actually winced when I saw the mint green dress, even harder after I saw the price. Tragic. I like the cheaper dress. 50 pounds is about 85 dollars? Not bad.
I feel the same way. The mint green dress is just tragic and not flattering at all, especially not in the bodice. The casual not very expensive dress is wonderful. It is pretty, appropriate for the occasion and it looks very comfortable to wear – a rare sartorial hit for Kate.
Agree. The colour does nothing for her whatsoever. Green doily dress is the worst of the tour so far.
She’s finally done something nice (and dare I say regal) with her hair. Probably a result of the wind yesterday and how annoying it would have been to keep it out of her face with one hand and hold her skirt with the other.
I love your moniker! Are you a Georgette Heyer fan?
Well spotted. I love Georgette Heyer’s work, it never fails to put me in a good mood. 🙂
I am a fan too! She’s my go to comfort reading. “The Grand Sophy” is a particular favorite of mine – along with “Bath Tangle”.
Me too! I like the red dress a lot.
I think I’m not a fan of Temperley.
I do like her updo, though.
Love the up do too! The back looks great! Don’t know how she could stand the hair on her neck in the nice red dress. I have long thick, hair like Kate’s and in summer I cannot wear it down. A pony tail would have been much better.
Love it when she wears her hair up, too!
Whether or not all her hair is real, and I don’t particularly care, at that length and weight it probably gives her a headache to keep it up much. I know mine hurts when it’s that long, even when I have it in the lower updo styles she favors. I can only last a few hours.
paleokifaru, when I leave my hair in a pony tail too long it hurts too, where my head and hair meet. I’ve never told anybody my hair hurts, I was afraid they would think I was crazy.
You’re not alone Lady D!
I like the green. There, I said it.
@Bridget, I like the green dress too. We are definitely in the minority, but I think it’s really pretty.
I didn’t like it until I saw the close up of the neck. It’s very pretty.
I agree I like the Green one as well
I love the green dress.
Yup, mint green dress is lovely and fits her beautifully.
I like the green too, love that colour. I would’ve preferred her hair down with it though. The second dress is great too, not everyone can pull off that length. Plus, no wedges!
I like the green too! A lot, actually. The colour, the fit and the lace.
I don’t care if she wears her hair up or down, I just wonder why it must constantly look like crap.
Seriously, she needs to find a balance between little girl princess sausage curls and old lady bouffant. While we’re at it, her eyes are giving my Katie Holmes vibes.
I love the mint dress, better than the other one. I think she looks great. I feel like you and me always have opposite opinions on Kate’s style.
God, if I was in Kate’s position, you lot would hate my style, lol. I hate wearing my hair up, I hate jewellery, and 90% of my clothes are black. Oh, I also pretty much never wear dresses. Did she ever wear pants? Apart from jeggings?
That red dress is the best thing she’s worn so far. Loving the colour on the other dress but otherwise just no.
I like the red dress and would wear the hell out of it. Same with the flats.
She had her Botox touched up before this trip, right? Or is my mind playing tricks?
I like the red dress too. Chic while slumming. I only see boys in the photo. Were girls there?
Also, at the risk of being insensitive, does anyone know if were there any dark-skinned Indians at the Bollywood event? Just curious.
@Goats-
I was thinking the same thing when I saw the pics yesterday. She looks fresh faced all of the sudden.
@Dena – not sure what you’re trying to get at, but yes. There were.
I’m also not sure if they were dark enough for your personal standards of ‘dark’, but they’d certainly be considered dark-skinned in India.
The red is nice. It’s appropriate and flattering. It’s more youthful.
She did, I immediately noticed how fresh around her eyes she looked.
It is nicer than most of what she’s worn on the tour. Would have been nicer if she’d worn a straight half-slip so it wasn’t plastered all over her legs. If you wear a long, light skirt, it is going to keep going between your thighs as you walk, we all know this. What is the point of dressing “modestly” if you’re going to fail to wear proper lingerie?
If she would just wear a slip every time she wears a dress all those Marilyn moments won’t seem so bad.
God if I had her money, I’d have the most luxurious slips and lingerie and pedicures and facials and…
I guess it seems odd to me what she focuses on. Like instead of making herself feel like a million bucks she only does what willnot likes in regard to her health and appearance. I bet she treasures their “smoke breaks” as time w him.
Good point, NOTA, about the skirt plastered to her every curve. It’s a good thing there wasn’t an updraught, either. I do like the dress and the colour suits her. At this point, I can no longer abide the theme dressing.
hmmm, The theme dressing is grating on me too. I am disheartened thinking about 1. how much time she spent curating her own wardrobe for the trip when she could have used that time to visit sick or impoverished kids in the UK 2. that I believe in her mind this trip is a vacation and that 3. some of their stops are sanitized poverty tourism that won’t have any impact on either of them.
And then there’s the fact that I think for her this trip is a vacation and it seems like she’s playing dress up like a child and also that this feels sort of patronizing. Her theme dresses have done the job of modesty and I like this red dress and the cricket one so that’s not what bothers me either. Done with rambling thoughts…
The color is nice.
ITA. The red dress (with flats!) is her only hit for this trip. The Lady Mary look she was going for in the mint green is a complete *miss*.
i agree, Olenna. Only a slip was missing from the red dress. Otherwise, I like it and would wear it myself. And with flats too!!!! Shocker!!! I like the style of the green dress but hate the colour. I’m certain that we’ll never see that exact dress again. It would have looked great in a dark blue though. Her hair is a major improvement (wuith the green dress) and no flashing anyone for a change.
Teacakes – thank you for responding. No, I don’t necessarily have a standard for darkness ala the paper bag test–if that’s what you mean. However, at celeb-beautiful-bright and shiny people events like the one W/K attended, I like to see who (for the most part) cultures/societies say are the beautiful shiny people. What’s the variety? No more; no less.
Although I haven’t read much about their trip or the venue, I also am wondering about the street kids they visited. I only saw boys. Where are the girls? I’ll google that though. It could have been just the one photo I saw while hurriedly getting dressed for work.
Dena
She looks so comfortable and at ease in the red dress. Flats and no clutch!
I like both dresses.
Calling Narenda Modi a hard ass is an understatement. He is member of the BJP which is the Indian version of the Tea Party… fomenting hatred toward religious minorities, changing text books that replace religion with science and censorship of films, books and concerts. Modi was minister of Gujurat during one of the worst communal riots in Indian history and at one time was banned entry into the US.
I’m so glad someone said it! Not only was he chief minister when Muslims were killed in gujarat but since he’s been in power it’s gotten so much worse for religious minorities. Sikhs Muslims and Christians are being discriminated against and he could give 2 shits
The tea party does not stand for any of those things. Please don’t make things up and pretend that they are fact.
Thank goodness someone said it!
‘Frugal, no-nonsense hardass’ is the image he wants, but to people who belong to religious minorities, it’s more like ‘thinly disguised Hindutva bigot, thank god he has the world watching him so we don’t end up with a nationwide pogrom of Muslims this time’.
Someone is reading our comments section at long last!
But why, why, did she wear her hair down again? A ponytail would have been perfect in the afternoon with kids.
do you mean lainey? Is it the real lainey?!! If it is, I love your site.
Yes. The red dress and flats are the best she’s looked in a long time, and do not age her as her usual wardrobe does.
The green dress looks like a 70s curtain gone wrong, all sorts of wrong.
Less is more dear!
There are some pictures in that red dress that are frightening. She really is scary skinny.
And why was she wearing suede granny flats? I love the dress but she needed to wear it with sandals! She seems to believe strappy shoes can only be worn with evening dresses.
As for the Temperley all I can say is that it makes her boobs look very sad.
At least they’re not wedges… small steps… small steps
I dont think she’s wearing a bra. Cant blame that on the dress.
The dress doesnt photograph great, looks like two different competing shades of green – I assume in person its one shade.
Yes, I notice the considerable sagging. Not a smart idea. I guess she doesn’t think that if you want the girls to stay put they need support.
I hate wearing sandals in cities-your feet get so grungy!
I wouldn’t want to wear flat sandals where she’s at.
Does she have a bindi?
I like both dresses. The green is a bit stuffy but for the formal day occasion it works. No bashing from me.
I believe that is a tilaka—the turmeric paste applied as a blessing. Will should have one too, but I don’t see any pix of his forehead in the photos where you can see her mark.
There is another picture from the Getty pool showing him also getting a tilaka.
I liked both dresses as well. But her hair in the red dress?! It reads college coed to me.
I like her red dress a lot. I would wear that often. I feel like she could wear the world’s most perfect outfit and people would still criticize. There were people making fun of her feet earlier, good grief!
Agree. She looks beautiful in both outfits.
I spot a bindi!
Even I can see she looks a gazillion times better when her hair is up.
Tactful summary of Modi there, Kaiser. Well done!
Also, endless faux pas aside, you can’t knock the work rate of this visit. They’ll probably go into the vapours for at least a month when they get home, what with the exertion of it all.
Wonders never cease, i like both the red and the mint green. These pics make it look like a sickly green, but it is paler than that judging by the shop catalogue, and in pics on other websites.
I really love the red dress even if it’s another chore dress.
Hate, hate nude shoes. Flat or heels.
Um the belts??
The red dress is actually gorgeous – particularly when she’s moving. The Temperley seems to fit poorly and makes her look more flat chested than she is.
Agreed- the red dress, from the few pics I’ve seen, really looks nice and she seems almost… comfortable! (gasp!)
Yea I like the red dress- it looks cute and comfortable. The green isn’t too bad in theory, but there’s just too much fabric around the neckline. Maybe it would work as a sleeveless shift with a regular scoop neckline. I don’t understand her whole sister wives aesthetic though.
Looks like someone got a phone call…
I said the same thing over on the DailyMail!! Granny called Wills, and Kate is now dressed appropriately for sitting with kids, hair back, flats, and a narrower dress that can’t float up.
Partly kidding, because I know all of the clothes were picked out ahead of time, but today is a win for her. She looked engaged with the kids, and professional with the PM. I’m sure Wills had something to say after the float up yesterday. Does anyone think he doesn’t get upset when stuff like that happens? He has to know it’s not good, at the least, and I bet he can be a real jerk when displeased or embarrassed. I’m thinking his obsession with privacy is due to the fact that Kate can handle very little professionally. No employment to prepare her for being a professional. I feel like she’s a somewhat limited woman/child.
If Will gets upset with Kate when she flashes people, she would have stopped doing it a long time ago. I’m of the opinion that he either doesn’t care or likes when she does it, so it’s not something she is going to change. From everything we have seen, Kate does what Will says and conform to his desires.
In one of the pictures (I think it was in the Daily Mail), William looked peeved. The body language between them was not good.
As if. I’m sure the day to day wardrobe was decided ages ago.
The green dress is doing strange things to her breasts…
Was scrolling down to see if I was the only one who noticed how squashed flat and low her boobs look in that dress. Same thing with the polka dot dress the other day. Princess, get proper bras, please.
It looks like she isn’t wearing a bra in the green dress to me
I like them both! And depending on the terrain, I wouldn’t wear sandals either. And to be fair here- after all the comments “wear your hair up”, now the criticism is about how it’s worn up? That’s a bit of a reach.
I agree. She can’t win for losing no matter what. The green is lovely, we already know how tiny her teets are! And I’d absolutely wear no strappy shoes on that terrain.
I’m with you. And I absolutely co-sign on the flats. I think she looks great in both dresses.
Yeah, the “sister wife” criticism was extremely silly. That hairstyle looks really good on her, and it’s a great way to put one’s hair up. I also like both dresses, and thank goodness for the flats.
I agree about the hair criticism. As long as she wears it up in a decently professional way, i’m happy. It is sad that the bar is so very low for her!
Ooh, I just painted my nails a slightly darker shade of that green!
But my goodness, that one shot in the red where you can see the outline of her legs? I’m sure she works out like a fiend, but not wanting to be caught/photographed in public eating something speaks to something else.
You know, Normal Bill often walks with his hands clasped in front of him as well. Do you think their body language is in sync, or that she intentionally copies him to make it seem so?
I think she mimics him. The photos that show both of them in the other post of today—the Temperley one—show that their hands are in nearly the same position. My guess is she still hasn’t learned what’s expected of her and thus is reduced to mimicking those around her, thinking that that will be okay. But it looks very artificial.
It’s fine, really. All of it. I just … goddamn it, I’m starting to get mad at myself. ALL I think about is her appearance and her fashion sense just bores me to tears. And then I think “You’re a damn feminist and you have no thoughts besides judging her styling? Stop it.” And THEN I realize that the only reason I do that is because she – and her hubs, let’s be honest – has no substance. Ugh. If only she buckled down, there would be something else to talk about. Right now – and I know it’s an excuse on my part – all there is to talk about is clothes, hair, and makeup.
I honestly wonder if that’s by design. And if so, why isn’t the styling better??? If not, why don’t they give us anything else to talk about???
I’m feeling badly, too, but mostly because I feel that she is in way over her unprepared head, and I think she’s cracking. So I try to limit my critiques to her lack of work ethic and bad clothing choices, such as yesterday’s fly-up dress. And I understand that she doesn’t have any professional background to fall back upon like Maxima, Letizia and Mary did, so she is like a babe in arms here, and so unprepared she continually makes mistakes with a ton of scrutiny on her. I think she is falling apart, refusing to do duties, struggling with her life choice and has a real jerk of a husband.
She dresses like a co-ed girly girl, all frothy, fragile and delicate. No wonder people buy the illusion that she’s a babe in arms. She very successful at conning everyone with that shtick. She’s selling snake oil and guess who’s the snake.
But all of this could easily be remedied by hiring a stylist. A professional. I just don’t get it. Nobody exepects her to do it alone, I sure as hell don’t. Does anyone? Even her most vicious critics?
I feel like this all the time about her.
I posted the same on the other thread. Someone was complaining that there was an article in the Mail bitching about her feet- but what else is there to talk about with her? She does less than the bare minimum of public appearances and doesn’t even represent the charities she’s a patron of.
As for being unprepared and a ‘babe in arms. She’s a woman in her mid-thirties, she’s had the best education money can buy and she’s been with her husband for over a decade. It’s hardly a Diana scenario.
Bottom line is that most of her work appearances are marred by stories of her arriving late (usually in helicopters) not interacting with people waiting to meet her and staying half an hour to an hour before leaving again. I still remember her and her husband bailing out of Paralympics at the last minute to go on holidays…
Aside from marital issues she can’t expect to be allowed to do nothing when her only role is to represent her country. She’s starting to look very Marie-Antoinette. All those expensive house renovations and the ‘simple’ life in the country…
As for being unprepared and a ‘babe in arms. She’s a woman in her mid-thirties, she’s had the best education money can buy and she’s been with her husband for over a decade. It’s hardly a Diana scenario.
Perspective: she is 2 years younger than Diana was when she died. No rube, or at least, she shouldn’t be.
I don’t know anything about Diana. With Kate, She checks all the boxes of being the “ideal” woman – nice, pretty, pleasing, kind. But there is no fire, no spark, except when she’s doing sport events.
Given her history and treatment of other women and staff, the descriptors “nice” “pleasing” and “kind” don’t fit. Pretty being in the eye of the beholder.
I agree. As for sports she is a patron of SportsAids and no-one even realises.
Her ‘interest’ in sports can be summed up to attending Wimbledon and renovating a tennis court.
Oh, and holding a cricket bat every other year.
There is nothing kind about showing up late to events (when she shows up at all, as seen in the Paralympics and the Irish guard ceremony) barely talking to people, refusing food etc.
What’s ‘pleasing’ about her? She allows her husband to do whatever she wants and she produced 2 children. Heir and spare.
Job done.
I agree. When the fans go apeshit over her, I wonder why. All we see is a nice photo; there’s nothing behind it at all. She looks engaged sometimes, like today in the red dress. Most of the time, not so much. But we don’t talk about what Camilla or the Queen wear. We talk about what they’re doing. I so wish we had some things to talk about there, but we don’t.
I just said this to someone today: dammit, i’m a feminist and Kate leaves me making snarky comments about shit, i’m bolstering the patriarchy! so, co -sign all of this. But if we hold the view that feminism is about equality, she should not be shielded from criticism about her lack of work ethic, ill-mannered ‘diplomacy’ (dosa, anyone?) and her apparent zero f*cks to give attitude about her role in the BRF just because we fear we may end up being ‘bad feminists’. I mean, if you are gonna buy into all that monarchy propaganda, go full hog. pick a cause, use your influence, DO SOMETHING.
She’s a lazy, narcissistic, thumbsucking slacker of a human being. She deserves the criticism. She also deserves criticism for what a pathetic role model she is for females.
Oh I’m absolutely not talking about criticising her work or lack thereof. Go nuts, by all means. If I suck at work, you can count on someone pointing it out. That’s fair.
But I feel like if she can’t deliver on the work front, all I’m left with is her appearance. And then I end up sh*tting on her ALL the time. To do that with a woman in the public eye feels gross to me, especially if looks come into the mix. It’s like I can’t help myself with her and I wonder whether I’m just letting myself get caught up in the negative press or whether it’s because that’s what she’s selling. And she’s not selling it well. Are the clothes supposed to be the focus? I just have no idea what she’s doing, what her intentions are etc.
If the main thing SHE focuses on is her appearance, what else do we have to focus on? No work ethic, doesn’t care, bored silly at most engagements that don’t involve Ainslie.
There is so little to say about her, even I have had to make remarks about clothes of late. It is a sad reflection on her as a public figure, is it not?
I mean, I get that many people like fashion and many people here like to comment about fashion. I don’t, so I don’t. But there is usually something else positive for me to say on posts about women. But with this one: nothing to say except negativity on job performance and dissection of clothes.
Sixer, I get that completely – you know I’ve had some choice words about her and her husband and some of their behaviour on and in the runup to this tour, but honestly even I think that comments on her ‘old man claws’, that article on her feet etc are crossing a line into pitchforks territory.
Like we’re undermining perfectly legitimate criticism of her work, behaviour and the way she presents herself on the job by throwing in unnecessary gross nonsense.
Because of this I think it means people will scan for imperfections in her appearance. Since there is nothing else, her tiniest flaws standout.
teacakes, I think there is a difference between talking about her styling, hair, makeup etc. and talking about individual body parts, her weight and so on. I don’t do that. At least I try very hard. I think at some point I commented on her age vs. how old she looks. … Yeah, fine, I said she looks old. I’ve never read anything about her hands but that feet article was crazy and uncalled for. It all feels weird and yet, my mind goes to her appearance immediately.
@littlemissnaughty – I absolutely agree that there is a difference between talking about her hair/makeup/styling and the appropriateness of it, vs the body/weight/feet talk.
I also understand what Sixer and all you guys are saying – there’s very little to discuss about Kate beyond her appearance, and I think her styling choices are fair game. But even with that, I think the articles picking apart her feet, aging etc (she’s 34, white and likes to tan and smoke since her youth, it’s a given there will be some wrinkles) are a bit much. You don’t do it, but there are other people who do, and I have to say it bothers me sometimes.
Agree, teacakes. I’m about ready to bow out of the conversations this week. I normally have a lot to say about her, but it’s not about her clothes, feet, claws, etc., and I actually find myself wanting to defend her. I think I need to lie down. 😉
I agree with everyone, in true fence-sitting tradition! But it’s not fence-sitting really.
I understand what littlemiss is saying in that Chutney is so unbelievably useless at her job that frustration leads you down rabbit holes and you suddenly find yourself being personal about her when you would never normally descend to such levels.
I don’t think I have done this about her appearance. But this is principally because I genuinely have no interest in a) clothes, b) make up, c) hairstyles, d) whether married people are getting on with one another or not, e) anything that isn’t to do with the actual constitutional/diplomatic/charitable role of the BRF. I see why people find themselves doing it and feel uncomfortable.
However, if even I am talking about clothes (albeit not in a personally critical way), we know there is NOTHING ELSE AT ALL TO SAY.
I also agree with teacakes and bluhare that outright cruel remarks about her appearance are de trop and conversations of this type are best avoided. For our own sakes – not Chutney’s. She’s not taking the higher road but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t either. Job performance? Yes. Style choices? Yes. Marilyn moments? Yes. But there is a line.
You are right. I know she is frustrating and she pushes people’s buttons for a long host of reasons, but it can go overboard.
There are things she can’t help. Things she can are different.
This is the entire problem. Nothing there and I don’t believe this will ever change. It is just who she is.
I feel embarrassed just posting about Kate’s clothes too, love this long casual red dress on her. But what else are we left to discuss?
Really wish she’d make some small talk, jokes. She could share some cute tidbits about George & Charlotte, what they are up to, a favorite toy, what George likes doing at school. Again, Diana did this and it was light hearted and people loved it. Is she taking pictures on the trip? Harry posted some of his own. This would show us some of her personality, creativity…
I agree with the DM–Kate is “Style Kryptonite”. The Temperley is a beautiful color, but another matronly look. Even with her access to the best clothes in the world, her choices are usually awful.
Is there anyway this woman can speak to people without gesticulating with her big old man claws like a lobster?
If I didn’t use my hands to talk, I wouldn’t be able to say anything. Just don’t walk right up next to me while I’m describing something if you don’t want a hand to accidentally hit you. ☺
“Man claws”?
Got something against women who don’t have tiny hands? Now women are supposed to worry about the size of our hands, along with everything else? Criticize her lack of work ethic or the clothing she chooses to wear, but when it comes to criticizing the way someone’s hands look, I call foul.
India, what a truly gross remark. Don’t you feel mean talking about someone’s appearance like this? What gets me about some of the remarks here isn’t that they are about Kate but directed at any other human. If there is nothing left to talk about but her appearance then leave it Direct your energies to something else.
like the dress and colour but it would have been much better without the victoriana neckline which i know is on trend at the moment.
I really like both dresses.
I thought the $50 dress was that hideous mint-green number, until I clicked on it.
I like the red dress or seems very 70’s to me. She needs to stop cocking her head when she’s listening. It doesn’t make her look more engaged.
Hmmm…Maybe she has some kind of hearing problem, and that’s really why she tries to minimize public appearances and giving speeches.
That’s her copying Diana.
She started doing that after the wedding. It wasn’t so present in the first year of marriage, but now, it’s become her gesture of concern, together with the puckered brow.
She cocks her head because she’s taller than most of the people talking to her.
Taxi, she’s probably 5’6″ and insists upon wearing 4-5 inch heels. She also does the cocking the head / fake Diana look of concern uplook through the lashes when she is sitting down.
The Temperley is awful and she needs a better bra.
“Be careful what you wish for” always comes to mind when I see her obviously struggling during these events. She’s either not properly prepared or everything the grey men or handlers or whatever they’re called have prepped her with has just vaporized in her empty head. Neither she nor her cantankerous lout of a husband have anything to offer but their obvious disdain and disinterest in what should be a wonderful role to shine a positive light on the monarchy and, by extension, the UK.
I actually feel sorry for her because she’s so way beyond her depth as “wife of” that it’s painful to see. I think William is a lot more controlling and manipulative than we know and she probably dotes on those few moments where he’s actually kind and affectionate. Her Marilyn Moments are probably just a passive/aggressive way of acting out her frustrations, as is her addiction to exercise and staying thin. It’s one area of her life where she actually has control.
This x1000! She is in way over her head. I really think she would be doing a lot better at the royal thing if her husband wasn’t a complete jerk
I don’t pity her about him at all. I think he got a raw deal as much as she. She stalked and manipulated her way into this position for superficial reasons. Now that she is there, she doesn’t want the job part.
10 years to prepare and 5 years on the job. I dare anyone to say to their boss that after 10 years of preparation and 5 years on the job, they need more time to get it together.
I agree. I think he married he because she was the last female standing and wanted to piss off his family. Why else would someone in his position (or anyone) settle for his booty-call girl? She schemed with her mother for years and put her own life and emotional development on hold for him and doggedly pursued him by stalking him around the world, to university etc in hopes of wearing him down. The fact that she sacrificed her self-respect just to get her loser husband and his title/ connections for the benefit of her family is particularly sick IMO. This is the 21st century and their story reads more like the Henry VIII and the Boleyn family drama.
The Temperley is just awful.
I love the red dress. She looks good in it. Flats! Finally. That mint green is…a big doily. I just don’t understand why she wears so much lace. She’s 34, not 12.
So she CAN wear flats– but what is this girl’s obsession with suede? And especially in a dusty place like India!!! Jesus. And let me get this straight–she wears the flats today, but just HAD to wear the sky high fugly wedges of doom to play cricket — right, got it. Oh, and the “art history major” drew a house that -OMG- a three year old would have done it SO much better. I just burst out laughing when I saw it. She left out the tennis court, tragic….
I feel for those of us who can’t draw. Me for example, I can’t draw a recognizable stick man. My dad could carve anything out of wood. Incredible artist. My older brother once drew a 5′ picture of 2 bull elephants charging and you could smell the rising dust.
The DM mentioned one of the kids saying something like “now I know how to draw trees” after seeing her picture. Wouldn’t it be awesome if the duo could/would teach little practical things to the people they interact with? Can you imagine how much it would inspire those hungry young minds?
To be fair, art history is an academic discipline not artistic practice. Two very different things. I’m a very good art historian but not much at painting/drawing.
Oh but we were told the super keen duchess spent last summer sketching her children. I hope that worked out better than this effort :-/
@Anne
I forgot about that! But you’re right, a year or so ago they tried to play up her artistic and “sketching” skills
Having a major in art history does not mean you know how to draw, any more than having a major in military history means you know how to shoot. They’re different disciplines.
They should hire Tarras-Wahlberg, if she is still alive?
Problems solved.
Wow. I’m beginning to wonder if this is the most brilliant PR coup ever. If even a rabid republican like me is starting to wince at the vitriol aimed at this woman, then perhaps it’s all some elaborate double bluff. I actually feel sorry for her now – she looks incredibly fragile & uncomfortable to me. As someone else said, the phrase “be careful what you wish for” seems apt.
Workshy – I get the criticism for that. Endless knicker flashing – yup, again, justified. But the vicious comments about her weight, her breasts, her feet, her “old man claws”. Really???
Welcome to the internet.
Feel free to Google any female celebrity.
That’s probably a very fair point – sad though.
I have to admit I don’t pay much attention to “celebrities” but as a Brit, & a republican Brit at that, I find the posts about the royals fascinating. & it just struck me that some of the comments were beyond snarky.
But you’re right, I don’t really have much to compare them to.
I agree, Pip. I think I may be backing out for the rest of this tour. I get that there’s not much to talk about other than photo ops, but I can’t go there either. If she’s dressed appropriately, then meh. Other than yesterday with that huge skirt in the wind.
Yeah, I’m starting to feel this way too. I’m all on board with criticizing her for not working — though the criticism there should still be on Will a lot more. I know too much about monarchy to ever accept it as anything but negative. But this constant harping on Kate’s clothing and even her basic genetics (feet and hands, are you kidding me?) is totally out of control.
By the way – & off at a tangent – I just wanted to clarify: when I call myself a republican, that’s not in a voting for an insane orange blowhard sort of way (I’ve heard the BBC mention him & Mussolini in the same breath more than once now). It’s more of a French revolution, guillotiney type of thing.
Just wanted to make sure there wasn’t an awful misunderstanding ….
I agree. There are legitimate beefs to be had with this woman, but her hands, feet, etc, should not be included.
I think she copies the fragile thing too much from Diana but I also think she’s just now getting a taste of the hard realities of royal life. Her parents did her a disservice by not teaching her anything other than idleness and social climbing. There is a reason Workshy’s other choices from his own class didn’t want the job. One thing, he is no catch and not worth the negatives and the other is that they had lives of their own. They didn’t need his status or access.
I don’t even understand why they would want their daughter married to a man who treated her so shabby. Prince or not. I can’t imagine my parents not disliking him and not trying to encourage me to look for someone who cherished me and loved me.
I wouldn’t want her life because that means having him as a husband. I wouldn’t like the scrutiny or control but with a deep loving marriage, support and a strong work ethic, many women could possibly make a go of it.
If she gets home and improves then good but if not then she’s going to get more of the same from the public.
Yes. To all of this. She gave up a decade of personal development waiting for him, so now she hasn’t any skills to call upon, which makes her job almost impossible.
Looks like I’m in the minority here but day three IMO is a fashion win.
I like both the red dress and the green dress. And it’s nice to see her in flat shoes for a change.
Why couldn’t Kate have worn the same length dress (long) but more formal fabric for the war memorial yesterday?
It’s nice Kate is choosing comfort over vanity re- the braless look with the green dress, but then she doesn’t want the bra lines I guess. So perhaps it’s a mix of vanity and comfort?
And as always, Kate looks best with her hair up.
Are strapless bras not available in Europe?
Oh yes, but still the lines and I think Kate wanted a smooth look.
I think the green dress is gorgeous and was like , ‘Ooohh’ when I saw it. I think she looks lovely. But I really like the more casual dress!! She looks bohemian chic
Every time I see them with underpiviledged people, I think how, if I was in their position, I would hate to be oogled like an animal in the zoo by these people who clearly don’t care at all.
Interestingly, I think they view themselves that way sometimes.
@locke l….I can barely breathe trying to imagine how these children cope with looking at so much for so short a time…..
@blu….the difference is that as far as the royals go, we here in this country do care. We want them to step up to the plate, behave in the manner they were meant to and know that we are behind them when ‘needs must’. Just flipping’ do it
I meant if I was one of the underpriviledged people being looked at by the royals and their posse who are there just because they have to, not because they care. And even if they cared, I wouldn’t want my misery to be a show programme.
A. Men! It’s exploitation at its sneakiest. All for a photo op.
Can we start a “Go Fund Me” page to buy this woman some slips? I loved the red dress except when it bunches between her legs from no slip. The green dress looks like something a 12 year-old would wear for her first formal occasion where she gets to wear heels for the first time.
I quite like the Temperley, but I like lace in moderation and I think the inset panels along the bottom are fun and really break up the severity of the design. But for goodness’ sake, why can’t she wear proper undergarments? I don’t want to know how her boobs hang! It’s so unprofessional.
The red dress is fine. I’m confused about why she’s wearing long sleeves and I agree with @notasugarhere that a slip underneath would have been good. I think wishing she’d put her hair up is a given. But is it mildly offensive that she bought a random print dress that just looked “Indian” to wear on her India tour? Because I find it so, but maybe I’m being overly critical. I can just see her and her “stylist Tash” picking it off the rack and saying, “Yeah, that looks Indian enough,” and tossing it towards the suitcase.
But we got flats instead of wedges and hair up twice in two days, so I guess we’re on a roll. And really, she doesn’t want to raise our expectations, so I’m sure there will be inappropriate footwear, clothing, and flying hair for the rest of the trip.
I know that this is a gossip website and I love it! I also know that part of her role is to present herself to the public. I am also American so I am not nearly as close to these stories as others may be. I just feel like she can’t win. Nobody likes her hair down so she wears it up and it’s sisterwife. She always wears the same boring things and when she tries something new it’s awful. I guess I just don’t think she’s looking that bad.
I think it’s extremely foolish of her not to hire a professional stylist given her public role.
They have over 30+ staff looking after them, and they can’t stretch to a stylist and instead co-opted the office junior into being one.
The Queen has one.
No one expects Kate to be her own stylist and if she hired one, no one would blame her, but she insists upon it, and ends up displeasing everyone particularly because this is the only part of her role she is willing to work on.
BTW, no one required her to be decorative or ornamental, but even when essays are written lamenting the decorative nature of her role, she clings to that aspect more than ever.
Diana was expected to be decorative, and she showed that she was more than that, and her role could be more than ornamental. Other consorts/first ladies eg Eleanor Roosevelt, the Queen Mother and Philip have shown the same, but in the modern era, I think we’d forgotten that this role was more than ornamental. Diana reminded us. Every first lady/consort has been trying to be more than ornamental and decorative, except for Kate.
This tour highlights this. And we are left to judge her fashion which is a very subjective thing which means Kate, without a professional to help, won’t meet everyone’s expectations.
Lak, whether Kate looks awful is a matter of opinion most of the people I know personally think she is beautiful.
Regarding slips, all of mine are nearly 30 years old. They are just not there to buy in the town where I live in Scotland. No-one I know wears slips any more. Linings are meant to do. My 22 year old daughter has never worn a slip in her life.
@carolind
Somewhere I read someone describing Kate’s lined skirt as “a slip attached to her skirt”. So, yeah, the young people rarely wear slips or know about slips anymore. Except for the BRF. Sewing up a slip for Waity would be no problem.
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but damn, has the historical definition become so corrupted and debased? Kate is average in her attractiveness and that’s only through surgery and enhancements.
LAK, bravo.
Kate is the only one who can change the conversation. She has put little effort into being anything more than a mannequin. So that’s why the conversation always goes to her wardrobe and appearance. What happened to all these speeches she was going to make? LOL. What a joke.
Maybe this has been covered in another thread, but I am appalled by the short dresses Natasha Archer has been photographed wearing in India. I am not a prude by any stretch but object to the lack of regard for the culture she is displaying.
It explains a lot about this sartorial sh$t storm. I can just see her and Waity in a cloud of cigarette smoke, taking little swigs from their purse liquor and figuring out how they are going to make an Alexander McQueen look “better” :-/
LOL! Anne, you made my day! Thanks! (Probably not far from the truth, either. I imagine that, given all the alterations, Dolittle fancies herself an artiste.)
hahaha!! Anne, many thanks for the laugh and mental picture! purse liquor!!
Tash should have never been given such a prestigious job after being her PA for less than a year. She doesn’t have the training nor the acumen for the job, as evidenced by her own clothing choices.
AmyLW, I agree.
I took one look at her and remembered all of Kate’s mini-dress maternity wear with high heels.
Both Natasha and Rebecca’s appearances make me despair. Rebecca is often unkempt, unpolished and dressed like she’s attending a different event from Kate. She’s not a public figure, but she’s part of Kate’public appearances. HM’s LIWs are as impecably turned out as HM.
Failing that, as we keep pointing out, Kate could copy Mary of Denmark’s style and Rebecca should look to Mary’s LIW’s style for her own appearances.
Natasha always looks like the office junior she was before she was co-opted into styling Kate
They got an awesome gig, these youngsters. Gotta show the fuddy duddies how it’s really done, Kate and her posse.
Such a class act.
I’m a magazine journalist and we have a dress code for events. We have to do our job but in the process make sure we represent our publication. That being said, it’s a major pain in the butt to look pulled together while doing our job. Speaking as a woman I feel for Tash and Becs. I would bet anything they are overworked and underpaid.
LAK< I just looked at the DM photos of Natasha…..and I see what you mean, I seriously cannot believe she has gainful employment as a stylist. I’ve worked with many stylists and even those starting out, on slim means, managed to look the part, show their skill, that little something extra, their eye, even through long manic shoots and tapings, even on little sleep. She looks, as you said, a sort of office junior, full stop.
But it further explains why Kate looks like this.
I think she needs better undergarments on the top.
Other than that, I don’t know what to say. I think she’s choosing clothes that are suitably conservative for her job/role. Whether she wears them well, I’m not sure. And there’s really nothing else to talk about except her clothes even when she’s in India.
I think the criticisms of her style would be less, if William’s PR team stopped trying invoke a comparison to Diana. William and Kate are diplomats in a way, but it’s not clear to me what they have accomplished on the trip, other than having bought clothes for the tour.
Well, as far as accomplishments, they’ve made a point of visiting with children living in poverty in both Mumbai and New Delhi. William (as it was written at the DM) made of point of asking the director of the shelter; “how can we help”? Some may think of it as a silly question. But no, I don’t think so. William was giving the shelter director a platform to provide an answer not only to himself but to a global audience via the press reports. The shelter director reminded the world via the conversation with William of how these children live and need help.
ps- and I must say (write) that earlier I wasn’t aware the Bollywood dinner in Mumbai was actually a fundraiser for charity.
I sincerely hope a significant amount of money was raised more importantly, the money actually gets there, ie- doesn’t disappear via corruption etc…
I know they’re doing the bare minimum (visiting poor kids and raising money at a glamorous function are what royals are expected to do), but beyond that I’m not sure what else there is to say about them, especially Kate. William asked some questions, and Kate…I don’t know what she’s really doing besides showing up and wearing clothes (and wedges).
I guess I should clarify, and say that what I probably mean is that I can’t tell if they’re a hit. The Australia tour seemed to generate more excitement, but I’m not sure if that was because we saw George. They’re more boring this time around, but I’m not sure why because I can’t remember anything significant from the Australia tour either, except for that bilby.
She’s in an Anna Sui maxidress and black wedges for her night event, per what kate wore.
The Anna Sui dress is my favourite but the WEDGES, THE WEDGES!!!!!!!!!
I don’t know why but those wedges she wears make me irrational and want to snatch them off her feet and burn them.
The DM has a closeup of her wedges all dirty and muddy! Poetic justice? 🙂
That dress is so bloody busy and swamps her. Not to mention the theme dressing is becoming offensive.
Hippy chic !
I actually really love both dresses today!
I can’t help thinking though that Kate is thinking something along the lines of :
‘Help! What the hell am I doing here? What is the actual point of all of this? What is this actually achieving? Please leave me alone! Help!!!!’
She sort of looks like she wants rescued and helicoptered out- the rictus grin is a bit panicky. I really felt for her during that cringe-tastic wreath-laying ceremony.
I’m in the majority but she look really radiant and happy in the photos I’ve seen. I love the long red dress and the way she is sitting cross legged on the ground she looks comfortable and at ease.
I think these two always look their best when they are away from Britain they seem to relax more.
Of course she’s happy. She’s being catered to and she is the star, adored by all who cross her path. And she didn’t have to lift a finger. We don’t see her making anyone comfortable or happy or cared for or important. What we see is worship. And coddling.
It’s a great shame she difn’t wear a slip under the red dress. It totally spoiled the dress, her scrawny shanks poking through the light-weight fabric. What is it with her, needing to be naked under her dresses? In college she is said to have enjoyed mooning the guys from her bedroom windowsill.
She will hardly be a suitable role model for Charlotte. At least the nanny will see that the children aren’t starved and once they are at boarding school (because they are just a normal family) her royal thinness won’t be able to ban them from having fat and carbs with their meals.
Even if that’s true, she was in college which was a long time ago and lots of college kids do stupid things that don’t get held against them 15 yeas later. I like the dress without a slip.
Actually, the photograph where they’re removing their shoes, you can see Kate has a slip sown into the dress. Problem is- it didn’t help. Then I thought, perhaps she does have hem weights sown in too and they didn’t help? The problem is– she repetitively chooses these floaty dresses on windy days. We can’t control the weather but we can control what we wear. Kate could’ve opted for a close fitting (but not tight given the engagement) long (full length), very conservative day time dress, with her hair up.
Love the red dress, perfect for the occasion and the weather, and for once, her hair looks appropriate. I’m very intrigued by the ‘do and the ‘stache that the gent walking alongside her is rocking.
I’m beginning to think some of the commenters here are just looking to nitpick. I mean, personally I have liked all of the dresses Kate has worn so far. My gripes come from her hair being down all the time and her god-damn inability to not flash in public. Criticise her for laziness all the livelong day but some of the comments so far are just…vitriolic…
I’m not trying to body shame here–but that mint dress makes her look wayyy tooo thin. She seriously needs to go back to the weight she was pre-engagement and it is very sad that she is so body conscious. I do like the neck on that dress though, but like everyone else, I prefer the red dress.
Sound the Jeggings Siren… I repeat, Jeggings Alert for Day 4!!
Wow there’s some really nasty comments on here. I usually enjoy Celebitchy but these Royal threads are too much. She can’t do anything right in some people’s eyes whether her hair is up or down, dress flying up in the air, bunions, big hands, no slip!! Horrors!! Looking happy how dare she ?! looking serious ..she’s so bored lol.
Green – stop. Red – Go. Bassackwards, but still something is seriously wrong with the Temperley at the bust and fabric. Red dress looked comfortable and really looked well on her.
I know we’ve been highly critical of Kate for her inaction but overall bashing just isn’t nice. I think she looks lovely in both dresses. I actually would wear either dress.
Good grief some of the comments on here! I used to think some commenters were a bit over-invested in the Kate Hate but this is just sheer trolling! Claw hands, scrawny legs, no role model for children- it’s just horrible! Imagine if this was being said to her by a load of blokes- everyone would be horrified by the body shaming and sheer nastiness.
I get that she comes across in a negative way to some of you, but really- get a grip and leave her alone! For someone who is criticised for having too much spare time on her hands, its ironic how much time and energy some of you spend slating her every move.