Duchess Kate in red Marchesa at the ’42nd Street’ opening: cute or cloying?

Opening night of '42nd Street' - Arrivals

I’m always a little bit surprised that the Duchess of Cambridge doesn’t wear red more often, because it really suits her. I think she tends to favor blues, greens and greys because she believes those colors bring out her eyes, plus those colors coordinate with her sapphire engagement ring. But red is really flattering on her. These are photos of Kate at the opening of the musical revival 42nd Street, which is just starting in London’s West End. The opening night was a fundraiser for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH), for which Kate serves as a royal patron.

For the evening out, Kate went solo – no William! – but she seemed fine with it. She wore a new frock by… Marchesa! Which is just so… bad/obvious. I mean, the dress itself is okay, but I just feel preconditioned to loathe everything from Marchesa, because the dresses usually look so cheap. While Marchesa is considered an American line, it was founded by a Brit: Georgina Chapman, wife of Harvey Weinstein. So Kate probably thought, “Eh, good enough.” This dress is from Marchesa’s Notte Resort 2017 line and the fabric is called “honeycomb.” It retails for $1,195, which seems about what I would expect for this kind of dress from Marchesa.

Some nice stuff: I always think Kate’s clothes are so poorly tailored and I always think Marchesa dresses are so poorly tailored, so it’s fascinating to me that this dress actually looks like it was properly tailored for Kate’s figure. Look, there are no weird bulges, no nonsensical sleeve puffs, no oddly draped tulle. Maybe Kate is actually the perfect Marchesa model. I also appreciate the skirt length here – this is a full-skirted tea-length and while the skirt seems a bit stiff, the effect is very “1950s Society Gal Goes To Broadway!” Which fits with the event. Such a theme-dresser, our Kate.

Opening night of '42nd Street' - Arrivals

Opening night of '42nd Street' - Arrivals

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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124 Responses to “Duchess Kate in red Marchesa at the ’42nd Street’ opening: cute or cloying?”

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  1. Ms.Lib says:

    It looks very 40’s. Perfect for the event. She is adorable.

    • Loopy says:

      Would that also be considered lace?

    • notasugarhere says:

      It looks very 1950s prom, and the musical is set in the 1930s.

    • tmot says:

      More like ’50s. At the time they called it “New Romantic” (before Adam Ant!) and the romantic part was that, since the war was over, fabric rationing had ended so they could do full skirts.

      I know we’re supposed to look askance at both Kate and Marchesa, but I think she looks fantastic here, while checking all the boxes. (Personally, I want Miranda Lambert’s glam tracksuit from the other post – and I could get away with it – but if Kate wore that, they’d rip her to shreds. With me, all anyone would say is who is the pudgy chick in that awesome glam tracksuit? LOL!)

    • what's inside says:

      At last, she got it right.

  2. Millennial says:

    I’m suspicious of all this “work” they’ve been doing lately. What are they covering for? What’s coming up? I’m conditioned at this point to not expect work from them without ulterior motive!

    • Loopy says:

      Haha isn’t it said that is the rock bottom they have reached, people kept suspicious when they work, they have been out a lot lately.

    • Karen says:

      I may be wrong but I think this is her 13th or 14th physical day she’s done any events this year. She’s basically averaging 1 day per week. I’m not sure I’d consider it much of an improvement in work load.

      They’ll probably take another mini vacation (already did skiing) to relax from the stress.

      • Anitas says:

        They’re doing the blitz tactics. Three days of events in a row and we all start applauding them for getting serious at last. Then then disappear for three weeks again.

      • PrincessK says:

        I don’t think Royals should be seen too much, there is something called over exposure. I just can’t understand why people are so obsessed by the amount of engagements they do. How does this affect my life? I don’t want to see them all the time, they are not next door neighbours, they are royalty, and we pay just a few pence per head of the population yearly to maintain them. The revenue brought in by tourism far outstrips the tax we pay .

      • LAK says:

        PrincessK: that pence per head figure is a lie as is the tourism thing. It’s a PR lie the royals tell that has turned into a myth that feels true. It doesn’t stand up to examination.

        That pence per head figure is only one income stream and is outcome of dividing that one income stream by every human being in the UK which means babies as well as OAPs, sick and well people, those unable to work, those who pay tax and those who don’t. If you limited it to taxpayers, that figure becomes £7-£8 per head for that income stream.

        Further, the value of the income stream used to make this calculation is approx a tenth of the total of publicly known income streams – due to exemption from FOI we can’t be sure that the known income streams are the only ways we fund the royals.

        With regards tourism, the royals or royally related sites are not in the top 20 reasons people visit the UK. Reasons borne out by numbers and money. The only royally related site that shows up consistently in the top 20 is the tower of London, but most people don’t automatically remember that it is a palace, and remember it as a prison.

        Out of all the palaces visited worldwide, non of the UK Palaces feature in the top ten. That might be due to being opened only a few weeks a year, but numbers don’t lie.

      • addie says:

        PrincessK: the 50 pence per head is a lie, as LAK explains. Further, security is not counted in that amount; this totals to c. 100+ million per year. If the royals visit your local area, your local council is charged for the security costs attached to that visit; this means less money is spent on services for people in the area.

        The total funding for the BRF – as far as anyone can work out – is around 304 million pounds per year. Why is the precise amount not made public? Because the Queen and Charles have succeeded in their request to be exempt from compliance with the Freedom of Information Act. You might guess as to why. Perhaps even the royals know they are skating on very thin ice and if the true cost of supporting them was known, questions would be asked to which the unpleasant answer is that this family does not provide value, as claimed, for the money they cost.

        Studies show that people do not come to the UK to see palaces occupied by the royals. As LAK pointed out, the stats don’t add up for that argument. Actually, Britain’s tourist pound would increase if no royals lived in those palaces and they were open throughout the year. By the way, the palaces are owned by citizens of the UK, and not by the royals.

        Given the extraordinary cost to maintain this very ordinary group of people, people have a right, even a duty, to demand more of them. A day a week is stepping up? No, it’s still lazy and half-arsed.

      • notasugarhere says:

        “I have to be seen to be believed.” – Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II

        “Your work is the rent you pay for the room you occupy on earth.” – Queen Mum, quoting someone else

        “You are a member of the British Royal Family. We are never tired, and we all love hospitals!” – Queen Mary (Teck) snapped this at a younger royal when they were whining about visiting a hospital as part of royal work.

        It appears those members of the British Royal Family disagree with you, PrincessK.

    • Harla Jodet says:

      Hi Millennial, I think W&K are “working” more now because they will take considerable time off later in the year for their big move to Kensington Palace. Of course, being such hands-on parents they will want to spend lots of time getting George and Charlotte familiar with their new schools and schedules. Plus Kate will probably need to redecorate again and that’s so exhausting, William will be pretty busy trying to find another job so he can escape his royal duties, so yeah I don’t see them doing much at all this coming fall or winter.

      • Becks says:

        Her next event after this is May 12. So that’s over a month off. I’m assuming we will see her at some point in that interim, but right now there is nothing scheduled – at least I don’t think so.

    • Jessica says:

      They were intended to pick up their duties this year because of the Queen’s health. She gave up a lot of patronages after the beginning of the year and they are moving to KP this summer.

  3. MostlyMegan says:

    Marchessa. Ugh. Her hair looks nice though, as do the new eyeliner flicks. Let’s just ignore the dress. She has the worst taste in clothes.

    • atorontogal says:

      Ha! I’m the opposite, love the dress hate the hair!

      • minx says:

        Same! Love the color of the dress and the style is appropriate. Her hair is awful, though. So boring and girlish.

    • AreYouForReal? says:

      She looks “refreshed.” This the best I’ve seen her look in a while.

    • Imqrious2 says:

      Love the dress, fit, lenghth…perfect. I would’ve done the black strapping shoes she wore in Paris with the black sleeveless dress (isn’t there some rule Royals can’t /shouldn’t wear sandals on “official” outings? I thought I read that somewhere). And definitely done a modern ponytail or updo… just not that awful cinnamon bun she usually wears (like today).

  4. Digital Unicorn (aka Betti) says:

    She suits the colour and the style suits her silhouette but she blends with the carpet.

    I really really wish she would get a professional stylist and stop using an amateur and her mother. Individually the pieces are very nice but the overall package on how they are put together is seriously lacking. A good stylist can put anything together and make it look good. As someone said on yesterday’s thread she either dresses too young or too old.

    Plus she, William and Harry are at an event today commemorating the Westminster Attack.

    • Lahdidahbaby says:

      Yes, Digital, you have summed up the styling sitch very well.

    • Sixer says:

      How you can butcher the beautiful language in the King James bible, I just don’t know. But Normal Bill and Amber Rudd have just managed it. Beautiful work by the cellist though (Bach).

      Lovely multi-faith service overall so far, I must say. I should be working but am watching until the end!

      • Digital Unicorn (aka Betti) says:

        Am sure we’ll hear him butchering it later when the clips hit the interwebz. I despair of how people in the public eye are sooo bad at public speaking even with the expensive media training they would have gotten.

        Sadly am missing it but will try and find a video of it later to watch.

    • Harla Jodet says:

      I so agree Betti! This is frequently a problem with Kate’s appearance, nice pieces but severely lacking in style. My favorite royal, Queen Letizia, is rocking a red dress, red, coat, red shoes and a red clutch today, which shows that the monochromatic look can be done really well but imo, when Kate wears all one color it doesn’t seem to be because she trying to go with a monochromatic look but because she lacks the ability to put together anything more creative.

  5. vauvert says:

    Dress for once is right – colour, cut and fit. Of course she couldn’t leave well enough alone and had to matchy match her clutch and shoes. Girl, you are so rich. Have some fun with it. And please let someone with talent style your hair, because you wear the same style you had 15 years ago most days, whether it’s a gala, a “serious” mental health speech or photo ops with your kids.

    • Nic919 says:

      She also wears big dangly earrings but hides them with her mop of hair. She does this all the time and it is so dumb. What’s the point of wearing show piece earrings if only to hide them in hair. Not that the earrings are that great and kind of resemble upholstery, but she is always doing this.

      But again how much money has been spent on clothes in just a few months? How about she wear repeats for the rest of the year and donate the amount of what she will wear to the charity she is allegedly a patron of?

    • Sarah says:

      I like the dress, she does look great in red!! It makes her hair really stand out. And I love the length – I had a few dresses way back in high school that were tea length, and I loved them and my bridesmaid’s dresses were tea length, and they flattered everyone with the fuller skirt and tailored top. So cute!
      Funny how she looks good here and looks so much older in the pics from the memorial today. Daylight isn’t her friend with her substantial weight loss over the years.

      • addie says:

        It’s hard to know what Kate looks like in real life. We see so many photos that are Photoshopped that it comes as a shock to see when some images are not given the treatment. Hard to know what’s PS and what is the result of cosmetic procedures.

  6. Megan says:

    With better styling, I would not have hated this dress. And I can’t believe I said that about a Marchesa dress.

    • HappyMom says:

      I’m with you. The earrings are horrible-they don’t go at all with the dress. And red suede bag and shoes?? Ugh-no. Some of my friends have stylists-and they’re California housewives. She should absolutely have one.

      • Maria says:

        Don’t like the dress either. And the minute she walked in she was flicking her hair back and crotch clutching. I don’t know. I know it’s supposed to beretro, it doesn’t do it for me.

    • Harla Jodet says:

      I think a sleek, low chignon would have worked better with this dress, along with a pair of diamond studs.

    • vava says:

      Same here. I can’t believe I actually like a Marchesa dress!!! But the hair, shoes, and clutch don’t work with it. Also, I am stunned that she didn’t make a public statement after being given the gold tap shoes. Seemed rude, I thought.

  7. Emily says:

    Controversial opinion: I love Kate’s love of theme dressing.

    • Digital Unicorn (aka Betti) says:

      She could pull off the theme dressing if the overall styling was better. She makes really lovely individual pieces look terrible with the way that they are put together on her. Its a mix of her lack of style, bad styling advice and letting the outfits wear her instead of the other way around.

      I used to work in fashion and met many great/talented stylists who could make her look amazing if only she’d let them.

    • Plain Jane says:

      Controversial +1

  8. sarri says:

    Oh look, she’s wearing a lace dress – again.

  9. Becks says:

    So I love this dress in itself, but I hate how she styled it. Different shoes would have made a HUGE difference.

    I’m also sick of all the lace. If she was going to wear this dress this week, she should have skipped the green lace one last week.

  10. Guest says:

    Chipmunk cheeks, she got filler injections before this event. She looks like a hamster storing food for the winter.

    • Jeanne says:

      I thought she looked puffy!

    • my3cents says:

      Omg literally the first thing I thought when I saw her photo- chipmunk cheeks!

    • Starlight says:

      She has her dads cheeks it’s natural

      • Olenna says:

        She lost her natural cheeks a few years ago and they seem to only fill back in naturally when she’s pregnant. The cheeks she has now are courtesy of fillers, with some Botox here and there on the rest of her face. As someone noted in a previous article, she’s lost her natural dimples in this *rejuvenation* process.

    • TryingToThink says:

      Well all that starving and dieting does take a toll on the face and so she had to fill up her emaciated cheeks.

  11. Indira says:

    The top of the dress is okay, the rest is meh and her overdone eyebrows look ridiculous.

  12. Snazzy says:

    Ok I’m kind of stressed out right now because I dreamt of this exact dress last night. But for myself. OMG MIDDLETON FASHION IN MY DREAMS I NEED HELP

    • Harla Jodet says:

      it sounds like you need a fashion exorcism Snazzy! Place your hand on the most current copy of Vogue magazine and say “Leave Demon of poor taste and styling, the power of Anna Wintour commands you!!” You might need to repeat this several times as it sounds like a mighty Demon is haunting your dreams.

    • Lady D says:

      I dreamt Jessica Alba was showing me the design on the spoons of her new silver set. Rather random dream.

  13. Anitas says:

    This is one of her better looks. Not to my taste but she looks appropriate for the occasion. Those Betty Draper silhouettes are right up her alley, not surprising as she often comes across as coming straight from 1959.
    I agree with comments on mismatched accessories.
    Overall, this is OK I guess.
    Her hair, while healthy and shiny, is really aging her and consistently spoiling her styling. Of course she had to touch it as the man came to greet her.

  14. AfricanBoy says:

    Seriously, how many lace dresses does this woman own?

  15. Fluff says:

    One of the celebs in attendance is a cokehead who can’t keep his hands to himself. God what I wouldn’t give to see him trying it on with a Princess and being dealt with by Royal security.

    (Not gonna apologize for off topic really angry at the pics!)

  16. Sarah says:

    I wish she would get a haircut or start tying her hair back when she attends occasions like that. It’s just a long mess to me.

    • NotSoSocialButterfy says:

      A chignon would have been nice.

      • Elle says:

        +1000 — With this dress’s neckline she really should have gone with a chignon, French twist, or low ponytail. Why cover the top of the dress with hair? On the upside, I do think think he posture is good here.

  17. IMO says:

    Well, that’s a lot of red… red clutch bag, red frock, red shoes, red jewelry, red carpet.

  18. Khaleesi says:

    I had to laugh when I read the DM comments yesterday because almost every top comment said that dress is lovely and she looks so stunning. I just don’t see it – and I used to be a Kate “defender/supporter”.

    • Anitas says:

      What can you expect of DM readership? Most of them long for the good old days when women and minorities knew their place. Kate’s “1950s housewife’s night out” fashion hits that sweet spot.

    • HappyMom says:

      I’m with you. I defended them both for a very long time.

  19. amy says:

    She should rename herself from Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge to Catherine, the Duchess of Lace Dresses.

  20. rory says:

    I once had a plastic red cheap-looking chandelier, her earrings remind me of that.

  21. Odell says:

    That gown is to puffy for my taste and the earrings are hideous.

  22. Meow says:

    I actually think red washes her out and makes her look more pale than usual.
    Her face is very tight and shiny here…

    • my3cents says:

      I think it’s shiny because she got fillers/injections hence the chipmunk cheeks.

  23. doglover says:

    I don’t think the color suits her, jmo. She looks better in blue, green or yellow and she really makes it obvious that she loves Botox and fillers.

  24. HK9 says:

    Needs black shoes & purse.

  25. Indiana Joanna says:

    The Midds’ marketers for their worthless tat are targeting blogs that feature KM. Because the ad “The Boomf Flutter…So much more than a card” just popped up on my phone. Yuck.

    • addie says:

      Ugh. Isn’t Boomf over yet???

      As for the Middleton tat, how does that company seriously make money? The stuff is easily available from any local cheap outlet, reject shop, or some better quality tat from little trendy designer place.

  26. Citresse says:

    The dress is ok but it seems Kate has stopped wearing her hair up. Her hair down covers the detailing of the dress and covers jewellery plus it’s just a mess of flying messy curls. It’s like William has issued the order of hair down at all times….It wouldn’t surprise me.
    Kate was looking better with the hair worn up, a polished, finished look. The hair worn down just distracts from the fashion and Kate’s shoes are dull and predictable to match the hair.

  27. DavidBowie says:

    That dress and those shoes are hideous. I can’t…

  28. alfaQ says:

    I don’t like the “table lamp shape” of that gown.

    • Maria says:

      And the earrings (which you don’t see because of all that hair) look like tassels on pull backs for drapes.

    • cindyp says:

      I agree, so twee; looks like a prom dress, hate, hate, hate the sleeves. And that hair…ugh.

  29. MellyMel says:

    Wish she would have worn her hair differently so we could see her earrings better. From the little bit you can see, they look very pretty and dramatic.

  30. notasugarhere says:

    This is a custom version of the dress, as the cap sleeves are not part of the original design. To me the waist also looks raised from the original. This would be more than the price listed.

    • Llamas says:

      I noticed the waist looked oddly high – that was my only qualm about it. Why can’t she get it through her head that putting the waistline up to her boobs is f-ing stupid?

    • cindyp says:

      Hate cap sleeves

  31. Rae says:

    I wish she just played with the silhouettes more.

    There’s nothing offensive about the outfit, it’s just doesn’t make me go WOW like many red carpet styles you see worn.

  32. M.A.F. says:

    I would like this look more if her hair had been up and not down.

  33. CrystalBall says:

    She matches the red carpet. That’s all.

    • Meow says:

      Theme dressing, as always!!

      • TryingToThink says:

        She looks more like a musical actress walking in through the front door. Or like a walking candy ad. She should look like a Royal who both promotes and enobles this charity event with her presence.

  34. Lucy says:

    People complain about her spending $$$ but I think she’s earned every penny. William must be so difficult to live with given his shitty attitude and raging insecurities. She is always loyal to him – has never complained about him, not once.

    • Anitas says:

      Well, she knows which side her bread is buttered.

    • Jessica says:

      He seems just as emotionally needy as his mother. I think she has the patience of a saint.

    • addie says:

      I’m sure the spending is therapy of a sort. Kate wanted a title and wealth that promised a work-free life ie work in the conventional sense. That means she was prepared to put up with anything. Like her sister, Kate wanted to live off another person’s wealth and/or status. No need to feel sorry for her choice. She targeted William and would not let go, despite him being a complete pig.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Given what we’d learned of her behavior through the years, she is just as difficult to live with. The Middletons and their PR have done plenty against William through the years, when he strays too far from the deal they’ve made.

      Guess what? The money she spends doesn’t belong to William, it belongs to the people. If she wants to waste his personal inheritance, that is one thing. They don’t spend a penny of that money. You’re justifying her wasting millions of taxpayer money because she chose to marry this man.

  35. Cee says:

    Hate the fabric but love the colour and silhouette!

  36. Your Mom says:

    A dress to ‘match’ the play? That’s a costume. I had such high hopes for this girl back in the Oughts. But now it’s clear that there is no substance and definitely no style.

  37. NotSoSocialButterfy says:

    Honeycomb? More like rhombus.

  38. teacakes says:

    I’m shocked, both on the Kate end and the Marchesa end – this is actually pretty good.

    But then it would take some very special levels of incompetence to f-ck up a classic 50s look/shape, so.

  39. AnotherDirtyMartini says:

    Shockingly, I love it! She looks great. Something lately seems different in her cheek & mouth area. I can’t pinpoint what…

  40. KiddVicious says:

    I love this outfit and I’m fine with the matching shoes and clutch. I hate the earrings, they look out of place. And why does she even bother with them if she’s going to wear her hair down?

    I have no idea if this is an appropriate dress for her “work” but it looks great on her.

  41. Cerys says:

    I think I am in a minority but my first thought when I saw the pictures last night was “yuk”. Horrible dress, strange length, poor choice of accessories and the least said about the hair the better.

    • cindyp says:

      You’re not. The bar is so low for her so if she looks not totally awful, she looks good

  42. Tough Cookie says:

    I think she looks like she was out swimming and got tangled up in a fancy fishing net.

  43. Bliss 51 says:

    Attending an opening night is work?

  44. TryingToThink says:

    Well, as usual her waistline sits somewhere on her ribs and the colour is some kind of candy-store red. Big hair as usual. An updo would have made the whole look very elegant. But all Kate managed was 50ies teenager going to a musical. where is her mummy?

  45. Sid says:

    Speaking of marchesa, is there any gossip on harvey and georgina?

  46. Starlight says:

    Red suits her it brings out her complexion but mm! All red on a red carpet which matches completely not sure…… the earrings just send the whole ensemble over the edge

  47. CatJ says:

    Is that her bra strap showing through the bodice? Could she not have purchased a red undergarment…. geeeshhh…… wrecks the whole look.

  48. Minxx says:

    The dress is not bad but the styling is terrible – would it kill her not to match the shoes, earrings, and the clutch to the dress? Strappy black sandals, hair in a low bun, small diamond earrings would transform this look. Is Carol styling her? I think the problem with Kate is that she lacks personality and has no clue what suits her. Unless she hires a professional stylist, she’ll always look immature and bland, no matter how much money she spends on her clothes.

  49. I hate this dress. She looks like she’s wearing the dress on the good witch in the Wizard of Oz. And can’t she understand the it’s creepy to constantly be playing with her hair & then shaking hands with people? If she can’t leave her hands away from her security blanket/toy, cut it off or tie it up! Give it a rest!!

  50. HoustonGrl says:

    I always found it interesting that Kate never wore Marchesa until now, esp since the founder is British and went to the same prep school as Kate, and I think they would have overlapped. Not sure if they knew each other. I do like this dress, it’s classic. But the styling is a bit overdone IMO. That’s Kate’s preference though!

  51. The Original Mia says:

    The dress is nice. Surprisingly so for Marchesa. Hate the hair and the earrings. Should have gone with a black shoe to break of the monotone color. Her feet blend into the red carpet.

  52. Egla says:

    I made the mistake of looking at photos of Queen Letizia of Spain. I can detect some faux pass there too but even then she looks regal. And she wears all kind of clothes from cheap to expensive. And she is not monochromatic. She combines colors, models styles. I think it’s more the way she handless herself, her posture, her attitude. It’s obvious she is relaxed in public (yes she may have a lot of insecurities but she hides them well). Kate seems stressed all the time and more often then not her clothes lack imagination. I mean, yes they are expensive clothes, but they look all the same to me, boring, flat, blue…… She can hire someone to give her some tips here and there. She can look around other royals or public glamorous woman. She is not the only commoner married to a royal. That stopped to be an excuse 6 years ago.
    I like her hair in general, they look full and healthy and shiny BUT she tends to go BIG all the time. My niece has some kind of Barbie dolls with a loot of hairs compared to their head and body. Sometimes I joke that they have more hair than me. That’s how she looks to me. A doll.

  53. LILAG says:

    That outfit made me say out loud ‘finally’. I actually really like it. The colour, the cut, the lenght. That could be a way, Catherine! Carry on!!

  54. Bettyrose says:

    Someone said yesterday, it’s not about her lack of style, it’s her personality. I have a friend who dresses in 40s styles every day. She has a normal office job, but that’s how she expresses herself, and it’s awesome because she’s unapologetically herself. Confidence and a work ethic is all we ask of Kate, right?

  55. Donna says:

    If I could afford a tailor, I would get every single thing tailored.