Duchess Kate wore a £637 Preen dress for a Natural History Museum event

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When the Duchess of Cambridge signed on to be patron of the Natural History Museum, did she only agree to it if they would build her a secret private entrance? Because I don’t know how she arrived to the museum. She just appeared inside the event last night, with no photos taken of her outside of the museum. Is she some kind of vaporizing hobgoblin who appears suddenly in a smoke cloud? I’m asking about all of this because… it’s odd. This is one of Kate’s few patronages, and she made the effort to A) show up for an event, B) buy a new dress, C) buy new shoes, D) get a fresh dye job, trim and “loose sausage curl” styling and E) wore her heaviest makeup. You would think she would happily pose outside the museum. But I guess not. *Waity Smoke Bomb* WHERE DID SHE GO?

Kate did this event at the Natural History Museum because they were unveiling the new blue whale skeleton, which sounds slightly macabre to me, but maybe it was really cool for a earth-science geek. For this evening event, Kate chose a full-skirted day dress, because of course she did. She wears cocktail dresses for lunch-time events and day-dresses for eveningwear. It’s one of Kate’s signatures, not knowing which dress to wear at what time of day. This dress is by Preen, and it costs £637 retail. I bet she had it altered though, so the real cost is probably a lot more. She paired it with £550 Prada heels which… don’t really go with this look? The whole thing wouldn’t look so “off” if the dress was black, I think. She could have gotten away with wearing a day dress if it looked like a wear-anytime black cocktail-ish dress. The shoes would have looked great paired with a black dress too.

Kate made a speech too! I won’t talk about her accent. But the hair in her face… good God.

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Photos courtesy of Getty, @KensingtonRoyal Twitter.

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166 Responses to “Duchess Kate wore a £637 Preen dress for a Natural History Museum event”

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  1. CidyKitty says:

    A couple of things: Her hair is much cuter at this length. It looks more in control, she looks less windswept. The outfit didn’t … go. If that makes sense. Like the dress was cute, maybe not the perfect color but cute. And the shoes were cute, but together they seemed out of place and last minute. Then the earrings threw the whole thing off. Is that giant ring her wedding band by any chance? Because she wears it with everything and it never matches. It’s a beautiful ring! But if she’s going to wear it maybe she should match earring with it or something so that it doesn’t look out of place.

    All in all the outfit seemed a little rushed, not that thought out. But cute separate from each other.

    • Becks says:

      Do you mean the sapphire? that’s her engagement ring (unless you were being sarcastic, in which case ignore me.)

      I do agree with your overall assessment though. The dress is cute, the shoes are a nice change from basic pumps, etc. Each element is nice enough on its own. But the overall look doesn’t work.

      • CidyKitty says:

        It was not at all sarcastic I was literally wondering lol it just stands out in a crowd.

      • Lindsey says:

        It’s famously Princess Diana’s ring. She loves showing off big blue/ ring of doom. That’s why she asked if you were being sarcastic. It’s her token for ten years at his beck and call.

    • LAK says:

      That’s her engagement ring.

      The wedding band and enternity rings are barely discernable next to the ring of doom.

      http://whatkatewore.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Kates-Diamond-Eternity-Ring-6-Different-Shots-all-photogs-IDed-on-montage-collage-.jpg

      • CidyKitty says:

        Oh lol that is a big a** ring. And kind of inappropriate in most situations. Maybe she should break it out on special occasions but all the time?

      • Ravensdaughter says:

        I had a big a** engagement ring I only wore for special occasions and it got stolen right out of my jewelry box in a break in. Should have hidden it in a coffee can in my kitchen…or I could have worn it but it always felt awkward.
        Yes, I agree w the special occasion plan. Plus Kate would have a nice safe and many guards to protect it!

      • RoyalSparkle says:

        I totally agree

      • JustBitchy says:

        LAK,
        It is indeed the ring of doom. Work Shy Willie could have modernized center stone with two 2 carat trillions on each side IMO.

        By chance I was seated very close (next table in small restaurant 2 feet from MP Midds and 4 from Waity ) to the triumvirate that is the RF2.0. The Saphire is probably 8 carats at most. Six mostly likely (I know from experience trust me) but the ring has that dated style of round cut diamonds surrounding it. She has very skinny fingers so it looks much larger. Reports of 18 carats are very over estimated. That is probably 8 for center stone plus 20 at 1/2 carat around it.

        Carole-with an ‘e’ has a one carat at most ring and a plain model oyster date/time

        This was from February 2012 so didn’t see any eternity band.

    • yiza says:

      I love this thread so much… the notorious ring of doom. 🙂 so funny to have someone spot it and go what….. IS ….. THAT???
      Also the writing in this piece is pure gold.

      • Sam Louise says:

        Not sure why everyone is dissing her engagement ring. Women wear them, at that size, everyday. What’s the big deal? As well, since it was Diana’s ring, it’s nice to be reminded of her whenever Kate is photographed!

      • Goats on the Roof says:

        Reminded of Diana and her unhappy marriage? I’d take a hard pass on that ring or keep it locked up for rare occasions only, as a PP said. It’s gaudy AF.

      • CidyKitty says:

        I just started noticing it. I wear my engagement ring but it’s a little band. It just sticks out like a sore thumb, it’s so big. It’s cool if she wants to wear it but she should try to match it better.

      • homeslice says:

        I will side eye William giving her THAT ring forever…

      • Goats on the Roof says:

        Yes, homeslice. I will always think less of William for thinking this ring was appropriate for his wife.

      • Maria says:

        I would have had it reset.

      • minx says:

        Maria, I would have definitely had it reset. That disastrous marriage and Diana’s early death…just too much bad karma.

      • PettyRiperton says:

        The ring is a reminder of his mother he probably didn’t think of the horrible marriage when he gave it to her. He of all people knows how bad it was. Didn’t Diana pick out this ring I think that has more to do with it than anything.

      • LAK says:

        PettyRiperton: Diana told the world that she was sent a range of rings and picked out the biggest, gaudiest one to irritate everyone particularly those who thought she should be quietly tasteful (paraphrasing).

        So not only did Charles not lovingly pick a ring for her, the marriage was terrible AND it failed.

        Bad mojo all round.

      • Va Va Kaboom says:

        While I’ve never liked Big Blue that ring is iconic and worth far more than it’s intrinsic value because of its association with Princess Di. No way that will be reset while she still exists in living memory, probably not later either honestly

      • JC says:

        Regarding the ring—-yes.
        But—and I’m not a William fan—but I do give him a pass for giving her the ring. Maybe he remembers seeing his mother wearing it, and he loved his mother in the way that many young boys love their mothers…plus his feelings for her are complicated by knowing what a raw deal she was dealt by Charles, his family, Camilla, her own family, etc.
        So, maybe for him the ring symbolizes the purest and deepest love he ever felt for anyone—and wanting to give it to his wife could be quite lovely, revealing nothing more than a kind of dopy naïveté.

      • minx says:

        If William didn’t want want reset that particular ring (I think it was more that he didn’t give much thought to the whole matter) weren’t there other jewels or rings that would have had some meaning? The RF isn’t exactly short on bling.

    • Lana 234 says:

      I agree with your assessment of Kate’s appearance. The ring is old fashioned so I think it might not work with many outfits.

      • RoyalSparkle says:

        ..and totally spot on in wear as a royal Rep. not profesdional or regal classy to know what to wear for evenings or night events after 6 YEARS + near decade stalking -hanging and climbing – many millions staff and unlimited resiurces for advice as a royal rep for HM and the people. Both Wisteria siblings and mum carol all the same. Totally off for such colour frock.

        Never fear brrxit vacation on speed dial. What a waste….nothing even close to or prep of a Qn Leticia and worse – The wonderful regal CP Victoria Birthday. Princess Madeline, Sophie and families were beautiful out for celebrations.

    • Beatrix says:

      Well, you don’t exactly have to match in fashion, flip open any high fashion blog/mag and matching isn’t really the point most of the time, but equilibrium and statement can be accomplished in many ways. This lady has never quite had the fashion sense or instinct, so generally agree that she didn’t get it right here either…

  2. Aiobhan Targaryen says:

    Are florescent beige and beige her favorite colors? I didn’t even know that Preen made dresses in this color because they have been fully embracing prints for several seasons now. She and Jennifer Garner have this very special ability to make everything they wear look boring.

    Her shoes and bag are ok.

    I cannot really comment on her accent because all British people sound fancy to me.

    • Imqrious2 says:

      I really like the purple bag and purple shoes (no nude heels! Yay!) but the dress is such a pale shade of blue, that it cries out for SOME accesorizing: a great necklace in that scoop, a brooch, a belt…SOMETHING! Some great bling could’ve dressed it up nicely. I also noted she polished her toenails! She hasn’t done that in a very long time!

      And while I love the hair length, she really needs to lose those sausage curls. GIrl, you are NOT Charlotte’s age! Her natural wavy hair would look AWESOME at this length, as would straightened hair. And if you’re giving a speech: PULL IT OFF YOUR FACE! Ok, rant done 😊

      ***Does anyone else see the pronounced pooch in the pics, esp. in the ones in the DM? Could she be pregnant again? THat might account for the barfy look on her face at the State dinner…?

      • Sam Louise says:

        I do like her hair shorter, but maybe cut 4 cm more off and it would be awesome.

      • graymatters says:

        I don’t see pooch. I see someone who has to thrust out her midsection to stay balanced on her heels. Her posture’s not great in flats, but look how far back she’s leaning in heels.

        Props to her for not falling off those stilettos, though. That can’t be easy.

      • vava says:

        I think it’s a posture thing, too, graymatters. Those are 4.5 inch heels. Can’t be easy wearing those things.

      • dodgy says:

        Goddamnit, not another Royal mouth to feed. We can barely support the children in care that we have.

      • CynicalAnn says:

        Gofugyourself girls are calling pregnancy too. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had another . . .

      • Susan says:

        Yes, I see a pooch also. I’ve been wondering if that’s why all her garments lately have pleated out at the waist….. normally she’ll wear straighter-fitting clothing that fits too tightly, imho.

      • FLORC says:

        The “pooch” is poor posture and has been said to be pregnancy too many times to count. All incorrect assumptions.

    • Jayna says:

      I read it is a powder blue dress. It does look more beige in photos.

    • Fiorucci says:

      Oh I’d beg to differ. Like I agree with most posters that Kate makes some flaws. But she almost always looks pretty and slender. I know Jen garner is slender but nothing she wears makes her body look nice. And I’ve never found her pretty. K looks a lot younger. Not saying her skin is better but the way she presents her self is much more aesthetically appealing. (If not always palace appropriate?) Or it’s just that JGs face is not my favourite.

    • Fiorucci says:

      Another response to aiovhan, the difference is sometimes k makes you think oh well maybe that wasn’t quite the right outfit for her while jg makes paractically every item look like something no one should wear ever because it’s so unappealing. Not to kick her when she’s down but she’ll be fine with all her millions, and she could just get a stylist

    • Sarah says:

      Her speaking style when giving a speech:
      Look down for 3 seconds, up for one, down for 4, up for one second, down for literally 5 seconds, looks up for one. She had no idea what that speech said. Never saw it before.
      What a tool she is. Sad!
      I do like her haircut and her dress.

      • Aurelia says:

        I turned off as soon as she said she loved the sea and was fortunate to have experienced scuba diving. YAWN

      • RoyalSparkle says:

        Amen.
        Its as if its the first she is looking at the written text on stage – uni was just for her/ carol hunting and sleepmat.4

  3. Franny Days says:

    I think she looks really cute 😳

    • Tulip Garden says:

      Yes she looks good. Everything here is flattering and appropriate.

    • Goats on the Roof says:

      The dress looks nice (and on par with what other ladies are pictured wearing, so I don’t get that criticism) and the shoes are a departure from her typical nude court shoe. The hair is too much though, especially considering she can’t go more than two words without looking down at her notes. It really should be off her face.

      • another kate says:

        Yes, thank God for no nude shoes. I probably wouldn’t wear the dress and shoes together (they look good separately), but for Kate, I think it looks pretty great.

        Also, this is a little thing that I always notice for some reason, but so glad to see a nice pedicure on her.

      • Megan says:

        The dress looks appropriate compared to what the other guests are wear, but the shoes are way too sexy for such a boring dress.

      • RoyalSparkle says:

        same with pipa at Wimbledon – pedicure…

        With all the royal millions in resources, hair shopping for the lazy entitled Donothing – Meghan professional and outstanding classy sparkling style – really made the wisterias- carol step up …

  4. BDA says:

    Someone’ on the DM said she reminded them of Maria in West Side Story.

    • boredblond says:

      Perfect..switch the shoes and it’s very late 50s/early 60s

      • Becks says:

        someone on WKW said she looks like Leisl from Sound of Music, especially the 16 going on 17 scene.

    • Tulip Garden says:

      It reminds me of a lot of Kiki Dunst or Winona Ryder wear. I like it on all of them.

  5. Louise says:

    Erm honestly how can she not say good evening and my children enjoy coming here without looking down every few words? eh?

    • Tata says:

      Yes! “I have loved coming here with my (pause….) adorable children.”

      Her speech pattern is awful. She needs to practice much much more if her breaks are that awkward.

      • LAK says:

        Her speech pattern is a copy of Diana’s speech pattern. It gives me de ja vu every time.
        https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CNN76YuETPM

      • Lindsey says:

        So creepy

      • another kate says:

        LAK – SO true. It’s like they’ve given her videos of Diana to study like a comedian would do to come up with a great impression. She does the exact same pauses.

        Diana was not a natural speaker either (but see how no one remembers that because she threw herself into the other aspects of charity work).

      • Goats on the Roof says:

        Ewww that’s creepy as all get out. People have said before but Kate really is SWFing her dead mother-in-law.

      • magnoliarose says:

        Diana as you can see speaks naturally like that so it doesn’t seem stilted or a struggle. I can’t even listen to Kate for very long. She has to read because how can she focus on the accent and memorize at the same time.

        @LAK or crew Can you explain more about her not getting the family order? Is this a snub? A sign of disapproval? It just seems very significant.

      • LAK says:

        Magnoliarose: The family order is given by the Sovereign to the female members of the royal family as a reward for personal services or work in service of the Sovereign.

        HM seems to hand these out at about 2yr mark give or take six months.

        Exception is Sophie who received her order after 5yrs, BUT that was because she wasn’t working full time for the royals during her first 3yrs. She maintained her private business and that was the priority for her. Plus she had 2 very difficult pregnancies, one of which ended in an ectopic pregnancy whilst the other one nearly killed her and she needed some time to recover.

        As soon as she started working full time for the family, she got the order.

        Fergie’s marriage imploded almost as soon as it started so she was never given one.

        The fact that Kate has no order at the 6yr mark is a judgement from HM that she doesn’t think Kate deserves one and or she doesn’t work enough to merit one.

      • Chicken says:

        @LAK holy shit, you’re right. I don’t think I’d ever really heard her give a speech? I was 13 when she died, so obviously well aware of her, but I don’t think I was allowed to watch her interviews and never saw her speeches at patronages, but damn, that is EXACTLY how Kate sounds, speech pattern, pauses, accent. It’s weird because Harry and William’s accents aren’t as stilted as Diana’s, but Kate’s is.

      • magnoliarose says:

        Thank you LAK.
        6 years is embarrassing because it is something she could remedy. I don’t understand her at all.

      • RoyalSparkle says:

        awful – This is not the 80s and Di didn’t attend university!

        Entitled lazy Waity is no Diana! Di, an aristo titled lady before becoming HRH Princess of Wales – do get away with ‘her’ style.

        Commoner lazy middleton who went to uni don’t get that pass.

  6. littlemissnaughty says:

    I love the entire thing. *must not mention sausage curls* The dress, the shoes, I’d wear that. And I don’t know why it would be inappropriate for the event. I look at how everyone else is dressed and it fits right in. Are we really still that strict about the time of day and the corresponding “correct” clothes? I mean there are plenty of opportunities to criticize her but this seems on point.

    • Em' says:

      Thank you. You can like or not her outfit but I don’t see how in earth it could be inappropriate.
      Really I am not a fan of her. I think she and Wlliam coild do way more and her style is lacking. But the amount of criticism she receives on Celebitchy is crazy.
      You would think she’s a serial puppy killer…

      • FLORC says:

        The criticism is generally fair. And to defend there must be an extreme comparison like puppy murder. No one compares her to that. And if her actions were dependable no one would go there. The logic would speak clearly. Like the stay at home mom with full staff. The constant shopping. The image presented in full contrast to the documented reality.

        And those shoes don’t go with that dress. I’d say the same to my friends. Same with speech.

    • ABC says:

      I agree that everyone should be allowed to wear what they like when they like. Unless you are at work (which Kate is) and your employers (us) expect you to meet a certain criteria of professionalism and presentation. It’s not a snark on what she is wearing, it’s fine – in its place. But what people fail to get is that this is Kate’s JOB. She gets paid a fortune to dress up appropriately and meet and greet and she (or the people she hires) should know what clothes for what occasion. They are the BRF! If they don’t have a clue what hope the rest of us. So yes, criticism in this case is warranted. It’s not the first time, she’s been inappropriately dressed, flashed, you name it on countless of occasions. How many times can we say that about HM? She’s supposed to represent HM and provide an example of decorum, decency and the ‘Royal Magic’ which Harry refers to. I don’t care if everyone else is in thongs and bikinis, Kate – when on Royal business – should dress the part. Yes she looked neat and presentable here but we can all do that. We’re paying her Royal wages for a d-list celeb effort. Not good enough.

  7. minx says:

    How on earth did that dress cost that much? smh. And stand up straight!

    • Felicia says:

      Probably because UK prices are somewhat ridiculous and clothes of decent quality that don’t fall apart after 2 or 3 washes are in that price range. She likely has instructions to “wear British” as much as possible the poor thing, otherwise she’d be down in Paris doing the sales and buying stylish clothes that last 10 years at half the price. From experience, £200 from a mid-range British brand gets you very little and the quality sucks because it’s probably actually made in China and the hems/seams start falling apart the second or third time you wear it.

      Lady Di did the same. Mostly British designers until she got divorced and then she switched with a vengeance to French designers.

    • Dr_Snark says:

      Yeah, exactly! The dress is fine in terms of formality (look at what everyone else is wearing). But I can’t imagine spending that much money and looking so utterly boring. I mean, if you want to look that dull, you can do it for about $100.

  8. SoulSPA says:

    Kate has come to life! Was this event taken after the Spanish Royal visit banquet? She’s was at the centre of the attention at the museum. How pleased she looks in the pictures.
    Yes to bad hair, turtle neck, inappropriate dress for the event but yes to the shoes.
    And why do all speeches have to start with reference to their own personas? To be more appealing to the public? Level with them?

    • Zondie says:

      @SOULSPA She always references herself or her kids. I think she must be very self-centered. It helps explain why she can’t maintain a conversation with adults.

  9. Louise says:

    She’s actually reading the speech. why not have cue cards and look up and speak …like the rest of us do in presentations.

    She couldn’t even say “marine conservation is global challenge for all nations and all people” without looking down. Very poor form.

    • Nic919 says:

      She is not the brightest person and her inability to say basic things without reading from a page really emphasize that.

      • CynicalAnn says:

        I don’t think it has any thing to do with intelligence and everything to do with preparation. If a significant part of your job is public speaking then you get a coach if you’re uncomfortable (which Diana did-Kate should try copying that) and practice a million times so you can stand up there and pretty much recite it from memory. I get that she doesn’t like it-but it’s her job. I hated public speaking too, but when I had to do it for school back in the day or at work-I practiced!

      • SoulSPA says:

        Yes to CA. Speaking from my personal experience, all nervousness experienced during my public speeches (workshops and other events) disappeared quite fast. Why? I was passionate about the topics, which I knew very well, and my desire for self-improvement. Someone said on a recent threat that necessity is the mother of invention. Kate Dolittle does not need to do better. She’s well off where she is.

      • Deedee says:

        Or she could just read it over a couple times before she does the speech. Seriously, just mark the appropriate pauses on the page. Highlight phrases you you want to emphasize. Write “smile” at the end of a certain passage. Say, “Good evening,” without reading it. It’s not rocket science, Kate.

      • Mathilde says:

        Even the queen reads from a paper rather than cue cards. I am sure Kate practiced and will get better with time. I do not get what more can possibly be expected from her. She’ll hardly be passionate about one topic after the other just randomly whatever she’s asked to do and she sounds perfectly fine and interested in this situation to me.

      • CynicalAnn says:

        @Mathilde: “will get better with time.”?? It’s been SIX years. It’s pathetic that she can’t speak better than that.

      • Nic919 says:

        She is not talking about anything technical here but supposedly personal experiences. If you need to read from a page to talk about your personal connection to a cause, then either you are lying about your personal connection or else you are not really bright. Her speeches are the length of most toasts at a wedding and she cannot pull them off credibly. She is lazy or else she is practicing and simply is too dumb to learn. Six years later she still sucks hard at basic speeches.

      • Polly says:

        She is improving. She still needs to work on her delivery, but she seems less nervous lately. Her speeches are no worse than William and Harry’s and they’ve had a lifetime to learn. The queen reads her speeches too. I guess none of them are particularly bright.

      • Lady D says:

        No, those 3 don’t read a speech one word at a time.

      • Mathilde says:

        None of the other members of the royal family are very good at giving speeches and compared to her they’ve had years of practice. I don’t think anyone expects them to be so remarkable in it either. They show up and do their jobs, how should she suddenly be the huge exception? People are different and good and bad at different things and have all kinds of temperaments and natural talents and inclinations and that’s fine with me, the more so the older I get. Let her be who she is and stop the ridiculous nitpicking!

        P.S. Re her clothes, take a look at how the other people who were there are dressed. She looks ca 100x better.

  10. Maiden says:

    Those shoes make her feet appear larger and longer. It’s good to see her break out a new pair that are not beige but a t-strap design would have looked better with the A-line style of the dress.

    Hair looks better shorter. If she had her hair half up, it would have been nicer. There’s something about her that makes her look so unkempt. Like her outfits are never quite polished and “finished” and there’s always something missing.

    • Giddy says:

      With all the money spent on her clothes, a stylist would be such a good investment. Someone to not only take her shopping, but to put together whole outfits for her, from jewelry, to shoes, to dress, to hairstyle. (I just had a vision of a decent stylist getting a glimpse of possible jewelry choices, what fun!)

    • Sam Louise says:

      I think she needs her hair “thinned out”. It’s so bulky and heavy. My hair is too, but I get my hairdresser to thin it a bit and then I don’t look so lost under all the weight of it! 🙂

      • graymatters says:

        She could remove a wiglet or two if she didn’t want to commit to scissors.

      • KLO says:

        Her hair looks perfect right now. Why would you want to have nice and thick hair thinned out? Baffles me.

      • Nic919 says:

        If you truly have thick hair, thinning it out reduces the puffiness. I have that done to my hair as well because the longer it gets the bushier it gets. Kate’s hair still has a lot of extensions and wiglets despite the shorter length. Her university hair shows hair that isn’t as bushy and actually suits her better.

  11. Maiden says:

    http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/07/14/10/4253B7E800000578-4695842-image-a-24_1500026284120.jpg

    Letizia this morning wearing a similar style as Kate’s dress. Letizia’s shoes and hairstyle make a big difference in making a simple and beige outfit look glam. I hope Kate got to talk to her and asked for some style advice especially on hairstyles. Letizia has a really good hairdresser and Kate needs to break away from curlers once in a while.

    • L84Tea says:

      Her shoes are fab!!

      • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

        I picture those fantastic shoes with a form- fitting sheath dress in some kind of dark brocade fabric. That would have been bang on. This dress is okay, not offensive, but simple mid- century- give her a pearl choker length strand, an apron and some dark heels, add an updo and she’s June Cleaver. Still she persists with the sausage curls. Ugh. She just cannot get an outfit right.

    • Sam Louise says:

      Kate just doesn’t have the self-confidence and poise. Letizia owns her look. Kate always looks so uncomfortable and she hides behind her hair curtain!

    • vava says:

      I’m chuckling at the thought of Kate having a conversation with Letizia about anything related to fashion or hairstyles.

    • zinjojo says:

      Letizia always looks so polished and her tailoring is immaculate — something else Kate could learn from her. In this dress, Kate is wearing a strapless bra, and it creates a line/lump at the top of the bodice. If she had the proper underpinnings and the bodice was tailored better, it would help. But those sausage curls, she can’t let go of them.

      I love Letizia’s entire look today, and those shoes are wonderful!

    • RoyalSparkle says:

      Yes, I agree Kannot went with similar style to Qn Leti goodbye wear. wonderful Qn Leticia gave waity kannot no time – no photo of whiny throne idle billnot.

      After all Leticia is a professional hardworking lady, before and to present. She is more than dressing up – I quite felt a genuine warmth to Prince Harry, that could be due to his relationship with professional working potential Meghan.

      Both leathered middletons has been copying a lot lately, mainly from Meghan – pipa in the 2d Wimbledon knit frock, similar to Meghan.

  12. Addie says:

    I’m fully expecting the press and the ever-hopeful to gush that Kate will now champion conservation. She won’t. It’s just a filler for a speech. Kate only relates to things of interest to her or to her children, end of story eg watching elite sports, holidaying, shopping. Her idea of work is a joke so let’s not pretend any longer. The speech here was basic though acceptable; accent is ridiculous. She is mimicking DIana’s poor delivery whereby the thought is not phrased in one complete breath, but broken up. It is peculiar and disjointed. I don’t care a jot what Kate wears though her spending is incredibly wasteful and tone-deaf.

    • Redgrl says:

      Addie – that’s it! The “Diana delivery” comment is spot on. Broken up hesitant sentences, looking down etc. At least Diana cared about her causes & tried so she got a pass for her speaking style – plus she rocked the shy Di thing and was apparently warm & engaging one-on-one. Waity’s imitation is empty and creepy. It’s as though she has no idea what the next words are or what they mean. It reminds me of ABBA joking about how they first sang in English phonetically because they hadn’t yet learned the language. And those shoes are cute but too high & cocktail for that event. And the hair in the face is tiresome.

      • Addie says:

        Kate is indeed creepy, no doubt fueled by her even creepier mother to channel Diana to keep William’s lurve. Pathetic. You are right about the teetering heels and the silly curls – she can’t let go of the latter, still trying to be younger than she is. I agree that Diana had warmth and genuine empathy for others whereas Kate has none. Cold as stone and just plain empty.

  13. Felicia says:

    For once, I can actually say that she looks great. I love those shoes and this is probably the first time I can ever say that about her shoe choice. The earrings are fun. Not a big fan of the clutch she has, but it’s not beige so good for her. The dress looks great on her. The only comment I would really make (and many women overlook this), is that choosing the right undergarments can make or break a look. Different bra choice would have given a sleeker line, but it’s not a dealbreaker.

    • Sam Louise says:

      I actually love her shoes (for once!). Unfortunately, the dress, although nice, is too informal and apple pie for her kick ass shoes.

  14. Karen says:

    I think she looks fine. The dress is fine for a cocktail party.

    I just couldn’t get through her speech. 1) she had to look down to read “good evening”???? 2) she basically admitted a 30 year abscence from visiting the museam bc it’s for kids, and i had to stop watching after 3) she’s just learned to scuba dive (im pretty sure that was news a little while ago for reasons) but uses it to say how much she’s always been interested in marine life and conservation? So i stopped – shes not naturally personable or a good speaker, so she should focus on the event in her speeches until she gets there.

    Crown Princess Victoria is huge into marine conservation, and delivered many well researched and personal speeches. No comparison in ladies, but she’d have been a good example for her team to have researched for the speech.

    • Maiden says:

      That’s just how she is, I think. She does one thing once and thinks herself an expert on it. Kinda like how the media says she’s a good cook because she can roast a chicken or that she’s practically Martha Stewart with her domestic goddess shtick of making homemade sausages and chutney.

      She and William give the same kind of speeches: they seem to believe that just saying it equals to already doing it. Like William and his “passion” for wildlife conservation that hasn’t really borne a lot of fruit and it’s been a few years since he said he would champion such a cause. Now we have Kate just learning to scuba dive and translating that to an interest in marine life and conservation all her life. They lack genuineness.

    • SoulSPA says:

      No doubt WK interview shortlisted prospective staff and give the green light for their hiring. Or could it all be connections and the jobs are given to the most/highly connected irrespective of skill/experience/intelligence? Given HK’s lack of preparation (with all due respect I do not take into account their degrees in Art and Geography), I can see why their staff seem ill prepared. Or they are prepared but afraid to say no to the Dolittles. No win in looks, make up, speeches, poise. After six years of full royal for Keen Kate for which she does not pay a dime.

      • Addie says:

        I read ages ago that W+K (not sure about H) did not want experienced staff who had worked/did work at the various palaces; something about W thinking they’d be informants to the Queen, Charles etc. So they chose people their own age, but without requisite experience, and clearly, obsequious to W+K’s very large egos. I think we can agree that their degrees from St Andrews are only useful as bum wipers, given William rarely attended and when he did, was often hung over. Kate was reported to copy others, but her role there was to get and keep William entertained. Not sure there is a degree in that, but if so, she’d get First Class Honours. Neither of them are interested in anything beyond their own pleasures, and neither are remotely good enough at acting interested or have the manners to at least try. Charles, if he had the balls, would start procedures to dismantle the monarchy once on the throne and set William and Kate free of everything: work, responsibilities, and especially, all the dough. Same with the ginger whinger. Charles and Diana bred two dullards. No need for them at all.

  15. Catherinethegoodenough says:

    I love the idea of the shoes but the heels are so high they distort her feet and look painful. She’s a vaporizing hobblegoblin.

    • LAK says:

      She’s actually got tiny feet for her height. It’s surprising. Her bespoke wedding shoes were 38.5.

      Whenever we see her in her extremely high courts, she’s essentially standing on her toes as demonstrated by the picture above.

      • vava says:

        Really? I’m 5’7″ and wear a size 37. I don’t think Kate is any taller than me.

      • LAK says:

        Wow Vava. Yours are tiny too. Obviously there are exceptions, but i’d expect you to have bigger feet.

        That said, i suspect Kate’s feet are even smaller than that length because they are wide and she’s completely flat footed.

      • CatherinetheGoodEnough says:

        But then again as was pointed out yesterday, she’s shorter than we all think she is! Would 38.5 be that small for 5’5″ or 5’6″ as was claimed in the Letizia thread? 😉
        (I still have a hard time conceptualizing that she’s not taller but will take others’ word for it.) Regardless, the shoes are gorgeous but ouch they look painful!!

      • vava says:

        Her shoes do look painful. It’s no surprise to me that she already has hammertoes.

  16. Meghan says:

    As I’ve posted before, I work at NHM. All visitors and VIPs use a special entrance. When my friends and family visit that’s the entrance I take them in by. That’s why you almost never see VIPs posting outside the museum. To do photos outside the museum would create a ton of hassle for us because that entrance opens up right onto a busy main road. In light of the recent security threats, having paps crowded round outside would be disastrous. We have been asked by local police to try to be more stringent about our crowd control in that area, so the last thing we’re going to do is stage a Royal pap op there. Not odd at all and nothing to do with Kate.

  17. L84Tea says:

    I like the dress, I like the shoes, bot together I don’t think it makes sense. She should think about sticking with this hair length though. It’s a good look for her.

  18. seesittellsit says:

    1950s housewife meets hubby at door in usual dress but shoes intended to surprise him and catapult them into bed as he throws briefcase aside, rips off tie, and carries her up stairs in split level ranch , , ,

  19. Adele Dazeem says:

    I like the dress, the shoes, the hair, all good, but wouldn’t it be awesome if she wore this dress and one of those statement chokers Diana wore? I don’t mind minimalist clothing with statement jewelry and oh the fun she could have with those Diana jewel throwbacks.

    I know she’d be accused of Diana cosplay but if you’re going to be accused might as well have fun with it….

  20. Anitas says:

    £637 for this dress, Jesus wept. It’s a Sunday brunch kind of dress.

    • MinnFinn says:

      LOL! And It’s waaaay overpriced in part because it is 100% manufactured textile. Makes my skin clammy thinking about it.

  21. Kristi says:

    I think she looks looks good.

    The tip of her nose is looking very false though, going towards Child Catcher shape there…

  22. DiamondGirl says:

    I love it – it’s sharp and chic and I don’t see any other ladies wearing “evening” dresses. Black would have made this simple dress too severe.

    • MellyMel says:

      Agreed! I love this whole look, especially the shoes! This is like the third outfit of hers I’ve liked lately.

  23. Jeesie says:

    She actually had to look back at her notes in order to start the speech off with ‘good evening’!

    I’m not a good public speaker. In high school I was actually prescribed beta blockers because I’d have panic attacks before every assignment that required a speech. But even then I could get out a sentence or two without pausing awkwardly for far too long to look at my notes. How is Kate this bad at it? And what on earth was she like before all those intensive lessons she supposedly had?

  24. Realitycheck says:

    I can’t believe she got to meet David Attenborough! That’s is a dream of mine.. She seriously doesn’t know why kind of I pact she could make on the world. It’s sad that the biggest news is about her hair…

    • SoulSPA says:

      @Realitycheck – she does not make any impact in the world. All we know about her is there, including discussions over her hair. No need to elaborate further.
      But I wish you could accomplish your dream and meet David Attenborough as you said. Follow your dream, I am rooting for you (if that matters) 🙂 There must be a way!!!

  25. homeslice says:

    Hair length is good but for god’s sake throw out the hot rollers!! Those pageant curls are so ugly. Does anyone ever see anyone out and about IRL with hair like that???

  26. Birdie says:

    Her hair looks great, really cute.

  27. thaisajs says:

    The shoes! Dear Lord, did she finally listen to all of us wailing about those godforsaken nude pumps? Hurrah!

  28. Mads says:

    The one saving grace of this dress is the tailoring. Some of her outfits are dreadful, especially the darts around the bust area; this dress has a more natural look and fits better although her poor posture never helps her overall look.

  29. Reece says:

    Look who’s upping their shoe game. Well done! The entire outfit.

    *whispers* She’s gone full 50’s housewife hasn’t she?

  30. Tanya says:

    Will never understand how someone can spend so much money on clothes and still look so underwhelming. She’s always so blah. I swear, I could find a similar style at Ann Taylor for a quarter of the price.

  31. Maria says:

    Well all around, there is improvement. The dress is ok, looked more beige to me than blue, the shoes are fine, hair is shorter (I always complain about her tossing her hair back, or flicking) and looks nice on her. Her speech, at least I could understand it better, must be taking elocution lessons, was kind of boring and the constant reference to herself and to her children really wasn’t necessary. We know she is a “hands on mother” we don’t need reminders. Seems like she is trying. So, good effort Waity, maybe there is hope.

  32. Starlight says:

    Yes but if she fell in a heap on the floor it would be all skirt hair and shoes it would have been better with flats and her hair tied back.

  33. Karen says:

    Wow,she is not comfortable speaking! She needs a private lesson.

    I think her dress is dowdy as usual. On someone else it may be retro. Also the color is so washed out. Thumbs down for me.

  34. magnoliarose says:

    Wrong dress for the shoes. Wrong hair for the entire look.
    No surprises. I will say the longer she is in her position she seems more and more out of her depth. She just doesn’t seem suited for this and doesn’t seem to even try. No improvements have been made and no effort on her part to care.

  35. Martina says:

    Let me guess……

  36. Andrea says:

    She looks beautiful. I love the dress and the shoe’s are sexy. Love the look. I personally think she has great hair. It looks healthy and shiny.

    Why should’t she wear her engagement ring?? I would wear it everyday and on my other hand i would wear another just as big. I don’t understand why she has to be this humble person.

  37. Bliss 51 says:

    Change the top to a shirt waist and you have the epitome of June Cleaver style. I’m a mid-century baby and remember those looks. I love the shoes but not with the dress. The cost is unbelievable. Anyone of us in junior high home ec could have sewed the same dress all for the cost of a McCalls pattern and fabric. From Bonanza City.

  38. Lynn says:

    I think she looks lovely. The only thing that bothered me was how often she had to check her notes.

  39. PJ says:

    So let me get this straight: This woman got criticized relentlessly for being “boring” “matronly” and “stuck in a style rut” back when she only wore plain, nude L.K. Bennett pumps with every outfit, and now she’s getting torn apart for mixing it up and having a little bit of fun with fashion by rocking some fun, strappy stilletos with a cute flippy dress?? And since when is it breaking rules to wear BLACK dress sandals with a white dress?! No matter what she does style-wise, Kate just can’t win. It seems to me, there are many women out there who won’t be satisfied unless she adopts THEIR OWN PERSONAL senses of style, which I mean…really?

    The only critique I can give is that she seems just as pained, serious and solemn in this speech as she does during those she gives at rememberence events. Talking about her love of visiting natural history museums as a child-while at a natural history museum-is the perfect opportunity to be relaxed and have a little fun!

    • Deedee says:

      Just FYI, the dress is pale blue and the shoes are plum. I like the shoes and the dress separately, just not together, FWIW.

      • PJ says:

        DEEDEE: Your reply to my original comment just proved my point: It’s not about whether or not YOU like or “don’t like the shoes and dress together” because Kate, the woman who chose and is wearing them-does!

      • Nic919 says:

        Kate is being held as a style icon and has shit style. If she wanted the critique of her fashion choices to stop she could actually work for causes and not just be a mannequin who can barely give a short personal speech. She could also spend less money or new outfits every time she appears in public. She can buy so much and still look dull. What a waste of taxpayer money.

    • bluhare says:

      PJ, I’m with you mostly. I don’t know why she’s criticised so much either. She’s not a fashion plate, and that’s OK. She needs to be presentable and she is. Whether it’s my taste or not, it doesn’t matter (although I do think so kitten heel slings would have been better than the shoes, and I do like the shoes). But that’s my personal taste is all. And all the carrying on about her feet. For godsakes; I don’t blame her if she’s freaked out about her public persona. I would be too if I went online and saw all the stuff people say.

      I haven’t listened to her speech yet, but that I’d criticise her for if it is bad. She’s been at this 6 years now. She should be able to deliver a two minute speech. Doesn’t matter if she doesn’t sound like a professional, but she should sound competent at this point.

    • Mathilde says:

      When you see her among other members of the royal family most of the time she stands out in her elegance and they seem short, dowdy and badly dressed in comparison. This especially applies to Beatrice and Eugenie but even the others. Kate is tall and thin and carries clothes well and the only times I dislike what she wears is when skirts and jackets are too short or small for her and would look better on a little girl.

  40. themummy says:

    So, something nice: I like her shoes and her hair length is nice. And I think her makeup looks good.

    Other than that, the dress is ill-fitting everywhere except the bust, her hair is just too in her face (would have looked much better up, I think), and her accent is…well…I mean…it just…it’s bad. It sounds like she actually has a hard time forming words.

  41. KiddVicious says:

    I like the dress and the shoes! Good job, Kate! Now lets work on the hair. It’s a great cut, it looks so much better at this length, but I think she’d be more confident giving a speech if she weren’t hiding behind it. A low ponytail would have perfect with this outfit.

  42. Cerys says:

    It’s good that she got her hair trimmed but the bouncy curls make her look so juvenile and unkempt. The dress is nice but boring and certainly not worth the money.
    I might be in a minority regarding the shoes but I thought they were hideous and made her feet look huge. As for the posture and crotch clutching – yuk.

    • minx says:

      I agree with everything you said. Her hair is an improvement but I still think she should go a little shorter and sleeker. Dump the curls.

  43. Wren says:

    I love the shoes! But the dress is boring, an ugly shade, and ill fitting. Can she not say three words from her head without reading it from a paper?

  44. Lainey says:

    That cost £637!!! Are you freaking kidding me!! I swear I have dresses that look as cheap as that that cost me about €20. F–king ridiculous. And new shoes that are identical that ones she wore in India but the colour is dark purple instead of black. In pics you can’t even tell the difference. Paired with one of her most childish hair styles.

    • porcupette says:

      And up close, that fabric looks like it’s made out of recycled inner-tubes

  45. Skylark says:

    What Kate needs to do is watch Gypsy Kate and take copious notes.

  46. Beluga says:

    Six years. She has been in this job six years, not counting the ten years she spent campaigning for the role, and still can’t deliver a very, very short speech with anything even approaching fluency or confidence.

    She looked down at her notes over 50 times in the 2 minutes and spent more time with her head down than with it up.

    Is minimal competence too much to ask?

    • Nic919 says:

      Apparently for Kate it is. With austere measures being applied in the U.K. While she trots out a new outfits for visits to the museum and fun events, she does nothing of value to help those will far less and with no access to the riches she has.

  47. Fiorucci says:

    I think she looks excellent! I’d wear this

  48. perplexed says:

    She doesn’t look bad clothes-wise. Honestly, the clothes themselves never actually look terrible to me. But something about her always looks slightly unprofessional, but I can’t figure out what it is. Princess Diana had no O levels, but generally looked kind of smart in that ambassadorial kind of way. Michelle Obama wears those girly type outfits from time to time but she always looks super-smart and full of gravitas, no matter what she’s wearing. Kate, not so much.

    She looks different in video than she does in photos. Is she tired?

  49. Macko says:

    The speech was awful! So bad! English is not my mother tongue, but I could have done it better and sounded more natural. Horrible just horrible.

  50. meowren says:

    why is it “macabre” to unveil a blue whale skeleton at a NATURAL HISTORY museum? that’s kind of the point.

  51. Skeets says:

    I wish Kate would take more risks & go for a modern look. She looks dated and prissy. I’m wondering how much control The Queen has over Kate’s public image & this is the result??? Boring.

  52. Kaz says:

    She needed to wear a different bra which would have given her a better smooth shape instead of a shelf.

  53. Zondie says:

    Did she say it had been thirty years since she visited the Natural History Museum?? No wonder she can’t give a speech or hold a conversation with someone older than 5!!

  54. raincoaster says:

    On re-reading, I think I’d like the dress if it were in a less basic fabric. It’s a lovely silhouette.