I had honestly forgotten how much the Duchess of Cambridge loves to wear short skirts during her pregnancies. I don’t know what she’s going for with that – when she’s not pregnant, she veers toward dowdy, older-lady style dresses which make her look like she’s doing Lady Mary cosplay, but as soon as she’s showing a little bump, out come the shorter hemlines. To be honest, she wore a lot of miniskirts in the early days of her marriage too, when she often looked like she was 31 going on 13.
Anyway, these are photos of Kate at the Hornsey Road Children’s Centre in London yesterday. She was supposed to do this event back in early September, but had to cancel it when she became pregnant. She repeated a wool crepe coat by Goat, which she first wore in 2013 when she was pregnant with Prince George. I liked it back then, but it’s irritating me a little bit now. The Goat coat cost about $900 when she bought it years ago, so at least she got some additional use out of it. She styled it similarly for the repeat too – black tights, black dress underneath. She changed the shoes – she wore black heels in 2013, and black boots on Tuesday.
What else? At this event, Kate chatted with a little girl and she asked the girl what her favorite color is. The girl told her “pink” and Kate “said that’s Charlotte’s favorite color too.” Most little girls like pink? It’s nature/nurture – we’re conditioned to like pink, but I think a lot of little girls just like pink naturally too. I loved pink when I was a little girl, then I became a pre-teen and a teenage goth/grunge, then I eschewed pink throughout college and I came back to pink in my 20s. Now I love a hot pink or a pastel pink (and nothing in between).
Also: Kate’s dodgy Uncle Gary admitted in court to punching his wife in the face and pled guilty to one count of assault. He has been released on bail and he’ll be sentenced next week. Yikes.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid and WENN.
She looks fine?
She looks fine.
My sister LOVED shorter skirts during her pregnancies. She said it felt great for the first bit when it’s just your midsection growing, so she could still show off her legs (which she’s charmingly vain about), and after that it was great for comfort and breeziness. I remember picking up tons of American Apparel jersey fabric skirts for her. Not mini-minis, just the sort of length Kate has here. Which is a reasonable length, especially with black tights…
A “reasonable length” for some – unless the dress code for your job requires to the knee or lower as KM’s does.
I wore tunic length sweatshirts with tights when I was pregnant -with pumps to begin with and sneakers towards the end. I had royal blue, orchid, and black. They were great leotard cover ups for heading out to my aerobics class too. My legs looked great☺Yes, it was the mid to late 80s haha!
As a child I hated pink. Why should I like it, just because it’s a girls colour? I also refused to wear pants for a year, then changed my mind one day and refused to wear dresses.
I was an easy going child.
I am going to ship one of my daughters to you. Feisty girl wore cowboy boots for nearly two months because she said they make her strong. Where she got this idea, I don’t know. She wouldn’t wear shorts all summer long, and now her hair has to be in a ballerina bun every single day. If you don’t mind an outspoken little dictator, she is yours for keeps. She unnerves adults because I teach my kids about eye contact and she runs with it.
She copies me too so beware what you say she will say it out loud out of context in public.
How soon can I box her up?
Lol.
Lol.
Can i take her? I’m a sucker for fiesty, unrestrained little emperors / empresses.
Endlessly fun AND funny.
she sounds awesome! feisty little girls grow up to be feisty women!! we need more of them around 🙂
ahahah enjoy it while it lasts!
But i wouldn’t say no to a play date if you need a baby sitter 😉
and LAK, that is exactly it. I remember hating being asked if I was a princess too, why would I want to be a princess, I want to be Empress or Queen!
Raise those little queen up, and let them be their defiant little badass selves. (and thank god for patient moms and dads)
I hated pink up until two years ago when i realized my mom has me in pink as a child, my room was pink and so i had a breakthrough. Now it’s blush or antique pinks. And as a child i recall my favorite color being red. But I digress
I concur with many here that the outfit looks like it belongs in a toddler. And while i sympathize with tall girl probable because i am one, she has England’s finest at her finger tips. No excuses.
Haha…. You remind me of my nieces at that age – one was all pink, one was all black. Another only wore shorts – even in middle of (australian) winters – so she was always ready for any form of competitive sport. Another was plotting her get rich schemes and plans to take over the world…..but that’s another story. They’re growing up now and their personalities just get better and better….love to all girls.
For some reason, I feel like this is something her daughter would wear.
It may be the length of the coat and the tights combo that makes her outfit “toddleresque”.
I really like the coat but it needed pants or a longer skirt underneath. Looks a little too girlish. But otherwise she looks pretty.
I thinking she has tall girl problem. Most clothes are too short for anyone above 170 cm.
Other than the length of the coat, she looks OK.
I agree. Black pencil pants and pumps would look better than the skirt and tights combo with this goat coat.
Agree. The coat would look better with a nice pair of dress pants.
She is about 5’7 or 5’8. That is my height and not so tall that you can’t find a skirt that hits just above the knee. I can easily find skirts that length for work.
It just looks off when a skirt is hidden by a coat and since she was sitting on the floor and in lower kiddie chairs at this event, it wasn’t well considered for the visit. Other photos show her using the coat to block a potential flash.
Yes, I’m 5′ 11″and even I can work around it.
I am tall and don’t have a problem finding appropriate clothes. Kate isn’t tall enough for it to be a problem.
The outfit looks dated because she wears her coat buttoned and these don’t look great that way. The proportions are off, and I am not a fan of black tights worn to compensate for the length of the skirt. They should be a style element.
Her hair makes it look very basic.
I do have problem with finding clothes, im 180cm. Skirts are nightmare. Depends on the market…
Someone on another site pointed out that this coat is meant to be worn with something longer underneath, and while it is a really pretty coat, she should have worn a longer dress or trousers with it. I am not an expert on style so I dunno about that, but I don’t like it with this dress (she wore the same dress in 2013 too.) The collar is white and it doesn’t go with the cream coat.
It also really bugged me that she didn’t take her coat off for the whole visit. She looked REALLY awkward in all the pictures sitting and talking with kids with her coat still on.
agree with your comment. I don’t get the “coat as outfit” thing she does. Is it a British thing? Because I love a gorgeous coat, but I take it off when I’m inside
Why should she take her coat off when it is clearly integral to the whole outfit, also where would she put her coat? In her lap? Would an aide have to hold it? Would the reconnaissance involve checking for coat pegs? What if there was a mishap with the coat? Taking a coat on and off wastes precious time, especially when the engagement probably lasted less than an hour and may have involved going in and out of several rooms, in such circumstances would the coat have to follow her around and risk getting creased? I could go on but I won’t.
Many other royal ladies wear coats and take them off once they arrive at the venue. The coat is taken care of by the LIW or put with everyone else’s coats.
wait, are you serious or being snarky?
There are probably a dozen things she could do with her coat. Removing it would not be the crisis situation you are making it out to be.
I think she should always take off her coat like Miranda Priestly and toss it at someone.
Lilly, I just got a visual, that would be hilarious!!!
Becks, she is usually ready to leave before she gets there. that would make a great song!
When I first looked at that pic, I thought she was wearing liquid leggings or over the knee leather boots. Her tights/hose game is just awful
Way too short – and the boots are all wrong.
Why is she wearing boots with it? Seems off. Sorry to say but she doesn’t have the princess aura I think everyone was hoping for.
Who does have the “princess aura”? Of course everyone is going to say Diana, but imo much of Diana’s pa was more about her height. Tall people just have or are perceived as being more regal.
Queen Rania is 5’6, and Letizia of Spain is 5’7. Princess Mary of Denmark is 5’8. Princess Madeleine is 5’7, Princess Victoria is 5’8.
That’s not the reason.
Kate doesn’t have the basic adult aura tha most women have by 35 much less a princess aura. She lives to be cared for and it shows in her interactions with other adults. It is off putting and unprofessional.
I like the fall bouquet. (I thought that in Hyacinth’s voice)
Me too very much. I think the dress showcases the bouquet nicely.
oops just echoed you down-thread!
The eucalyptus was genius in there.
Oh, haha, I also commented the same below. It’s sooo pretty.
I think she looks lovely.
Because with her, SOMETHING must look really skinny. If she can’t showcase a slim waist, the legs come out and stay out.
Yeah… well as I said above my sister did the same thing during her pregnancies. Sometimes pregnant women still want to feel like something other than beach balls.
We’re told that Kate’s now well enough to do the schedule that was planned before the pregnancy was revealed and yet she has time to do one engagement she missed.Have the others been rescheduled or was this the only one that she missed? She has nothing else announced until next year. We were told she was stepping up (and is now well enough to) so why isn’t she doing it?
As for the coat it looks shorter this time than last.
Does anyone know if KP ever actually talk about things that are discussed at their engagements? Only noticed on their instagram yesterday, that for this one they only mentioned where she was and very basic info about it but nothing about what was discussed/done at the engagement.
KP’s social media is hopeless. It’s as basic as you saw. No more information, no follow up of organisation. They don’t participate in their organisations’ publicity or events nada.
The KP Powers That Be do not like the public asking awkward questions, Lainey, and have no answers to such questions, so all we’re left with is speculation.
These boots just look dated to me. I don’t think I’ve yet to see the Duchess in an ankle boot.
She does have one or two pairs that she wears sometimes. I think she wears them maybe once or twice a year.
https://katemiddletonstyle.org/item/aquatalia-rouge-boots/
She wore ankle boots in her first year.
http://www3.pictures.stylebistro.com/gi/Duchess+Cambridge+Visits+Rose+Hill+Primary+etfhPaynT9ql.jpg
https://katemiddletonstyle.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/kate-middleton-aquatalia-rouge.png
https://fashionistafever.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/katemiddletonbootsankleboots.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/a5/df/9d/a5df9d34a0fbe50b90023d8555f1aefb–duchess-kate-duchess-of-cambridge.jpg
More recently
http://www2.pictures.stylebistro.com/gi/Kate+Middleton+Boots+Ankle+Boots+9TXTywC-S6Vx.jpg
Oooh, those brown boots are the bees knees! She definitely should rock that more often.
Kind of boring, but at least she’s not wearing nude pumps with it
Ugh, that hair. Coat way too short, very immature look for a grown woman doing an official royal event. Slack would look great with the coat.
I actually think the coat benefits from that GORGEOUS bouquet of flowers she’s holding in front of it. They look beautiful together 🙂
The coat is fine, unremarkable. Mystified as to its price. It looks like it could be from the Jessica Simpson collection and cost a tenth of that.
Other than the skirt being too short, I think she looks nice. It is a lovely coat. However, I agree with others, regarding her reluctance to take her coat off indoors. It gives the impression she is desperate to rush away.
Obviously, The Duchess cannot say, “One simply cannot wait to get out of here and put one’s feet up in front of the fire”, but Royal protocol decrees it’s perfectly acceptable for the coat to say it.
🤗
LMAO!
Actually, the pink is for girls/blue is for boys things is fairly recent. Earlier in the 20th century, those colors were associated with the *opposite* sex.
Yep
I think it has strong associations with the princess trend which became a thing after Disney’s successful revival of it’s animation division in the 90s.
I don’t mind the coat, but I think it would look better with either some straight leg wool trousers or with some fabulous over-the-knee boots! OTK boots are great with shorter dresses and skirts!
Why does she never take her coat off indoors? Rude to subconsciously admit how much she doesn’t want to be there.
Why is she wearing cream around children?
If she takes off the coat, she’s in head-to-toe black. Against protocol and all-black with kids. Better than the time she wore all-black to visit the kids in the hospice. How uplifting when she comes dressed as the Angel of Death!
@Kaiser, thank you for commenting on the miniskirts. Sometimes I feel I’m the only one who notices. Several more shots across her thighs to her crotch are now out there from this visit because of her inappropriate outfit. SMH
It’s annoying and unprofessional of her to go with shorter hemlines while pregnant. Kate thinks pregnancy is unattractive because she loses a flat stomach so she tries to compensate by showing off her legs. It actually makes her look rounder.
I’d like to see her in longer dresses, look more dignified. Carole spent too much time teaching her how to climb social circles instead of basic rules of decorum.
You dont know her personally to say that as fact. You dont know her mother either. How can you know what she thinks? I find your comment outrageous. You think her dress should be longer? I can respect thats your opinion.
Disagree. I mean, say what you want about her but she upped a notch in my estimation when she came out, still round-bellied, holding Prince George as a newborn. It was like, “THANK YOU for showing what a woman who just gave birth actually looks like most of the time.” I was actually surprised she did it.
But hey, she showed up for work for an hour (or less). Progress?
At least she knew CC’s favorite shade, instead of not knowing what her own favorite is.
She took the time to tell how William ‘didn’t know what to do’ after the babies arrived and struggles to figure out his role in the family unit. When you willingly disappear for the first 5-6 months of the baby’s life, I’m sure re-entry could be difficult. Wife, mother-in-law, night nurse, live-in nanny, house keeper – it is crowded in that nursery.
Maybe William didn’t know what to do but he was fortunate enough to be surrounded by people who did. Most of us didn’t know what to do. I sure as heck didn’t.
It becomes of question of how many people, who is in charge (Carole), and whether they’re willing to let him in – if he even wants to be there.
If Will does not manage to figure out his role as a father and husband in his small family, how can we expect that he’ll figure out his role as a King? And he doesn’t do much as a Duke of Lamebridge and Middleton either. He doesn’t need to earn a living, no real passions that are worthy for his public role. What does he actually do, anyway?
You sound 60+ with your rules how women should dress. Slut shaming in disguise.
And that you call her “Angel of Death” when you see her with sick kids says more about you than her.
Yup! It’s very mean spirited.
And you sound as judgmental as she does. I used to really like commenting here, but between the people who can’t see a thing right about her, and the people who jump down their throats over it, the comment section is turning into a liberal TMZ. I miss actual conversation.
If anyone knows a blog where there’s actual discussion I’d love to know what it is!! I’ve quit commenting just about everywhere I know; don’t want to associate with people who make excuses for racists – not this blog – and don’t like reading comments that are so flipping judgmental and constantly negative. Everything’s an insult one way or the other! I give up.
It isn’t slut shaming, it is pointing out the dress code for her job and how she constantly breaks it. She wears skirts that end up being both too short and too tight, which means the “bad” shots happen. And no, the photographers are not responsible for her failure to dress appropriately.
If you’re going to see kids, do crafts, and sit around in little chairs? Wear a nice pair of loose trousers and a long, cheerful blouse that won’t show extreme damage if finger paint gets on it. When she shows up at a HOSPICE for children dressed in head-to-toe black, I’m going to feel free to call her the Angel of Death every time.
bluhare, maybe KMR? I haven’t been there in awhile to read and post regularly and have only skimmed a bit. Lola went by the wayside, not Lola herself but the lack of moderation of some commenters better suited to RoyalGossip. I’ve seen more open discussion on The Royal Forums, at least in some subject areas. Not only “pro” comments allowed anymore.
What’s the state of RoyalInsight these days? Wasn’t that one recommended by moderates? Another one I can think of is Alexander Palace, but I haven’t spent time on it to assess.
I’m not sure any royal takes off his/her coat when they do engagements. Does the Queen? Camilla? European royal?
She is always ready to leave!!
I’ve also mentioned in the past that her skirts and dresses are too short for someone in her role. Floating dresses and skirts aside, she is indeed proud of her legs. She thinks she’s got a few attraction points image-wise and shows them off all the time: well trained thin legs in short dresses/skirts or tight leg wear, veneers with the maniac grin, the engagement ring with her hand situated firmly by the crotch in all occasions possible, and the security blanket the hair – accommodating hair with her hand to show off her ring once again. That’s all to her, plus the bad fashion overall. Now that she’s been a royal for 6 years showing little for improvement, I do not see how she could do better in the future.
The flowers are nice. That’s all I’ve got. (KEEP MOVING THAT SIDE PART OVER MORE.)
She looks very pretty and I think the length of the coat and dress underneath are fine. She has fantastic legs…..show them off!
She must believe she has a nice arse too, she keeps showing that off
Why does she wear such short dresses, skirts, costs etc. when she’s pregnant? I thought wearing miniskirts or whatever were against the rules for her. How does she get away with it?
Kate always comes off as the intern instead of the executive.
Comment of the month on this issue.
I fully agree with both Deedee and nic919!
Yup. I really can’t imagine her running a household or leading some meaningful conversation. I guess that’s what happens when everyone knows she’d rather be at home watching TOWIE than shaking hands with the plebs. She has no gravitas, no interest in anything other than shopping and keeping her meal ticket happy and maybe spending time with her kids. She’s just very expensive fluff and everyone, including the RF, knows it. What a waste of an expensive education and poorly tailored clothing.
Her makeup is shockingly bad
I am loving that autumn bouquet!
Not a button in sight, she must have been reading celebitchy! 🙂
Slightly off topic: that is a gorgeous autumn bouquet.
My G-D, this one has taste for sh!t. I can’t imagine putting that outfit on, looking in the mirror, and thinking, “Wow, I look good, today. I really look good.”
This woman is a walking fashion “DON’T.” There is always something amiss with her choices. Some women can make cheap clothing look phenomenal while others can make expensive clothing look cheap. She definitely falls in the latter category.
I don’t have a problem with the coat, but the length of the dress/skirt, the black tights, and the boots … oh, c’mon. Why does she even bother?
I hope Markle enters the royal family because SHE has some fashion sense and the press will be all over that.
Question/alternative theory:
Do we have actual confirmation she likes fashion?
We make assumptions about the money she spends….which is a lot but….
Could it be that she is NOT a fashion girl, intimidated by the whole thing and overspends to compensate for lack of style and understanding? Like the person that orders the ‘house wine’ out of intimidation by oenophiles or the ‘special of the day’ at a restaurant to avoid making a choice and showing lack of knowledge? IMO it might explain the multiple blue dress coats, no fashion risks and lack of accessories/styling. Not to mention beige shoes, wedges or same black boots. I’m no fashion girl myself but isn’t that the definition of non-fashion/basic?
No snark, just serious question.
I totally agree. You’d think she would have hired a stylist by now like other royal ladies instead of wearing what her mother likes on her. I find that she either dresses like a 70 year old matron or a 13 year old girl. At least her hair is a reasonable length now after how many years?
I agree with you. It’s obvious in her style that she’s not overly concerned with fashion. Her cuts are always the same, the silhouette is always the same, she has very few deviations from the norm. I don’t think she has much of an eye for aesthetics or fashion at all, which is fine, not everyone really does. It’s especially obvious when you notice that she buys multiples of certain coat dresses in different colours. A lot of people who find a comfortable style or fit in a particular dress or a shirt often stock up in varieties of the same.
It’s fine if she’s uninspired by fashion. She doesn’t have to be. But the disproportionate focus on her fashion and the effort made by people to insist she’s some kind of fashionista is….unnecessary. In my opinion, neither the Queen nor the Queen Mother were particularly into being avante-garde with their fashion either. They dressed well, and appropriately, and they looked good as befits their rank. But neither of them really pushed the envelope nor were they expected to. The Queen has had her magnificent “uniform” in its infinite shades and combinations as devised so spectacularly by Angela Kelly. What Kate should do is find her own Angela Kelly, tighten up the seams on her whole clothing department, and put the approx. 8000 coat dresses in her closet to good use.
She likes buying things.
One can assume she might like art as she studied history of art.
I am not a fashion person either. I get intimidated by the wide range of fashion available and I grew up with the idea of focusing on studying and working rather than looking fashionable. Yet I have my a little understated rock chick style for years with some nice dresses and heels.
But Kate is a a role that has a very specific and important fashion component. Fashion and style is the first thing that she needed and to get right because that is the first thing that people see. She’s been in the public’s eye for 17 years!!!!! Plus the money and the possibility to hire several fashion stylists and shoppers and make up hair stylists and what not. She has nothing else to show, not that she is hardworking and interested in giving back.
Even if she was not interested in fashion – not that it hasn’t been said on this site and others that she loves shopping and does spend a lot for clothes – she has to get it right for work. Everyone makes an effort to look presentable at work.
That being said, I’ve heard that a new book came out recently on getting dressed like the Duchess, with pictures! That’s one book I will certainly not buy. But it makes me think – have the BRF commissioned a book praising Dolittle’s style to make her look better?
She has the ability to hire a real stylist and to call on Angela Kelly (the Queen’s dresser) to help her. She chooses not to.
She isn’t required to dress fashionably; she’s required to dress appropriately and to protocol. The two are not mutually exclusive, but it doesn’t require the nearly $1 million wardrobe she has accumulated in 6 years.
If she is not interested in fashion, or can’t be bothered going shopping, then why does she not recycle her outfits more. People would at least respect her for it. She only does it occasionally.
The coat would’ve been great with a pair of slim black pants (NOT her painted on jeggings, of course).
Having just been pregnant too, I understand wanting to highlight the parts of you that are not ballooning (here, her legs), but this skirt with those boots just doesn’t work. I wish one of us could dress her.
I like this coat. I think she actually looks better with shorter length stuff when she’s pregnant. She looks dowdy and matronly every other day of the week. Imagine if she kept the same style while pregnant. The fact that it’s a coat and not a flimsy, low-quality short skirt like she’s worn before makes it better. She looks good.
It’s a pity, but the truth is that her style was so much better in her pre-marriage, Sloane years. She could carry a great miniskirt and cardigan combo on her casual pap strolls. Wish she’d accommodate some of that style now.
Those boots make that outfit look like a party outfit.
Nevertheless the outfit is drop dead boring. White top half and black bottom half.
/sarcasm/ Of course, who wouldn’t wear black/white for meeting children? Dead colours are so appropriate. /*sarcasm off/
so she talked with parents and staff about the experiences. Duh.
I can tell you one experience: government is cutting money for such programs which is why they are underfinanced and getting worse. When Labour lost power some years ago one of the first things the newly elected conservative government did was to cut funding for Sure Start which aimed at making sure that poor families with little children had a good start ( combination and cooperation of medical and social and psychological and educational professionals) .
Waity Dolitte in her three and four figure frocks isn#t going to improve anything in this matter.