Duchess Kate does Calgary in Jenny Packham & cowboy hats: cute or fug?

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Here are some of the last photos from Duchess Kate and Prince William’s Canadian tour, their stop in Calgary. For her arrival, Kate wore this yellow dress by Jenny Packham, who is the same designer who did Kate’s memorable blush-pink, sparkly evening gown several weeks ago. I wouldn’t think Kate could pull off this butter-yellow color, being a brunette and all, but it works on her, and I even find it flattering. I like the full skirt too – it flatters her slender legs, and I’m not left wincing. The only part of the dress I don’t like are those enormous buttons. What the button?!?

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After the arrival in yellow, Kate donned her favorite pair of skinny jeans, a cute cowgirl blouse, and an enormous cowboy hat, all for a photo op at a rodeo. Kate just has one of those faces where she can basically wear any kind of hat. Very few women have that kind of face, and it’s amazing that those ladies who can wear the hell out of any hat somehow find their way into the royal family. I wonder if it’s a prerequisite for royal girlfriends? “Must look good in a hat.” As for Will… he’s not a hat person. He looks like an ass in his cowboy hot. But the duchess was generous to him – apparently, she motioned to the men in chaps and whispered to Will, “We should get you in a pair of these!” OH BEHAVE, Duchess! Damn, girl. You like your men in CHAPS?

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Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News.

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76 Responses to “Duchess Kate does Calgary in Jenny Packham & cowboy hats: cute or fug?”

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  1. Boo says:

    Cute as a button! (And I didn’t even notice the buttons on the yellow thing were big.) I love the yellow number–and the story of that little girl, Diamond, could bring anyone to tears. Kate’s kindness to her has won over any small part of my heart that was not already hers.

    Kate is darling in a cowboy hat–but I disagree about Wills–I think he looks damn cute in the hat.

  2. Chrissy says:

    Oh, I’m glad they finally put on those hats! I read an article that said when they were presented the hats at the airport, they refused to put them on and the crowd starting booing. That really surprised me.

    Totally agree with the buttons on the dress. In those pictures, it looks like the dress is going to fly up at any moment. Perhaps an airport where there is going to be wind and you will be bending over to greet children isn’t the best place for that particular dress! But she looks lovely in it!

  3. Anonymous says:

    They donned the hats because the white stetson is a gift from the city.
    And rodeo chaps are very different from motorcycle chaps, both in look and attitude!

  4. Chrissy says:

    Boo – Diamond’s story had me in tears too!! Such a great thing that Kate was able to fulfill that wish of Diamond’s!

  5. jesikabelcher says:

    She is way too thin!!

  6. Chloe says:

    The hat may be a bit of an overkill but she still makes it work.

    (for that last one, I blame you, Tim Gunn)

  7. marsha says:

    I think her jeans are boot cut – skinny jeans won’t fit over cowboy boots

  8. L says:

    What’s the story about Diamond?

  9. L says:

    And those are a different pair of skinny jeans.The hem is longer and the wash is totally different.

  10. Anne says:

    I love the dress. It’s only the third thing she has worn that I’ve liked. It really suits her and lessens her emaciated look.

    Very few people can carry off a cowboy hat and she and Will are not of that number.

    Am I the only one who hates the platform shoe thing?

  11. OtherChris says:

    She’s adorable in that hat.

    And don’t tell me she doesn’t have Mickey heads on that shirt. I refuse to believe it.

  12. spinner says:

    This couple has totally won me over. Kate is absolutely adorable. She looks just perfect. Love her figure. Love her style & especially love her hair.

  13. Chloe Paradis says:

    She is adorable in her cowboy gear and I disagree – Will looks amazing in his hat. Yahoo!

  14. sassenach says:

    I am can not believe how bad Will’s jeans are. The jeans are absolutely gross. Kate should have helped him pick out some decent jeans.

  15. Quest says:

    Love the hat, still hate the jeans but she is looking cute and most importantly ….happy.

  16. Zimmer says:

    Terrible dress.

  17. Pyewacket says:

    She dresses like an old lady. That yellow dress wouldn’t even be something my grandmother would consider wearing.

    She is an old looking 28-29 yr old.

  18. badrockandroll says:

    L: the Diamond story is about the little girl in the 2nd picture. She has stage 4 cancer, and wrote Make A Wish that she wanted to meet a princess. Diamond is too ill to travel to Disney World, and lost her mom also to cancer when she was young. Make a Wish wrote Kate’s people (we know you are a duchess, but since you’ll be in the neighbourhood …). Kate’s people agreed to it, and the little girl was on the tarmac in Calgary, but froze at the moment, so Kate had to coax her out. It was very touching, and I swear if there had been a puppy there too, I would have bawled like a baby – see if you can find video feed of it.

  19. Minx2 says:

    gosh.. that yellow dress is something I wouldn’t put on a 5 year old.. or my grandmother! Can’t she put on something with style and a bit of sophistication? I think she’s terrified of putting her foot wrong so she wears something the Queen would wear in 1945 (with a bit more length of course!).
    the cowgirl outfit is cute and appropriate, no complaints here.

  20. Brooke says:

    Wills looks really hot in that stetson.

  21. jamminatorr says:

    The white hats are traditionally given to visitors to Calgary, particularly during the Stampede. They gave one to Pope John Paul II and the Dali Lama. Sooo, they’re kind of expected to wear it.

  22. NancyMan says:

    I really enjoy reading what all of you post concerning what woman (in this case-Kate) wear. Being an middle age gay businessman, I think I have a slightly different perspective. Some of what is written I agree with and some I don’t agree with. But, most of it is rather profound.

    For me, I am impressed with both of the young Royals. Catherine is really thin. But, she would be pummeled if she wasn’t. And, I think its appropriate that a future King doesn’t look too hot in his jeans. He’s not some some actor who’s the flavor of the month.

    As you get older, being appropriate coupled with a little bit of fun wears well on most people. The Duke and Duchess will need to ‘wear well’ for the rest of their lives if they want to properly serve as King and Queen.

  23. Abby says:

    She looks AMAZING in a cowboy hat. Wills, not so much. He needs to jam it on his head a little.

  24. truetalk says:

    pls. only a belt could redeem that yellow gown in my eye

  25. gee says:

    LOVE THEM. I stan for them so much.

  26. KLO says:

    This hat ensemble might just be the cutest Kate’s ever looked. But it just might be that she always looks great in white.

  27. Stubbylove says:

    Great pics – I can’t imagine what it would be like to have everyone watch your every move like that – ugh – the attention would quickly wear off for me. Check out Will’s hairy chest!!!

  28. Heatheradair says:

    uh oh. I think I actually had my first “huh – Will’s kinda hot” moment. And it’s because his gawd-awful hair is hidden under that hat. and the chest hair’s out. I do love a good chest rug. Huh. Never thought I’d actually look at that dude and think “niiiiiiiice.” But I just did.

  29. rtms says:

    Will actually looks very good in the hat, it covers up his bald spot and makes him look much better. He should follow Ron Howards example and wear hats all the time if he’s not going to fix his baldness.

  30. Tiffany says:

    I love the pic where she is laughing with the cowboy covered in cow shit! I wonder if this is the first time they have ever smelled fresh cow crap?
    I like the hats-I like hats in general and look good in them as well. Can I be a princess too?

  31. jdao says:

    Cute as usual!

  32. Bettie says:

    William looks HOT in his cowboy getup, whew!

    The pics of Kate & little Diamond are making my cold, cold heart melt. =(

  33. Turtle Dove says:

    That little girl… the story brings tears to my eyes every time. It’s wonderful that Kate could fulfill Diamond’s wish.

  34. Jennifer says:

    Kate does not dress her age. She needs a stylist or a few tips on how to dress and look like a princess.

  35. Lisa Turtle says:

    With her pagent-hair blow out, heavy makeup, and costume jewelry Kate Middleton could be a girl from Texas. She looks country. I think William looks good in the hat, or any hat for that matter. Hats hide his worst Windsor feature, the head that grows balder by the day.

    The yellow dress is good except for the buttons & the fit. She’s so thin that the dress hangs off her body. I wish Kate would wear her hair up rather than fussing with it constantly. Its windy on the tarmac, wear your hair in a neat little chignon. She ruined some of the other pictures because she had to keep grabing her head and keeping her hair down.

  36. ElleGin says:

    They are such a nice couple!! God I love the way they look so happy together. As for her style. I think she has been dressed very appropriate and her dresses are mostly lovely.

    Again, I don’t think she is too thin, but that might have to do with the fact that where I am from if you’re not as thin as her or even thinner, you’re considered fat.

  37. Mrs.Krabapple says:

    I find their “fairy tale” to be sad. She has some kind of eating disorder – whether from stress (yes, not eating for emotional reasons IS an eating disorder), or because she thinks she has to be that skinny to look good in pictures, or because she thinks she’ll lose her rich husband if she gains weight – or whatever other reason there is, it’s obvious to me now that her husband simply doesn’t give a crap about her. She’s an ornament that he selected, and she can starve herself to death an still fulfill her job as ornament. I really do think the royal family are all cold-hearted assholes. This marriage is really sad (for her).

  38. Nymeria says:

    Going with FUG on this one. Blecccch. She’s every bit as fascinating as a lettuce leaf.

  39. ugh says:

    She drags a hair stylist with her to do THAT to her hair?! I can do it for free just with few hot rollers.

    No matter what she’ll wear it will look like it is put on a hanger. She is unflatteringly thin. Besides she dresses up way to old and boring for her age. No charm at all.

  40. Melinda says:

    Not a fan of cowboy hats, but they both look totally adorable! And yes, Kate can wear any style hat and get away with it.

  41. Eleonor says:

    With that hat he looks like the lost son of JR Ewing.

  42. Kim says:

    Disappoints me they went to a rodeo where the animals are treated like crap! Kind of goes against everything his mother stood for.

    She really has to stop curling her hair for casual events. It looks silly to be in cowboy hat with fully done hair. Do it up when dressed up Kate but when casual just wear it straight or in pony tail.

  43. Hellen says:

    That dress a ridiculous garment: it looks like something for a 5 year old (although 10-foot pole). Kate does look great in that color, but the style is heinous for an adult, much less a royal duchess on an official visit.

    And yet – she looks adorable in her cowgal outfit and hat! And Wills also looks great in the plaid shirt, jeans and hat!

  44. Luise says:

    Ultra Boring and I totally agree with the Lettuce Leaf comment.

  45. blonde on the dock says:

    I’m with spinner. She’s really won me over too. Love the yellow dress! And William looks cute in the hat. These two have won the hearts of many up in here in Cananda.

  46. RHONYC says:

    HOT. DAMN!

    that last pic is a ‘Stetson’ moment if i ever saw one.

    Wills looks the 2nd coming of Paul Newman in that shot i.e.
    ‘The Long Hot Summer’.

    ride ’em cowboy! 😉

  47. Jaxx says:

    Love the yellow dress, love the big buttons, and absolutely ADORE the chaps comment! Way to get your hussy on Kate!

  48. really says:

    CUTE, just never never ever upon any circumstances show her bum!

  49. Catherine says:

    I think she makes everything look stylish.

  50. Anna says:

    The yellow dress looks adorable. What’s wrong with the buttons? I think no matter what Kate wore, someone will find something wrong with it. I LOVE that she is wearing outfits more than once. Always hated that idea that if you are a public figure you can only wear each outfit one time. How ridiculous.

    I don’t feel sad for her at all. She seems to love her new husband. So she has to be a princess? How awful can that be. At least she has a house, family, food and a job. Much more than most people in this world.

  51. benny says:

    Re: the rodeo comment — the royal family still goes fox hunting, so you know how they feel about cruelty to animals (“it’s fun!”).

    I really don’t see much of Diana’s influence in her sons. I think they screw around on their girlfriends (like their dad did to his wife), they hunt, and for more than the last half of their lives, were raised solely by their father’s side of the family, with his values.

    However, fortunately for William, people still see Diana in him and he will be forgiven for many things because of that. Also, after the Queen dies, the people will have to suffer through Charles and Camilla first, so by the time William takes the throne, he and Kate will be sooooo much more popular, they’ll be looked upon as the saviors of the throne.

    But back to Kate. I agree with others that she’s too skinny. I really think she needs some type of intervention. However, I don’t care if her clothes are boring — who said every princess has to be a carbon copy of Diana and turn into some kind of fashion horse? Kate isn’t a fashion trend-setter, but she doesn’t have to be. She has to smile pleasantly, be dressed modestly and neatly, not cough or laugh at inappropraite moments, and be willing to shake many hands. I think she’s fine at what she does (has a nice smile, looks pleasant most of the time).

  52. inthekitchen says:

    I feel like a dirty old woman saying it but Wills is HOT in that hat. Not so much in the pictures above but in some of the pics on the Daily Mail (http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/07/08/article-0-0CEA3DC400000578-367_964x727.jpg = hot)…I was surprised. Forget Pippa, he is His Royal Hotness!

    I like the yellow dress but I think it was too short and flowy for such a windy place. And, for goodness sake, Kate, please do something to tie back your darn hair! It’s driving me nuts. Every other picture has her holding/pushing/adjusting her hair. It’s really bugging me.

  53. Lady D says:

    “These two have won the hearts of many up in here in Canada.”
    Including mine for some reason.. I really like these 2. Maybe because they are the first royals I know of that actually live in this century. The House of Windsor gives off such a stuffy, dusty, and uptight vibe. These 2 are a breath of fresh air. To quote a song, they are “shiny, happy people.”

  54. Aurelia says:

    That revolting yellow dress looks like it came from the charity shop. Poor girl has zero taste, no idea and an eating disorder. Anybody who thinks she has style also has no taste or idea.

  55. Az says:

    I don’t hate the yellow dress. I’d like it better with smaller buttons and a belt. But what I’m really loving is her eyebrow situation. They are perfect!

  56. luls says:

    There isnt a picture of her where she ISNT playing with her hair! Woman, let it go already! Thats not very princess-like!

    That being said, shes looking more & more gorgeous everyday. And I love that she always appears to be laughing from the heart.

  57. mimi says:

    The shoes are great and her hair is lovely. More curls would be better, but that is really lovely.

    The color is fine, but the buttons are so wrong that it could work only with toddlers/ little girls or really old ladies.

    The other problem is the cut- the “skirt” begins way to high above her hips/ waistline.

    It should have been lower.

    Her weight doesn’t help such a dress either. The dress basically hangs as if she was a hanger.
    No body to fill it.

    I do think she needs to get back to the job market and find a job.
    Being lazy and just taking one vacation after another for so many years is no “role model” for anybody.

    There is no dignity with a person who doesn’t work.

  58. JennJenn says:

    Hated the dress. It actually makes her look emaciated because it’s so loose over her torso and her legs look so skinny coming out from the flowing skirt. Fitted sheaths and chemises are her friends.

  59. Summer says:

    @Mimi
    Good to see you’re back with your usual Kate hate comments. In case you don’t get it, Kate does have a job. Being in her royal role is now her life long job – and no, the Canadian tour is not a ‘vacation’. She is constantly on duty, having to present herself well, meet people, and dress appropriately, so people like you, who have no comprehension of the stress of public life, can sneer at her from the comfort of your keyboard.
    @aurelia
    I’d happily wager that the vast majority of fashion stylists and designers – you know, the actual experts – would judge that Kate is stylish and dresses well. It may not be your style but she looks great for her role.

  60. april says:

    The dress is fine. It was billowing so hard to tell what it should have really looked like.

  61. mimi says:

    Why do you think I hate a woman I don’t even know?

    Because I point to the obvious?
    She has no job, and had no job for the past 9 years?

    If the British people want to pay people to be paid celebrities for doing nothing, that is their right and their problem, but what kind of a role model promotes life of vacations, trips and laziness?

    Meeting people when you stop by a town and wearing clothes is not a job.
    A tour could be something a musician does, and I don’t think Kate is going to sing or play an instrument, or is she?

    Being married is not a job.
    Living at the expense of other people is something else, if you must- there are several words that describe it.

    At least her husband is a military man and has a job.

  62. T.C. says:

    They are trying to make Kate and the cancer girl the same as Princess Diana touching children infected with HIV/AIDS. It’s not the same. People touch cancer kids all the time and love them. Back then, people would run away from ANYONE (including children) infected with HIV/AIDS. It was a big deal. I like Kate but stop trying to make her into Princess Diana (if she flaunts that engagement ring one more time…).

  63. blinditemreader says:

    Girl needs a weight intervention. Her legs scare me.

  64. Blue says:

    But back to Kate. I agree with others that she’s too skinny. I really think she needs some type of intervention. However, I don’t care if her clothes are boring — who said every princess has to be a carbon copy of Diana and turn into some kind of fashion horse? Kate isn’t a fashion trend-setter, but she doesn’t have to be. She has to smile pleasantly, be dressed modestly and neatly, not cough or laugh at inappropraite moments, and be willing to shake many hands. I think she’s fine at what she does (has a nice smile, looks pleasant most of the time).

    @Benny I totally agree with this comment.

  65. Lucy says:

    too bad william didn’t start to cover his bald spot with a little haripiece as soon as he started to lose his hair…

  66. KOOOL GUY! says:

    happy summer cheers to the beautiful couple!”love respect always! :;why:;causeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.cause!

  67. Augour says:

    Duchess, please add some weight in the right places
    you are thinning out.

  68. Amy says:

    Yes Kate is too skinny. Hopefully whenever she gets pregnant, some of the baby weight will stay when she gives birth.

    Until then, I’ve liked pretty much all the outfits she’s worn except for her engagement photo dress and the purple Issa dress. Those dresses just looked way too big on her thin frame.

    And they both look good in the cowboy hats-Kate makes any hat look good.

  69. Bob says:

    Adorable couple. I think Kate could wear a plastic garbage bag and still be hot.

  70. Mika says:

    At a rodeo???

    They’re at the CALGARY STAMPEDE, bitch. Aka. THE GREATEST OUTDOOR SHOW ON EARTH.

  71. bagladey says:

    Someone in the comments called Will’s jeans “gross”, well that person ought to see the white pants he walked the red carpet in at the polo event in California: LOL, SMDH, LMAO and then SMDH again. While Kate looks lovely in the ‘very nice’ dress, it was a poor wardrobe choice for such an open, windy venue, and Kate should try to find an up-do style that suits her, that she can wear on likely windy occasions etc., but I guess she’s going to wear her hair that same way forever. Will looks good in the stetson. I just really, really wish he could get a hair transplant; he’s cute but he just doesn’t have the face for a bald head.

  72. LCrime says:

    Ya Calgary Stampede- The cowboy hat is a must. Most people get into the spirit and where them. The couple is so cute in their western gear.

  73. Aries_Mira says:

    As mentioned earlier by Anonymous (#3) the white stetson is a gift from the City of Calgary to them – and any other person of importance who visits Calgary. It’s part of the tradition up here. It was also over 30ºC up here that day, so the hats were a necessity! 🙂

  74. eternalcanadian says:

    This is the dress that flew up from the wind and showed that Catherine does not wear underpants (not even a slip!)! My gosh, it was so funny and I am sure the Queen was not amused as she’s a real stickler with make sure skirts don’t fly up and show one’s royal arse (remember Princess Anne? 😛 ).

  75. JulieM says:

    Mimi- You need to excuse all the fan girls here who think that dressing nice and flipping your hair is a lifetime vocation. Kate has done nothing her entire adult life and will do nothing for the rest of it. With appropriate domestic help, of course. Oh-except have a baby or two. Nice “work” if you can get it.