Duchess Kate pulls hair back, wears blue Emilia Wickstead in London: gorgeous?

So much work! Duchess Kate must be exhausted. I wrote that first as a joke statement, but in actuality, I bet she is genuinely tired. Three appearances in four days plus she’s pregnant! Someone needs a trip to Mustique! Anyway, these are photos of Kate last night in London. She was attending a “champagne reception” for the National Portrait Gallery, one of her patronages. She loves representing museums and such because she gets to dress up in fancy clothes.

But… is it just me or is this a weird choice for what I’m assuming is a fancy cocktail party for a major museum? The dress is Emilia Wickstead, and overall it’s a lovely dress. I don’t think pregnant women necessarily have to dress in pastels and cutesy colors, but if they want to, God bless. This shade of blue – I consider it just a hair lighter than robin’s egg blue – looks beautiful on her. I’m always surprised that she doesn’t wear more shades of blue, given that most shades of blue look great on her and she loves to show off her gigantic sapphire engagement ring. And we also have to give Kate credit for not wearing a mini. It feels weird saying that, but she had a bad run of nearly showing off her babymaker in several miniskirts, so the hemline must be discussed. I’m fine with this length. Everything about this is flattering and simple. Too simple for a fancy cocktail party though? Unknown.

We should also discuss her HAIR. I think her hair looks particularly beautiful here. You know how much I love it when she pulls it back – this is just the kind of hairstyle she should do whenever she makes a speech (because she’s always looking down at her notes). I love that she didn’t just throw it back in a clip – there are some twirls and twists going on. I think she looks so much prettier styled like this. It’s a more mature look too, not so college-girl-always-playing-with-her-hair.

Apparently, this event was partially to celebrate The Art Room, and Kate made another speech! This is one quote from the speech: “I am a firm believer in the power of art to make a difference and The Art Room makes this on a daily basis.” You can read more here.

PS… Where the F is William these days? Kate has been doing so many solo events!

Photos courtesy of WENN and Fame/Flynet.

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131 Responses to “Duchess Kate pulls hair back, wears blue Emilia Wickstead in London: gorgeous?”

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  1. Jules says:

    Boring. Just like she is.

  2. Dutchy says:

    She looks a lot like Pippa in the 2nd picture.

    She looks lovely. Nice hair, cute dress. William must be a very happy man 🙂

  3. Val says:

    Maybe she’s trying to tell us something with the blue!

  4. Jackie Jormp Jomp (formerly Zelda) says:

    That fabric looks waterproof. Not good.

  5. bowers says:

    Looks good.

  6. FLORC says:

    I wish I had a hair stylist to make my hair look like that. I can barely pull off a nice braid by myself.
    The dress is pretty for spring and the shoes are at least shorter than most of her heels. I do hate her posture and how her bottom jaw seems to jet forward when she gets too excited. It’s nice she’s still so excited to be at these party events, but silly she’s not more humble and in control at this point.

    And where is William!? He’s not at RAF S&R anymore, right? I can’t find any engagements for him either. If there’s not a vacation, public event, or a gala it seems you can’t get him anywhere near his pregnant wife.

    • ahoyhoy says:

      That MAY be the point….At this juncture in her ‘training’, she needs to learn to work alone and not always have Wills there to lean on.

      • FLORC says:

        It may be the point. I tend to think not. In her appearances with Will he’s not helpful to her. She turns to him for guidance and he turns and walks away leaving her alone with questions unanswered. I think he’s just MIA until they need to be seen together.

    • EmmaStoneWannabe says:

      “silly she’s not more humble and in control at this point”

      What does that mean?

      And she cant help how she smiles lol

      • FLORC says:

        I mean she smiles acts acts so giddy all the time. And for the most part it’s nice she’s happy, but she does it at inappropriate times. She always strikes me as the girl that gets her name announced as prom queen in a very over the top way. She needs to not look like she’s going to a party, but more calm. Like she is informed about her job, charities, and ready to be taken seriously. And there are ways of smiling that are not as .. maniacal as her smile tends to be.

        I’m not saying it’s shameful of her to smile, but I think the smiling is a symptom of her juvenile behavior.

      • My2Pence says:

        The giddy and juvenile behavior is the difficult part, not the smiling. She steps out of the car and starts acting like a 12-year-old. “You guys are here to see me? Oh, how totally fun!” Waves and giggles frantically.

        Why not get out of the car, smile, do a calm wave a few times towards different points in the crowd, then move forward to greet your hosts? You know, as if you were an educated and intelligent 31-year-old there to work and represent a charity instead of a celebrity waving and grinning at the “fandom”.

      • My2Pence says:

        @ FLORC. It reads like I was smacking you down about the smiling, but I actually meant to agree with you. It is the behavior along with the maniacal grinning/smizing/smiling/facepulling being part of the problem. Why not just a friendly smile coupled with some more dignified behavior?

      • FLORC says:

        My2Pence
        I took it as you agreeing with me. You just phrased it much better than I. It’s her behavior at these events that makes me forget she’s a 31 university educated mother-to-be.

  7. gogoGorilla says:

    I think it’s a very pretty dress. You can tell the fabric has detail in that last pic. Don’t like the shoes or the posture but otherwise she looks great.

    • Decloo says:

      Hate the grey suede pumps! Would rather have seen her in black patent slingbacks here.

    • Carrie says:

      It’s beginning to feel like she’s got those shoes in every color. I guess they’re comfortable, but it’s kind of predictable/boring.

  8. Zimmer says:

    Totally love her hair like that! Wish I had a stylist to fix mine that way. For once, I’m impressed.

    • Spooks says:

      I hate her hair. She looks older as it is, and this hairstyle makes her look even older.

  9. teehee says:

    I got all full of suspense to see what the excitement was about—- as I scrolled down and saw the pic, I heard a big “NO!!!” in my head.
    She’s not gorgeous, her clothes are bland as snit, and I think the media needs to give up on trying to sell her!

    • anika says:

      Amen sister!!! And in response to the headline’s question “gorgeous?”….Nope. She’s not butt ugly, but gorgeous is definitely overselling.

  10. Anna says:

    She looks perfect! Actually my first thought at those pics was “the b*tch stole my color!” but I am just loving how princessy and shiny and preggers she looks. Golf claps!

  11. Joanna says:

    her hair looks great! love how they did it

  12. Jess says:

    For someone who loves to shop and is supposedly into fashion, she’s a very boring dresser. Many other European princesses (I’m aware she’s technically a Duchess) wear much more interesting clothes without ever being inappropriate, but she just sticks to the ultra safe options. More often than not she’s wearing something that would be more suited to The Queen.

    I like the hair back, but why oh why did she match her eyeshadow to her dress? I’ll never understand why she refuses to use a make-up artist. I get that she’s personally comfortable doing her make-up like that, but does she honestly think the poorly applied rings of black eyeliner and heavy stripes of blush are a good look? She would 100 times better if someone who actually knew what they were doing applied her make-up.

    • inthekitchen says:

      I agree one billion times over. BORING. She could have at least jazzed up her outfit with some jewels. I find her to be immensely boring and overrated.

    • Georgina says:

      Look, I loathe how she does her makeup. I don’t think it’s flattering at all and makes her look quite harsh, but I’ll give her credit for sticking with it because it’s something she obviously likes. Besides, if she hired a makeup artist a lot of us would be on her ass for that waste of taxpayer resources. There’s no pleasing everybody, and her makeup is really least of the list of things Kate does that offend.

      • Flower says:

        If she hired a good make-up artist no one would be commenting on the make-up at all, the whole point of good make-up is that you don’t notice it. A la Cate Blanchet

    • Devon says:

      I’m guessing you don’t live in the UK. Wearing a shit ton of eyeliner, blush, foundation, bronzer, mascara and lipstick is how people roll here. Kate looks quite toned down for a majority of the women here.

    • Chutzpah says:

      Yes, considering they shipped in her common blood to jazz up the Royal line you would have thought they would have picked someone with abit more oomph – this baby is going to have no charisma if they take after ma and pa

      • Hakura says:

        Maybe the child will be lucky, & take after her paternal uncle, grandmother, or great-grandmother. Plenty of charisma there to go around.

    • GoodCapon says:

      MTE.

      I still can’t fathom how she’s considered a fashion icon when she basically just recycles the cut of her dresses (high-waisted with super high hemlines) and pairs them with matching shoes.

      I bet she’d look good in dress pants but she always feels the need to show off her legs.

      • FLORC says:

        Dress pants! She would look amazing in dress pants, blouse, blazer set! And she could appropriately crouch to accept flowers from children. The last time she wore pants to an event might have been the blue pants she poured herself into for the Olympics?

  13. GoodCapon says:

    What I don’t understand is why she can’t pull her hair up like this ALL THE TIME. It looks so much better for her. She looks more mature and it prevents her from touching/whipping her hair back and forth like a stupid teenager.

    This is Kate’s what–third engagement this week? Sit down girl, you’ll tire yourself out!

  14. Miss South Africa says:

    Ncawww she looks really pretty here with her hair pulled back AND she’s doing working. Its a YAY from me

  15. Barhey says:

    Kate always looks nervous to me. A lot of people slate her for be lazy, which may be true. But I kind of wonder if she dislikes events like these because of anxiety of being judged or something(I would!).

    Her hands are always tightly grasped and shes got a huge chesire grin on which looks like a nervous response to me. It could explain why she doesn’t do much.

    • ahoyhoy says:

      And you just KNOW William totally over-protects and over-shelters her, considering all that happened to his mother.
      I think he is as likely a culprit in why she hasn’t yet been FIRMLY pushed out on her own.

  16. GoodCapon says:

    Did anyone look at the dress and be surprised that it was CUSTOM-MADE?!

    • LAK says:

      Yes.

      Emilia Wickstead may be doing rather well out of the ladies who lunch, but her tailoring skills need a lot of work.

      Every single item of custom made clothing she’s made for Kate’s public engagements has been poorly tailored.

      The odd thing is that Sophie has many pieces from her too, but they are tailored perfectly for her shape. Then again, Sophie has a standard figure, so perhaps Emilia can make clothes for standard figures well and badly if they are not.

      • MavenTheFirst says:

        My mother was a tailor. By osmosis I can say that is one damned ugly, unflattering dress. The body within it really highlights that. And the fit is off.

    • Suzanne says:

      Quite honestly…the dress reminds me of my prom gown back in 68…and my mother made it for me. It was the same texture..same color only it didn’t LOOK homemade..which this dress she’s wearing does..to me, anyhow. She’s cute and perky..but gosh does the press hang on her every move!!! Kim K is just as popular and she doesn’t have to show up at any charity event to get the same, if not more, press coverage!

      • GoodCapon says:

        It’s the basic rule of supply and demand.

        Had Kate been wheeled out to engagements every day for a year the media would’ve grown bored of her very quickly.

        As it stands, we only see her a couple of engagements a month so I cannot blame the media frenzy everytime she deigns to venture outside.

  17. LadyMTL says:

    I’m not crazy about the cut of the dress because it looks ill-fitting and a bit awkward, but the color is really nice. And yes, I’ll agree 100% that she ought to wear her hair back more often.

  18. Seagulls says:

    It’s something in the vein of what Jackie Kennedy wore while in the White House.

  19. Anastasia says:

    Her hair is 1000000% improved, but WTF with the constantly too-heavy eye makeup?

    I think her blush is Nars in Orgasm. Looks just like that color. I know that’s super specific of me, buti wear that color and it looks exactly the same.

    Anyway, I’m with you: this seems too simple for a cocktail party/event. Otherwise, it’s better than that awful sofa cover Mulberry thing she wore the other day.

    She’s really into light colors lately.

  20. Liz says:

    Pretty dress and her hair looks nice.

  21. Mich says:

    I’m just so proud of Duchess DoingMore! She’s out! She’s about! She’s given us a great hair moment! She’s speaking up and supporting her charities! Huzzah!

    As long as she keeps this up, I’m going to go easy on her and pick on that lame husband instead.

    I do wonder, though, what went down in SJP to bring this turn around. Was there a message from Buckingham to shape up? Did Kate want to do more and have to fight her way past Wills? Did she beguile her husband with tears of distress over her bad public rep? Did Carol get sick of seeing her daughter bashed in the press?

    • LAK says:

      The bad press got to her. Duchess Capon posted an article a month ago from The Express written by a royal reporter telling us that the Palace had noticed the bad press, specifically the Lazy moniker, and were trying to be pro-active to show she wasn’t lazy.

      Soon afterwards it leaked that Kate asked HM if she would/could accompany her on engagements resulting in Baker Street and the Scouts at Windsor.

      I think all this flurry of activity is due to the message finally being heard and Kate doing something about it. I say this is a win for her.

      • Suze says:

        Well, I give the duchess a lot of credit for that, then. And she has been out and about, and putting a good face on it.

        It must be a bit terrifying to do a walkabout with the Queen and Prince Philip so kudos to her.

    • GoodCapon says:

      My dear LAK, I am only a Countess *pokes bluhare*

      Anyway we’re talking about someone who was perfectly happy not doing any work for close to a decade. I think they’re just forcing her to up her engagement count until she inevitably hides from the public after giving birth.

    • bluhare says:

      Mich, I’m with you. She’s trying and I won’t slam her for it. I even like the dress, but every photo in the daily mail had her with her hands on her thighs so you got a better look at her belly. She could have done without doing that. We all know she’s pregnant, and she looks great.

      And I’m glad you know your place, Countess (Good) Capon. 😀

    • MavenTheFirst says:

      Are you serious? The woman has no heart. You just know she’s out there because she has to be.

  22. JL says:

    It’s a good and appropriate look for her, given her “job” she doesn’t get a lot of options. It’s not like she can wear a flowing tie dye maxi!

    I bet the constant on disply and all the rules gets old after a while!

  23. moon says:

    LOVE the dress and outfit. She looks young and not dowdy for once. ANd she’s not wearing those beige pumps.

    • lin234 says:

      Yea, the dress is nice color on her. But I can’t hate her for not really being a shoe person. Whenever I see pictures in fashion blogs by girls who own at least 50 pairs of shoes worth 700-1,000 each, I always wonder if they go through the same breaking in period as I do for shoes.

      Somehow I always manage to have at least one area where my skin gets rubbed so raw that it breaks the skin, toes hurt, etc. Breaking in shoes is painful for me so I try to keep my shoes as plain as possible so they match a lot and I tend to stick with a certain pair if it matches things and feels comfortable.

      Plus, I have a weak ankle so it’s easy to twist my foot if the shoe is too high.

      • FLORC says:

        Lin you’re not alone. I need a good 20 minutes to just walk around in my heels before going out. I found that if it’s not too warm out stockings will keep you skin from rubbing off or some full insert dr. Scholls. You can cut them to fit your heels.

      • lin234 says:

        Florc: good tips! I’ll keep them in mind. I definitely need to get some of those gel pads for shoes.

        I can appreciate the beauty in a great shoe but it seriously so painful for me!

        I wonder if it’s because I don’t have shoes in the high priced range. But even so, it’s still just made out of leather. I guess it’s a good thing because I’m definitely not one of those girls who would sell their soul for a pair of Louboutins.

      • Tig says:

        One rec for you re blisters- before you wear/break in shoes, apply Blister Blocker, a Band-Aid product. It’s a stick, and it’s magic. One product that truly delivers!

      • Suze says:

        I’ll defend her on a couple of points. I’m not a shoe person, either, and when I find something that is reasonably fashionable and comfortable, I tend to cling to it. So I get her comfort level with her favorite shoes.

        And the makeup, well, it is amateurish. BUT. It is a tad endearing to me that she does it herself and I think it makes her relatable to some women. It isn’t the worst thing in the world.

        My favorite princess-soon-to-be-queen-consort, Maxima of the Netherlands, has the same issue with her hair. I think she does it herself (sometimes it appears with a hand mixer) and it looks unkempt. But again, I find that rather endearing.

  24. dorothy says:

    After being bombarded with Kim Kardashian’s sausage casing dresses this is a lovely change. Nice to see someone that knows how to dress a pregnancy.

  25. The Wizz says:

    It’s a pretty dress but probably more suited to a fancy Sunday Luncheon rather than a cocktail party.

  26. Aria says:

    Her face looks lovely! Pregnancy suits her.

  27. JenD says:

    I think the fabric makes it less casual, so it’s good for this event. I love the dress and the color, and I wish I could do that with my hair.

  28. JanMa says:

    Her speeches are unintentionally hilarious – like Pippa Tips come to life! “I believe in the power of Art (“Aaaaht”?) to make a difference…and the Art Room makes this”. She must write them herself, so at least she spends time doing some work. I know the RF is supposed to make bland, neutral statements but what is the point of having them say anything at all if a middle schooler could do it just as well if not better?

    • EmmaStoneWannabe says:

      No way does she write her own speeches. Maybe she edits them to her liking, but I have no doubt she has a team of ppl for this.

    • lin234 says:

      There is no way that she writes the speeches herself. If she actually took some time to think about writing each sentence, she wouldn’t have to look down on her paper 4 times a sentence. I can understand that public speaking is nerve wrecking but I also believe that if you write out sentences by yourself you would have some memory of what to say every 3 words.

      • JanMa says:

        Maybe, maybe. The idea that someone is actually being paid to write these speeches is even funnier. I was being tongue in cheek about her writing her own, as in “she must write them herself” because surely a paid member of staff who is given the job of writing the speeches could do better! Plus the speeches have the same trite, “stating the obvious” style as Pippa’s writing which may just run in the family so of course Kate must have written them…Oh, wait. Got it! Pippa’s the speechwriter. Makes perfect sense.

        Joking aside, it does make me scratch my head that we should celebrate her showing up somewhere, looking “pretty”, acting the part of the traditional wife and reading haltingly speeches which aren’t well written and never say anything meaningful – all at great expense to taxpayers. Hard work pays off, kids.

      • lin234 says:

        Janma- opps missed the tongue in cheek. 😛

        Yea, agree with everything and it’s been said a million times but she just doesn’t have passion for others and it shows.

      • JanMa says:

        @lin234 Yes, that’s it exactly. Passion and compassion can’t really be faked.

  29. Queenfreddie says:

    Blue is her color. I really like this look here and she looked great in blue (a darker blue) in her engagment photos.

  30. janie says:

    I think she looks beautuful. I don’t think she is boring at all. She is very classy & carries herself well. She is so gorgeous pregnant!

  31. mrspatrickbateman says:

    She is just not pretty, she looks so old. If she continues to take all these vacations she needs to start taking care of her skin and use some sunscreen and sun hats. She’s not helpijg her skin at all. I think the dress and color are pretty but not for a cocktail party. Also I don’t think those shoes go at all, the dress is so Springy and the shoes are too Wintery.

  32. L says:

    The mail had some pictures of the rest of the guests and she was more ‘fancy’ dressed than nearly all of them. I think her level of formality was fine.

    The fit around the bust is awful though. Just awful.

  33. truthful says:

    she looks nice and appropriate, I really like the back of her hair.

  34. ANGELIC 20 says:

    i am very happy kate is working and supporting her charities. she looks beautiful while pregnant ,the color of the dress is beautiful and i love her hair this way.

    but am i the only one who sees how ill flitting this dress is and it was not some off the rack dress. this dress was CUSTOM MADE ESPECIALLY FOR Her and yet this is the result. the dress looks really bad and a total failure imo but she is looking great.

    • My2Pence says:

      @ Angelic 20. I’m with you, yay she actually worked! Okay, for an hour (I worked 10 yesterday myself), but with this woman an hour of work is progress.

      But you’re right, this dress is just off. Whether it is the designer or Kate’s input we obviously don’t know. The hem rides up in front, so either this wasn’t designed as maternity wear or it was hemmed a month ago. For custom made, one-off, designer this should have been hand-hemmed just a day or two before to make sure it hung properly over her changing shape. But at least the hem (as uneven as it is) is actually the proper length for a change.

      What is with that binding line that runs all the way around about 5 inches above the empire waist? Is that her lingerie? So the dress is tailored or lined so poorly it is showing her undergarments? Those bunches/gathers on the back make no sense at all. Is there some new part of a pregnant woman’s body that expands there that I don’t know about? Have even gathers all the way around, or gathers on the front and a elegant, gather-free back to the dress. For custom made, this is a big fail.

      But she worked (for an hour). She worked!

    • Lexi says:

      Yes, I often think her custom/bespoke or whatever clothes look like my sad attempts at sewing back in the day! Makes everything look frumpy.

      Her hair does look nice though & longer hemlines are appreciated!

    • The Original Mia says:

      Happy she’s working. She should have been doing years ago.

      The color is pretty. Her hair is out of her face. The dress design, though…At least, it’s to her knees & we aren’t in danger of seeing the royal biscuits again.

    • bluhare says:

      Wasn’t this two events in one day? I can see Kate doing that. “If I have to go meet the peasants, can I just get it over with quickly?” Being an all or nothing gal myself, that’s what I’d do.

  35. EmmaStoneWannabe says:

    So much pressure to look perfect. It feels like every time she makes an appearance, people expect her to look as flawless as a bride on her wedding day. She is not perfect and that’s OK.. she is pregnant after all, which I can imagine makes it harder to look so polished. She is trying. Her hair looks great, has a longer hemline in a suitable color, a different pair of shoes. She has that happy glow…I am generally never a Kate defender, but I think she looks lovely here.

    • mslewis says:

      I agree; she does look lovely in that blue. As for the dress not fitting . . . I disagree but it seems some people need something negative to say about this woman. If she doesn’t “work” she’s lazy; if she does work she doesn’t really care about what she’s doing. The woman can’t win with some people. She’s done several outings in a row by herself and now people are wonder “where William is.” It’s just awful the criticism this woman gets. It’s pathetic.

      • bluhare says:

        I’ say the criticism belongs with the designer, not Kate.

      • LAK says:

        I agree with @Bluhare that the fault is with the designer, not Kate.

        When Kate wears Jenny Packham or McQueen [bespoke or ready-to-wear], who are world famous for their impeccable tailoring, the clothes ALWAYS sit right on her whether you like the colour/design or not.

        She should give up on this designer because they are lack the skills.

      • Suze says:

        There are plenty of female celebrities who are criticized much more harshly, frankly.

  36. Laura says:

    I do not like this dress at all. It does not fit properly and makes Kate look weird. Also not a fan of the blue eye shadow.

    I do like her hair style though and the fact that she sincerely looks happy.

  37. Love the hair, hate the dress.

  38. Lady Satan says:

    While I’m not crazy about the bubbly fabric (imagine this in a crisp cotton instead) the cut and colour are gorgeous.

    This picture – pretty hair, beautiful classy dress, great shoes – is the perfect antidote to KatFace and her maternity fashion show of horror.

  39. Patrice says:

    Stunning top to ankles! (I only say that because I think if, had she slipped on some pretty blush colored satin slingbacks or pumps-and we already know that she owns the blush satin pumps-it would have really taken this look over the top and made it expenentially more “gala” or “evening” 🙂

    That said, she still looks gorgeous in that perfectly cut blue dress though; I’m just not sure who told her that pairing it with green/teal(?) suede shoes would look best…

  40. Inconceivable! says:

    THAT is a beautiful and classy look!!

  41. Lucky Charm says:

    I wish she would stand up straight. I think her clothes look so ill fitting because of her poor posture. I like her whole look here (hair, dress, shoes).

  42. Lulu.T.O. says:

    Hate it when women make the mistake of matching their eye shadow to what they wear. And her posture is truly cringe worthy. Always has been.

  43. vava says:

    The hair and hemline are a big improvement, otherwise though, I think this dress is just horrible. I wouldn’t walk out the door with this thing on. The gathering under the bust, and all the way around to the back is absolutely fugly.

    Hate it when she displays that reptilian underbite. Ewww.

  44. Kristen says:

    I know she’s pregnant, but she looks SO much better with a little meat on her bones. AND NO SPRAY TANS! I used to get an airbrush tan once a week, until my boyfriend begged me to stop. Now I see he was right.

  45. DoMaJoReMc says:

    ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!! LOVE HER!

  46. kibbles says:

    The palace is in PR overdrive and is forcing Kate to make these public appearances alone precisely because she is pregnant and will probably receive the best press and public approval since her marriage for solely that reason alone. Everyone loves a pretty pregnant woman and babies and that is what we’ll be seeing from Kate for the rest of 2013. Her bald husband has little to do with this PR campaign. Actually, there I don’t feel the same public excitement surrounding Kate’s pregnancy as with Diana. Of course, millions are eager to see the baby when it arrives and the adorable royal family out and about, but everything feels bland. I’m not really excited, not as much as I think I should be over a royal baby. There just isn’t much to get excited over Kate. She is and has always been a boring and bland person who only cares about shopping, so the best and perhaps only way fornher to gain public approval is to do what she does best which is shut up and look pretty in expensive dresses.

    • Kim says:

      I dont think we can say all she cares about is shopping when she is doing alot of charity work. She may not have the most outgoing personality but she is taking up charity work which anyone who does deserves praise for,

      • bluhare says:

        I think it depends how you define “a lot”.

      • FLORC says:

        Kim
        She is going out and doing charity work, but it’s the pretty side of charity work. She attaches her name to it and goes to lunches or galas or sits and listens before reading a speech prepared by staff. You can praise her for this because good comes out of it, but she doesn’t show that she’s taking the stories of people to heart. Her face looks like she’s in pain listening to people and trying to stay interested. Praise those who go out and volunteer their time after work. Praise those that want to help 1 person at a time. I can’t praise a woman that never found her purpose in life and only does charity visits because the bad press got to her inlaws. I will say it’s nice she’s out more often and doing more of what her job entails, but I won’t lower my standards to praise her as a real charity worker.

  47. Rachel says:

    Hair is beautiful.
    Makeup is awful.
    Fun shoes (maybe with a pattern?) would’ve made the overall look less boring.

  48. Maggie says:

    That dress is BORING! Nice color on her though.

  49. Renee says:

    Lovely! I hate seeing her nitpicked on every single aspect of life and appearance. Glad it’s not me.

  50. Sachi says:

    She looks very nice.

    The dress itself is OK except for the ill-fitting bust.

    But her posture is so awful. It looks painful to have your neck strain that much that your head is tilted forward. Her neck doesn’t even look straight anymore, it’s slanted. I hope that is not permanent. She always looks like she’s hunching over.

    • bluhare says:

      Do you think the bust might have been tailored that way to allow for a little more boob growth?

      • Sachi says:

        It could be, bluhare.

        But I also wonder if the dress was never meant as a maternity dress, so it’s like a custom-made dress and then altered to fit her pregnancy?

        It’s also ill-sewn at the back, like it was adjusted to accommodate a bigger stomach but the original cut of the bodice has been ruined.

      • bluhare says:

        Whatever that dress was intended to be, I still like it, albeit I get the weird fitting people are talking about.

        Personally, I think it would have made a killer sheath, but she can’t wear that kind of thing right now.

    • MyLittlePony says:

      I would have sent that dress back, simple as that. Even I could tailor a better waistline. And she needs a well-structured bra, too. As a fairly small chested woman Kate might not be aware of it, but when your boobs get bigger, the flimsy see-through light & lacey things do no favours anymore – especially when worn with a sleeveless dress like this.

  51. Liz says:

    Amazing blog on why Kate Middleton is suddenly “working” more. It makes so much sense.

    http://katemiddletonduchessordiva.wordpress.com/2013/04/25/topless-scandal-coming-back-to-haunt-diva-child/

  52. Murphy says:

    I was relieved to see a modest hemline on that one. KEEP IT UP.

  53. Kim says:

    She looks gorgeous and appropriate. This is how a pregnant women should dress (hint hint Kim K).

  54. Bella says:

    Beautiful!! Picture of health!! I can think of someone else who is due in July
    that looks like an elephant! lol

  55. DGO says:

    She needs to get into proper maternity clothes. The top part of the dress is ill-fitting and the bottom hangs improperly, too. She really needs a stylist.

  56. Reece says:

    Nice but meh. She’s meh, so meh. She’s really just wearing a larger size rather than actual maternity clothes. I guess once she has the baby it can be sized down and re-worn.
    I’d also guess all the work lately is cuz she’s going on “maternity leave” soon.
    Something nice: I agree her hair looks beautiful and the dress color is pretty.

  57. rae says:

    Ya, where is William. Seriously he has been MIA. Are they even living together. Seems like she has been in london the whole time hardly every in Wales. He hasn’t been a very supportive husband during the pregnancy, since he is supposedly “working” as search and rescue pilot.

  58. Fue McCormick says:

    I think the dress is cute but it’s more of an afternoon tea dress. The shoes are horrid with the dress, though. Duchess Duckface can never get it completely right. What a depressing use of money.

  59. Darlene says:

    She looks lovely and I love her hair that way.

  60. Mrs Odie 2 says:

    Dutchess Kate is very thin and has pretty hair and dresses fashionably. She is not exceptionally pretty, though. Something about her teeth reminds me of dentures. Her face is quite ordinary, and I don’t think she’ll age well. I saw four women prettier than this at the grocery store today.

    • randie says:

      LOL at the teeth comment! She does look better with a closed-mouth smile, but they are veneers, not dentures. She should have left well enough alone IMHO — veneers look so fake and obvious.

  61. S says:

    I’m just going to say it….I think she looks too “masculine” (for lack of better word) for that dress.
    She has an athletic build. Strong leg muscles , broad shoulders and just generally a very mannish figure (no hips etc). So the dress cut and her body clash. It’s too cutesy for her.
    There I said it.

    Also the color + the dress, again , looks too cutesy for her. The color itself does not look good on her.
    She should stay away from pastels I think.
    I’d have to see her with her natural skin color to decide for sure, of course. She looks a little tanned here so it’s hard to see if the color is right for her.

    Something nice: Her weave/wig looks great.

  62. Elly says:

    her posture is terrible!

  63. Suze says:

    I love the dress myself: great cut and color. And I like her hair pulled back like that. It’s a good working-duchess hairstyle, which will probably translate into a good mom style.

    Didn’t see any of the speech – hope she learned from yesterday and picked it up a notch.

    • LAK says:

      The audio of the speech wasn’t released.

      We can only take the DM’s word that,’The Duchess sounded less stilted than she usually does.’

      • bluhare says:

        That actually lends credence to the nerves argument for me, LAK. With the cameras off she wasn’t as nervous. That’s my explanation, anyway.

      • Suze says:

        Well, you know, that’s good. Maybe if they don’t release all her speeches she’ll have time to build up some skills.

  64. MavenTheFirst says:

    The hair looks good from the back. The dress is eminently bland, boring and dull. Not flattering, either.

    It takes someone with personality to carry off challenging clothes. Dolittle fail.

  65. dominique says:

    Like the dress, but disagree on the hair. When it’s fully down it’s high-schoolish, but half up half down looks very little girlish. see zara’s pretty little bridesmaids’ hair…same look.

    http://flowersforroyalweddings.blogspot.ca/2011/08/royal-bride-zara-phillips-gets-her-day.html

  66. Lilo says:

    The first picture freaks me out. Something about the angles of the legs and the dress and the feet. Yikes.

  67. Kate says:

    I think it looks like something from a thrift shop. Is doesn’t even seem to fit her properly and the fabric looks cheap. This was bespoke – really???

  68. 4evaRedd says:

    She looks lovely but the dress looks poorly made and the fabric looks like the dining room curtains.