The Mail had an interesting piece over the weekend on a new “regal” makeover for Duchess Kate. I sort of overlooked the story because I thought it sounded like typical Middleton-family PR, but as it turns out… not entirely. You can read the full piece here. The basics, plus some subtext: the Queen is really tired of Duchess Kate dressing like a college girl in short shirts and cheap jewelry. The Queen has ordered her personal dresser to attend to Kate so that Kate will wear more age-appropriate and royal-appropriate clothes, starting with Kate and William’s upcoming tour to Australia and New Zealand:
It is three decades since Princess Diana, with a single stroke of fashion genius, took a former colony captive. In Melbourne in 1988, she paired an off-the-shoulder gown of glimmering turquoise with a strap of art-deco emeralds worn not as a choker – but as a bandeau across her forehead. She did so, it is said, because she had sunburn on her back. Nonetheless, the iconic image of stylish, youthful, modern Monarchy made global headlines and bewitched a generation of Australians who went on to vote ‘No’ in an independence referendum in 1999.
Those jewels from the Delhi Durbar Parure – a collection of Indian gems gifted to the Royals in 1911 – had been passed from Royal hand to Royal hand by Queen Mary to The Queen Mother and then to the Queen who gave them to Diana as a wedding gift. They are also, appropriately, known as the Cambridge emeralds. Now, The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the Duchess of Cambridge – who wears her late mother-in-law’s sapphire engagement ring – will be packing precisely these kinds of jewels in April when she sets out in the footsteps of Diana on a tour Down Under.
It is part of a subtle but significant regal makeover supported by the Queen. The Duchess will deploy a couture wardrobe of day dresses with lower hemlines than she has previously favoured. She will be encouraged to wear the tiaras favoured by the Queen and Queen Mother and an aide is being lined up to help with her wardrobe.
Meanwhile, Her Majesty has offered the services of her most trusted member of staff, her personal dresser Angela Kelly, to help Kate prepare for her trip. She has been tasked with assisting Kate to select statement jewelry and gemstones from the Queen’s personal collection. This forms part of a deliberate move to shift the Duchess’s image from High Street to high end, timeless Royal elegance – without losing her freshness and informality.
Ms Kelly is in a unique position to advise the Duchess, having dressed the Queen for hundreds of overseas tours and engagements during the past 20 years. As personal assistant, adviser and curator to the Monarch, her knowledge of wardrobe protocol is unrivalled.
‘Angela has been asked to start selecting jewels ahead of the trip,’ says a Palace source. ‘She knows most of the pieces in the Queen’s private collection. Her understanding is crucial because this trip will be about Kate appearing more Royal than ever – you can expect to see a lot more tiaras and the Queen will be watching closely.’
Kate is likely to require up to four outfits a day for the three-and-a-half- week trip and her clothes need to convey her status as the wife of one heir to the throne and the mother of another. The Duchess is understood to have already spoken to favoured designers including Alexander McQueen and Alice Temperley, who are designing bespoke gowns and day dresses.
Meanwhile, the frilled, girlish frocks she likes have been outlawed in case they detract from the newly grown-up image she needs to project and also to prevent any wardrobe malfunctions – such as that at Calgary airport in Canada in 2011 when a gust of wind caught the skirt of the Duchess’s short yellow dress and flashed her underwear to the world.
Statement jewels from the Queen’s personal collection are being selected for the Duchess to reinforce her sense of majesty. Among those believed to be under consideration is a diamond and ruby brooch in the form of a hibiscus flower, one of the unofficial emblems of Australia.
The Mail on Sunday understands that Kate has asked her personal hairdresser Amanda Cook Tucker to accompany her to Australia. Ms Cook Tucker has recently undergone training in the art of attaching a tiara – so that she can style Kate’s hair more formally. Miss Cook Tucker came to prominence when she did Kate’s hair before the Duchess emerged from hospital with newborn Prince George last July. She also travelled with the Cambridges on their 2012 trip to South-East Asia and the Pacific.
According to the Duchess’s spokesman, the couple’s entourage will be a similar size to previous tours. ‘It’s too early to explain what the tour party will be,’ the spokesman said. ‘We are still a long way off from finessing the details for the tour.’
Fascinating, isn’t it? Taken with Prince Charles’ decision to consolidate press offices with Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace and St. James Palace, it’s feeling more and more like William and Kate are going to be on tighter leash from here on out. Or is that just a pipe dream? It feels like Charles and the Queen might disagree on this – the Queen wants Kate to begin taking her responsibilities seriously, and to stop twirling her hair and flashing her duchess beav. Charles just wants everyone to stop paying attention to anyone but him. Well, at the very least, it will be good to see Kate wearing longer skirts. If that’s all that comes of this, that’s something positive.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
She is young and can benefit from the Queen’s experience.
The Queen should have ordered her to stop wearing that dreadful black eyeliner.
Yes! That eyeliner. I just DO NOT get it. It looks bad! Straight up. Like, in their engagement photos, I actually thought she looked bad — and it had everything to do with the eyeliner. I’m NOT saying Kate is unattractive, she is; but that eyeliner does her no favors.
This! If only… Just back from living in London for the last 2 months and must say MANY women with these crazy posh voices all wear this awful eye-liner look.
Yeah that’s what I noticed after binge-watching Doctor Who, the harsh raccoon eyes seems to be a thing over there. To no one’s benefit.
The queen couldn’t get Diana to quit the blue eyeliner so doubt she’ll have much luck there.
But the Queen is in her ’80’s and dresses like everyone’s very posh granny. I for one do not think this will end well – women in their late 20’s, early ’30’s are not supposed to dress like their husband’s grandmother. I sense much boredom ahead.
We almost always see her when she’s working. Not on her down time. Most companies have dress codes and/or an image they want to project. Same with the BRF. I don’t think the Queen is saying Kate needs to dress that way when she’s not working, but when she is the Queen wants her to project the image she wants out there. What’s so hard to understand about that?
Nobody is saying that she should be dressing like her husband’s grandmother – although true style and elegance really have no age limit (that is to say, a woman of twenty and a woman of eighty COULD dress the same clothes – if the clothes were stylish – and of course, the effect would not be the same, for obvious anatomical reasons to do with ageing. I often buy the exact same piece of clothing for myself and for my mother because we have pretty much the same taste – and it’s a progressive taste. She looks fantastic in them – and so do I, but not in the same way).
I do not believe that people are “supposed” to wear, or not to wear, anything, at any age. I also love skirts above the knee. However, I do believe that skirts quite as far above the knee as those that C. seems to be wearing all the time, simply do not look good on anyone above the age of ten.
Most of all, public appearances of “royals” are, willy-nilly, bound by certain restrictions dictated by tradition. It goes with the territory.
And when a small child is wearing a longer skirt than you are at 31 – and on very windy day, to boot – you must be doing something wrong.
Frankly, I am surprised that the Queen didn’t speak out before.
In contrast, a few pictures of Diana on the job at 31-32 years of age. Even accounting for the style “yikes” of the 90s, I think Diana looks professional and age-appropriate. That’s all that’s being asked of Kate Middleton – a professional and age-appropriate working wardrobe.
http://www.zazzle.com/no_275_princess_diana_london_1993_postcard-239235835812684174
http://imagecollect.com/picture/princess-diana-photo-1953524/fwro
http://static7.imagecollect.com/preview/560/7ab10a3b4ba2ef8
http://static9.imagecollect.com/preview/560/a49ae455e47d71f
http://static4.imagecollect.com/preview/560/f3a7f5d7c13616b
I like it. It needed to happen at some point. Being in the royal position she is, she needs to step up her game big time especially on official visits. As a jewelry whore, I cannot wait to see what she wears/is chosen for her.
I was thinking the same thing about the jewels. I mean, one of the reasons I love reading posts about the Queen is because I get to salivate over her jewelry so maybe now I can add Kate to the mix.
+1
I agree. She needs a little advice, especially about her skirt length and weighting her hems. And I’ve always wondered why she didn’t wear more fabulous jewelry. I would, if I had access to it.
I’ve often wondered, since most pieces have to be given or loaned from the Queen, if she just hasn’t had access yet. Perhaps the Queen just decided that the time was now. Who remembers about Camilla? Did she wear royal jewels right away or did she have to wait a bit before sporting some of those amazing diadems?
@Gigi: Charles had a few gems he inherited from the QM plus he bought several new pieces for Camilla. So it’s not entirely a good comparison.
GG
According to Diana’s divorce settlement all of the jewelry that was given to her as a wedding present was allowed to remain in her possession under two conditions 1: she could never sell it and 2: unless it was specifically your marked for Harry it would go to Williams wife. So yes, Kate has some amazing pieces in her collection but I would guess that she has probably been advised to avoid wearing it for a couple of years. I am sure she would not want to get slammed by the public and Diana’s fans for daring to be seen and her Jules. But now it looks like she will be able to wear some of them and will be able to borrow some of the queens own goodies. I wonder if Kate well where the history making, showstopping Emerald necklace that Diana wore on her first Australian tour. She was badly sunburned and decided to wear the necklace around her head instead of around her neck and the media went crazy. That trip catapulted Diana onto the world fashion scene and the rest is history I wonder what Kate will do.
ETA: The divorce settlement also included the jewels that Diana acquired during her marriage as well as wedding presents.
Camilla wears ALOT of statement necklaces, but I can’t remember when she ‘started’ wearing tiaras. She mainly wears the Boucheron and the Delhi. (She has a family tiara to) But those are reserved for State visits.
http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/2012/07/flashback-friday-few-of-camillas.html
But those two tiara’s both belong to the crown, and Camilla was lent them. They belonged to the Queen Mum but she left them to QEII (not charles as many people think) Plus let’s not forget that Charles can’t have anyone outshine his wife. If Camilla is wearing big pieces, I”m sure he’ll find a way to make sure that Kate’s are less impressive.
@Gigi – I seem to remember the blog The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor (an excellent read and a great way to spend quite a few hours, IMO, if you like fashion and you like royalty) saying Camilla had plenty of her own jewels before she got married.
I don’t follow Camilla gossip, though, so I have no idea when she’s wearing her own family’s stuff versus something Charles bought for her versus something from the Queen.
Maybe she simply doesn’t like jewelry. I don’t,
No more butt flashing and all the shinies from the Queens collection?
Let me think about it…
Am I the only one who doesnt mind Kate in shorter hemlines? Nothing she’s worn has been all that short, she just needs to weigh down the hemlines so that we dont see her bum when the skirts fly up (nearly happened on more than one occasion).
I am fully on board with the jewelry though. I want to see Kate dripping in diamonds. I am still pissed that we got no photos from her one post-wedding tiara appearance!
I agree with you Anna. Nothing she has worn has been trashy, she does need to weigh down the skirts but I have no complaints with her clothes that she has worn. Bring on the jewels.
On the other hand I’m jealous of her legs.
I agree-she looks great-she has style, always classy never stodgy and too ‘royal’….Diana would be proud….
Bring on the jewels!
I thought some of her skirts were too short when she was pregnant. Certainly not trashy, and I thought she was lovely throughout her pregnancy, but a few were just a hair too short in my opinion. Her job requires a lot of bending over to talk to children. Other than that, I just think she should weight the hems.
Anna
I’m not touching that hemline royal rules, traditions vs. plebs opinions, but she did actually flash her bare bottom or just small portions of cheek in a few of those dresses. Pics were published here and there, but almost immediately removed. Pics that weren’t published still found themselves on random internet collections.
And as a side comment It was Kate’s bare bottom. I don’t even want to say thong. G-string, maybe?
And I agree. Jewels for following the rules? Yes!
I don’t mind seeing Kate’s butt, her tummy, or legs!
Nope, I’m A-Okay with her “short” hemlines as well! Really, they aren’t even short, they are pretty much what most women her age wear (myself included). Unless they are pencil skirts, I usually find any skirt that goes past the knee but not full body length is usually very unflattering. She just needs to weight the skirts down somehow so they don’t fly up in the wind when it’s windy out.
And the Queen’s personal dresser is going to help Kate out? Okay… While the Queen dresses age appropriately, she’s not exactly a snazzy dresser herself (example: head to toe pastel outfits).
The Queen dresses for the public. You may not care for her style, but she has found something that works for her and sticks with it.
Angela Kelly is arguably the Queen’s closest employee. She’s a bit more than a dresser. She catalogues all the Queen’s clothes and jewellery and maintains files on provenance. She also makes a lot of the outfits HM wears out on engagements. So she knows a lot about what to expect and how to dress for it.
Completely agree bluhare. There was a lot written about Kelly during the Jubilee, about how the two of them choose fabrics that breathe and don’t crease, how the hat pins are always covered in the same fabric to match the hat and outfit to blend in, the Jubilee float outfit modeled after something worn by Elizabeth I. They both take great pride and care in how HM is dressed.
HM and Angela Kelly also come up with clever dressing ideas together, often with a theme or to support a particular visit. Diana didn’t invent that, she merely followed HM’s lead. I remember a story about a white beaded gown, embroidered with flowers from the country HM was visiting. Then the beads were removed and re-embroidered in a new pattern to honor another country for a different visit.
And they just come up with some fun ideas. Like this one, where she’s dressed like a piece of Wedgwood china. Not sure why but I really like this outfit.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/26/world/europe/queen-elizabeth-northern-ireland-historic-visit/
+1,0000 (and I’m not even a Kate fan!)
Gotta be honest, the access to jewellery that Kate currently has and the ones that she will eventually have access to are the only things that make me absolutely seethe with “normal girl” jealousy. Those Cambridge emeralds are STUNNING. I hope this story is at least slightly true re the longer hemlines as well. Just because one has a good arse does not mean one must show it off in public in front of all and sundry…
FYI – if anyone out there is as much of a royal jewellery nerd as I am and doesn’t already know about the royal order of sartorial splendor website, check it out. You won’t be disappointed.
I LOVE that site! Especially when they do the tiara polls – you get to see loads of pieces you wouldn’t even know about normally.
I’ve gone through every single entrant on the tiara polls. Not even ashamed to admit it 😜
Thank you Kali for that site. I love it!
Ella from A Tiara a Day & Royalty with
Ella (last is a tumblr blog) also knows her gems — she has info on some really rare pieces I’ve never seen before. She used to run Mad Hattery which was my favourite Royal blog. 🙂
Ooooohhhhh thanks! I’ll add them to the list 😄
Tiara-a-Day was for the 2013 year. She has started another site (The Court Jeweller) and has a lot of shiny on it.
http://thecourtjeweller.blogspot.ca/
I love-hate you for recommending those sites! This topic is something I enjoy reading about, but ooooh, I don’t have time right now and shouldn’t look. *resists urge to look at blogs*
Yup, it’s time.
I wish the midi skirts/ dresses would make a comeback. It’s one of the reasons I learned to sew. I could never find that length in stores. I don’t wear slacks, so the tea length or midi length skirts and dresses are really good to wear to work. Don’t have to worry about a breeze or bending over.
Whatever happened to slips? I am 35 yrs old, and it seems ladies these days have all but forgotten about slips. Full bodied slips can also double as sleepwear! They are cheap and sexy also imo. Must be getting old.
I only ever wear midi skirts and i’m 20. Midi skirts are beautiful. I can’t resist them!
Yes, I know what you mean. I needed new long slips for my long skirts. The sales person actually had to go in the back to get them. She stated no one wears slips anymore. I can see with a lined skirt but unlined. Dresses and skirts just don’t lay right without them IMO.
@ Nia. Try checking your local thrift store as well. There are also lovely (and not too expensive) silk ones on the WinterSilks website.
I do think she wears them – I think we’ve *seen* them when her skirts fly up.
I’m the same age as you, and getting dressed for events always called for stockings and a slip/camisole. I was taught your underthings should be as lovely as your clothing. It sounds awful, but my Mr. always gets excited when we have a funeral or wedding or something because on go the stockings and slip. There is something sexy about them especially as now they’re “out” and a bit unexpected, I suppose.
GiGi
I asked this same question a while back and LAK answered with links.
I asked if Kate knew about slips or if she just prefered the feel of a short skirt and a thong while in public. LAK gave links showing that Kate not only knew about slips, but wore them! And damned if some of her skirts weren’t also weighted down in the wind!
And I do not dress dowdy, but know how to dress for my conservative family. Slips are practical and add a bit of allure. Just ask Dita. You can dress to ooze sex appeal while not flashing your bits and keeping covered up.
And as a side note I want Kate to be dressed by Dita! She would follow all protocol and look fabulous. No disrespect to many posters that are in their 30’s that still love wearing miniskirts in an office/professional setting, but imo showing too much skin like that is looking a bit desperate.
i hope they don’t change the hats. i love her hats/fascinators. i feel it is the only hint of personality in an otherwise boring, dull person.
This is going to sound terrible but as a Royal member i don’t know why she is always repeating her outfits. Not even twice but numerous times, it just looks tacky. In other news her body is so fit,i like how sporty the royals are.
Well, given how so many people trash the royal family for being a big spending burden on the British taxpayer, I can’t help but feel wearing clothes more than a couple times might be a good idea, possibly even a practical necessity, given a recent article on the Queen being nearly broke.
Genevieve
The spending issue has little to do with this. And the Queen is nowhere near broke. Her personal money and assests are well protected and largely unspent.
Also, Kate is caught shopping almost every other day. Her wardrobe is massive. We maybe see less than 1% of her clothes and while it is nice they’re recycled, it’s being done so you do notice this and praise their thrifty behavior. It doesn’t mean they’ve stopped shopping at all.
I just want to see kate wear more tiaras. 🙂
Get her invited to some state banquets!
Good. If she still wants to wear the “cheapie” (relatively speaking) clothes occasionally, fine; there are some pretty cute clothes. But doing it to seem a) like she’s shopping for expensive things less and b) just folks is as offensive as when she and Will claim not to have nannies or staff.
What’s with the author of the DM piece? It felt like he was throwing shade at Australia for being a former colony, and implied that Dianas jewelry lead to a no vote in the referendum.
Also does any other Australian consider the hibiscus and unofficial emblem of Australia? It feels more Pacific Islands to me. Wattle, Kanagroo Paw, Waratahs sure; but hibiscus?
@whipmyhair,
I know right? I think it is a stretch and a half to insinuate that the results of our referendum was based purely on the fact that we liked what Princess Diana wore when she visited 11 YEARS before it happened. Ridiculous.
And no, I’ve never considered the hibiscus flower as an unofficial emblem either. When I think of Australian flowers/plants I think of Waratah, Sturt’s Desert Pea/Rose, Boronia, Eucalyptus, Banksia, Wattle and Tassie Blue Gum!
I was just old enough to vote in that referendum in 1999 and I voted for Australia to become a republic. I’ve always been in favour of a republic, but in considering my decision, Diana’s fashion or jewellery choices were never a consideration. Diana’s treatment by the Queen on the other hand…
Wow, as conservatively as she already dresses, and they want her more buttoned up? Poor thing is going to look like a middle aged woman when they’re done with her!
GAH!! Please read post directly below yours.
I don’t think it’s about looking mature (I.e. Old) it is about looking professional. I can’t go to business meetings in jeggings and sun dresses, but I don’t dress like a grandmother either. It’s simply about wearing professional attire.
This is really it in a nutshell.
Her dress style runs a bit more boring than most but she doesn’t look like she could walk into a conservative financial institution and that’s the issue. You can still have style and dress professionally — they aren’t mutually exclusive.
That’s what people argue because they only have opinions and can’t support her clothing choices in a world of representing your country, family, and looking like you’re there to focus on the task at hand.
And i’ve always said Kate could rock a pants suit. It’s not dowdy at all.
@ FLORC. Some of them just look good – maybe even better – in pant suits rather than fussy skirts or dresses. Less to worry about; you can focus on the job rather than worrying about wind mishaps. I’m surprised Princess Anne doesn’t wear her (one) pant suit more often. Rania always looks great in pants. Two of the Spaniards – Letizia and Elena – wear pants a lot on the job. I also remember a picture of Sofia of Spain in a navy pinstripe pantsuit where she looked wonderful.
All Kate wears is skinny jeans.
My2Pence
Those ladies are excellent examples of hot to dress and conduct yourself in public while representing your country. Not to mention work ethic too.
And Kate does have great legs. She also has a very long torso. So, she can’t always wear the same fits many do without it exposing a midsection. A proper pants suit would allow a tailor to alter her blouse, blazer, and waistline to really flatter her figure.
Anonymous
She wears Jeggings. Jeggings are more stretchy like tights and cling very much to your body. ome say you look “poured into pants” when wearing them because they’re so tight.
Skinny Jeans have denim and aren’t very stretchy if at all. They have more give too.
It’s a common mistake made by many. Next time you’re in a store flip the label and see the difference.
To try to showcase Karen’s point (professional vs. dressing “old”), this is one of the few times I think Kate Middleton actually dressed appropriately. I suspect this is what is being asked – more of this:
Kate Middleton in Roksanda Ilincic
http://www.awomensclub.com/kate-middleton-roksanda-ilincic-peridot-dress-and-kiki-mcdonough-earrings.php
One of her best looks ever. Beautiful.
I would LOVE to be “ordered” to stop wearing cheap jewelry. (not that i actually have cheap jewelry) where can i sign up?
“The Duchess is understood to have already spoken to favoured designers including Alexander McQueen and Alice Temperley…”
For a minute there I thought Alexander McQueen had been resurrected. I assume the article means designers at Alexander McQueen.
Good catch.
Hahahaha
“the art of attaching a tiara”
I’m excited for jewellery porn though
Kate’s in her thirties, in a highly public royal position, so it is time to stop with the painted on jeggings, wedgies, too short skirts and hair twirling. If she wants to keep her hair long, pin it the f*ck back instead of hanging loose, getting in her face and blowing everywhere. And don’t get me started on the heavy eyeliner….
THANK YOU!
I love most of the outfits Kate wears now. Her ability to mix the “real” and expensive with the “fake” and High Street is part of her appeal. She is young, not 80+…I hope the Queen and her advisors take that into consideration.
+1. See my comment above. I just had this image of Kate wearing one of the Queen’s outfits – too funny, like something from Monty Python! Kate is not 80+ – I wonder what the Queen’s dresser will come up with. It reminds me of that scene from the movie “The Prince and Me” with Julia Stiles where she plays the mid-west US farm girl engaged to a European prince and the queen’s dresser comes in to tell her how to dress. The scene made me want to slap the bitchy dresser. Hope Kate fares better than that.
Let’s pretend Kate works for a very conservative law firm. Would her employer be out of line for requesting she wear (or not wear) certain things while working? Because that’s what this is about.
Bluhare!
Look at you with your logic. People want Kate to dress like a teenager or very early 20’s in college. Not like a 32 year old mother and Duchess married to 2nd heir to the throne. A throne that could be in real trouble of not existing within ours or the next lifetime.
They want her to show skin and let her skirt fly up because the only other alternative is to dress dowdy and look like the Queen.
IMO Kate could benefit from a make up artist, dresser, and tailor. Someone who will tell her what is best for the occasion since she always seems uneducated and ill prepared for her events.
Thank you, FLORC. It really is pretty simple, isn’t it? No one’s saying she has to be Kate Stepford, but to dress as her company wants her to while on the job.
I guess Kate’s been doing it all herself, which on one hand is laudable that she wants to be hands on. On the other hand, if help is available why not take it? We should write her and tell her we’ll do it. We’d be good. 🙂
Bluhare
I would love that job if only to gaze at the closets and jewels:)
I have become quite good at applying make up and styling hair.
Even better, FLORC!! I stink at hair and makeup (you can do mine too), but I’m great at clothes. You might need to keep track of me in the jewelry vault, though.
@DianeP @Meredith:
Sophie is knocking on 50 and has ramped up her style A LOT these past few years while still being professional and appropriate. Can anyone say Sophie dresses like a grandmother? I wouldn’t and she’s old enough to be one.
I see this as modifying Kate’s style (her style not anyone else’s) so it’s both modern and professional. That’s actually what Angela Kelly did for HM in fact (not that long ago HM was quite dated herself and Angela changed that). It’s important for the longevity of the BRF to have everyone look appropriate , Kate included. However they are not trying to make her a carbon copy of Elizabeth II or Camilla.
Yes she is young, but just because she’s not 80+ doesn’t mean she should be dressing like a 22 year old college student.
If you’re a nurse, you wear scrubs.
If you’re a businessman, you wear suits.
If you’re a royal, you should not be wearing short skirts, thin fabrics and tight pants, end of discussion. She could attempt to have a little bit of class without dressing like a grandma. For starters, quit wearing thongs under your short dresses.
This brings to mind that Photo of Kate and William standing with tons of diplomats in a professional setting. All look lovely without looking old, dowdy, or whatever else words mean that. All except Kate who sticks out like a sore thumb with a high skirt. Not dressing like she’s meeting diplomats and representing her country, but as a 19year old ready to go out on the town.
And no poster here has posted a good defence for Kate. They’ve only stated that they want her to dress like that 19 year old and not as herr position demands. It’s a childish argument.
She looks great in more youthful styles, but she really does need to invest in some longer, weighted hemlines & more professional silhouettes. And I’m jealous as hell that she has access to all that shiny stuff
IF this is true, then this is why everybody (outside of Britain) hates the Royal Family! Finally, there is a normal girl in the family, who dresses like a woman her age could, and should, and repeats outfits (horrors), and they want to squash her and make her conform. They destroyed Diana with their rules. I hope Kate resists with her husband’s support, and just dresses as she pleases.
The Royal Family isn’t hated by everyone outside of Britain and I doubt they’re trying to destroy her. Most of the royal women wear their clothing repeatedly; they just work a heck of a lot more than Kate Middleton does so their clothing receives less attention. Sophie of Wessex is plenty “normal”, true middle class without the money the Middleton’s have, and she dresses stylishly and professionally.
KM can dress however she wants on her personal time, which is 99 % of her time. When she’s working (which is rarely), she can dress more professionally. Many folks have commented that if they wore skirts as short as Middleton’s to work, they’d be considered unprofessional. A little more attention to hemlines, weights, and dressing in general so the clothes don’t impede the work is all that is being asked.
Sigh, I really dislike generalization. My family and I are outside of Britain (although admittedly, still within the Commonwealth), and we are very much pro-royal, and pro-tradition. We love our Queen.
Diana, Sarah, Sophie, Anne, and even Elizabeth II herself have all repeated outfits.
All of them.
And when you join a business — there ARE dress codes. I have yet to work for someone who didn’t. The BRF isn’t any different.
Sandy
That’s a very loaded statement that is far from true.
Kate is a very pretty young woman but she needs to STOP WITH THE HEAVY BLACK EYELINER!!!!!
JUST STOP!!!!!!!
I think she dresses fine. She never looks like a tart.
But I cannot wait til she busts out the royal jewels and starts wearing them!
Finally! I was looking over some of Kate’s old outfits from tours and events and she really needs to step up her game. It’s not like she’s one of us folks! She doesn’t have to pour over internet sales or scrape together time to shop. And she has advisers and assistants doing most of the “work” for her (please, give me that job any day). She shouldn’t look like she pulled together something at the last minute from LK bennett. She should look regal, elegant, and professional (um, fly ups are unacceptable!). How many Marilyn moments is she going to have? I liked the way she looked at George’s Baptism, that was the best she’s looked in my opinion and she may have already been getting help by that point. Her attention seeking, misplaced intentions are written all over her bad outfits, makeup and that terrible tween hair (we get it, it’s thick!). I may sound harsh but Kate represents her monarchy, think about how she looks to royals in Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and throughout the world – she meets politicians and heads of state, she represents charities and hospices, where she meets people in their most desperate state. Crotch shots at events like this are terrible for the royal family’s image, she needs to look serious!! Couture and the “family jewels” is a good place to start. It’s not about snobbism, it’s about basic PR and professionalism.
Yes to more jewellery pron! IMO buying a £30 necklace isn’t actually thrifty if you can wear a diamond necklace for free.
Excellent point!
I like the way you think, Emily.
I can understand why the Queen doesn’t want a future queen to continue being the Royal flasher. I’m sure Kate was told from the start about putting weights in her hem, & I’m sure Kate was told repeatedly after every instance of flashing, like the yellow dress incident. But since she seems not to want to change & seems to think it’s sexy & attractive, I can understand why the Queen finally stepped in. She should have stepped in earlier, especially after the French photos, but oh well. I’m not saying Kate has to dress frumpy, because there are ways to dress attractively without flashing.
Oh Anne_000
Well said.
Here’s something to think about though.
William has protected Kate from “the men in grey” so no one there will get close to Kate enough to tell her she’s done something wrong. And Kate is often at her parents and not even near anyone royal. Also, not everyone will be in a position where they can tell Kate she did something wrong.
Kelley is one of the few people that can approach Kate and dictate what she can and cannot wear because she is in such high standings with the Queen.
And yes. You can be sexy and professional and follow all dress code rules. it’s not simply short skirts and tight pants or else you’re “frumpy”. That argument is so full of holes I can’t believe anyone feels it’s a real argument. Opinion, sure. Does that opinion apply to Kate who has strict rules to follow in relation to clothes and occasions? No.
END RANT
Hey FLORC, how do you really feel? 🙂
Agree about following the rules and still looking female. Kate could really work the sexy librarian look.
Sorry, what are weights?? To put weights??
There was an article in the DM a while back. Drapery weights. They’re fairly lightweight, sew into a hem, and help stop skirts from flying up in the wind.
It was really a step-by-step guide, wasn’t it? A member of the press calling her out and explaining how to address the problem.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2512135/How-Kate-Duchess-Cambridge-stop-Marilyn-moments.html
If we know about skirt weights, it begs the question, “Why doesn’t Kate Middleton know about skirt weights? Or does she know about them and continue to ignore the idea?”
As they say, once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, three times is a habit.
She’s got great legs so why shouldn’t she show them off? She’s barely in her 30’s so I’m not getting this “age-appropriate” silliness. She could benefit from some weights in the hemline, though, irregardless of skirt length. Long flowwy skirts can blow up and show the royal beav too!
All jobs have dress codes, either stated or unstated.
In her personal life she can wear what she wants.
I’ve never seen her in any dress or skirt that couldn’t be worn to the office. I think the whole thing is ridiculous.
She doesn’t work sitting down in an office.
She spends all her working time at events, for the most part moving around, bending over, picking up bouquets, talking to children, leaning over to shake hands. If she sits down, its not behind a desk, it’s out in the open, and her upper legs have to be decently covered.
She also spends a good portion of her time talking to people gathered outside various venues ( where it’s unpredictably windy).
Throughout she has to be prepared to be photographed from any angle, at any time.
Her clothing requirements are different from the typical office worker.
She’s on a stage not to show off her legs but to bring attention to causes. That’s what professionals do.
That may well be, but no matter what she wears, there will be comments on it, short, long or in between. People will still be talking about her clothes, so I’m not sure what your point is.
Yes. There will be comments on her clothes, but the palace is trying to change the conversation to how how sophisticated and elegant the future queen is, not how her cute short skirt has shown off her legs.
The point of her showing up at events is to bring attention to the charity or business. She needs to look good, but the conversation after she leaves shouldn’t be about her hem lengths.
As I typed on here a few weeks ago, if Kate Middleton showed up for work as much as the other royal ladies do, *eventually* the interest in the clothing would die down. Letizia of Spain dresses well but inexpensively and the focus is on her work, not her clothes.
We can agree to disagree. IMO, the bottom line here is that there will always be conversation on her choice of attire. Whether the conversation is about her hemline or how elegant she looks, it will still be about her appearance, so dropping her hemline still doesn’t generate the concentration on her charity, etc.
Maybe as My2Pence states, if we saw her out and about on Royal duties more, the obsession with what she’s wearing would decrease. But I think what she’s wearing, good or bad, will always be considered news by the press.
Cheers!
Yeah Kate! No more beav!
I don’t even like her and I pity her.
Someone end monarchy already…
I don’t like her heavy black eyeliner at all either.. and I think yeah, her fashion could be updated for more age appropriate looks. But damn, she is so skinny!!
“…and also to prevent any wardrobe malfunctions – such as that at Calgary airport in Canada in 2011 when a gust of wind caught the skirt of the Duchess’s short yellow dress and flashed her underwear to the world.”
Ha! Have you seen the photographs? She wasn’t wearing any underwear with that yellow dress on a very windy day. Kate’s bum was on display several times that day as her skirt was blown directly upwards – she was too busy holding it down in front to worry about the back!
A lighter haircut, less eyeliner, classic a-line skirts… plenty of ways to rock a look without being stuffy.
I believe Kate’s wardrobe could stand a higher e end upgrade without it seeming as if her own personal style were being steamrolled by the palace. But for the most part I find it condescending and patriarchal to put this out in the press. I now assume that WillKat news items are crafted by Charles’ team and as such I find this story to be in poor taste. They could have just worked quietly behind the scenes to prepare Kate’s wardrobe and accessories for the upcoming round of state visits and just let everyone be surprised and pleased by the results.
But by emphasizing the hijacking of Kate’s public image Charles is doing the one thing he is supposedly irritated by: focusing too much on Kate’s hair and clothes. These royals can not stay on message no matter how hard they try.
Anyone who has ever read my comments here knows I’m hardly a Kate apologist, but I really wish this story hadn’t been published. It’s just embarrassing for everyone. It makes the queen look grumpy and Kate look like an idiot who can’t dress herself. The new press office should be working to contain this type of press, or actively putting out something of substance so that the Mail doesn’t have to resort to writing this drivel.
That said, *if* any of this story is remotely true and not just fanfic filler by the Fail, I welcome seeing some really good jewelry and couture outfits on Kate. I think it would really elevate her appearance. And hey, they have the jewelry at least, she may as well wear it.
.
True on all counts. And the queen is not fond of intefering with the lives of her family. She seems genuinely quite fond and proud of them all so if the palace put this out I believe they will be surprised at the general reaction. One can approve of an idea without approving of its execution. The added risk is that if Kate’s new look fails to delight/capture the delight of the critical public then Chuck, Liz and Angie will look like wardrobe bullies and Kate will get a total pass.
But I do believe Ms. kelly is up to the task. Just because she dresses an octogenarian for a living is no reason to discount her knowledge, skilks and experience. Its not as if Kate will go to Australia dressed like betty White with a borrowed Corgie in her purse.
Ha, you made me laugh. And I would donate the corgi for the purse!
@Snark @ Suze:
While I understand how and why this was ‘put out there’ I agree that it could have been worded to sound better. I’m not sure this was not just the DM’s way of spinning this to get more sales (a distinct possibility) or is this Charles really tightening the reigns. I’m not sure which (it really stinks of Charles though).
No matter what, this looks bad. You’ll have anti-monarchists, anti-Cambridge-ists and anti-Wales-ists people all spinning this to their advantage. None helps the BRF overall image.
Hopefully this was just edited in such a way to create sales for the DM.
*crosses fingers*
(Very odd comments from me as I’ve wanted Kate to look more professional for some time now. I’m just not a big fan of publicly shaming Kate to do it.)
^ this. Kate truly needs a style/publuc overhaul but this is hardly the way to go about it. Not as a future monarch and even less as a father-in-law. And Charles is nothing if not a loving father so more’s the pity that this comes across as heavy-handed and stifling. He is treading such a fine line at this point. All it will take is one pap shot of Kate or maybe (soon) Cressy weeping in the back of a Bentley for the tear soaked Dianaesque headlines to come back with a vengeance. Then what can Chuck and Cam do to fix that?
Maybe being privately shamed wasn’t working?
Blu
But that is only if there *was* private shaming. We just don’t know. And that is the million dollar question for me. If no one ever bothered to tell Kate to up her style game in private it is all the more inappropriate to do so in the media. And if the royal advisors have been talking to Kate in private then it seems desperate and imprudent to try to shade her publicly to get results. Either way I instinctively bristle when authority figures try to bring females in line. Just my own idiosyncrasy, clearly, I will admit that lol. But I just believe this could have been handled with more discretion and decorum, especially since Chuck pays for WillKat’s wardrobe anyway.
Agree, Dame Snark. I assume she has been talked to, and then that article was published. If she hasn’t, it was just plain rude to do it this way.
Ita and people will start to believe that Charles is spiteful and petty, which he isn’t. Kate is malleable, more so than Wills, and if Charles can tap into that and harness the potential of her youth/high profile to further the goodwill of the monarchy it is a win/win for all concerned. He has yet to find the right tone so far.
‘Malleable, harness her potential for the good of the institution?’…that’s just wrong, plain and simple. She deserves the dignity of her own value, as a being alone . Sounds to me like someone just wants to use her…and Charles has done this with a young and beautiful woman before.
Anonymous
Nothing Machiavellan here, I’m afraid. I believe that Charles, who has spent many years working to reconcile his fortunate lot in life to his sense of duty/humanity, could be a powerful influence and good example for our vapid little duchess far more so, I think, than her own husband – a husband who loves her, I feel, but does not value yer, does not encourage her to grow in capability, educate herself about the human condition or find her place in the sun (beyond a cabana in Mustique). I believe that Charles could give Kate the kind of civic tutelage that would be cathartic for him, most certainly benefit the longevity of the monarchy, empower countless philanthropic fronts and enrich Kate in a way that deeper and more altruistic than what we have seen of her so far. That is called a win/win.
@anonymous
I don’t read it as such a terrible thing. Don’t the rest of us working stiffs have managers who harness our potential for the good of our institutions? The only difference is our potential is usually in our skills, and not based on how we look and dress.
Up to this point, Kate’s skills have been that people are interested in how she looks when she shows up for an event. So the firm (the royal family) uses that to garner interest in and publicity for what they are doing.
As she learns the job, she can add to her toolbox such skills as public speaking and specific knowledge of the charities she supports – or so everyone hopes.
Think of Charles as the operating manager of the royal family and Kate as one of his employees. Think of him as a corporate mentor. Kate signed up for this job, and it is a job, willingly. She needs to do it as best as she can.
I don’t see this as the story of a poor persecuted young woman who is being forced to wear old lady clothes. Kate just needs to project the royal image of the firm consistently (she is just haphazard now, but not terrible.)
I think some of us on this thread are looking at Kate’s public appearances as part of her job as a cog in the wheel of a large firm, and some people think of them as a chance to look at pretty clothes and a lovely young woman.
Dame, I’m still on the fence about where this story came from. It was published the day after the Mustique trip leaked. KM was harshly criticized in the comments on the DM for Mustique. Then the next day, this article is published and people tripped over themselves to defend how KM dresses and bash HM for trying to change her. That makes me lean more towards this story being a leak from Camp Middleton, especially since it came from the usual suspect (Nicholl).
Now another story is out there that Kate and her mother are doing all of the prep themselves, choosing and photographing all outfits for every event, etc. Is that the Midds leaking to counter this “because the Queen said so” article and asserting KM’s independence or implying that nobody at the Palace is offering any help? Or is it the Palace using plausible deniability so they cannot be blamed if the clothes are a disaster on the Australia trip?
I wonder if we’ll ever know which one (if either of these) is what’s really going on. If nothing else, we can hope the new consolidated press office does a better job than what we’re seeing now.
And in the middle of this, a member of the royal family FINALLY went to visit areas decimated by the floods (Charles), and no one is reporting on it.
Pence
I believe you may be on to something with this possible new cross story. If Nichols saw which way public sentiment has gone over Garment Gate so far it makes sense for her to ride the momentum. Rather, I should say it is not beneath her. I am not a fan of Ms Nichols and suspect she is a double agent/media mercenary.
The Middletons should have left this one alone. The police are only ihterested in whomever left the last set of fingerprints on the smoking gun lol. If the new wardrobe failed pitifully in Australia Kate’s camp could have pouted and side-eyed Charles. But if your hunch is correct and the new Middleton comandeered look fails then Kate will look headstrong and ungovernable. I truly love rich people’s problems! Keep us posted, Pence:)
I also think that if Charles removed the weights from the hems of his kilts then he would get more press coverage too 😉
Actually, the BBC and Sky both had live, rolling coverage of Charles’s visit to the floods. For literally hours. When he spoke, he said some things that could be seen as political and so now what he said is all over rolling news and current affairs morning shows. Perhaps more to do with the floods being one of the two or three big national stories at the moment than with Charles himself, but don’t think it’s not getting traction because it is.
The party is OVER for Kate now. This will be the beginning of her feeling stifled and the life sucked out of her by being a Royal. She thought she could be herself and now the law is coming down.. We will soon catch glimpses of her slipping into depression, now that she’s had a son she must realize her life and her children are no longer hers they belong to the monarch. This is sad.
You guys are nuts. She’s the wife of Prince Williams first. She’s not an employee. And this girl who is a commoner by royal standards is going to feel pressured in a few years.. She may not want to wear jewelry and wear his grandmothers tiaras it looks absurd in 2014. Apparently even Diana got fed up with being dictated by the Queen on what to do .. What the public loves about Kate is she is her own person but these lower your hemlines will be a slow source of contention especially when she sees Will backing The Queen over her personal choice.
Sadly, +1
I just don’t see Kate as one of the world’s persecuted.
She is an employee of the royal family. And she knew that going in. She is no more stifled than any employee of any other institution who is told what is appropriate to wear during working hours.
Kate has a lot of free time where she can do her own thing, wear what she wants.
@ Suze, I agree. She is not a persecuted, poor woman who has no choices in this world. She is a 32-year-old woman, not an insecure 19-year-old. She chose to marry this man after a 10 year relationship, and with that marriage comes a public role. Both of them need to show up, act appropriately, and in return they receive a 1% existence for it.
If she returned all of the houses, clothes, security, and William’s inheritance (Duchy money still tracks to the people) that come with the role, she is welcome to be a stay-at-home mother in Berkshire and never work outside the home again.
Otherwise, they are BOTH employees of the British people. She is not a precious and unique Snowflake; this is the same situation all the other married-in spouses of (reigning) royals face, and for the most part they’ve all stepped up to the plate and done a good job. You cannot convince me that Kate Middleton’s existence is more difficult than Letizia’s in Spain, but excuse after excuse keeps being made for KM.
Again. the majority of the troubles Diana experienced were related to 1) issues from her unhappy childhood and 2) her abysmal marriage. If, as some think, Kate Middleton comes from a loving family and has a loving marriage, why on earth is she perceived as incapable of smiling and shaking hands a few hours a day?
@ Dalovelee. We’re not nuts, we’re expressing our opinions. Please try to refrain from attacking your fellow posters. And clearly, not all members of the public love Kate Middleton; generalizations aren’t going to fly here.
KM accepted her mother-in-law’s engagement ring, while many people think it was inappropriate of William to use that symbol of a miserable marriage. If she and Bill have a loving and supportive relationship, surely she could have requested a different ring if she didn’t want to wear his mother’s jewels.
And really, you might be starting a big fight on here if you think historic jewelry and tiaras are “absurd” 🙂
Nuts? The employer/employee thing was brought out as an example to get others to understand my point of view. And I think it’s good one.
This is not on topic but I thought this is an interesting article. Apparently they won’t take legal action on Hello’s photos of Kate and George. But since the Palace complained about pictures of William looking grumpy while exiting the train, the press are starting to notice a mixed message being sent out by KP.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/kate-middleton-prince-george-royals-3109979#.UvIFq_ldWSo
I read the article differently. I think Kate’s styling up to this point has been entirely supported by the team around her. High street clothes keep her image accessible and down to earth. “Kate’s just like us.” “Her position hasn’t gone to her head.” “She’s so likeable, so real.” I think that’s a big part of it. They’ve had to transition her into the firm. Now, it’s all about slowly transitioning Kate’s image into something much more REGAL. That means beautiful, expensive gowns, suits & rare, elaborate jewels. The Australia trip is the opportunity to do this. I think they’re preparing the way for that, laying the foundation for it. I thought to write an article stressing this change of image is by order of the Queen and stressing that Kate will be representing her was a PERFECT way to prepare people for a change of image they otherwise might object to. It’s shows sensitivity to the economic climate and to any possible existing criticism of Kate’s perceived lack of work ethic. Brilliant move.
’bout friggin time.