I genuinely did not believe Duchess Kate’s Jenny Packham gown at the Spectre premiere was all that bad. The worst I can say about it is that it was boring, almost repetitive. I would take a thousand of those boring Jenny Packham gowns instead of this £2,660 Erdem!!! These photos are of Kate at the 100 Women in Hedge Funds Gala dinner last night in London. Last year, Prince Harry did this event and he was a big hit. This year, Kate got to do the gala solo, and the event raised money for one of her patronages, The Art Room.
Just know that in the thumbnails, I didn’t think it was going to be THIS bad. Imagine if the skirt was straight. Imagine if it didn’t look like an oversized dust ruffle on an ugly-ass couch from the 1980s. I mean… in that scenario, it still would have been an ugly dress, but it wouldn’t have been THE WORST. Like, this is the worst thing she’s worn all year, I think. The print simply doesn’t suit her and the effect is garish. The tier on the skirt is totally stupid and it looks awful. Plus, the way she styled the gown has not helped at all. A navy Anya Hindmarch clutch that clashes with the print and black closed-toe shoes? With her hair down, and weave blown out, with Farrah Fawcett bangs? For the love of all that is holy, Kate!
I’ve never been one of those “she needs to fire her stylist” people, but I might be at that point now. Kate is – I believe? – still being styled by Natasha Archer, her personal assistant-turned-stylist. I wanted to believe Archer was good at taking Kate out of her twee school-girl miniskirts and dowdy doily dresses, but at this point, let’s just give everyone on Kate’s styling team the old heave-ho. Get some new people in there, real professionals this time. Get the British version of Rachel Zoe. Get the celebrity hairstylists and makeup artists known for doing the red carpet looks for people like Rachel Weisz, Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan.
Other style notes: Kate’s diamond bracelet is believed to be “a wedding present from Prince Charles.” She’s also wearing diamond and sapphire earrings (which you cannot see because of the wiglet) that once belonged to the Queen Mother.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.
That is one butt-ugly dress.
What in the Charlie Angel’s hell is this? She looks so dated, from head to toe.
The dust ruffle is what really destroys the dress.
Little House n the Prairie ruffle.
That dress is full of personal demons. The dust ruffle is just the nail in the proverbial coffin.
Agreed Nutballs. My internet is a little slow today, so the picture loaded slowly, top down. When it started to load, I though, well that’s not bad. I actually like the print. It’s different for her. And the rest of it loaded. Sweet lord. That 80’s ruffle…
^^This.
I started scrolling and was “it’s not THAT bad” and then, holy crap, I just about fell off the chair. What in the name of all that is holy is that thing? Kill it with fire.
Rachel. it’s what the Fug girls call a scrolldown fug.
The only nice thing I can say about it is that the colors are lovely.
It reminds me of the Golden Girls!
No! No one on the Golden Girls would be caught dead or drunk in that hot mess!
@Rachel: same thing happened to me, from the knees up the dress didn’t seem too tragic but once the dust ruffle loads it’s like “WTF?!” It wouldn’t look too bad if someone had chopped off that stinking ruffle.
Yeah she needs to Jamie Lee Curtis in True Lies this dress. Then it wouldn’t be so bad. Shame we can’t see the earrings.
I think this dress could be salvaged if the ruffle is removed. I’m not really into the print or color combination and I don’t care for the shoes or clutch bag with it, but as a shorter dress she could wear it again and it might be OK if she styled it better.
LOL! I think I sewed that dress in Grade 8 Home-Ec class using a Simplicity pattern. With similar fabric. In 1978. What is she thinking? And the hair is making me stabby!!!!
^The perfect description – a Home-Ec creation.
JAN!! ME, TOO!
Seriously, I was just going to post this. And within a year or two of your date. Heh.
I bet you at least made a sincere effort to match the fabric pattern at each seam, too. I don’t get couture—and bespoke items especially—that don’t do this.
A dust-ruffle with a dress attached. I don’t think that anyone would look good in this dress! I really don’t understand or like Erdem’s designs. They are, IMO, almost always ugly and unflattering.
I don’t really care for Jenny Packham either – mostly because I find her frocks all look alike and they are often too low-cut or with too high slits. However, at least they are somewhat pretty.
The art deco earrings are gorgeous. Too bad that they are obscured by that massive hair that looks like it one day will eat the poor duchess and simply leave an empty wiglet behind. *Maybe that’s the reason for her skeletal frame – the hair is sucking all the life out of her ;-)*
High jewellery needs to be showcased properly – i.e. earrings, especially long, dangly ones require an up-do. This is one of my biggest peeves with Kate. She doesn’t know how to showcase the statement jewellery. Granted, she doesn’t wear serious jewellery very often but she ALWAYS gets it wrong.
I don’t understand how a person without basic idea of composition amd harmony can become not only a designer but a celebrity designer on top of it. This person is not a designer. And none of those creations have ever shown anything innovative or trend setting. Zero imagination, zero concept.
The world of fashion moves in mysterious ways. I do think that she is constrained by the expectation that she ought to wear mainly British design as many of the designers that create more sophisticated and elegant fashion are based in Paris and other parts of the world. They are also exorbitantly expensive, which wouldn’t help her spendthrift image.
If I had the money, I’d wear a lot of Ulyana Sergeenko. Many of her designs are elegant, feminine and slightly retro. I also really like Ralph & Russo for a more formal look. I love Stephane Rolland and though his catwalk creations are quite flamboyant he does make wonderful custom pieces. Sheika Mozha has worn some lovely things by him.
I think the best option would be to have a personal tailor like Queen Margrethe. Then the clothes would be well-fitted and probably less expensive. Then hire a stylist to help with the accessorizing so she wouldn’t have to buy so much clothes all the time.
The problem with her wardrobe is that she doesn’t have much in terms of basic items that can be mixed and matched as well as spiffed up with different accessories. Instead she has a lot of coatdresses, dresses and hats. If she doesn’t like wearing trouser suits then she needs to embrace the skirt and the blazer. Then she’d be able to mix and match as well as accessorize to alter the looks without too much expense.
She needs some hardcore princess style lessons, maybe a bootcamp with Princess Mary of Denmark stat. She looks the schizz every time she is in public. Also brunette, very slim but so much more elegant than good old Kate.
Or CP Mary’s stylist.
I like it. I often like big, bold patterns in a formal gown as long as everything else is simple. This would have been so much better if her hair had been up.
I don’t believe that she picked this. This was forced on her for sure.
Maybe she lost a bet.
On a nice note, the two ladies with her look very well put together, and occasion appropriate. Maybe she could hire one of them to show her how it is done. Well played ladies!
I was going to say the same. The non royals without any stylist help look a thousand times better next to her and the couch cover she is wearing.
That bottom dust ruffle is a cry for help. A silent telegram. It’s the fashion equivalent of a desperate note written on a seedy gas station bathroom mirror in lipstick.
I dont know the “cool way” to say: YOU MADE MY WINE COME OUT OF MY NOSE! while i was laughing!
I need to go read RoyalDish…They will say William forced her into this because he wants to humiliate her before he leaves her and snatches the children out of her and Ma Middleton’s hands. Yes, Royal Dish is really this ridiculous and entertaining.
You should check out the Fug Girls while you are at it. The tide is turning on Kate and Wills, even over there, no matter how much the hosts defend them. At least 30 people commented on her lack of work ethic, one woman said it’s nice to see the Daily Mail commenters show up, another woman said that she doesn’t understand why commenters act like Kate is their personal friend and insult people on the site while defending a complete stranger, another woman said, “No, don’t talk badly about Kate, I don’t come here for this,” and a British taxpayer said that if people can say what a great Ambassador she is, then others should be able to say that she’s not. Especially if they are British, as she is, and pays taxes for the Uselessnesses. That shut everyone up!!
I’m amazed that the mood has gotten critical even over there.
She looks frumpy and haggard. And the hair is so old fashioned, and weighs her down. I’m usually a fan, but that’s a miss.
I see haggard, too. Her skin doesn’t look healthy. That permanent black eyeliner just adds to the hardness.
Oddly, I don’t hate the dress. The top part actually looks kinda good. But that hair is insane!
She really does need to back off the heavy eyeliner, as people have said for years. It really does her no favors.
GotR, I’m sure I’ll get slammed for it here, but I’m convinced its tattooed on. People insist it’s not yet I have yet to see a single photo where she’s not wearing it.
You’re certainly entitled to your opinion, but I disagree. The eyeliner has varied in color, thickness, and application. Sometimes she wears it in the waterline, sometimes she wears it very thickly under the lashes. She just really, really likes her eyeliner is all.
I think it was originally a short dress. As a cocktail dress, it’s lovely.
The added tier makes it long. It also makes it out of proportion and overwhelming.
Mrs. WM, I thought the same thing that it must have been Kate’s idea to add the ruffle. But last night, Kate’s exact dress was on erdem.com. It’s gone this morning (sold out I assume) but they still have a similar style long dress with ruffle in a different color palette plus a knee length dress in the exact fabric as Kate’s.
GotR, I don’t disagree that it’s varied. I think it’s permanently under her lash line and she enhances it with more. Agree to disagree, I guess. 🙂
I think if you cut off the ruffle and added a stiff petticoat underneath, either straight netting or maybe edged in (don’t kill me) lace in perhaps that blue shade, with a little bit peeking out, and had that shade blue or maybe burgundy EVENING shoes, you’d have had a totally different look that might have been close to awesome.
MTE. That 70s dress goes perfectly with her Charlie’s Angels hair.
She looks like she dressed for a 1970s themed Halloween party, particularly in the photo with the two more appropriately styled women.
Stylist or not, how could she think this looked good? The ruffle looks like a last minute addition.
Charlie ‘ s Angels had real hair, not extensions.
Kate’s hair looks ridiculous. She is grinning like a chesire cat, wearing an expensive tablecloth patterned dress.
Is someone trying to sabotage Kate?
Bettyrose, after reading your comment it makes me think that perhaps she is trying to out Sofia, Princess Sofia. Many people have commented that Sofia gives a ’70’s model look………………………………….perhaps this is Kate’s, rather poor, attempt at copying perhaps…………..???
Bluhare – I can see that too. That would have been good.
She’s really giving off a down-market vibe as of late.
I find myself growing more and more tired of her, and the hype that surrounds her constantly, but I’m still down with the jewelry p0rn!
If you love jewels then you need to start Queen Maxima – she has a huge vault to play with and she plays often and with good results. And the Dutch royal jewels are drool-worthy and, IMO, better than the British ones. They also have a lot of tiaras that she rotates. Some haven’t been seen in decades before she became queen.
However, one of my favorite Dutch tiaras is a quite simple bandea.”Simple”, if you discount the ginormous diamonds!
http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.dk/2011/09/tiara-thursday-rose-cut-diamond-bandeau.html
ArtHistorian, you are a genius to find this site, I was drooling reading it, and who knew froof was a word, it is my new favourite. This tiara would be Numero Uno on my list of desert island tiaras, and similarly to the writer, I would wear it while raking the sand around my hut. Huge diamonds and platinum, what more is required. That is if it could be wrested from the “Magpie Princess”. LOL. These sites are a source of endless fascination and amusement to me. Thank you from a wannabe Magpie.
@Arthistorian–love the name, art history was my college major—that site is swoon-worthy. So many pretty jewels! I read a bunch of the tiara posts the other day. Imagine being able to borrow from royal collections like that? I can’t even hate on Sophie’s wedding tiara, since it is supposedly from Queen Victoria’s collection. I think part of the thrill would be wearing such unique pieces with that kind of history and knowing they’d been part of other peoples’ lives.
@Arthistorian, Queen Maxima and her tiaras and hats are fabulous. The post about her outfits for various royal weddings makes me smile because it’s obvious that she has so much personality and humor. She puts on a good show.
http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/2013/10/flashback-friday-maxima-at-royal.html
LizzyFizzy,
Maxima – everything Kate wishes she could be but never will because she doesn’t like to work and doesn’t seem to have empathy for others.
I have a huge girl crush on Queen Maxima. She’s a very charismatic woman and from what I’ve read a very warm and caring person. It always looks like she brings the party with her in photos. For that reason she reminds me of a good friend of mine with whom everything is just so much more fun.
That fact that she takes a maximist and daring approach to fashion and jewels just thrills me. Though I have to say Maxima veers between absolutely fabulous and “what-was-she-thinking”. However, she’s never dull and when she gets it right, she really gets it right. Plus, Maxima knows how to wear a big hat. I absolutely abhor fascinators.
Personally, I like CP Mary’s style the best since it is very close to what I would wear myself. However, I would also say that Mary’s style is quite “Danish” (I really can’t find a better way to explain it).
LizzyFizzy,
Yeah for another art historian! I’m getting heartily sick of comments about art history being the Mrs. degree, which is an argument that often pops up on threads about Kate. I am also a jewellery connoisseur and wrote my BA dissertation on the French art nouveau jewellery René Lalique.
I hope Maxima is going to be okay soon. She had to be flown home early from the Chinese State visit and is currently in hospital with dual kidney infections. Her fun gown at the State visit involved a famous Dutch painting.
I love Maxima. She is one of those people who just has “it”, whatever “it” is.
Why I love her #1: http://www.redcarpet-fashionawards.com/2014/06/16/best-dressed-week-queen-maxima-netherlands-jan-taminiau-couture-kiernan-shipka-mary-katrantzou-robert-pattinson-alexander-mcqueen/
#2: http://www.beautyalchemist.com/2013/05/the-netherlands-coronation-and-queen.html The second image — the profile shot
#3: http://us.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2014072320088/queen-maxima-king-willem-alexander-ceremony-victims-malaysia-airlines/
@arthistorian, I don’t understand why art history is so routinely slammed? Even the President makes cracks about the degree, which is demoralizing. I double majored in history and art history and no one disrespects my history degree in quite the same way. Ironically, I always tell people that the art history degree (in a small dept. that taught very traditionally) was the more difficult of the two, because it required such a cross-section of knowledge for each piece of art and was so wide-ranging. I don’t think people understand that students have to be able to memorize information, re: the politics, the history, the religious/ classical/mythological/ literary influences (if any), the artist, the technique, the materials, just for one work and that exams aren’t ‘fluff’–you have definite correct answers. You can’t ‘pad’ your essays in art history, either, at least not in my experience. I feel like I had a very substantive classical education in those classes, which is why I’m perplexed that conservatives knock art history all the time.
I love perfumes and perfume history, so I’ve seen some photos of Lalique perfume bottles–so gorgeous. I’ll bet the jewelry is even more stunning. Queen Maxima looks like the kind of person who could wear a real bombshell perfume, like a Guerlain or a Caron.
I find it downright disrespectful the way how people who know nothing about the field dismiss art history as a lightweight field of study. I actully got marked down in an exam once because I didn’t know 4th century Greek!
As you point out, you really neeed to well versed in a lot of different subjects. That is one of the reasons why I love art history – I have drawn on history, theology, anthropology, egyptology, philosophy, etc. for a lot of my work. You also need to quite well versed in German and French. Preferably Italian too if you work with renaissance and/or baroque art. Plus, since the theoretical turn in the 90s you have to understand and apply some rather difficult theory. Though Barthes, Foucault and the semioticians aren’t that difficult, reading Hegel, Heidegger and Lacan is like pulling teeth.
Lalique was probably the most innovative and visionary jeweller of his time (around 1900). Many of his most sculptural pieces have never been worn but was bought directly by the Armenian oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian for hus private collection. It is now public and can be seen in Lisbon. You can also see some exquisite pieces in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.
https://www.pinterest.com/trinepaulsen33/jewellery-rene-lalique/
Those Lalique pieces are beautiful and so different from anything being done today. Wow. Even his use of shape/space seems different to me–the squareness of the panel brooches and the organic shapes of the pendants and brooches with flower stems and insects. That Hawthorne piece with the artificial ivory and diamonds is so pretty. Thank you for sharing! I could look at jewelry for ages.
I’m so happy it wasn’t just me. It is just a fugly dress and needs to be burnt. It looks cheap and tacky. Makes you miss boring Kate.
I don’t mind the dress. She went to the charity event, didn’t flash anyone and wasn’t showing off her thin rail back to encourage anorexia in young women. Two thumbs up from me.
“encourage anorexia in young women” ??? c’mon that’s a little to harsh there, the woman is clearly tall and lean as a lot of other people are, but she is not “encouraging” anorexia!!! that’s a horrible accusation…
MadMenLuv, it is discussed multiple places that she is not carrying a healthy amount of weight on her medium-to-large-boned frame. Her natural weight is at least 15 pounds heavier than she is now.
She has gone through several large weight loss cycles, usually tied to trying to get William’s attention. Her large weight loss prior to the wedding (her quote “It is all part of the plan”) was used as thinspiration on pro-Ana sites.
Don’t know if some of you realize this but it is possible to be thin without even trying. My husband is actually just below the minimum recommended BMI. He eats good meals but does not eat in between, is active and fidgets a lot. He wishes he weighed more. It is also possible to feel so nervous or to have anxiety that you cannot eat no matter how much you want to. This happened to me when I was about 20 and only weighed 7 stone.
One of the British press’s most hardline women’s columnists, Amanda Patell of the Daily Mail, came out today in favour of Kate and told all the internet trolls to leave Kate alone and frankly I am inclined to agree with her. As Platell says Kate has not put a foot wrong since her marriage to William. I actually think she almost always looks beautiful but remember she is not an actress but a royal princess. In the great scheme of things, as long as she is neat and clean what does it matter what she is wearing ? A dress is not going to change the world and if you don’t like her don’t look her up.
@Carolind, Amanda Platell is being passive-aggressive. She’s just gathering together all the complaints against Kate.
Platell is playing another PR game, as per the posts below.
KM has put multiple feet wrong, many times, since the engagement. It is really simple. Stop shopping. Stop hiding behind the children. Work a few hundred engagements a year. Her job is not difficult, but they’ll use anything they can as an excuse to run away on vacation to Mustique next month.
@nota – thanks for your comment and you are absolutely right. i’ve read comments here and elsewhere how she is essentially hero-worshipped on pro-ana sites. and to the poster who talked about being effortlessly/naturally very lean, that’s not kate — as you pointed out @nota, she has dieted down from her natural weight (which was not heavy btw). how she looks now is based on extreme, unhealthy dieting & overdoing it with the exercise.
Carolind, Kate has not put a foot wrong? Platell’s article was largely sarcasm and irony. You need to check your facts before posting — perhaps visit the Royal Dish site, where Kate’s many, many blunders are well documented. She’s awkward at her charity visits because she does so few, and has been known to say ridiculous things out of sheer nervousness. She can’t give a three-minute speech for the life of her. And we’ve been privy to almost all of her naked body, over and over (including deep into her throat because of all the maniacal grinning and laughing). The last word I’d ever use to describe this woman would be “dignified.”
Royal Dish is certainly worth a visit if you aren’t into sugar – some posters from there also post here (Hi Vava & Savage Grace!) and for the most part, they are straight shooters and quite humourous too at times.
Seriously, her reputation in my book took a nosedive after the full nudie expose. I couldn’t believe they would be so obtuse as to skip out on the Paraolympics and go on vacation, and then for her to actually be stupid enough to get papped completely naked on a balcony of all places, with all the private areas in all the private villas in all of their private sheltered little royal world…wow, that kind of said all I needed to know about her.
I get why she likes the dress. The dust ruffle bottom makes her midsection look even more petite. But still, fug dress is fug dress.
Her hair looks like it has a whole shelf in the side top crossing over the back, where a piece is added. JMO.
Hey everyone did you get the MEMO from the DAILY MAIL That we should ALL LEAVE KATE ALONE! The author of the article admits to reading social media comments and she’s tired of Kate being ripped to shreds….
It’s in the Daily Mail today, by Amanda Platell. Leave Kate Alone!
For pity’s sake leave Kate alone, says AMANDA PLATELL http://dailym.ai/1if7rAb via @.Femail
(going to go his head in shame….NOT)
Clearly her PR people read the comments too, because the article about this gala actually had information about this charity, not only her dress! I may be wrong, but the DM maybe changed the article about her charity visit in the gray dress to include more information about the purpose of the visit as well, because originally most popular comments were about the lack of such information vs the hundreds of pictures of her attire.
And yes, the dress and hair is bad, they wasted quite a lot of nice patterned cloth to create such a monstrosity.
I read the “memo” and thought it was ridiculous, considering the source. The DM is notorious for its articles that either encourage readers to ridicule or defend the BRF, especially Katie.
The author says that Carole should volley a question to Kate’s detractors by asking them if they could do a better job with the hardest job on earth. Plenty of women here have already answered that call over the time Kate has been Dolittling. The author then compares Diana and Kate’s work ethic – Diana worked 170 engagements in her first year, while Kate worked 34 – and Diana worked 397 royal duties in 1991 and was tireless behind the scenes for homelessness and AIDS, while Kate worked 25 in 2015 and 9 since Charlotte’s birth. The author then concludes that this “hard work” caused Diana to burn out, have bulimia and be emotionally unstable. Diana was known to have said that it was her work that saved her – that her issue was in her one-way marriage to Charles. To add more Diana drama to Kate’s plate, the author mentions the trouble that Diana faced with sycophantic courtiers, dysfunctional relatives and living 24/7 in a fishbowl. It seems to me she really should be trolling the royal family for this, rather than those who complain about Kate’s game. In short, if Kate believes that she must appear thinner, (which the author says is her main gripe), I would say that seems to be* Kate’s issue* – we are merely noticing.
I would not like to pay for the crown, but it is Waities job to give her public their money’s worth. The Queen had to put a ban on her short skirts, and I’m sure that the palace could continue give Kate better advice than her mother, when it comes to her public duties. I believe that Carole is behind Kate’s lack of work, as she also supports Williams’s tantrums.
I take that article for the PR it’s intended to be. A fortnight ago, the Cambridges had a private meeting with select journalists at which they brought out the big guns ie their children.
Since then, previously critical journalists, Amanda being one of them, have written sugary, positive articles in defence of the Cambridges.
I guess having the chance to gaze at the hidden ones is enough to make journalists toe the line.
Yet, I can’t help thinking that once again Amanda is trolling the Cambridges. Remember her faux apology to Kate whilst pointing out all the ways she thought Kate was useless?? And letting the world know that William had asked her to write only positive articles about Kate??
I feel this is very much in the same vein. On the one hand she is saying people should back off, yet she is confirming in print everything that has merely been speculation.
And her faux rallying cry for Kate is rendered meaningless when she can’t help making a dig at Fergie or VB for exactly the same reasons.
Well said LAK.
+1
Yes, even Richard Palmer is now referring to her as future queen. One secret meeting in the same room with Diana’s grandchildren (that’s the draw, not that they’re W&K’s kids) and the free press turns into PR hacks.
I find it interesting that Platell, inputs Carole into the article to help Kate fight her battle. Is Kate that weak?
take away quote from the memo..Every time she leaves her home, computer keyboards across the globe tap in unison, critically dissecting her 33-year-old woman’s body.
first thing I thought of was all the new comments on CB articles about her and wondering if #poorjason is behind them?
Diana was bulimic BEFORE her marriage to Charles. When living at Clarence House before the wedding she used to eat huge packets of frosties in one sitting. She had to confess when Clarence House staff were accused of theft the frosties were disappearing at such a rate. I was at Wimbledon near the royal box three weeks before her wedding to Charles and saw her eating sweets one after the other the entire afternoon.
Her own father said before the wedding she was too mentally unstable to marry into the BRF.
The majority of the people in Britain got Diana’s measure before she died. She was beautiful and charismatic but not what she appeared to be. I know of at least three married men she went after – Will Darling, Gary Linneker and Oliver Hoare.
Takeaway from the memo. People who will never meet her, and who most likely aren’t represented by her, take to the internet to praise her endlessly for her shopping, her spray tan addiction, and her endless vanity (hair extensions, veneers, plastic surgery, weight loss).
She is a representative, paid heavily in houses and shopping budgets. The job is simple. Show up to more than movie premieres, be interested in other people, try to pay back a small portion of your entitled lifestyle.
She looks like she has 50 pounds of hair my gosh, and yes she does look really haggard,rapidly aging, she must be stressed a lot.
I’m getting really angry about her hair. Enough.
I think she took the word “Hedge” too literally, as in wear one around your knees. Other than the beyond hideous ruffle, I don’t think the dress is that bad. I like prints. But the ruffle completely ruins it.
Her jewelry act is disappointing. Why does really fine jewelry just fade on her? Obviously, earrings are invisible because of the Farrah Fawcett doo, but whenever she wears big jewelry, except for the tiara on her wedding day, it just overwhelms her. I can’t figure out why. Is her face too “cute” and not regal enough? Is she too delicate for big jewelry? There’s just something unconvincing about it.
The dress wouldn’t be SO bad without the ruffle at the bottom. Yes, the print is garish, but the top is modest, fitted, and the high waistline elongates her short legs. It would have been passable without the tier.
That hair, though. There is no excuse for someone who lives in the salon and has any number of stylists at her disposal to step out with shitty hair day after day. It’s now bigger than her head and that damn wing! I just can’t.
No excuse. There is nothing attractive about it. She has lost perspective.
Exactly, Goats, that ruffle is just so Little-House-on-the-Prairie! I honestly think that although the dress is awful anyway, without that giant flounce it would have just been frumpy. The flounce brings it over the line into seriously high camp territory. And although the previous dress we discussed was a bit drear, at least she looked dignified in it. In this awful frock, she looks ready to gallop around the butter churn yelling YEE-HAW!
I’m finding it quite funny, now.
It’s just ridiculous, is there no-one within her team of staff to tell her she looks like a spaniel?
Good Names, I completely agree with what you’ve said about the jewelry. Overall, Kate’s style is very university-girl, add to that a cute face with dimples and button nose, and then add a mop of hair… Earrings and necklaces are swallowed alive.
I seem to be in the minority here, but I like this dress a lot (on her) I might even love it. It’s a change from her usual style. It’s bold in pattern and color, and it actually is the first time her hair didn’t overwhelm her dress. Because both dress and hair are done massively, I think they work together. The poor earrings are caught somewhere between an oversized red flower and a chunk of former-soviet block hair, but the jewelry issue is ongoing and probably permanent.
Knowing what we know, that Kate has an addiction to big hair worn down in a sweeping blow out, I think this kind of bright, dramatic dress is the only style that really looks good against that huge hair.
LOL! “Former Soviet-bloc hair”? Somehow I wouldn’t be surprised. Her hair is the worst. What a waste of beautiful borrowed jewelry too. Especially since I’d rather see it than her.
Re the jewelry, it’s the hair. And I’m not saying that because she’s been on a bender with bad hair decisions these past few days (that ponytail was super cute though). And I’m convinced it’s on purpose too. Just look at her appearances, she is always styled so the hair is the main event, the focus. She loves it, it’s her security blanket, she probably is really proud of it … scratch that, she’s f*cking über-proud of that curtain of hair. the jewelry is not supposed to be the focus.
Plus, you need own jewelry of that caliber and I don’t mean you need to be the owner. 😉 If you’re a little insecure or not used to big bling, it’s going to show.
That ruffle man. And that chintz furniture print. And yes, the hair. Egads.
ROTFL
Put so well, all the things wrong with it.
I like the colors both together and on her. The cut, pattern, shine are horrific. And the added ruffle below the knee is the worst on nearly all dresses.
Overall that’s a dress you wear because you lost a dare.
Agreed. The colours just glow against her skin. The dress itself is an eyesore. And HER DAMN HAIR OMG. It’s so out of hand at this point. She’s two steps away from Cousin It.
Yeah, I also like the colours. Far more flattering than the the wishy-washy tones in yesterday thread.
Pity the colours had to be attached to such a hideous dress.
I firmly believe that no one over 10 should wear ruffles and only if you were under 10 in the 1970s.
I wonder what she thought when she saw the dress. I will be charitable and say that perhaps it was chosen at the last-minute and she didn’t have any other options, so just decided to go with it. Or – and this is frightening – what if she had to choose between this outfit and another dress, and this was the “better” option???
Anything is possible, but it’s hard to believe that Kate wouldn’t have other options given all her resources and her clothes closet. I think she could have chosen a gown more suitable than this if this wasn’t to her taste. The ruffle is just awful. Other than the colors, the only thing I found attractive about this outfit were the earrings, at least the minimal glimpse you get of them since she managed to obscure them with her ever-expanding hair. Gems like that are wasted on this woman.
This is one of the things that baffles me — She has MONTHS to prepare for the little flurry of events. Plus all types of help, which frees up time to really come up with something stylish and appropriate.
Any sensible woman with a few hundred in her purse could have gone into a dress shop and found something on the rack better looking than what she’s been wearing.
I think if the skirt were fitted and to the knee this might work for a daytime event. Otherwise, not so much.
I should have read the comments before posting exactly that. The ruffle was unnessary. An experiment gone wrong but sell it if we can anyway?
Oh no. This is a catastrophe. Hope she gets the memo, I wonder if others will follow this trend just because she wore it? Hideous in every way.
YOU ARE THE FUTURE QUEEN! Get a grip, woman!
LOL
It is not only the worst dress she ever had on; but the whole look. And yes, you might say I am too hard on her, bur she looks the worst she`s ever looked. I do not know what sucked the life out of her, but she needs to do something about her. She just looks unhealthy, and I am not sure it is only due to tremendous weight drop or something else.
Nah, it is the second worst dress. The worst was, IMO, that baby blue high-low monstrosity she wore for a gala last year. It looked tacky and the train was so long that she actually stepped on it on her way up the stairs.
I think the crumpled blue tinfoil maternity thing with the back darts was pretty bad. Or the tinsel-trimmed-chiffon she wore to perform an event for Charles early on. This at least has some deep color, which is more flattering for her in general.
That tinsel-trimmed chiffon was worn without a bra, which I thought in poor taste on an event with her father-in-law. Shortly after, he saw it all anyway.
I like the print. If everything else about the dress were different I would like it. The shoes are horrible again, WTF? And no to the clutch too.
Everyone keeps saying fire her stylist but excuse me, when all you do for a living is wear clothes, and you have a freaking art history degree (which supposedly has taught you about colours and proportions and what works in terms of visual appeal) why the hell do you need another person to tell you what looks good, when money is no object and every designer in the world would be thrilled to dress you slim, tall body? Ugh.
I don’t mind the dress, but not really feeling that Charlie’s Angels hair. It sort of overwhelms her.
Well, without the ruffle the dress would have been good, or if not exactly good then at least very Erdem, and the colours suit her. The hair is down, so cannot (again) see the serious bling she is wearing, but I really like this kind of 70s big hair style on her, especially with the (slightly) updated haircut. Cannot set the bar very high for Kate, but for her this (and the Packham look) is not so bad. At least she seems to be enjoying herself.
I always assumed that Erdem was sh!t because I always see his designs on Kate and she has the worth taste. But then I actually went on his website today and there are some very beautifull, fashion froward and perfetcly tailored clothes.
I was in shock, I would never have guessed by looking at Kate’s choices.
I think it is quite difficult to wear Erdem instead of Erdem wearing you. Sophie Hunter pulls their designs off quite well, but Kate often looks somewhat drowned, or a bit “printy and flowery” (the dress she wore on their tour in Malaysia a couple years ago). Anyway, I am glad that she showed some edge by wearing this dress even if it is not perfect by any means.
Too bad, I thought she’d picked up her fashion game lately. That mop of hair has got to go.
The worst part about her hair is she has great hair. I would love to have her hair. I could do so much with that, but even with her resources it’s wasted and stuck in the seventies.
It’s not all her hair, she is a constant user of extensions and wiglets.
You Can have that hair. Just buy it. Kate’s hair balloons and deflates. It’s only her hair through purchase and ownership.
Her natural hair is probably great, but if she’s enhancing with wiglets etc., it’s just too.much.hair.
‘She went out in public in that? Eww!’
– my 11 y.o. son, just now
Smart boy!
The dress is quite ugly, but the hair just kills me! A hair intervention is needed. All her loved ones must sit her down and take it in turns telling her why pageant girl/60s girl group/my granny in 70s hair must stop.
Hmm. Is her stylist the reason we are beginning to see a flood of articles that attempt to link Kate to Queen Letizia in terms of style? Articles IMO that are trying to build a connection of legitimacy and (false) equivalency so that one might say “Kate dresses like Queen Letiza and no one says anything about her” or that “Kate is just as elegant or modernly styled as Queen Letiza” so she’s no neophyte.
Lurleen Lumpkin goes to the ball.
That hair… So she has some wrinkles, so what? She should just own it with confidence, flip off the people who mock her for being a woman in the public eye with visible signs of aging, and stop trying to hide behind wings of poufy hair. But she isn’t going because she lacks confidence and who knows what else is going on.
Honestly? I hate her hair more than I hate the dress. Her hair looks like a $20 Halloween wig. Cheap, cheap, cheap. Better hair could have put the dress in “so ugly it’s cute” territory for me, but that hair! Yuck.
I just hissed like a vampire in sunlight at that dress.
LOL. That made me laugh.
HaHaa!
Thanks for the laugh.
Lmfao…. you have the best lines @MonicaQ!
This is why Celebitchy is my favourite gossip site…. love the comments from all you regular posters 🙂
MonicaQ… you have me, ROTFL.
LOL LMAO oh dear. 🙂
lol……..dropping coffee granules on the floor, trying to fill my cup, reading comment.
I may have snorted coffee out of my nose at this. Perfection!
Lmao! My 7 year old is like, “why are you laughing so hard?”
Please tell me the stylist got paid a house or something to have her wear this. I kind of feel sorry for the Duchess, because I think she gets maligned so much for her lack of style choices she’s lost common sense. She couldn’t even tell this was butt ugly. The pattern, the material the cut all a big fat FAIL!!!! My favorite is the bottom tear, the designer had to be on something when this was created. Some on here say she looks aging and haggard, how could you not you are wearing grandma’s floral table cover she threw away.
I wonder if the Designer watches Sister Wives and finds them stylish?
Haha! Sister Wives! I hate to admit I enjoy that ridiculous show lol.
I have never encountered an erdem dress I like. They seem to be made for grandmothers from another decade. The dress also reminds me of those nasty looking flowery suitcases from the 1980’s. I think if it was short and worn with a nice midnight blue or ruby red shoes or sexy sandals, it could have pass; but long is a no no. I loved her Jenny Packham dress, it was a little 1930’s glamour. I do not know what this hair is all about, it ages her and she is a beautiful girl.
I find her beauty overrated. She’s attractive, but I just don’t see the great beauty the press goes on and on about.
I think the awesome art deco sapphire earring would have kicked the Jenny gown up several pegs.. It’s a tragedy those earrings were lost in Jacklyn Smith’s Kelly Garrett hair.
I don’t understand this look at all. Why does she have on my grandmother’s bed skirt? I would have never believed this was a $4500 gown. It looks cheap. The floral patterns don’t match at the seams in the front of the gown. I’m starting to think her prep team is trolling her. Because how can anyone be paid to put together a look this bad?
What is going on with her hair? Is she overcompensating because she lost the best blowout in Britain crown to Amal Clooney? She is adding in way too many extensions. Her hair looks so fake and wiggy. And once again, she has spectacular jewelry hidden by a curtain of hair.
Oddly I think Amal could wear this bewildering dress and get away with it, because Amal has been known to wear some odd looking items even prior to her Clooney marriage (she use to go full on Hello Kitty-ish, Forever 21-ish, back in the day),,,but the dress is still not a favorite I, would wish on or for ANYONE!
Maybe the dress would look better on someone with more presence. I really don’t want to find out. I wouldn’t wish this monstrosity on anyone else.
I like the dress
I do as well.
I do, too, and I think she looks lively and pretty.
Little House in the Prairie meets an exploding flower shop. I think the dress has too much going on with that added ruffle. JMO
Yeah I don’t think it’s bad at all. On another person, at another event, with another hairstyle (upswept for example), this could be made to work. I think it’s her energy and especially her hair that weigh down the whole look.
I like the dress and her hair.
I was about to ask what is says about me that I kind of love this dress!
Without the lower part, it would definitely look fine. With the lower part – it depends on which picture. It looks a bit wrong in the top picture, but ok in the others.
I actually like the dress, and in a way I think she can pull this off being so skinny, as opposed to the drapey dress yesterday. However, the ruffled tier on the bottom does ruin it. Makes it too big and overwhelming. I often wonder how often things look great in person, but bad in photos. I’m sure Hollywood stylists have this top on their minds, but most other people probably don’t give it much thought.
That’s some brunette Crystal Carrington hairdo. She should have channeled Alexis.
LOL and Crystal/Linda Evans use to sneak a weave/attached sewed in extensions ,in the back of her hair. My old roommate worked in Beverly Hills and a hairdresser friend told her about Linda Evans, Dynasty hair back in the day.
Linda’s hair always looked as if it wasn’t able to move even if a tornado came.
hahahah YES
Is this the original dress? The ruffled bottom seems o be added as an afterthought ( misguided thought too) Its an awful dress and awful look. She looks so tired too. Its mind boggling that Kate is representing the bRF at an event where women who actually “work” attend!!!
I thought she looked lovely at Spectre premier or maybe she always looks nicer with Harry in the proximity 😛
A little bit of Harry makes everything nicer 🙂
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/prince-harry/11955394/Prince-Harrys-best-moments-on-camera-in-90-seconds.html
Thats a great link..thank you! 🙂
@Darcy – I thought it had to be Kate’s idea to add the bottom ruffle but it’s also on the dress on erdem.com.
A few days ago posters were saying Kate’s big hair looks like country singer Crystal Gayle or Loretta Lynn. Now I can’t unsee her country hair. And today if there were ruffled sleeves on that dress she could be Loretta Lynn’s double on a 1980 episode of Grand Ole Opry!
Mrs. Roper called. She wants her dress back.
I don’t think we can blame her stylist for this. I believe it’s all Kate. She makes these decisions and others are forced to do her bidding. I went to Erdem’s site. That style is nowhere to be found. She just can’t dress. Look at the shoes and clutch. They are mismatched. What stylist worth her salt would pair those with that dress?
The hair…Cousin It sitting prettily on her shoulders obscuring those beautiful drop earrings. Why wear them if she wasn’t going to show case them?
The hair is so out of control that I don’t even know what else to say but “Ditto” to the Cousin It reference. Ha! The shoes are just terrible, but I guess she needed the platform because the dress was too long. Plus, they served the predictable purpose of giving her enough height to tower over everyone else.
Her exact dress was on erdem.com last night. But it isn’t now. WTH? Did it sell out?
Here is a very similar style in a different color palette.
https://erdem.com/shop/lucetta-gown-hibiya-orchid/
And this dress is the same fabric as Kate’s.
https://erdem.com/shop/analena-dress-ohana-tulip/
That dark blue one is GORGEOUS!!!!!!!
Now, if she had chosen that one….I think it would have been a knock out IF she could get her hair under control.
@layla, she couldn’t wear the dark blue, that’s the same one Sophie Cumberbatch wore a few months ago. It is gorgeous.
@The Original Mia, I abhor the ruffle too, but the dress came that way, she did not add it:
http://www.net-a-porter.com/us/en/product/572394
It is also @ Saks and Neiman Marcus.
Thanks Minn Finn & Charlotte 15. Shame on Erdem for making that dress with that tiered bottom. Not a good design at all.
On the Erdem website the dress does not look bad. I actually think Diana would have been able to wear this and look great.
And this line in the dress description slays me: ” Show off the low V-back with an updo.” LOL I can just imagine Waity whining “but I already wore my hair up this week…”
The dark blue version in MinnFinn’s link is absolutely STUNNING. I just don’t think Kate has the gravitas to pull off anything like these dresses. Add the hair and her bad posture and it all amounts to her, once again, looking like a kid playing dress-up.
Maxima could have pulled it off, awful ruffle and all. Madde could have given it a run for its money too.
Terrifying. The lady in the black glitter dress looks fabulous.
Yes I thought the lady in black looked wonderful.
I love bright colors in clothes, but I just don’t understand the look of Kate’s dress, it has too much going on. I wonder if she will eventually have it re-worked and cut the bottom
Little House in the Prairie ruffle off?
I don’t usually comment on her clothes but I think the dress would have been doable if it were fitted, stopped right above the knee and, of course, didn’t have the ruffle. Perhaps even add some discrete side-slit pockets too (?). It would have been cute and it could have been worn to one of her other (other?) work” events.
I think so too. I think if it was cut at the knee it would’ve been frumpy but not completely horrid. But this huge ruffle at the bottom just takes the cake.
It is like the dress was to the knee and they decided to add ruffle to make it longer.
Yep.
I don’t understand how her stylist let’s her out looking like a 50s couch. For someone with so many resources at her disposal this is sad…the hair, the makeup, the dress (my gawd, the dress) and those fug shoes.
good god, putting ruffles and dynasty hair on a young woman with a kinda athletic build doesn’t make her look “feminine” and “aristocratic”. quiet the opposite.
My late Aunt had a bedspread with that pattern from 1969 which my cat (who is also dead-RIP Caramel) wouldn’t even sleep on because even he had standards. He just hissed at it because it annoyed him that this hideous pattern was occupying his favourite napping spot.
Gurl, this is not your dress. Fire your stylist because she clearly hates you.
lol, I can’t stop laughing today 🙂 This is the funniest thread I’ve seen in awhile 🙂
Well, she has at least provided us with some unintended hilarity. A bit like the Twilight movie – so bad it was funny.
The dress is pretty horrid. I don’t know how Erdem is not embarrassed for this “creation”. I don’t know what the two-tier skirt thing is called but it never looks good.
I can’t believe out of all Erdem dresses they chose this one. This one should’ve never seen the light of the day.
This dress would have been awesome on someone with a personality like Maxima of the Netherlands or someone with incredible poise like Cate Blanchett. The dress is calling for someone who will not look cartoonish and be able to balance out the loud dress with the right hairstyle and confidence and glamour.
Kate has no gravitas, no charm, and no charisma to pull off a dress like this. She already doesn’t stand out on a regular basis…put her on a dress like this and she disappears completely. And that hair needs to be chopped off or clipped back and off her face and shoulders. It cheapens her outfits and the way it’s styled is just so dated. She looks unkempt every time her hair is down and hiding her face. It’s not even the length really, but that it’s always all over her face. It keeps her from looking polished.
She looks like she needs a lot of fluids. Her skin looks dehyrated and you can tell by the skin on her jaw and chin how much weight she’s lost and how quickly. Her skin is starting to lose elasticity and she’s not even 35.
Been drawing a lot of faces recently for practice, looking at facial proportions, fine details, etc…and I think she keeps the hair long and poufy to balance out her very prominent cheekbone and strong square jawline. That’s why her face looks so much better during pregnancy, the weight softens her facial bone structure and she looks more feminine. The long, tall hair draws the eye away from the angular lines of her face. Honestly, even if she wears extensions (or a bump it), I think cutting the hair shorter would make her face look way too masculine. Unfortunately, I also think she may have new surgery scars healing beneath those new bangs too…but I’m probably not supposed to say that.
The dress, I don’t know…I thought she got a lot of stuff from designers for free too. Maybe it’s a freebie?
I love prominent cheekbones and square jawlines!! I think she is very pretty, it’s just that recently she has had jowls on the sides of her mouth (and I feel terrible saying this, but really, what else do we know her for but her looks??) and bags under her eyes and her skin looks terrible. I don’t get how someone so thin can look so “lumpy” as someone here said the other day.
And if she did 250 engagements a year, none of us would notice any of this – we would be praising her to the heavens for all of the work she does.
So right, Jib, if Kate worked hard and consistently at her engagements we wouldn’t be focusing on her various fashion faux pas and say instead, “Oops, her fashion game is off but, who cares, it’s all the hard work she does that’s important.”
Yessss, you said everything I wanted to say. Someone with the right “aura”, poise, sense of style and proportion and accessorizing could have pulled off this unusual dress (OK, even if I’m not loving that bottom ruffle). She is not that person.
I like the fabric in that it’s bold and has a beautiful sheen. The colors work on her. And I give her credit for going outside her comfort zone and dressing more youthfully. It’s not a nice design, unfortunately. The hair is uninspired.
She does have beautiful green eyes that I’d not noticed before now.
Yes, many reported she had brown eyes. Then other reports of PGTips with brown eyes from Kate. Now I’m thinking PGTips has green eyes.
The gown….eh….I think it would work much better as a tea length dress, but then it wouldn’t be appropriate for this event (a garden party perhaps?). I’m pretty much over her hair. Its too long and there’s too much of it! Maybe if it had some nice layers cut into into to take out the weight and thickness it would look better. And if it lost a few inches. I bet she would look good with one of those “lob” haircuts. Her hair is just so boring.
….so I read it like this:
“which you cannot see because of the wiglet that once belonged to the Queen Mother”
and I thought, “Wow. WOW. But now I understand the problem up there.”
[walks off to get more coffee]
@Liberty,
Oh good I wasn’t the only who had had to read that sentence twice!
Perhaps I should join you in more coffee – double espresso please….
sending the big cup right over!
Cue Travolta desperately trying to get the Royal Wiglet’s phone number. MY GOD THAT DRESS!!!!!!!! what in the ever-loving hell? Is that a Sophie Hunter reject dress? Was it a dust ruffle that was too ugly to fulfill its ultimate destiny of decorating an elderly Cotswolds lady’s cottage guest bedroom?! And the SHOES. Don’t even look down, you guys. Don’t. Look. Down.
She has gorgeous hair and I’d love to see her taming it. Why not wear some serious bling in form of a hair pin? Or several? Please, Kate, do me the favour!
I actually like the fabric, and from the waist up the dress looks good. Waist down is another story … the dust ruffle bottom is awful. If the skirt were a straight cut it would have been very pretty, especially had she gone with a strappy shoe.
I actually like this dress. It is something different and she took a risk. I am no Kate apologist but she is damned if she does, damned if she doesn’t. If she wears the same thing she always does that she is comfortable in, she gets blasted. If she takes a risk, she gets blasted. This is a cool dress, in a cool pattern, and she is giving it a go.
I agree with you while also disliking the whole 70s vibe. If she were known for being a free spirit/independent thinker, we’d be like “eh, another boho look, go girl.” But I do think she deserves cred for trying.
I agree. I think if it had been a tea length dress in the same pattern it wouldn’t be so bad. But the ruffle is ugly and it’s too much pattern for a full dress. In that length it may have been a good dress for the meeting with the Chinese President where she wore the purple lace.
I can get on board with it from the waist up, but there’s no excuse for that ruffle; it looks terrible.
She should stick to simple, solid colors and risk being boring, if the other choice is going to be like this. Good Lord that dress is horrible.
If she learned how to accessorize then she could easily make a simple, conservative dress interesting. However, she has no clue when it comes to accessorizing.
Solids with nicely done accessories would be better.
Has no one ever informed her that busy prints do not always photograph well?
The dress would be fine if it didn’t have the seam separating it and just had a straight skirt. If she pulled her hair up and wore simpler earrings it would actually be very pretty. I love the print on satin, it’s very lively.
There’s that pic at the bottom(the 4th) with Kate along with two other women. See that? Those women look more like what Royalty should dress rather than Kate. Hrrmph!!! They look neat and put together. Very well done ladies! Take notes Duchess.
I think with the right styling, the dress could have worked, like maybe with some white gloves and her hair in a high bun. The dress is very Mad Men to me and could have been made to work well. But that hair is absurd, really, it’s ruining everything.
Now you’ve done it. I’m picturing a turban and a long cigarette holder to take the retro look over the top. On a serious note, I agree that the accessories are wrong and changing the hair to a Breakfast at Tiffany’s bun is a great idea. That alone would have majorly improved how she looked.
My something nice for the day–Thank you for trying. Honestly. Nope, she reeeeeeally didn’t try with the hair, clutch or the shoes. But she tried one thing. And yesterday when we were talking about what colors could’ve improved that Packham I was thinking, “Well, we’ve already seen her in a gray, pleated chiffon gown. And we’ve seen her in the teal, lace-accented, pleated chiffon gown.” She wears the same types of dresses over and over and over. So truly Kate… you kinda’ tried *pats the five inches of fake hair piled on the top of her head*. Having said that, excuse my language, f*cking Erdem. Packham is hit or miss. Though I’ll admit Kate seems to choose exclusively from the frumpy miss pile. As if she’s trying to pick the most boring things. She does the same with McQueen. It’s not Alexander’s brand anymore. But they still create more relevant, brand representative, stylish clothing than all the completely generic numbers she’s worn. She’s not a great advocate for either brand. In fact, this dress was styled better for models and didn’t look that bad here http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2g32S8xlTss/VjAt35Gt_nI/AAAAAAAAg2g/-IYzp3WjH0Y/s1600/2015-10-28-2.jpg But Erdem! I’m alone on that I-don’t-get-it island. I think some, SOME, of their printed, or embroidered day dresses are ok. But 95% is floral twee meets tacky, and they’re gang jumped by fussy, unflattering, and overworked, over-designed fug. I’m trying to say that I’m not really a fan. But if you must, how about this https://erdem.com/shop/aurelia-dress-ohana-navy/ This is pretty. And it’s only $1,503, (I love the $3), compared to the $4,560 that Charles plonked down for this. This would’ve been better http://www.net-a-porter.com/us/en/product/572392/Erdem/samira-floral-print-silk-crepe-gown This is slightly better https://www.pinterest.com/pin/464011567837539292/ It’s from 2012. But it’s like getting blood from a stone trying to find a decent Erdem gown. It’s like they give their only good ones to celebrities or Mrs. Cumberbatch.
That dress looks totally different on the model. It looks decent. But the other ones you posted would have been better options. And you’re right…Sophie Cumberbatch wears Erdem well. But then she’s probably not thinking more $ equals stylish.
Wow the dress looks soo much better on the model – the skirt just hangs better. Its the hair the makes it even more FUG and the skirt seems puffier on kate, it just seems to stick out more on her than it does in the photo’s of the model. Maybe she had it tailored.
And yes Sophie Cumberbatch wears Erdem well – the difference between her and Kate is that Sophie WEARS the dress, not the dress wearing her.
Well at least you could spot her in a crowd..way too much going on with this dress
My first thought when seeing the pictures yesterday – her hair OWNS her. It’s totally overwhelming, especially with that huge print dress. Why wear dangly earrings when your hair is covering them anyway? Such a shame!
Also, did Kate recently get new upper teeth (veneers)? Her incisors used to be slightly longer than her other upper teeth – which is a nice look – but her smile now looks like an even row of chiclets.
I had a coworker who had gotten veneers in her early 20’s, and by her early 30’s her gums had receded enough so that when she smiled you could see the space between where her veneers ended and her gums began.
Wondering if something like that might have happened to KM; age alone is enough reason, but one of the side effects of cigarette smoking is receding gums. It might have been time for a touch-up and she decided to get bigger teeth because why not.
I rather like the dress. It’s a nice departure for her. I wish it fit better and didn’t have the huge dust ruffle, but I like that she’s taking a risk. If she’s going to take some fashion risks, some things won’t be universally liked. With that said, I hate her hair in these photos. It looks heavy and curtain-like, and for heaven’s sake if you’re going to wear the Queen Mother’s earrings pull your hair back and show them off! And I hate the clutch, and those pumps on her feet are not appropriate for evening wear. With all that said, I can’t complain when KM is actually working! This was her second appearance yesterday on behalf of the royal family, and I personally prefer to focus my criticism on her work ethic than her fashion (because she’s just not a fashion icon). She could walk around looking as ridiculous as Princess Anne, and I totally wouldn’t care if she had Anne’s sense of duty.
Without the ruffle the dress would be fine, better thsn her usual prom-like trashy dresses.
In motion, it actually looked fine. But standing still- quite alarming actually.
dress is hideous
the stripper heels are the worst though! hidden under the dust ruffle dress like that they make her look like one of those toilet roll holders
I am now convinced she definitely loves being the tallest in the room. why would you wear those shoes?!
but, but, WORST OF ALL – and it has nothing to do with her dress, earrings or hair – was the picture of the hedgie women CURTSEYING to her. WHY?! that to me sums up what is really wrong with kate – smart, accomplished women bowing down to her because she’s managed to roll out of bed and put on a frock for a dinner do. me no likey.
Ditto to everything you said. And, protocol be damned, shame on those women who felt the need to curtsy to her.
Saw the curtsey on the video link…..
That’s what made me angry as well. All of these sophisticated, accomplished, respected and educated women who work in the real world are recognized for all their achievements and, who does the Royal Family sent? Kate!!!!! The epitome of the spoiled, entitled, lazy 33 year old woman who never had a full time job, slept her way into the Royal Family and whose mother runs her life. Oh, the irony! I understand that protocol is protocol but the curtseying was a travesty because I’m sure everyone of those women is more talented, more confident and more productive than Kate will ever be. Princess Anne should have been sent as she is, at least, respected.
Actually, I don’t think they’re meant to curtsey to her unless William is there as well. (I could be wrong there)
Chrissy well posted … she didnt even do a speech
how is it she always gets out of speaking in public
the nightdress she wore was simply so dreadful
for a Hedge fund dinner …
plus two pages in daily fail fawning over her saying she has two children and gets upin the night and the blogs are being cruel with their comments, well excuse mebut we are entitled to our opinions…..
if she did work properly and not constantly show her body parts off then she would gey less critiscm
No member of the general public is required to bow or curtsy to any one in the BRF.
“There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms. For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way. “
The woman doing the curtseying is Amanda Pullinger. Slightly pushy woman by all accounts and quite enamored of the Royals. If my sources are correct then she is the one who was able to rope William into supporting this charity and therefore probably feels that Kate is “hers”. It is a big deal to get royal patronage and she is apparently quite well-sourced as well as an aggressive fundraiser. Not sure how well-liked she is, though. Her companion in the picture Mimi Drake is the real heavyweight. Brilliant woman. Truely inspirational careeer as careers go. You can see that she does not curtsey.
Thank you for stating this, AP. I absolutely cringed when I saw these brilliant, hard-working women of accomplishment and achievement curtseying to the lazy, clueless Duchass of Doolittle. Good grief — the irony!
Erdamn it’s ugly.
LOL!
I love this dress and, particularly her hair styling…I haven’t laughed this hard in ages.
This is AWFUL. Like a Middle School sewing project.
Oh, Kate — who is advising you? As a rule, big, loud prints make one look matronly, even if you look like the Duchess of Cambridge. That blue print dress a few days ago was ugly, but this one, combined with the dust ruffle, is horrid.
She looks just like Elizabeth Hurley in that close up, and considering Liz is 20 years older…
Although I’d bet EH would wear the heck out of that dress and make it look awesome.
There’s a Hawaiian shirt in almost this exact pattern in our costume party box!
That’s it! I knew I recognized the pattern from somewhere. :-0
When I was in 7th grade my mother made the bridesmaids dresses for my cousin’s wedding. The fabric of the dress was exactly the same, yet sadly mine wasn’t satin. I cried when I had to wear that dress and since my mother made it I had to wear it at Christmas and for band concerts. Concerts where my band teacher said I looked Iike a couch. Of course 12 year old me did not take that well. I knew at 12 the fabric was hideous and I’m not sure why The people styling the Duchess didn’t burn this dress!
Also, I’m a few years older than the Duchess and wow I look 10 years younger than she does. I normally wouldn’t say anything rude but the smoking and dramatic weight loss have taken a toll on her face.
I can’t get over how ridiculous her hair looks. She should cut it short.
I like the dress, I think the colors are beautiful. I can’t help it, but I do covet her shiny big hair, but I’m from the Midwest, we can’t let go of the big hair.
Her shiny big hair is mostly extensions and wiglets.
Every last thing screams country rodeo queen circa 1980. From the yee-haw hair to the heavy eye makeup to the eye-popping flora mess of a dress. She needs to be given a complete make-over top to bottom and gain 15 lbs immediately.
Meh…..this dress would be fine without the humongous ruffle at the bottom and for another occasion that is less formal. I believe Sophie What’s Her Name wore something similar in the past to a red carpet event, but that was fine for her. The Duchess, however, does not have that luxury and has to raise her profile to bring attention to the charities she aligns herself with. Diana understood that and enlisted British Vogue and other fashion houses to aid her in how to make an image until she understood the concept well. Kate, honey, you and your momma, need to make some friends in the fashion world and expand your horizons. As for the hair, it is a work in progress as the polishing continues of her image however slowly that is.
The dress is odd. It would have been okay had it been a true mermaid style and in a solid color. I’m not a huge fan of prints for gowns.
Cut it off at the dust ruffle and it would have been a great cocktail dress… but this is just way too much. I applaud her for stepping out of her comfort zone, but that doesn’t have to mean THIS. Also, her makeup is a washing her out too. The whole thing is basically a mess. I feel like Kate really could pull off some gorgeous, chic looks… I just don’t understand why she insists on looking so basic all the time.
With all the remodeling Kate has done in her homes, didn’t she think to put a mirror somewhere???
Based on recent fashion choices, I wonder what she considers tasteful home decorating.
You know, I think she’s just spectacularly photogenic, but even she can’t pull that dress off. Now, I do think Ru Paul would rock that thing.
You’re right RuPaul could pull this off but we both know he’d never wear it though 🙂
LOL True, good point. He would be fierce in it, though.
oh no…..I just finally got a look at the shoes. Dear God. I feel like there wasn’t time to properly hem that monstrosity so she wore her highest heels.
If this dress wasn’t on the Erdem website I’d think it was made from old bedroom curtains left behind at Anmer Hall by the previous owners. (Because Kate is so thifty, you know.) I’m seeing that Carol Burnett as Scarlett O’Hara skit from years ago LOL
Here is a photo of the whole group.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/27/22/2DDADA1400000578-3292327-image-a-24_1445986575935.jpg
I have a feeling that she chose this dress to stand out amongst the group of women. We’ve commented before about her insecurity about being around other women. I think she intentionally wanted to pull focus away from everyone else.
I noticed this last night, but did anyone else see the woman 5th from Kate to the left side of photo? I guess she forgot her slip or something I don’t know but it’s equally traumatizing as Kate’s dress.
All the women look sleek and sophisticated and elegant except Kate: she looks like an over-decorated christmas tree.
This is Kate’s version of power dressing and what you might expect from someone who has not set foot in a proper office in her life. Huge stand-out hair, hard to miss poofy dress and 7 inch tall heels. She wanted to stand out among the heavyweights and she did. Bless her heart.
I guess y’all need specs cause the woman is walking around without a slip with a very sheer dress. Or is this the new hot look for UK right now? You caught on a bit late. The Diana slipgate was 35 years ago.
Kate needs to think back to when she was trying this on and who told her that this dress looked good on her. Because that person either has horrible taste, or is not her friend. She obviously needs a stylist so badly it hurts.
This is definitely a more adventurous outfit that’s for sure. The print is okay, not my favorite. Had the dress ended right where the ruffle begins it could have been a great look with a black blazer maybe to match her shoes? But the ruffle is so unflattering and her hair is way too big here. She needs to cut it or get rid of the extensions, they just weigh her down. I’m assuming the navy clutch was meant to match the earrings?? Well at least you can’t accuse her of being boring this time around.
The dress can be either a disaster or a very fashionable wow but you need to be very careful at styling it. For example, you can’t wear your hair down in a thick wild mess the way she does here. Sleek and chic only b/c the dress is so… big and loud. Or the jewelry – Queen granny’s chandelier earrings? Another poor match. Kate just can’t pull it off. She is not glamorous, she is not stylish. She is just a regular person with not that much interest in clothes and that’s why this dress looks like a couch cover on her.
It’s so stupid. She has enough money and connections to hire a stylist who will work with her personality and preferences to make her wardrobe look well-matched, instead of pushing her to take risks that she just can’t handle.
@ TessD
I fully agree with your statement.
And apparently Kate has neither a full-length mirror at home nor does History-of-Art graduate Kate have any kind of “eye for art”. Very astonishing.
Ugh. No, Duchess, just no. This one is a miss, babydoll.
Marriage clearly agrees with her, but this dress does not. Her face looks radiant though…that smile. Love it. Unfortunately though, even that smile and glossy hair can’t save this dress. I still give her major props for wearing gowns that are out of the norm for her and are more daring.
I will never understand why women who can have the best of everything at their disposal look consistently MEH. I know money doesn’t buy you taste but come on. She looks like something has been sucking the life out of her. She can’t hire a makeup artist that makes her look …I dont know…pretty. Because she actually is very pretty. The hair is a travesty. She needs a complete revamp of her entire look..lol she could hire KANYE !!!!
Heinous, the only word is heinous. It might have worked a bit better without the huge ruffled hem and a slightly lower neckline to lessen the impact of the busy pattern (there’s nothing wrong with the colors), but as it stands, simply heinous.
I finally thought of what her hair reminds me of…the episode of Seinfeld with Wendie Malick, who has that terrible big hair that Elaine wants her to change.
I don’t know that episode but I want to see it, sounds ‘hairlarious’!
I love that episode! “Oh, no, no, you shouldn’t change it!” Cosmo says. Elaine and Jerry rolling their eyes.
I love the dress if it stopped at the knees. Fantastic bold colors and print, it’s refreshing to see her in something like that. The side bang is a little overwhelming and looks a little too sprayed in place. I would cut more layers into her hair for more movement and lighten the load of it.
I’m going to go with the premise that Kate knows what she’s doing in her ‘work’ and in her personal style and her life in general.
If she doesn’t want to give a speech, then she shows up unpracticed. If she doesn’t want to be at a certain event, she puts on a bored expression with the eye-rolling and the grimaces.
But at events she wants to be at, she’s bright-eyed and bushy tailed. She’s alert and eagerly paying attention to everyone. When she goes to a Sir Ben event, she’ll go whole hog dressing up in a nautical theme to appeal to his interest and hangs on his every word with adoration. When she goes to sophisticated celebrity and rich folk events, she’ll make sure she looks sophisticated to fit in with the upper crest crowd.
If she’s disinterested in the event, she’ll dress to please herself, i.e. feed her vanity and need and desire to be the center of attention. So out comes the flashing, the revealing clothes, the bright colors, the untamed hair flying all over her head (because that’s sexy-time hair, right?). her wrist bent to show off her ring finger, the exaggerated facial gestures for the cameras, etc.
This was a hedge fund event for women of various types of grown up accomplishments. Loads of speeches and grown women talking about grown up stuff. Booooring (for her that is). So she dressed to stand out, be colorful, be showy in the loud and funky dress that’s sure to get people looking and talking, her hair down to look younger and sexier and make her head stand out and be the largest there, even if it meant covering up the Queen Mum’s earrings, the high spiked heels to tower over most of the other women, etc.
Imo, this very odd dress is Kate’s version of Beatrice’s over-the-top, ‘look at me’ hat worn at W&K’s wedding. It’s her thinking “Look. I’m meant to show up at what is going to be an excruciating event with a bunch of women I have nothing to talk to about. All they’ll say to me is “blah, blah, serious talk, blah, blah, blah.” Let’s just make me a one-woman party and stand out among the crowd and get lots of photos taken of me and make me the talk of the next day’s celebrity gossip.”
Mission accomplished.
So the issue isn’t that she has no fashion sense or that she needs a different stylist, because the only voice she’s going to listen to is her own (and Mama Rose Carole’s). When she does something, she does it for a reason. She’s not stupid. She knows how to get what she wants, no matter what it takes.
@ anne_000
I had thought that, too. I thought that she purposefully failed a little bit in order to not have to do certain events.
It is both disgusting and desperate. Because honestly, what is she really interested in? I mean: which cause would she want to push? It is just glitzy events she wants to attend.
On the other hand: she had done this hedge fund women event before and hasn’t yet dropped it. Perhaps she tries to build connections to the oh-so-important banking world in the UK?
@ Pondering thoughts
Maybe after the first time going to this event, she realized it and the type of women who attend aren’t to her liking, so that’s why she didn’t dress to fit in with the crowd but to stand apart from it?
I think she’s the type to dress to impress people she’s interested in (101 in social climbing rules). She’ll even wear clothes with sailboat prints to appeal to Sir Ben. But for this event, she dressed like it was her own private party in her head.
So if she wanted to have relationships with successful, grown-up women in the banking field, she would have dressed to impress them, not herself and the paparazzi, imo. She wouldn’t have stuck out so much.
The other women in the group photo (as shown in the DM) are dressed more conservatively and elegantly, but not her. Her style was very bohemian, retrograde, quirky, and loud. Not the kind of thing that one would expect from professional women in formal evening wear.
She definitely pulled focus away from the other women, more so than usual. It’s all about her. In the photos, your eye goes directly to her and not the group of accomplished women. She’s making herself the centre of attention.
I tend to agree; I believe Kate knows exactly what she’s doing with her clothing choices paired with the events she attends. She definitely made sure the spotlight centered on her more than usual at this occasion.
I like the dress. HATE the hair, the shoes, and the styling. Imagine this with a great updo. Amazing earrings. Better shoes. Maybe slightly smaller as the dress is to big/long.
Really the only person I could see pulling this off so easily is Queen Maxima. Maxima would slay in this dress.
I don’t think even Maxima could pull off this dress. She generally doesn’t do well with large prints.
Cate Blanchet is another story. If she could pull off one of the weird tulip gowns from Armani Privée, then she could pull off this monstrosity,
CPMary has a pink floral Erdem that was more successful. The little girl cap sleeves on Mary’s dress were horrible, but the simple dress design made the huge floral more manageable.
I’m generally not a big fan of big florals – they rarely work when actually worn.
I like the silhouette of Mary’s Erdem dress but I find the floral print busy and rather unmanageable. The fact that one of the flowers just sits there like a splash of paint on her chest. I have say that I like the 3/4 sleeves. I don’t find them girlish at all.
http://royalista.com/36714/crown-princess-mary-wows-in-vibrant-erdem-dress/
AH, I was thinking of the hot pink and purple satin one she wore, a floor length evening gown. I just looked it up. It was last year for the Norway Constitution event. It was all-over floral, but the cap sleeves had little gathers in them like a dress for a little girl. The floral was slightly out-of-focus which helped make it less overwhelming. Marie wore a lovely white tiered chiffon at the same event.
Ok,
I just googled CP Mary Erdem and got the pencil dress.
Found the dress in quest. Purple is one of my favorite colours and I really like the colours on the dress. The pattern is less overwhelmning because it has a sort of impressionist effect going on, like a Monet painting. However, you are right about the cap sleeves and I would have like a more structured cut. Basically another design with the same fabric. BTW; Princess Marie looked really lovely. She really looks good in pale colours and needs to stay away from lace and shiny fabrics.
http://royalista.com/9125/extravagant-dresses-at-stormy-gala-event/
She looks happy and more confident in it than other outfits I’ve seen her in. So if it makes her feel that way, I guess it’s a good thing, even if I’m not a fan of the dress.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/kate-middleton/11958307/Kate-Middleton-recycles-Orla-Kiely-dress-Islington-Town-Hall.html
Look at the arms! 1st pic. Oh dear … *worried*
Goodness, she is skeletal. Her shoulder bones are sticking out, the cartilage on the sides of her elbows are all sticking out. She is just skin and sinew and bones. They Royal Family are complete idiots if they don’t see this. And doesn’t the camera add weight???
That’s a mess. A hot mess of a dress.
I think not even Rihanna could make it work.
That’s the worst flower-printed dress I’ve seen since that monstruosity Riccardo Tisci made for Kim K.
MESSAGE TO KATE:
The clowns want their clown costumes back.
She seems to like the bold patterns. Last week she took Prince George to the Natural History Museum and wore these pants: http://radaronline.com/photos/kate-middleton-prince-george-natural-history-museum-pics/photo/1219107/
And this goes to show she knows when to wear appropriate shoes with the outfit, but chooses not to in so many of her “work” appearances.
while the tier is not my favorite thing in life, i think the print is fine. nice colors and good to see her in something other than the usual totally boring stuff we’ve seen variations of a thousand times before. HOWEVER, i think the styling is horrendous and that’s really what’s KILLING this look. 1. The hair is criminal. 2. This girl needs a real, professional makeup artist intervention immediately. It would seem that she’s doing her own makeup. And she’s TERRIBLE at it. 3. The accessories suck balls, with the possible exception of the earrings, which as noted, CANNOT BE SEEN.
I think part of the problem is this dress does not match her personality. Imagine this dress on Keira Knightley with one of those intentionally mussed braided updos, fresh face and a berry lip, a small silver clutch and simple one-strap-across-the-toes silver shoes. Now imagine same on Kate. Not as good as on Keira b/c Keira has the boho vibe to carry it off, but still, not even close to this mess. With the bright colors and pale lip, she is completely washed out. I have no words for this hair, both b/c of the 70s and not in a cute way look and b/c of hiding the jewels. This dress calls for “light, elegant boho” styling. And the heavy black shoes!
I’m putting this disaster far more on the styling than the dress. I can’t believe she hasn’t yet been forced into the hands of a decent glam squad. Her own taste is for sh*t.
Why did she pick that one, of all things? There are several prettier Erdem dresses this season.
http://goo.gl/DR89D8
Attention.
I can just hear her saying “We had to move hedges at our country home for our new tennis court and it was soooo expensive….how smart of you to have a fund for that!!”
Also the dress is now giving me Carrie-Underwood-at-the-Grand-Ole-Opry vibes. In a good way.
I would never do public engagements either if people ripped my looks apart so much after an event 🙁
I’m sure you have nothing to worry about like most of us.
I hear you. If this were a “regular” woman or somebody new to public life, I think I’d feel the same. HOWEVER, Kate here very much wanted the position she’s in, to be in the public eye and she knew, and has known for a loonngggg time, all that goes with that.
I’m not saying it’s right that women in the public eye get ripped apart for their appearance. Actually, I sort of am. If you get paid millions for a contract with a fashion label or cosmetics company or whatever else, you know the score, that it’s part of the gig, you have stylists and free designer clothes thrown at you all the time, then yeah, you should bring your A game.
And I actually think this site keeps it fairly balanced in terms of ripping apart men as well when they step out looking like hell.
Definitely see your point, Tabasco! I am just glad no one is taking pictures of me while I’m at work, but that’s why I would never want to be a princess or celebrity. I love celebitchy and the posters here, I just meant the overall comments she gets whenever she attends an event! I definitely can understand comments about her work ethic and such, but the comments on her physical appearance can just seem unnecessary.
@ Franny Days – – I’d never want to be famous either. For many reasons. I consider myself pretty into fashion and am usually dressed in “business fabulous” as I call it, y’know, appropriate for my law firm job but with some extra zing via bright colors, nifty shoes, statement jewelry, etc., but I also really like my anonymity and ability to run to the drugstore in cozies and no makeup w/o a care!
I guess I see it more that she doesn’t do much except go out, look pretty, shake hands and wave. This last batch seems to have her more engaged, but she doesn’t talk, she doesn’t say why she’s there, nothing. So the only thing left to talk about is what she’s wearing and how she looks.
All that being said, I don’t like to talk about her clothing that much. It’s not what she’s wearing; it’s what she’s doing while she’s wearing it that counts with me.
Its really not that bad. Its not one of those enviable dresses that make us wish we had a bod like her but I dont think she warrants the flak she’s getting.
It was a bold choice and yet still somewhat simple and demure like her typical style.
No complaints here.
I like it! The dress. The more I look at it the more I like it. Even with the ruffle.
HOWEVER, You need a personality to pull off this dress. The blue clutch, etc are obvious. And her “I’m a Proper Royal Duchess Lady” schtick doesn’t compute with this pattern.
Personally, I would have worn some yellow and purple accessories and all metal jewelry. If not that then played up the red coloring so that the flowers stand out. AND my hair up.
Exactly. It’s not the dress. It’s the wrong wearer and TERRIBLE styling.
Those blue things in the pattern look like the parrots from the children’s movie Rio.
I don’t think the Kate bashing is fair. She’s never done anything to bring on the contempt I see for her in these blogs. She’s never been dishonest, cheated, treated anybody badly that we know of, she’s semi-modest, polite, seems to be a good mother, a good wife, generally a good person. So she’s not a fashionista. If she were, she’d be raked over the coals for being shallow and trying to get attention. She’s actually pretty low-profile. I don’t get the hatred.
And yes, I think she is lovely. I’ve never seen her wear anything inappropriate or tragic. I don’t care for ruffle thing on the bottom of this dress, but at least it’s something different from the typical style she wears which are simple tailored cuts that are “safe”. She gets grief for her normal choices b/c people think she’s boring. She gets grief for stepping out of the box. She’s damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t.
People crab that she doesn’t attend enough events, but if she did, you know she’d get slapped verbally for needing attention or not focusing on her family. From what I gather, she is a devoted mother who doesn’t want attention. She’d rather stay home and take care of her kids instead of a nanny. Apparently, those are bad things?
From what I gather, she is a devoted mother who doesn’t want attention. She’d rather stay home and take care of her kids instead of a nanny. Apparently, those are bad things?
If this is what Kate really wanted, she would not have married a prince, let alone Diana’s son.. sorry but you can go on and on about how great and perfect and modest and all you think she is but the reality just doesn’t match.
So did Diana get attacked as a bad mother for doing a couple of hundred events a year when her children were young?? NO!! I think people don’t like Kate because “To whom much is given, much is expected,” and it seems as though she takes the perks and doesn’t do the work.
Many people here have kids, are good people, and have to work like dogs to make ends meet. I do think she is stealing from the public. For the use of the homes she lives in and the public funds for her security at her house and her mother’s when she lives there, she gives back very little. That is stealing.
And again…Diana wouldn’t be bashed this way. Maxima isn’t bashed this way. The new princess Sofia (?) has done more work than Kate already and is pregnant, and she gets favorable reviews here. Kate is bashed because she is lazy, entitled and yes, taking from the public without giving. Sorry you don’t like that.
Is it too much to hope for that she’s doing this on purpose, so that people will stop calling her a fashion icon and take her a bit more seriously?
Maybe I’m giving her a bit too much credit
I think you are – she’s vain, always has been. Now that she has someone else’s credit card she’s going all out for the bespoke designer items.
If she wants to be taken seriously, she has to step up and do something.
This has to be hands down her worst look – the dress (and i like the pattern), hair, accessories, everything. This will be bespoke for her as she has shown since the wedding that’s what floats her fashion boat (all the tailored McQueen coatdresses etc..). And yes Carole is defo involved in her style choices. She has made an effort to dress older (and in their mind more sophisticated) as she thinks it’s more becoming of her new social standing.
She really really needs to get a stylist and a decent dressmaker. Am over the hair – that isn’t going anywhere.
As other posters upthread have said – she dresses to get attention, something i have always thought and said here a few times. Kate loves the media attention just in the same way her MIL did – Willy is the only one who can’t see it.
PS – wonder how the US is dealing with the arrival of the royal Ginger Fuzz? Am Michael K at Dlisted is stalking him as we speak.
While I’m personally not a big fan of the gown, I will say this – she looks happy wearing it. Sometimes, I think that’s really all that matters. She looks pretty, whether I like the dress or not.
WTF is that? It’d be an okay top but a whole dress? Sweet Jesus! Plus I’m not feeling the hair with the long fringey side bits. It’s all a bit of a disaster really. (Disaster in the right perspective of course).
I like it. She’s got the body that can carry it.
i like it. It’s a little fashion forward and experimental. She doesn’t have to please all of the people all of the time.
Wow hair. So much. Too many. Lots hair.
OK!
So, yes the dress is ugly.
Is this all we have to discuss? Did she spend much time at the event?
Did she speak?
Was her speech thoughtful?
Was she engaged when listening to others.
Did she listen?
Will there be any action moving forward to come from this event?
Was this just a chance to dress up, get photos taken, and tally it up on the board?
Dress is fugly as hell and it’s being discussed because all she appears to offer is an appearance without substance.
And that hair is out of control. She needs to dial back the extensions.
And the fact that you (i think it was you) upthread stated that they pulled in some paps a few weeks ago for a ‘chat’ in a room with the kids. Bullying and using the kids is their (read: Normal Bills) way of getting the press to say nice/positive things about them, her in particular.
All these events and dresses are image control – plus she wants to be seen as a celebrity, she certainly dresses like one.
The dress: Sophie Cumberbatch is one of the few people who can wear Erdem – stuff is beautiful on models and in photos but in person not so.
I guess we should be thankful that they actually deigned to do more charity visits and visits promoting their causes – they’ve done more in the past few weeks than they’ve done in a long time.
The comment you’re refering to was Wolfie and LAK responses to a comment be herewego. I wasn’t a part of it.
and don’t get too thankful! These are still just appearances and not any true work for a charity or to bring attention to them. It’s still heavy cost to the charities themselves and tax funds for security when the end result is maybe a designer sells a few more dresses and PR photo ops. And my question still stands. Did Kate do much of anything besides show up and wear a dress for pictures?
Also, i’m sure you’ve noticed there is this push for events like clockwork every year for their final tally having not worked much at all all year. It’s crunch time.
Wills wants privacy… Laying blame to paps when the fault should lay with their RPOs for holes in security. And the kids can easily be protected, but their are only a front for 2 things. Blanket protection for Wills and an Ace In The Hole for better coverage in a flattering way.
I’ve gone all Shouty Crackers on this.
Totally agree about lack of substance, FLORC.
I can’t believe how negative people are. I like the dress. The colours look great on her and I like it a lot more than any other look I’ve seen her in.
I stand by my earlier prescription for Kate–potatoes and a haircut! She would look so much fresher and healthier if she wasn’t so thin and her hair was more youthful. Check out this photoshopped “April Fool’s” pixie. She looks like a different woman: http://dailymakeover.com/kate-middleton-pixie/
Oh dear. She looks like Kaley Cuoco. Not good.
I think it’s cute! If nothing else, it suggests that a shorter cut could show off her better facial features (eyes, dimples).
I think it’s cute, too. I don’t get why she thinks she needs all the hair she’s got (or wears) or why some people here think her jawline and round cheeks require longer hair. She’s got nice features, she just goes overboard with the hair, makeup, & tanning, in my opinion, and sometimes looks tired. I think a makeunder would be cool on her
……but then again, I loved that pixie that Pamela Anderson had for like a second before running back to extensions and thought it made Anderson look younger as well. If I was a celebrity hairdresser, I’d run on a Ditch The Extensions platform!
Yes I could make that dress which I could then it’s definitely ugly
Aside from the “garish” nature of the dress (gift wrap drawer liner), it’s great seeing Kate doing engagements with a smile. She seems happy to be there, eager to please and that’s wonderful for her hosts and the general public.
In terms of her hair, I guess she has good days and bad days like most people. Plus she’s still relatively young, maturing and finding out which looks work and don’t work and unfortunately she has to do that within the public eye.
I hope Kate doesn’t decide to retreat to Amner for several months after reading negative feedback about her recent appearances.
No matter her fashion choices, I appreciate the effort she’s made more recently.
There are days when I would like to wear something a bit more comfortable or even kind of funky looking to the office, but one has to consider the day’s duties and whether it is appropriate at all. For example, a board meeting day is not a good time to drag out a rather unusual looking dress or anything with an overly bold print.
My point being, there have to be considerations beyond just what we like to wear. This dress (minus the odd bottom) would be OK in some situations, but I’m not sure it was appropriate for a gala honoring other women. It is distracting, IMO. But, everything is a learning experience and maybe that’s what it takes to help her make better choices.
The comments are harsh! She looks absolutely beautiful to me. Very fashion forward.
I like the print and the fabric. The bold colours suit her better than yesterday’s pale blue number. At least she’s taking a fashion risk, you can’t please all the people all of the time!
Eh. She continues to be a hot mess, Will continues to be a non-entity, and Harry continues to do his thing: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3294192/Humble-Harry-s-White-House-trip-Prince-ditches-motorcade-walk-Oval-Office-meeting-Obama-gets-presidential-support-Invictus-Games.html#reader-comments
It’s so sad that William is the heir. Also, while Kate is totally fine looking, the hyperbole in describing her looks drives me nuts.
One thing about Harry, he always looks genuinely engaged in whatever he’s doing.
Which is better than HM on more than a few occasions.
I mean, there’s footage of her looking miserable and wishing to be anywhere else a few times in history. Oh well, we all have good days and bad days I suppose.
Love the gown, hate how she accessorised it and how she styled herself. Different shoes, different clutch, different hair, and it could have become a Cate Blanchett Moment.
OMG! The dress looks like a bed skirt, or one of those 1980s table cloths my mom used to throw over the nightstands. And the fake hair, I cannot. For a duchess or whatever she is that style is just awful. Why can’t she put her hair up? She looks ridiculous.