The news was slightly overshadowed around Christmas, but the Queen forced a few additional patronages on the poor Duchess of Cambridge. That’s going to the Queen’s new Christmas tradition, because it’s happened for the past two Christmases – I imagine the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh literally bum-rushing Kate and holding her down until she relents and agrees to take over a few of the Queen’s patronages. One of Kate’s new patronages – and one which used to be held by the Queen – is for Action for Children, a far-reaching charity that supports vulnerable children and kids who need psychological help.
For Kate’s first-ever day of work (it’s probably more like “two hours of work, at most”) for Action for Children, Kate chose an old two-piece suit. I’m still not sure if I should call this a suit. I didn’t know if I should call it a suit the last time I wrote about it, back in 2012. This is the same burgundy Paule Ka suit that Kate wore to an October 2012 outing just a month after a French magazine published her naked photos from a holiday in France. I didn’t care for this in 2012, and I really don’t care for it now. It’s just such a girlish silhouette for Kate, right? This skirt feels like what a 20-year-old would choose for a job interview, not something for a 35-year-old duchess and mother of two.
Some nice stuff: Kate wore sensible boots with a low heel, which pleases me. She knew she was going to be talking to kids and she made an effort to NOT wear three-inch heels and tower over small children. She also experimented with keeping her hair out of her face.
You can read more about Kate’s activities today with Action for Children here.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
That outfit… it’s time to grow up, Kate.
Agreed. Too twee for words!
OMG! That outfit is horrific. The skirt and jacket on their own, are bad. But putting those boots with it? Are you kidding me?? I wish the DM would start calling her out on her bad taste whenever she makes an appearance. It could be called DK’s Horrible Fashion Sense (Ladies: Please Don’t Dress Like This … Ever)
Crap … now I need a drink …
It looks like the worst part of 90’s fashion punched a schoolgirl outfit in the back of the head and then rolled it up in some velour upholstery from an Oldsmobuick. Everything about this is either insanely juvenile or straight-up geriatric. She didn’t even dress this little-girlish when she WAS a little girl. I love her, I will always love her, and I will forgive her the many, many fashion transgressions that she so frequently commits – but I will never forget. This is just dreadful.
Makeup: B – Points for toning down the black liner, but she needs more color. Even a tinted chap stick would be welcome.
Hair: D- – This is how I wore my hair in the 7th grade, because I didn’t own hair styling tools or know how to use bobby pins.
Outfit: F – Turtleneck is a no, especially tired, tired black. “Suit” is a no. That color looks like a rusted cheese grater. The black tights are an absolute NO.
Boots: F – Girl. Girl. Giiiirrrrl. Are you going out to muck the cow sheds? No? Then stop wearing these atrocious, soulless boots. The designer ran out of suede (ick) halfway through the design and recycled a wet suit to patch up the backs.
This will go down in history as a ridiculous day.
IAWY.
I love the “but I will never forget” part LOL
@Sam this comment has me howling!! 😂
And you hit the nail on the head: she manages to look both juvenile AND geriatric at the same time. It’s a difficult feat but somehow she pulls it off.
Yes. That skirt is way too short.
Seventeen magazine, back to school edition, early 90s.
I would love to dress her.
More, I would love the opportunity to make change that she has right there in front of her. I would kick ass as a philanthropist and raise my kids to understand the importance of social justice and using privilege to benefit others.
What a waste of resources and influence.
Amen to that.
I don’t get it. She has access to the best designers etc and then she wears something like that.
IKR. This outfit looks cheap and juvenile. She needs a professional stylist.
Agreed. Sigh.
So this will be the year of the flippy skirt apparently.
I think the jacket and turtleneck look fine. almost exactly like what she wore last week, but fine. But the skirt….no. It didn’t look that good in 2012, and it does not look that good now.
I like the jacket and turtleneck. Now envision those with sleek black dress pants. Chic and functional right?
MY KINGDOM FOR THIS LAZY WOMAN TO WEAR DRESS PANTS. NOT JEGGINGS. DRESS PANTS. /rant
Yes, that sounds perfect, some black dress slacks. Can someone send her a pair?
Dress slacks are too mature for this woman…….emotionally she’s stuck at age 14 and it’s Carole’s fault.
Dress slacks don’t work for her because in her mind she needs to show off her legs at all times. It’s skin tight pants or a skirt. She’s so immature and vain, it’s pathetic.
A longer black pencil skirt with the top pieces.
Agree completely but even she could twee out a gorgeous pencil skirt. She’d get all buttony on top, add a headful of sausagey wiglets…matchy or beige pumps…ack. It does not end.
I agree with everyone. Top half is workable, but the Skirt? Big nope.
Maybe it’s just me but she looks more and more like her mother. Jmo
Yes, I was thinking the same.
Sometimes it depends on the angle. There was a site that did mirror images of famous faces, to show asymmetry (Two Faces of 12 Celebs). When they mirrored one half of KM’s face, she looked exactly like Pippa and Carole. Mirror the other half, and she looks completely different.
When you say she looks like Carole do you mean her face? In terms of physique tho I’d beg to differ as Carole while slim is not skeletal like Kate
I’m sorry but that is hideous.
Too short and frilly (not to mention utterly unflattering- check out the photo from behind).
And the black polo necck? The thick tights and hideous half suede boot things???#
This is really bad 90s sloane style. She’s definitely stuck in her sixth form formal wear time warp.
Are the skirt and jacket made from different materials? Either way, the total effect is very unflattering.
It’s so short. If she bends over her a** is going to stick out. I’m 20 and if I had a professional event to go to I wouldn’t wear a skirt that short. Maybe a party. She’s a duchess; she should not be wearing skirts that aren’t even halfway down the thigh. Even I know this!!
Idk maybe I’m too conservative. I’m very conscious of how I present myself in a professional manner and I feel as though short skirts are frowned upon.
Lastly, in the first photo I thought she only had one leg before realizing that both her thighs look like one leg. Someone get this girl help!!!!!!! She’s incredibly underweight! His her husband that much of a lump that he doesn’t care to do anything about his wife wasting away?! When I got too skinny after a lapse my BF flipped and went to my family. And again we are both college kids, not a married couple!!!
I agree, she’s way too thin.
No danger of it – she doesn’t have an ass to speak of.
May I say, Llamas, that you sound more mature, self-aware and intelligent at 20 than the Duchess seems at age 35. Congrats.
Aw, thank you Chrissy! I appreciate that. A lot of younger people seem to forget that when you go out in public you are giving everyone a glimpse as to who you are. Waity either doesn’t care about how she presents herself or she’s just clueless. I tend to think it’s the former.
I kinda think it’s a combination of both. This outfit looks like something from the bottom of her bedroom closet at Carole’s house circa 1995.
Aw, llamas, hugs for the lapse. I am glad your bf noticed something was up. I think I once asked how Will couldn’t notice Kate was showing signs of being underweight since she had lost all her muscle in her legs and arms, and someone here chastised me, “why is it his job to notice!”
But honestly for all the fears about obesity, I think we do not hear enough about dangers of being underweight, and how undereating can cause muscle loss (even heart damage!), bone loss, immune dysfunction, Collagen loss (skin takes a hit I guess)… but still result in lots of compliments towards women.
and doctors ignore it as stupid women’s vanity when it’s often a sign of mental distress. :/
It’s not just the juvenile look, the jacket is fine, but from the waist down it’s like she’s wearing a child’s clothes that are too small for her. I think she dresses fine normally, boring maybe but that’s ok with me. But this getup just makes her look ridiculous.
Skirt is definitely far too short, even when she’s standing up straight. When she bends over? She’s moving into flashing territory again. Knee length pencil skirt or trousers would have been professional. This getup is not.
That is a horrible combination of clothes.
Yeah, Catherine is definitely a fashion icon. Not!
The colours lovely but it’s ridiculously short. There doesn’t seem to be any of the big royal reporters with her today. The only one who’s tweeted was Simon the people magazine guy. Richard pamper tweeted a link to an article but I don’t think he’s actually there. The few pictures show really small crowds. Harry’s yesterday were way bigger.
Yes, I like it except the length. Not just the skirt, the waist of the blazer falls a bit too high, as well. It’s like she accidentally wandered into the petite section at an Ann Taylor store and bought the suit not realizing it was meant for a shorter person.
LOL………….so true.
Yes! That’s it exactly! I love the color. I love that she’s not wearing heels, and I even like the idea of the skirt – but it doesn’t look like it fits her properly.
She clings to teenage school girl looks…she may have stopped twirling her hair but the immaturity is still obvious. Diana, certainly by age 35 wasn’t dressing this way and I believe HM never did.
The only thing I like is that she kept her hair out of her face.
Is anyone ever going to tell her she has a really long torso and these clothes don’t fit her? Or flatter her? Or…oh ffs she needs a tailer and I need a drink
LOL! She knows, but her taste in clothing and her mental image get in the way.
As someone who has a long torso, I will say that it can be hard to find stuff that fits properly – most clothes these days seem designed for short torso / long legs.
But I also don’t have an endless clothing budget and access to stylists …
if she wants to be thrifty, she can always use separates, i.e. the jacket with a black pencil skirt or with black trousers….
This looks very dated.
Agree Maria. A nice looking pair of black slacks would look very good. Why does she insist on dressing like a teenager?
Maria, there is just one problem with that, a pencil skirt or even nice black slacks, would show just how low her tush sits to the ground. The goal is the illusion of long sexy legs. Unfortunately most people can see through that now, and now she just looks childish. Chuck needs to hire her a dresser, end of story just hire someone who shows up on her doorstep and says I am told I am in charge and you are not allowed to go anywhere unless it is approved by me!!!!!Wishful thinking I reckon !!!!
When she smiles, she has the same weirdness to her face as Kylie Jenner. Parts are smiling, other parts aren’t. Must be the Botox, I can’t quite put my finger on it.
I like the colour. She suits it. That’s all I have on her styling for today. Everything else is the kind of the a recent graduate would wear to a job interview- right down to the hair.
She’s stuck in her early 20s style wise. But then Willy does seem to like the girly look.
What’s happening with her jaw? Looks disjointed.
The chin implant lol
She’s fading away…
That’s a miss. Way too girly. She’s not 25 any more. Pencil skirts are better for events, and she should reall ystart to wear some tailored trousers.
It looks as though the pics are heavily photoshopped.
I just don’t understand how they justify calling her a fashion icon and she dresses like a tween celebrity. She needs as good stylist&hairdresser like CP Victoria or Queen Letizia probably has on the ready for an engagement.As someone else said above the crowds didn’t seem to big for kate today.
All the parts don’t match. I’m not a snappy dresser myself, but in that position I’d have access to some help.
I don’t think the skirt works for her height. It might work for a shorter woman.
It would look great on a trim petite 20 something !!!
My 17 year old daughter and I were looking at hairstyles for her prom this spring; we were thinking of something along those lines. But, you know, she’s 17.
That is one of the ugliest skirts I have ever seen.
Agree, it’s just hideous.
Aaaaghh!! No no, bad Kate! Sigh. I used to adore this girl when she and Wills were dating, and even into the first year of marriage. What is going on? Fabrics not matching, skirt looks rumpled, boots are faded, and are those hair clips? This outfit would work of she was a working class mom who couldn’t afford to buy new clothes. That is usually who you see re wearing suits from their 20s. Not wealthy titled ladies.
Inappropriately dressed for this occasion but I’m not surprised or shocked because you know, that’s what Kate almost always does.
The hair looks OK from the front, but I dislike it from the back.
The jacket is fine, but she should pitch that skirt. The jacket would look better with a sheath dress, a pencil skirt, or my number 1 choice would be some perfectly tailored trousers.
One point for wearing low heels, but those boots really don’t work with this ensemble.
Are those bobby pins haphazardly thrown in her hair? It does not look polished or pulled together at all. I’m wearing a simple straight ponytail to work today and I look more grow up than she does. Took me exactly 2 minutes this morning.
The style is definitely 90s, but I don’t absolutely hate it. The back of the jacket is worse than the skirt imo. I don’t think the shirt is too short here, she has opaque tights on and she has no curves to pull/push the skirt out in the back – my booty is the reason I don’t wear skirts like this!
She’s tall and slender. Access to the finest, does she not want to be elegant and chic? This look is so unflattering.
I know-she the money and the access to be so chic. If you’re barely going to do your job, at least look elegant while you’re doing it.
She’s hopeless.
Beautiful colour combo, but our princess does not understand proportion. She’s so busy trying to hide the fact she’s ‘high waisted’ that she doesn’t know that a few more inches on the jacket and skirt would make it look really good.
Some of my fellow Celebitches were taking up a collection for a stylist for her….I wonder, if we start a Go Fund Me page she’ll get the hint?
She desperately needs a professional stylist, not her former PA co opted into the role. If u look at her staff they r all late 20s/early 30s and dress the same way. She doesn’t know whether she wants to dress young and stylish or like an adult and is why she always gets is wrong. Her style is not maturing, I guess it’s a reflection of how she sees herself and on those around her.
HK9, no sweetie she is very low waist-ed …
This is something I would have worn in my 20s…. In the mid 1990s, driving to work listening to my Goo Goo Dolls CD.
Uncanny how desperately she wants to be girlish, and I agree with those above who note that all is vanity with her. A nice black pair of trousers –which would should be an absolute staple —will never appear, because she is obsessed with showing off her thin legs and butt in the most obvious way.
And that absolutely kills me because she would look AMAZING in a pair of tailored slacks with those long legs of hers!
Her legs are not long– her torso is, and she chooses and alters clothes in order to give the opposite impression. It’s more difficult to create the illusion of longer legs in slacks, though wearing ridiculously high heels/wedges helps.
Azie, do you feel that Kate would rather have long legs than a long torso?
Well they’ve always looked long to me, so if that’s the illusion she’s been trying to create, it worked.
BLAH. That was my very first thought as soon as I saw her outfit. Dull, drab, pukey color. Just BLAH.
Two questions: When she reads all the criticism of her style, does it not bother her enough to make a change? I guess not…
Also, when a royal makes this kind of visit, how long is he or she expected to stay?
She only cares what William thinks about her.
I am just reading news of Queen Letizia welcoming the First Lady of Argentina and admiring their elegant and very professional outfits. And then imagine Kate being in that meeting and wearing this outfit. she would look like the little girl in an adult body about to present flowers to two professional women.
Kate needs to grow up mentally
Yeah, they look great!
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/02/22/14/3D850A6300000578-0-image-a-1_1487773263175.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/02/22/14/3D85125100000578-0-image-a-2_1487773271272.jpg
Oh, those are beautiful…love the color, the fit, the fabric, the hairstyles…everything.
Two beautiful women, I love Letizia’s outfit.
The best thing about this is that Letizia only has half the clothing budget of Kate’s, yet Letizia knows how to dress herself (she has no stylist) and most of her clothes are well-fitted and tailored to her proportions. Letizia can wear a Mango top and look elegant and poised, but Kate can’t manage to look groomed in a $2000 “bespoke” dress. It helps that Letizia has gravitas while Kate has zero and shows no sign of ever wanting to learn and improve and appear dignified.
OMG now THIS is what I call fashion porn…both these women look awesome…appropriate and stylish.
Wow! I love those suits. I agree with everything everyone is saying. Just adding my two cents that Kate looks ridiculous. Ridiculous.
Not to mention that Letizia is carrying her clutch in one hand, while the Argentinian FL isn’t bothering with one — two options Kate will never, ever consider.
She needs “Stitch Fix”!
Wow they look so fab, sharp and professional! I try not to give DM clicks so please check out Letizia’s instagram.
Letizia looks truly regal. Sadly, there’s no hope for Kate.
Those women look ravishing. And as @Maiden said Letizia is known for spending very little in comparison to other royals and wears cheap and expensive clothes together and manages to look…like in the picture. She even repeats clothes a lot and still every time you see her is a delight.
But in order to achieve that let’s not forget that she had to work for a living and had to learn how to dress as she has been in the public eye long before getting married. The duchess here hasn’t learned a thing during those 10 years of chasing around the prince. I have said before that I’m not that into fashion but you would caught me dead in an outfit like that. Better, my friends would laugh at me seeing me like that. no no no. Dammit girl hire a f….ng professional to help you even just for a while. All that money spent on..that..ugh
So elegant. Letizia was a top journalist in Spain before she became a princess, so she understands professional presentation. Unlike a certain coddled girl who spent her post-college, pre-royal years shopping, nightclubbing, and vacationing while living in a deluxe flat bought by her mum and dad.
Letiza always looks amazing – stylish and professional. I wish she was covered more on this site!
Perfect description, ZIZABET!
Holy shoulder pads! That is all
The color is gorgeous on her and I think the outfit is appropriate for what she is doing, visiting children in a casual setting. It’s something I would wear and I’m older than Kate. Why would she wear a business suit? It’s not formal.
It depends on the occasion. And yes, I agree the colour is nice on Kate. It’s just from the back, she looks like an off duty cheerleader.
A business suit may not be right for this engagement, however black tailored slacks (time to retire the skinny pants), a new haircut (Not another gringe) more appearances and speeches would go a long way to help resuscitate Cambridge PR.
I think if she had put her hair into a ponytail the look would appear a touch more polished. Maybe protocol dictates that she wear a skirt? I do think we will see more of Kate in the next couple of years but I get it if she doesnt like public speaking. It’s not my thing. I’d rather have a root canal.
There is no protocol that dictates wearing a skirt. Other royals, including HM, Diana, Anne and Sophie have all worn pants to engagements. Kate has worn pants, but seems to prefer the painted-on variety. I agree that the ponytail would have pushed this outfit out of “clueless intern” category. Even a dressier boot. But that skirt is hopeless.
I like that she wore something more youthful. Skirt’s a little too high, though. Could have let the hem out some? Dunno. Just needs one more panel.
Good old Waity never fails to disappoint. Meeting children – let’s wear a short skirt that could easily blow up in a gust of wind. She really is clueless and needs a stylist.
The suit might be passable if the skirt was longer. I didn’t mind the tights and boots combo. It made a change from sheer tights and nude courts.
She should take a long, hard look at what similarly aged European Royal ladies are wearing and start copying them.
She must not own a mirror. It is the only explanation at this point.
She looks absurd. As @Citresse said above, it looks like a cheerleader’s skirt.
What is wrong with this woman?!
I have a long torso as well and I really like a slightly higher waist. Imagine if she wore something like this, she would look fashionable and still conservative..
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/41/17/86/411786f959e8836bb46ec7fbc5350a83.jpg
https://www.instagram.com/p/G_NqTTjuU5/
http://9to5chic.com/2011/01/wearing-now-shades-of-blue.html/amp
Nice choices. If only Kate had a professional stylist.
They both look gorgeous and I love their hair up. Kate would do well to emulate them. Even Diana’s choice in clothing improved vastly after her divorce with Charles. Gone were the frilly girl outfits and she began to wear very sleek suits of gorgeous colors, especially when she was visiting children.
The skirt is too girly; and yet the boots (the heel height) are geriatric. HOW DOES SHE DO IT?
Who let her out of the house like that?? It is so totally awful and inappropriate and unflattering for this mid-30s woman to wear!! Too short flippy skirt – for the love of god! Imthink we should crowdfund for some stylish black sleek trousers for this poor deluded teen-woman!
Kate, no. Just no…smh
Her skirt is too short. It makes her look juvenile. Isn’t she in her 30’s? With every resource known to mankind available to her, you’d think she’d look spectacular all the time.
Do you poor women get off on making fun of another woman’s looks? I thought this site about all about feminism.
Agree. The comments are horrible.
Feminism isn’t faux worship & never having a critical thought. Quite the opposite actually.
Here is a short video of the visit. The press are back to photoshopping her face within an inch of its life again – she doesn’t look too tweaked in the video.
https://mobile.twitter.com/BBCWalesNews/status/834396071862337540/video/1
Hahaha Betti! Did you see this? The caption is “when you get to cuddle the future queen” and the first comment is, “Let’s hope not.” 😂
She is no Diana look how shy the lad is he puts his head down and she does also I would love to have seen the end of this video.
CNN has posted an article by Lisa Respers explaining the Kate effect with regard to the blue dress she wore on the day the engagement was announced.
Ugh, this didn’t show up earlier, sorry if it’s a repost:
Prince Philip walks in, mind on his feet
Determined to keep them from his mouth
Lilibet offers the Cambridges a seat
“Your dumb arses have really gone South”
Misinterpreting the queen’s harsh speech
The Duchess fidgets to inspect her thong
As William begins to whine and screech
“A hundred tabloid upskirts can’t be wrong!”
Unable to keep biting his tongue
Philip throws papers at the twits
“Cabbage is ninety and you are young!
We’re drawing the line, you lazy shits!”
The queen eyes a scepter in a container of glass
Wishing to use it to beat everyone’s ass.
You really are a poet! Very impressive, and hilariously funny! Thanks for the laugh WendyNerd.
The top is fine, but the skirt reminds me of that Catholic schoolgirl Molly Shannon used to play on SNL.
I hate this outfit. It’s like career wear from Forever 21. Also everything about it looks way too short, like she got it in petite sizing.
She really does look like a working mother Not – it looks like she wants to remain in her girly Will looks after me that’s what makes me a princess state. Has she got a few plasters on her hand by wearing the gloves or is she afraid of picking up the nova virus and by wearing none puts her in a position of forgetting herself and doing a Robbie Williams with the hand gel.
Ali McGraw called. She wants her Love Story wardrobe back. 🙂
https://au.pinterest.com/goncharovaolli/ali-macgraw/
Carrie says, totally Ali !!!
She looks ridiculous. Jacket & skirt too short. Hair is a mess. The Jacket sans the turtleneck paired with a nice pair of slacks, scarf & ankle boots may have been ok. Boggles the mind that this woman has no fashion sense. Who let her out of the palace looking like that?