Diana's diamonds: William gives Kate his mother's favourite earrings

By Daily Mail Reporter


Prince William has given a pair of his mother's earrings to new wife Kate.

The Duchess of Cambridge wore the diamond and sapphire gems during the couple's official visit to Canada and America.

Kate, 29, had Diana's heavy studs remodelled into drop earrings and wore them for the first time when she watched Andy Murray from the Royal Box at Wimbledon last month.

Favourite: Kate wore the remodelled earrings on tour in Canada and Diana was regularly spotted wearing the jewellery


The earrings were thought to be among Diana's most precious jewels and she was spotted wearing them at dozens of events during the 1980s and 1990s.

A courtier told the Sunday Mirror: 'Now they're married William wanted her to have some of his mother's favourite pieces.'

It is not the first time the Duchess' style has been compared with the late Princess Diana's.

Comparisons: From the Duchess' wedding day commentators were already comparing the couple to Princess Diana and Prince Charles

Kate wore a similar outfit to that of Princess Diana when she visited Canada by donning a maple leaf hat.

Both sported red hats with white dresses during their official visits but Princess Diana made a slightly bolder statement by wearing a matching red scarf.

Crowds across the globe were eager to make comparisons as Diana and Charles made a similar tour in 1983.

The People's Princess: Diana devoted her time to charity work..

And Kate was seen to be equally interested in speaking to people on the official Canada tour, doing impromptu walkabouts


Princess Diana was the main attraction with thousands of people waved flags and shouted the slogan 'We Want Di'.

And Prince William's new wife was also a real crowd pleaser and her wardrobe had been one of the main topics of discussion.

The couple are currently deciding on a permanent London base, and are tipped to take Apartment 1a in Kensington Palace, a lavish 19-room suite that was once the home of the late Princess Margaret.

It was reported the couple also considered Apartments 8 and 9, the former marital home of Charles and Diana where William grew up, but Kate is said to have been uncomfortable with the idea.

'They have been to look around Margaret's apartment and like it very much,' said a source.


source:dailymail

Diana's diamonds: William gives Kate his mother's favourite earrings

By Daily Mail Reporter


Prince William has given a pair of his mother's earrings to new wife Kate.

The Duchess of Cambridge wore the diamond and sapphire gems during the couple's official visit to Canada and America.

Kate, 29, had Diana's heavy studs remodelled into drop earrings and wore them for the first time when she watched Andy Murray from the Royal Box at Wimbledon last month.

Favourite: Kate wore the remodelled earrings on tour in Canada and Diana was regularly spotted wearing the jewellery


The earrings were thought to be among Diana's most precious jewels and she was spotted wearing them at dozens of events during the 1980s and 1990s.

A courtier told the Sunday Mirror: 'Now they're married William wanted her to have some of his mother's favourite pieces.'

It is not the first time the Duchess' style has been compared with the late Princess Diana's.

Comparisons: From the Duchess' wedding day commentators were already comparing the couple to Princess Diana and Prince Charles

Kate wore a similar outfit to that of Princess Diana when she visited Canada by donning a maple leaf hat.

Both sported red hats with white dresses during their official visits but Princess Diana made a slightly bolder statement by wearing a matching red scarf.

Crowds across the globe were eager to make comparisons as Diana and Charles made a similar tour in 1983.

The People's Princess: Diana devoted her time to charity work..

And Kate was seen to be equally interested in speaking to people on the official Canada tour, doing impromptu walkabouts


Princess Diana was the main attraction with thousands of people waved flags and shouted the slogan 'We Want Di'.

And Prince William's new wife was also a real crowd pleaser and her wardrobe had been one of the main topics of discussion.

The couple are currently deciding on a permanent London base, and are tipped to take Apartment 1a in Kensington Palace, a lavish 19-room suite that was once the home of the late Princess Margaret.

It was reported the couple also considered Apartments 8 and 9, the former marital home of Charles and Diana where William grew up, but Kate is said to have been uncomfortable with the idea.

'They have been to look around Margaret's apartment and like it very much,' said a source.


source:dailymail

Tinseltown Kate: How the elegant Duchess of Cambridge dazzled on the red carpet

By Tamara Abraham


Dazzling: The Duchess of Cambridge shone as she took to the red carpet in Los Angeles, wearing a full-length Sarah Burton gown in the palest lavender, with a sparkling silver belt and full skirt


When you have Alexander McQueen's Sarah Burton on your speed dial, expectations are always high, but the Duchess of Cambridge dazzled last night at Bafta's black tie dinner in Los Angeles.

Though we saw a glimpse of the gown in a garment bag carried by Canadian soldiers on Thursday, it seems only Catherine could do it justice.

The dress, in palest lavender, was typical of the 29-year-old's recent style.


Like her wedding dress, it appeared to be a custom creation, as it is not a part of any recent collections for the label, though it does bear some of the hallmarks of the fall/winter 2011 line.

The high neckline made it demure, while the sparkling silver belt and full skirt added the required amount of drama for the high-profile, formal event.

Catherine wore more accessories than usual, though if there was ever an occasion to wear a pair of diamond chandelier earrings, borrowed from the Queen, this was it.

She also wore a diamond bracelet, while the clutch bag and shoes, both from Jimmy Choo, completed the celebration of British design.

The label's strappy silver Vamp sandals, £450, had five-and-half-inch platform heels, making them higher that the classic courts she normally wears.

The clutch, in silver and gold glitter, was the Ubai design, £275.

But the look was not as much of a surprise to fashion-watchers as it normally is, after photographs of what was was believed to be Catherine's gown emerged on Friday.

Fashion bloggers went into overdrive after a transparent dress bag containing the Alexander McQueen creation was captured on camera as Canadian soldiers loaded suitcases onto the Royal plane.

Though little could be seen of the dress, many likened it to the Jenny Packham gown Catherine wore to the ARK gala in London last month.

Dramatic additions: Catherine wore more accessories than usual, including this £275 silver and gold glitter clutch, by Jimmy Choo, and these strappy silver sandals with five-and-a-half inch heels, by the same designer

Cat out of the bag: A Canadian soldier inadvertently revealed Catherine's gown as he loaded up the Royal plane


In reality, however, it was very different, the only similarity being the high neckline.

While the figure-hugging Packham gown had been heavily embellished with sequins and crystals, the Alexander McQueen creation, with its full skirt and sculptural pleats, was more akin to the Grecian-inspired gowns that Sarah Burton sent down the runway.

It is the second time Catherine has chosen to wear McQueen on the nine-day Royal Tour. She chose a 2006 design from the label for a visit to Prince Edward Island in Canada last week.


source:dailymail

Tinseltown Kate: How the elegant Duchess of Cambridge dazzled on the red carpet

By Tamara Abraham


Dazzling: The Duchess of Cambridge shone as she took to the red carpet in Los Angeles, wearing a full-length Sarah Burton gown in the palest lavender, with a sparkling silver belt and full skirt


When you have Alexander McQueen's Sarah Burton on your speed dial, expectations are always high, but the Duchess of Cambridge dazzled last night at Bafta's black tie dinner in Los Angeles.

Though we saw a glimpse of the gown in a garment bag carried by Canadian soldiers on Thursday, it seems only Catherine could do it justice.

The dress, in palest lavender, was typical of the 29-year-old's recent style.


Like her wedding dress, it appeared to be a custom creation, as it is not a part of any recent collections for the label, though it does bear some of the hallmarks of the fall/winter 2011 line.

The high neckline made it demure, while the sparkling silver belt and full skirt added the required amount of drama for the high-profile, formal event.

Catherine wore more accessories than usual, though if there was ever an occasion to wear a pair of diamond chandelier earrings, borrowed from the Queen, this was it.

She also wore a diamond bracelet, while the clutch bag and shoes, both from Jimmy Choo, completed the celebration of British design.

The label's strappy silver Vamp sandals, £450, had five-and-half-inch platform heels, making them higher that the classic courts she normally wears.

The clutch, in silver and gold glitter, was the Ubai design, £275.

But the look was not as much of a surprise to fashion-watchers as it normally is, after photographs of what was was believed to be Catherine's gown emerged on Friday.

Fashion bloggers went into overdrive after a transparent dress bag containing the Alexander McQueen creation was captured on camera as Canadian soldiers loaded suitcases onto the Royal plane.

Though little could be seen of the dress, many likened it to the Jenny Packham gown Catherine wore to the ARK gala in London last month.

Dramatic additions: Catherine wore more accessories than usual, including this £275 silver and gold glitter clutch, by Jimmy Choo, and these strappy silver sandals with five-and-a-half inch heels, by the same designer

Cat out of the bag: A Canadian soldier inadvertently revealed Catherine's gown as he loaded up the Royal plane


In reality, however, it was very different, the only similarity being the high neckline.

While the figure-hugging Packham gown had been heavily embellished with sequins and crystals, the Alexander McQueen creation, with its full skirt and sculptural pleats, was more akin to the Grecian-inspired gowns that Sarah Burton sent down the runway.

It is the second time Catherine has chosen to wear McQueen on the nine-day Royal Tour. She chose a 2006 design from the label for a visit to Prince Edward Island in Canada last week.


source:dailymail

A flash of thigh, a sensational week for Kate... but who was that baldie trailing behind her?

By Jan Moir


Kate looked demure in her primrose yellow silk, but we saw more of her endless legs than she intended


With a swish and a thunderous sigh of relief, the red velvet curtain falls on the end of the first week of the first official royal tour for the Duchess of Cambridge.

And so far, so very, very good. Most excellent work, your royal Sister of Pippa-ness.

Really, things could not have gone better. During her nine days in Canada, the Duchess did not squash any toddlers under her impeccable nude platforms, suffer a wardrobe malfunction nor flash any unfortunate boob-age at the grateful Canadian nation.

Agreed, there were a few blowy moments in cricket whites and primrose silk when we saw envious yardage of royal thigh and the merest glimpse of knickerdom. Yet after a few desperate tugs on the hem of her pretty summer dresses, duchessorial blushes were spared.


No circle-of-shame snaps in a glossy magazine for HRH Kate this week, thank you very much. Elsewhere, international incidents, diplomatic skirmishes, awkward moments when she fled to the airport clutching her passport, trying to buy a one-way ticket to Monaco? All avoided.

Feathers ruffled? None. Terrifying polar bear rugs encountered? One. Trees planted, ditto. Posies accepted from little children in that official low crouch, knees together, side swivel position invented and patented by Diana, Princess of Wales? At least two.

Gifts amassed so far? One diamond polar bear brooch, one red fleece Ranger hoodie, one pair of beaded moccasins, plus one traditional Calgary wide-brimmed, Smithbilt cowboy hat.

A pretty good haul. Better than anything at Bicester shopping village, that’s for sure. Check out the quality of those diamonds. Pippa will die!

And whether at a ceremony of remembrance, whisking up canapes in a kitchen, paddling a dragon boat or smoking caribou skins on a reservation, the Duchess was endlessly sunny.

She can do sombre, she can do formal, she can do parsley garnishes. When required, she can stick her oar in with the best of them and can do campfire geniality along with genteel cocktail chat at the ambassador’s residence. In fact, she can do no wrong.

Yes, there was one tiny difficulty, as the Duchess swished from civic reception to official dinner, her excellent Middleton legs sheathed and twinkling in standard royal issue high-gloss tights. Exactly who was that dull guy with the bald patch and old man’s blazer who kept doggedly following her around? Could someone call security, please?

When visiting a provincial Canadian town, it takes some doing to come across as the least groovy bloke in the boondocks. In such circumstances, however, you can bet your anchor-stamped brass buttons that a Windsor man will always triumph.

No one can out-anorak a royal anorak, especially when he’s trying to do smart-casual in a canoe.

Cast adrift in the stardust of his wife’s slipstream, there were moments when Prince William seemed like some plodding member of the protection squad intent on invading her personal space and getting his mug in the official photographs.

Without her, who would turn out to see him? Perhaps no one, except a lost moose or two and a few ladies from the crochet club at a loose end on a weekday afternoon.

Yet to see the young Duke and Duchess stand shoulder to shoulder, meeting officials, consoling the survivors of a devastating forest fire or cheerfully shaking hands with the Canadian crowds is to understand the eternal potency of beauty.

Shoulder to shoulder: Kate's star quality is rubbing off on a relaxed William


Being married to a lovely woman like Kate gives a man like William prestige and cachet. By her side, he instantly looks more handsome, debonair and assured. And not only does she make him look good, she also humanises and glamorises the entire Windsor brand.

Look at Kate on Canada Day in the Canadian capital, attending a Canadian citizenship ceremony wearing the Canadian national colours, accessorised by a hat fluttering with maple leaves (the Canadian emblem) and a maple leaf diamond brooch.

She couldn’t have tried harder if she had donned buckskins, flung herself at the feet of the Governor General and begged to be called Squaw Who Dances With Willie.


Her red and white ensemble may have been more national costume than elegant outfit, it may have been slightly de trop, but it was utterly charming.

And it proved yet again that the Duchess is a class act; a woman with an inbuilt sense of duty, a representative of the monarchy who knows and understands what is expected of her.

Unlike other royal wives, such as the Duchess of York for ghastly example, the D of C realises that despite all the attention and endless interest in her Erdem dresses and choice of handbag, it is not all about her.

Instead, she fully grasps she is not just a support to her husband, but also a kind of cipher, an agreeable, British and royal symbol upon which entire nations can project their feelings of goodwill and benevolence.

The baton has been handed to a newly minted royal couple upon whose shoulders the entire future of the House of Windsor depends. Be serious. Who else is capable of appearing on the world stage on behalf of Queen and country, exuding that tricky mix of gravitas, charm and sincerity that the post requires?

Prince Harry and his latest chick, lingerie model Flossy Boomps-adaisy-Boops and her fruity selection of balcony bras? Those galumphing horrors Beatrice and Eugenie in matching ostrich feather comedy hats?

Shop-soiled Prince Andrew or sulky Prince Charles? I don’t think so. Not for a second. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are our last hope.

So back home, the Queen will have been watching with great interest how this tour develops.

With an experienced eye, she will be appraising the performance of her grandson and his dazzling new wife, praying that the mistakes and hysteria of the Diana era are not to be repeated. Will HM be pleased? I suspect she will be absolutely thrilled.

On THE most basic level, you have got to admit Kate looks great. From sea to shining sea, the Duchess has been working her classically elegant, faultlessly neat, sexy secretary look to great effect.

She has shimmered in purple silk, dazzled in navy lace, worn a dress the colour of a beige envelope and given it a first-class stamp.

And while frying onions in a chef’s jacket or scrambling into a seaplane in her favourite J Brand jeans, what was much more important was the fact there was no mistaking the frighteningly fierce delight she takes in her new-found royal chores.

In the Northwest Territory, the Duchess visited community projects with unbridled enthusiasm.

At Yellowknife, she was presented with a hockey stick and looked at it with something approaching ecstasy.

While meeting dignitaries, ordinary folks or uncomprehending babies, her all-weather smile never dims — those dimples could be drilled into the bone.

That perma rictus of bleached gnashers, semaphoring a bedazzled delight at her own good fortune to the world, is becoming an infectious trademark.

The toughest test was saved for the last day, when the couple had to attend the Calgary Stampede and try to remain regal in cowpoke attire. They glowed pinkly beneath their matching ten-gallon rabbit fur hats.

Our girl managed to look fascinated by a lot of cows milling around and pawing the ground. Just like the polo crowds at Windsor, really.

Canada has fallen for her charms, California is next and the triumphant Duchess of Cambridge seems an irresistible and unstoppable royal force.

The Windsors — and us — could do with a high-wattage dose of uncomplicated, affable, natural charisma.

So long may the old Duch reign — and let’s hope royal life does nothing to curdle her bottomless charm.

LIZ JONES'S VERDICT ON HER ROYAL STYLISHNESS

Left: Boarding the plane to Canada in a Roland Mouret dress, Mulberry bag, Smythe les Vestes blazer and Manolo Blahniks, Kate looks a touch too like a sales rep. Total: £3,058
Centre: By the time she arrives, she’s in an Erdem dress, LK Bennett shoes and a Tiffany bracelet. This is savvy, showing she is taking fashion seriously. Total: £2,115
Right: For a barbecue, she’s in Vinnie Day earrings and Pied a Terre wedges. But her Issa dress looks more like Next. A bit frumpy and plain for a goddess like Kate. Total: £633

Left: Her striking outfit for Canada Day (Reiss dress, Lock & Co hat, Anya Hindmarch clutch, Kiki McDonough earrings and Hobbs shoes) was my tour highlight. Total: £1,624
Centre: I love the colour, draping and low cut of this Issa dress teamed with an Anya Hindmarch clutch and Prada pumps. Her hair is sophisticated. Total: £1,109
Right: Catherine Walker may have been Diana’s favourite designer, but this dress is too staid. Hobbs clutch, Tabitha Simmons pumps, Links of London earrings. Total: £1,789


Left: I simply love the embellishment on this Erdem dress at a prayer service. Nude LK Bennett shoes are much younger and fresher than traditional black. Total: £2,170
Centre: This pretty Joseph dress is a little flimsy. The Links of London earrings, LK Bennett clutch and shoes don’t inject the colour this outfit needs. Total: £510
Right: The Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen nautical dress is fabulous and the ponytail is youthful. But why finish it off with such dreary Prada shoes? Total: £1,600


source:dailymail

A flash of thigh, a sensational week for Kate... but who was that baldie trailing behind her?

By Jan Moir


Kate looked demure in her primrose yellow silk, but we saw more of her endless legs than she intended


With a swish and a thunderous sigh of relief, the red velvet curtain falls on the end of the first week of the first official royal tour for the Duchess of Cambridge.

And so far, so very, very good. Most excellent work, your royal Sister of Pippa-ness.

Really, things could not have gone better. During her nine days in Canada, the Duchess did not squash any toddlers under her impeccable nude platforms, suffer a wardrobe malfunction nor flash any unfortunate boob-age at the grateful Canadian nation.

Agreed, there were a few blowy moments in cricket whites and primrose silk when we saw envious yardage of royal thigh and the merest glimpse of knickerdom. Yet after a few desperate tugs on the hem of her pretty summer dresses, duchessorial blushes were spared.


No circle-of-shame snaps in a glossy magazine for HRH Kate this week, thank you very much. Elsewhere, international incidents, diplomatic skirmishes, awkward moments when she fled to the airport clutching her passport, trying to buy a one-way ticket to Monaco? All avoided.

Feathers ruffled? None. Terrifying polar bear rugs encountered? One. Trees planted, ditto. Posies accepted from little children in that official low crouch, knees together, side swivel position invented and patented by Diana, Princess of Wales? At least two.

Gifts amassed so far? One diamond polar bear brooch, one red fleece Ranger hoodie, one pair of beaded moccasins, plus one traditional Calgary wide-brimmed, Smithbilt cowboy hat.

A pretty good haul. Better than anything at Bicester shopping village, that’s for sure. Check out the quality of those diamonds. Pippa will die!

And whether at a ceremony of remembrance, whisking up canapes in a kitchen, paddling a dragon boat or smoking caribou skins on a reservation, the Duchess was endlessly sunny.

She can do sombre, she can do formal, she can do parsley garnishes. When required, she can stick her oar in with the best of them and can do campfire geniality along with genteel cocktail chat at the ambassador’s residence. In fact, she can do no wrong.

Yes, there was one tiny difficulty, as the Duchess swished from civic reception to official dinner, her excellent Middleton legs sheathed and twinkling in standard royal issue high-gloss tights. Exactly who was that dull guy with the bald patch and old man’s blazer who kept doggedly following her around? Could someone call security, please?

When visiting a provincial Canadian town, it takes some doing to come across as the least groovy bloke in the boondocks. In such circumstances, however, you can bet your anchor-stamped brass buttons that a Windsor man will always triumph.

No one can out-anorak a royal anorak, especially when he’s trying to do smart-casual in a canoe.

Cast adrift in the stardust of his wife’s slipstream, there were moments when Prince William seemed like some plodding member of the protection squad intent on invading her personal space and getting his mug in the official photographs.

Without her, who would turn out to see him? Perhaps no one, except a lost moose or two and a few ladies from the crochet club at a loose end on a weekday afternoon.

Yet to see the young Duke and Duchess stand shoulder to shoulder, meeting officials, consoling the survivors of a devastating forest fire or cheerfully shaking hands with the Canadian crowds is to understand the eternal potency of beauty.

Shoulder to shoulder: Kate's star quality is rubbing off on a relaxed William


Being married to a lovely woman like Kate gives a man like William prestige and cachet. By her side, he instantly looks more handsome, debonair and assured. And not only does she make him look good, she also humanises and glamorises the entire Windsor brand.

Look at Kate on Canada Day in the Canadian capital, attending a Canadian citizenship ceremony wearing the Canadian national colours, accessorised by a hat fluttering with maple leaves (the Canadian emblem) and a maple leaf diamond brooch.

She couldn’t have tried harder if she had donned buckskins, flung herself at the feet of the Governor General and begged to be called Squaw Who Dances With Willie.


Her red and white ensemble may have been more national costume than elegant outfit, it may have been slightly de trop, but it was utterly charming.

And it proved yet again that the Duchess is a class act; a woman with an inbuilt sense of duty, a representative of the monarchy who knows and understands what is expected of her.

Unlike other royal wives, such as the Duchess of York for ghastly example, the D of C realises that despite all the attention and endless interest in her Erdem dresses and choice of handbag, it is not all about her.

Instead, she fully grasps she is not just a support to her husband, but also a kind of cipher, an agreeable, British and royal symbol upon which entire nations can project their feelings of goodwill and benevolence.

The baton has been handed to a newly minted royal couple upon whose shoulders the entire future of the House of Windsor depends. Be serious. Who else is capable of appearing on the world stage on behalf of Queen and country, exuding that tricky mix of gravitas, charm and sincerity that the post requires?

Prince Harry and his latest chick, lingerie model Flossy Boomps-adaisy-Boops and her fruity selection of balcony bras? Those galumphing horrors Beatrice and Eugenie in matching ostrich feather comedy hats?

Shop-soiled Prince Andrew or sulky Prince Charles? I don’t think so. Not for a second. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are our last hope.

So back home, the Queen will have been watching with great interest how this tour develops.

With an experienced eye, she will be appraising the performance of her grandson and his dazzling new wife, praying that the mistakes and hysteria of the Diana era are not to be repeated. Will HM be pleased? I suspect she will be absolutely thrilled.

On THE most basic level, you have got to admit Kate looks great. From sea to shining sea, the Duchess has been working her classically elegant, faultlessly neat, sexy secretary look to great effect.

She has shimmered in purple silk, dazzled in navy lace, worn a dress the colour of a beige envelope and given it a first-class stamp.

And while frying onions in a chef’s jacket or scrambling into a seaplane in her favourite J Brand jeans, what was much more important was the fact there was no mistaking the frighteningly fierce delight she takes in her new-found royal chores.

In the Northwest Territory, the Duchess visited community projects with unbridled enthusiasm.

At Yellowknife, she was presented with a hockey stick and looked at it with something approaching ecstasy.

While meeting dignitaries, ordinary folks or uncomprehending babies, her all-weather smile never dims — those dimples could be drilled into the bone.

That perma rictus of bleached gnashers, semaphoring a bedazzled delight at her own good fortune to the world, is becoming an infectious trademark.

The toughest test was saved for the last day, when the couple had to attend the Calgary Stampede and try to remain regal in cowpoke attire. They glowed pinkly beneath their matching ten-gallon rabbit fur hats.

Our girl managed to look fascinated by a lot of cows milling around and pawing the ground. Just like the polo crowds at Windsor, really.

Canada has fallen for her charms, California is next and the triumphant Duchess of Cambridge seems an irresistible and unstoppable royal force.

The Windsors — and us — could do with a high-wattage dose of uncomplicated, affable, natural charisma.

So long may the old Duch reign — and let’s hope royal life does nothing to curdle her bottomless charm.

LIZ JONES'S VERDICT ON HER ROYAL STYLISHNESS

Left: Boarding the plane to Canada in a Roland Mouret dress, Mulberry bag, Smythe les Vestes blazer and Manolo Blahniks, Kate looks a touch too like a sales rep. Total: £3,058
Centre: By the time she arrives, she’s in an Erdem dress, LK Bennett shoes and a Tiffany bracelet. This is savvy, showing she is taking fashion seriously. Total: £2,115
Right: For a barbecue, she’s in Vinnie Day earrings and Pied a Terre wedges. But her Issa dress looks more like Next. A bit frumpy and plain for a goddess like Kate. Total: £633

Left: Her striking outfit for Canada Day (Reiss dress, Lock & Co hat, Anya Hindmarch clutch, Kiki McDonough earrings and Hobbs shoes) was my tour highlight. Total: £1,624
Centre: I love the colour, draping and low cut of this Issa dress teamed with an Anya Hindmarch clutch and Prada pumps. Her hair is sophisticated. Total: £1,109
Right: Catherine Walker may have been Diana’s favourite designer, but this dress is too staid. Hobbs clutch, Tabitha Simmons pumps, Links of London earrings. Total: £1,789


Left: I simply love the embellishment on this Erdem dress at a prayer service. Nude LK Bennett shoes are much younger and fresher than traditional black. Total: £2,170
Centre: This pretty Joseph dress is a little flimsy. The Links of London earrings, LK Bennett clutch and shoes don’t inject the colour this outfit needs. Total: £510
Right: The Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen nautical dress is fabulous and the ponytail is youthful. But why finish it off with such dreary Prada shoes? Total: £1,600


source:dailymail

The making of a style queen: How Kate Middleton is single-handedly changing the face of fashion

By Maysa Rawi


Preppy princess: The Duchess of Cambridge wears a cable-knit cream dress on her visit to Prince Edward Island for day five of the Royal tour


In the world of eight-inch platform heels, mini skirts and oversized it-bags, one dainty Duchess is choosing more subtle ways to make her mark on fashion.

On the fifth day of the Royal tour, Kate wore an elegant cream and navy long-sleeve cable knit dress with pussy-bow neckline by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen for her visit to Prince Edward Island.

The 1920s-style preppy dress is a move from her usual style but will no doubt be a sell-out hit.

Vintage visit: The 1920's style dress featured tie detailing and pleated skirt with navy bordering


It has been well documented that Kate Middleton's marketing power - known as the Kate effect - ensures anything she is seen wearing is sold-out within hours.

But what continues to come a surprise is how Kate can turn the notably 'un-fashionable' into an instant hit.

The simple nude Vanessa dress by Joseph she wore on Sunday in Quebec City has unsurprisingly now sold out.

Baring arms: The Duchess of Cambridge wore a sleeveless Joseph dress yesterday

Fashion formula: Kate sticks to knee-length sheath dresses, court shoes and clutch bags


While some labeled her outfit choices over the weekend 'boring', Kate's samey style is what will ultimately ensure her iconic status.

Speaking about the grey Catherine Walker dress Kate wore on Saturday, associate fashion news editor at Canadian fashion magazine Flare Mosha Lundstrom Halbert said: 'I wanted to see her step it up in terms of the fashion quotient, and she didn't do that today.'

Although she has never been seen in a pair of highly coveted Christian Louboutin shoes, or sporting a weighty Hermes Birkin on her arm, Kate still has the ability to shift thousands of copies of a simple Zara dress.

Thrifty: Kate recycled an Issa dress she wore the night before her wedding, right


Wedged espadrilles, low-heeled court shoes and longer-hems, though once labeled as old-fashioned or 'mumsy', have become instant hits among young shoppers.

This would come as little surprise to industry experts who know an icon becomes so by playing against type - Audrey Hepburn after all attracted attention for wearing boyish Capri pants and ballet flats while counterparts like curvy Marilyn Monroe wore 'fashionable' nipped-in waists and cleavage-enhancing bras.

Ironically, it is Kate's conservative approach that has placed her so strongly on the radar.

High-end labels: The Duchess wore Issa, Erdem and Roland Mouret


Yet critics began to bemoan her obsession with the High Street and urged her to turn to higher-end labels.

And on the first day of her Royal tour, sporting a Roland Mouret dress and Manolo Blahnik heels (when we have come to expect Reiss and LK Bennett), Kate proved she was paying attention.

Now on her fifth day, she continues to opt for luxury designers including Issa and Katherine Walker and now McQueen - the label she chose for her wedding dress.

But not one give into ostentation either, she recycled the white Nano Reiss dress, the same design she wore for her formal engagement portrait last year and the bird-print Issa dress she wore on the night before her wedding.

She also paid tribute to the country she is visiting with a red maple tree hat and diamond brooch borrowed from the Queen and opted to twice wear Canadian-born designer Erdem.

It is hard to believe the savvy sartorial choices come from a woman who has always professed to have little interest in fashion.

The bags: The Duchess always accessories her outfits with a clutch

The shoes: Katherine favours low heels, either wedged espadrilles or court shoes


But bravely eschewing a professional stylist, the Duchess of Cambridge's carefully chosen wardrobe, consisting of over 30 outfits, is an indication that she isn't simply indiscriminately choosing pieces that appeal to her, but rather making a deliberate statement.

Tall and thin, Kate's slender figure would give most models a run for their money, and while most looks would suit her, she has chosen to stick to a simple but effective formula.

She rarely strays from a knee-length sheath dress, boxy jacket or blazer, court shoes and a clutch bag.

Sleeves are often short or three-quarter length but she does very occasionally bare her arms, like yesterday for instance in a nude 'Vanessa' dress by Joseph, also now sold-out.

Fine jewels: The Duchess has a different pair of earrings to match her outfits

Accessories queen: Kate matches her blue Erdem dress to her earrings, left, and wears a diamond brooch borrowed by the Queen, right, and a Lock & Co. red hat


Her trademark look is not new - Kate's capsule style has been the same since she started dating the Prince.

But as she has been increasingly thrust into the limelight, her style has continued to mature and develop.

Gone are the 'Sloaney' flat knee-high suede boots and frosty pink lipstick and she is paying more attention to her accessories with a healthy stock of Anya Hindmarch handbags.

Her taste is jewelery has also changed. Whereas it was always rather understated, Kate is now sporting sophisticated brooches, carefully selected earrings and of course, the stunning sapphire engagement ring.

The demure outfits - skirts never too short, heels never too high - are telling details.

Kate knows who she is and isn't easily swayed by passing trends.

Her wardrobe choices indicate qualities in her character: stability, loyalty and self-assurance.

As the tour is halfway underway, Kate will no doubt continue to impress industry movers and shakers and it surely won't be long before she is invited to cover Vogue - if she hasn't been already.

Whether the shy and understated Kate decides to accept the offer is another matter.

Either way, the best is yet to come - and refreshingly, there won't be mini skirt in sight.


source:dailymail

The making of a style queen: How Kate Middleton is single-handedly changing the face of fashion

By Maysa Rawi


Preppy princess: The Duchess of Cambridge wears a cable-knit cream dress on her visit to Prince Edward Island for day five of the Royal tour


In the world of eight-inch platform heels, mini skirts and oversized it-bags, one dainty Duchess is choosing more subtle ways to make her mark on fashion.

On the fifth day of the Royal tour, Kate wore an elegant cream and navy long-sleeve cable knit dress with pussy-bow neckline by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen for her visit to Prince Edward Island.

The 1920s-style preppy dress is a move from her usual style but will no doubt be a sell-out hit.

Vintage visit: The 1920's style dress featured tie detailing and pleated skirt with navy bordering


It has been well documented that Kate Middleton's marketing power - known as the Kate effect - ensures anything she is seen wearing is sold-out within hours.

But what continues to come a surprise is how Kate can turn the notably 'un-fashionable' into an instant hit.

The simple nude Vanessa dress by Joseph she wore on Sunday in Quebec City has unsurprisingly now sold out.

Baring arms: The Duchess of Cambridge wore a sleeveless Joseph dress yesterday

Fashion formula: Kate sticks to knee-length sheath dresses, court shoes and clutch bags


While some labeled her outfit choices over the weekend 'boring', Kate's samey style is what will ultimately ensure her iconic status.

Speaking about the grey Catherine Walker dress Kate wore on Saturday, associate fashion news editor at Canadian fashion magazine Flare Mosha Lundstrom Halbert said: 'I wanted to see her step it up in terms of the fashion quotient, and she didn't do that today.'

Although she has never been seen in a pair of highly coveted Christian Louboutin shoes, or sporting a weighty Hermes Birkin on her arm, Kate still has the ability to shift thousands of copies of a simple Zara dress.

Thrifty: Kate recycled an Issa dress she wore the night before her wedding, right


Wedged espadrilles, low-heeled court shoes and longer-hems, though once labeled as old-fashioned or 'mumsy', have become instant hits among young shoppers.

This would come as little surprise to industry experts who know an icon becomes so by playing against type - Audrey Hepburn after all attracted attention for wearing boyish Capri pants and ballet flats while counterparts like curvy Marilyn Monroe wore 'fashionable' nipped-in waists and cleavage-enhancing bras.

Ironically, it is Kate's conservative approach that has placed her so strongly on the radar.

High-end labels: The Duchess wore Issa, Erdem and Roland Mouret


Yet critics began to bemoan her obsession with the High Street and urged her to turn to higher-end labels.

And on the first day of her Royal tour, sporting a Roland Mouret dress and Manolo Blahnik heels (when we have come to expect Reiss and LK Bennett), Kate proved she was paying attention.

Now on her fifth day, she continues to opt for luxury designers including Issa and Katherine Walker and now McQueen - the label she chose for her wedding dress.

But not one give into ostentation either, she recycled the white Nano Reiss dress, the same design she wore for her formal engagement portrait last year and the bird-print Issa dress she wore on the night before her wedding.

She also paid tribute to the country she is visiting with a red maple tree hat and diamond brooch borrowed from the Queen and opted to twice wear Canadian-born designer Erdem.

It is hard to believe the savvy sartorial choices come from a woman who has always professed to have little interest in fashion.

The bags: The Duchess always accessories her outfits with a clutch

The shoes: Katherine favours low heels, either wedged espadrilles or court shoes


But bravely eschewing a professional stylist, the Duchess of Cambridge's carefully chosen wardrobe, consisting of over 30 outfits, is an indication that she isn't simply indiscriminately choosing pieces that appeal to her, but rather making a deliberate statement.

Tall and thin, Kate's slender figure would give most models a run for their money, and while most looks would suit her, she has chosen to stick to a simple but effective formula.

She rarely strays from a knee-length sheath dress, boxy jacket or blazer, court shoes and a clutch bag.

Sleeves are often short or three-quarter length but she does very occasionally bare her arms, like yesterday for instance in a nude 'Vanessa' dress by Joseph, also now sold-out.

Fine jewels: The Duchess has a different pair of earrings to match her outfits

Accessories queen: Kate matches her blue Erdem dress to her earrings, left, and wears a diamond brooch borrowed by the Queen, right, and a Lock & Co. red hat


Her trademark look is not new - Kate's capsule style has been the same since she started dating the Prince.

But as she has been increasingly thrust into the limelight, her style has continued to mature and develop.

Gone are the 'Sloaney' flat knee-high suede boots and frosty pink lipstick and she is paying more attention to her accessories with a healthy stock of Anya Hindmarch handbags.

Her taste is jewelery has also changed. Whereas it was always rather understated, Kate is now sporting sophisticated brooches, carefully selected earrings and of course, the stunning sapphire engagement ring.

The demure outfits - skirts never too short, heels never too high - are telling details.

Kate knows who she is and isn't easily swayed by passing trends.

Her wardrobe choices indicate qualities in her character: stability, loyalty and self-assurance.

As the tour is halfway underway, Kate will no doubt continue to impress industry movers and shakers and it surely won't be long before she is invited to cover Vogue - if she hasn't been already.

Whether the shy and understated Kate decides to accept the offer is another matter.

Either way, the best is yet to come - and refreshingly, there won't be mini skirt in sight.


source:dailymail