Royal Fashion Awards: Belgian National Day 2011

While I was away, the Belgians celebrated National Day with a concert, Te Deums at various locations, and a military parade. Knowing how they've spruced it up for National Days past, I had my hopes up for at least a few giggles this year. The verdict? Disappointingly tame. Regardless, we continue on with our usual shenanigans:

Best Spirit

Queen Fabiola

Electric blue tights. YES. There's no better way to say "I'm 83 years old, people seem to enjoy throwing death threats my way; I'll do what I please." Fab indeed.

Most Consistent

Princess Astrid

Astrid's like Princess Anne in that her best showings involve rocking the lady military uniform. She does have a bit of non-uniform game, though: the gold number's simple and elegant (if a bit of a wrinkly mess). Her daughter Princess Laetitia Maria made a cute companion in dual greens.

Most Typical

Princess Mathilde

Head-to-toe typical Mathilde on show this year, including one trend she seems to be catching lately: the copy cat. She wears Kate's Issa dress, followed by a near-replica of Máxima's royal wedding outfit...and now she turns up in Armani's version of Mary's dress from the Monaco wedding! What's up with that?

Best Dressed

Queen Paola

I'm usually not that impressed by Paola. I mean, she just doesn't stick out that much. And it's not that there's anything terribly memorable here either, but together: it's a nice showing. Cute polka dots and a flattering flower print? Why not?

Most Missed

Princess Claire

Princess Claire is the one that usually makes National Day so darn entertaining. She puts extra special care into her outfits, and I always appreciate her eye-searing efforts. Alas, with her husband's particular brand of misfit not currently welcomed with open arms at the royal court, she went M.I.A. Claire and Laurent attended only a popular street party with their children in tow. Shape up, Laurent: I'm going to need some LOLs next year from your better half!

Who made your best dressed list this year?

Photos: Hola/AP Photo/Reuters/Daylife/PurePeople/Abaca

Flashback Friday: Belgian National Days Past

Sometimes, it's all about context.  Sure, the ladies of the Belgian royal family came up with some doozies at this year's National Day, but when you look at what they sported in years past, they were really just carrying on one hell of a tradition....

Queen Paola's planetary hat this year just echoed the tradition begun by Mathilde last year:

Three years earlier, she went the turban route:

Maybe I'll go as Mathilde for Halloween this year.  All I need is a roll of craft paper to wrap around my head and a bright orange outfit.

Or a swamp thing to stick on my head with matching psychedelic coat.

Even Queen Fabiola gets in on the fun sometimes, playing the roll of family fortune teller in 2005.

The Queen of the Strange National Day Costumes, however, has to be Princess Claire.

It's only when she sits that you realize that this dress has a tail.

Let's start with the handbag: it's in the shape of Belgium.  Call me geographically challenged, but all I see is a strange black blob with oddly positioned rhinestones (at least, I think that's what they are).  The coat is a tribute to Mondrian, which I can get down with.  But you'd have to try pretty hard to find anything less Mondrian in nature than the giant pouf of tulle and fluffy balloon skirt surrounding it.  That's what I call a thematic fail.

But it's not as big of a thematic fail as this gem, the pièce de résistance of sartorial tomfoolery:

There are no words.

Photos: Mark Renders/Getty Images/Gerard Cerles/AFP

Royal Fashion Awards: National Day in Belgium

The Belgian ladies put on quite a show for National Day today, and it was an interesting sartorial display indeed.  Let's give out some awards, shall we?

Best Get Out of Criticism Free Pass

Queen Fabiola

Queen Fabiola's just cute.  She's earned the right to scarf it up, wear pants and no hat to a cathedral service, and to leave her house in the granny version of John Travolta's Saturday Night Fever wardrobe.

Most Mind Boggling

Queen Paola

This is a whole lot of look.  There is a planetary ring of lace around her head, and it's just the ignition in this giant sartorial explosion: we've got a basket weave jacket, a froufrou jacket closure, and a skirt that's both wrapped and too long.  I have no idea where to look first.  My head hurts.

Biggest Costume

Princess Claire

 I want to like this.  I'd like more princesses to channel a little fifties glamour every now and then.  She supported a young Belgian designer, Bernard Depoorter.  But...no.  I'm sure there is a woman that can pull this off at a day event without looking like she's on her way to a fancy dress party, but it's not Claire.

Best Close Call

Princess Mathilde at the Military Parade

This comes so close to being fabulous.  I like the orange on her and as far as NATAN goes, it's a pretty good fit.  And I love a giant hat. But she took it just a step too far - why the orange shoes?  You can just dip into the citrus cocktail, you don't have to jump in feet first.

Biggest Contrast

Princess Mathilde visiting a Food Stand

Looks like Mathilde just ran out of steam for her third outfit of the day (outfit 2 above, outfit 1 below).  This is...normal.  I guess that's what you get when you attempt to pull a sartorial hat trick.

Best Dressed

Princess Astrid

Uniforms: appropriate for the time of day, appropriate amount of costume.  It's a no fail solution. 

Worst Dressed

Princess Mathilde at the Te Deum Service

Mathilde has attended this event many a time in the past, so I'm not sure how she got so mixed up about the time.   It's not an evening event, yet this is what she wore.  That's an evening dress (sleeveless at the Te Deum! Scandal!), and a bad one at that.   This NATAN creation puts the waist of the dress right where no woman wants it and then has the audacity to add bulk with that strange black band.   The hair's evening wear too - there's no need to be that intricate during the day - and that hair ornament (can you call it a fascinator? I'm not sure you can) feels like something Spain's Princess Elena might wear with one of her olé! ensembles.  And then there's the shoes and the bag which is beige which makes no sense....I'm truly confused.   Mathilde's the only one that changed between the Te Deum and the military parade.  She just should have stuck with the orange number.

Photos:  Belga