Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 18-24 December

Here's what Letizia wore from 18-24 December:

1. Audiences at Zarzuela Palace, 20 December.
2. Attending a Cirque du Soleil performance, 23 December. Purple all around! Banner week by default.

Photos: Zimbio/Hola

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mary, 11-17 December

Here's what Mary wore from 11-17 December:

1. Shopping with her sisters in Australia, 12 December, in a repeated Heartmade top and some saucy Nike kicks.

Photo: Bauer Griffin/Zimbio

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 27 November - 3 December

Here's what Mette-Marit wore from 27 November - 3 December:

1. Meeting (a) and posing (b) with the artists that contributed to the Crown Princely couple's charity Christmas CD. And the SHOOTIES claim another royal victim.
2. Watching an interview with author Karl Ove Knausgård, 2 December. You're probably looking at the hair, but I would also like to draw your attention to those red hot glasses. Oh, please tell me that you are acquainted with the wonders of Sally Jessy Raphael.

Photos: Royal House/VG

Week in Review: Princess Charlene, 20-26 November

Here's what Charlene wore from 20-26 November:

1. Walking the No Finish Line charity run, 20 November, with Albert in tights. Hey, if I had to see it, you do to. We're all in this together.

Photo: Getty Images/Daylife

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 20-26 November

Here's what Mette-Marit wore from 20-26 November:

1. a-c) Opening the Seamen's Church in Miami, 20 November. Those of you that found the first outfit from her Miami trip a little too saucy for church will be happy to know that that was just a dinner and a visit beforehand, and on the day of the actual church opening she was perfectly demure and lovely. I especially like her brooch-to-outfit matching skills here.
2. At a Coldplay concert, 23 November.

Source: Aftenposten/Vg

Week in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge, 13-19 November

Here's what Catherine wore from 13-19 November:

1. Remembrance Sunday, 13 November, which we discussed last week.
2. a) Out shopping, in b) a skirt from Mulberry, working the "schoolgirl gone beatnik" look.

She also paid a private visit to an art therapy charity at a school in London - she's been making these secret visits as she decides which charities she'll use her royal weight to support - wearing a sweater and jeans, which apparently disappointed the kids who felt she "didn't look like a princess". (I hear ya, kids. I'd demand a tiara, myself.) Sounds like a basic miscommunication to me - she must have thought she was just going to slip in and out relatively unnoticed, while the school lined all the kids up like it was a legit royal visit. A simple mistake, and yet something tells me that's the last we'll hear of her trying the dressed down approach!

Photos: Getty Images/Daylife/Xposurephotos.com/Popsugar

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mary, 13-19 November

Here's what Mary wore from 13-19 November:

1. Opening a new campaign for The Mary Foundation, 14 November. Gah! I love this jacket! And the Day Birger et Mikkelsen blouse underneath is a really interesting but lovely pairing.
2. Opening a youth conference, 16 November. We've seen this Prada number before - from last year's Parliament opening, when she was pregnant with the twins! It's an unusual color combination, but I love it, and the blue shoes are a perfect touch.
3. Arriving in Australia for a combo private and official visit, 19 November. Speaking of the twins, Princess Josephine here doesn't look too impressed with her first glimpse of Australia, but I'm sure she'll warm to it. The Australian trip is where we will pick up next week.

Photos: Purepeople/Abaca

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 30 October-5 November

Here's what Mette-Marit wore from 30 October-5 November:

1. Attending a Rihanna concert, 30 October.

Photo: Espen Braata/VG

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 16-22 October

Here's what Mette-Marit wore from 16-22 October:

1. Visiting Hedmark, 18 October, in boots (a) and then jeans for a bike ride (b). And then tripling up on outerwear (c) - the things a girl's got to do to get the cute guy's coat, I tell ya.
2. Attending a seminar on psychic wellness in the aftermath of the recent terrorist attack, 19 October. Couldn't really tell from other photos if she was attending this in her "royal" capacity or her "perpetual student" capacity. Hot outfit for a student, not so much for the royal bit though.

Last night (27 October), Mette-Marit was supposed to attend the annual gala for the Stortinget (Parliament), and I got myself all excited for a new tiara appearance. But she didn't show - BOOHOO - something about a sick kid or multiple sick kids. And so we were left with lone Sonja and her strange gowns:

Really, in the spectrum of all Sonja fashion, this is pretty harmless, even if I don't understand the need for two skirts. Most of us make do with one, Your Maj. Anyways, she did bust out Queen Maud's Pearl Tiara in its largest setting, so that will have to serve as my consolation.

Photos: Ostlendingen/Siste/Svenskdam/Lehtikuva/API

Week in Review: Crown Princess Victoria, 18-24 September

Here's what Victoria wore from 18-24 September:

1. Attending a memorial in Uppsala, 18 September.
2. Visiting Turku in Finland, 19 September, a) with and b) without coats. Different shooties are still shooties. Sigh.
3. Official dinner in Turku, 19 September. Ah! Very thankful for the repeated color and print.
4. Day 2 of the Turku visit, 20 September.
5. Attending an emergency simulation exercise, 21 September.
6. At the opening of "Victoria Square" in Haparanda Tornio, 22 September. Three shootie appearances in one week. I have a headache.

Photos: Lehtikuva/Purepeople/Abaca/Suomen Kuvalehti/Kaleva

Week in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge, 18-24 September

Here's what Catherine wore from 18-24 September:

1. Attending a friend's wedding, 24 September, in Collette Dinnigan lace and Prada heels. Is it odd that the thing that excites me the most here is that she wore her diamond earrings and diamond bracelet? (Answer: Yes. But you aren't surprised.) Anyway, I love the dress - it's a COLOR! Huzzah. Not sure it's a hatty sort of dress, if you know what I mean (or maybe I just don't like those kind of hats), but it's a color, so I'll shut up. She also sported some major heels. All the better to see the bride over the crowd, I guess.

UPDATE: She was also spotted at the hair salon on 23 September.

Photos: Daily Mail/Ikon Pictures/Daily Mail/Tanna/Stewart/Sunday Express/XposurePhotos/USWeekly

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 11-17 September

Here's what Letizia wore from 11-17 September:

1. Attending a memorial on the anniversary of 9/11, 11 September.
2. On a school run, 15 September.
3. At the opening ceremony of the Terrorism Victims International Congress, 15 September.
4. a) and b) Attending the closing of the 1st International Congress of Ethics and Tourism, 16 September. Had to get Felipe and his salmon tie in there for a little color in an otherwise appropriate but bland week.

Photos: Terra/divinity.es/Daylife/Getty Images/Belga

Week in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge, 4-10 September

Here's what Catherine wore from 4-10 September:

1. Shopping in London, 6 September. Love a good peasant top.

Phot: Wenn/Popsugar

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mary, 4-10 September

Here's what Mary wore from 4-10 September:

1. At football practice with Christian at some earlier date.
2. Attending the inauguration of a new monument in Copenhagen, 5 September. This is all terribly Victorian, but I think as long as you accessorize with a uniformed personal umbrella holder, you're good.
3. Opening a new high school program, 7 September. Mmmm...meh.

 The whole family turned up for the rainy monument event:

Marie looks lovely in her purple coat and beret, but I think any event where Margrethe busts out her rain gear yet leaves the yellow flowered wonder at home is a missed opportunity.

Photos: ekstrabladet/bt.dk/stiften.dk

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mary, 28 August - 3 September

Here's what Mary wore from 28 August - 3 September:

1. Finishing her visit to Africa, 28 August.
2. Attending the Index Award Ceremony, 1 September. Oh, I just love when she wears that cape/cardi/shrug thingamajig. Pretty pretty.

UPDATE: Mary, Frederik, and Queen Margrethe all attended a wedding on 3 September, and I love her dress.

Photos: sn.dk/Ekstrabladet/Hanne Juul/Billed Bladet

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 14-20 August

Here's what Mette-Marit wore from 14-20 August:

1 - 3. Various outfits from interviews and photos for the couple's 10th anniversary.
4. Prince Sverre Magnus' first day of school, 18 August. What's funny is the difference between Mette-Marit's outfit for the occasion, and Queen Sonja's - she came along to see her grandson off to school:

The Crown Princess went with a regular mum on the school run look, while the Queen stuck with...well, very possibly the same thing she wore when she took her kids to school. Oh, white tights and scarf bow ties.

Photos: Budstikka

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 21-27 August

Here's what Mette-Marit wore from 21-27 August:

1. Attending a memorial service for the victims of the Norwegian attacks, 21 August.


2. a) Beginning a visit to Hedmark, 22 August. Later (b) she slipped on a Montcler jacket and held a PUPPY, OMG.


3. Second day in Hedmark, 23 August, hanging out with goats and stuff...you know, as you do.


4. Celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary at Oslo Cathedral, 25 August, appropriately in white.


5. At their anniversary dinner, 25 August, in the same belt we've seen on Charlotte Casiraghi. I kind of love that dress. Probably not on anyone else, though, just on her.

A few others at the cathedral:

Ari Behn being...well, himself; Princess Märtha Louise in a perfectly passable suit and the WORST SHOES EVER; and Princess Rosario in what must be Valentino, because it looks awfully familiar! (Princess Victoria was there as well, that'll be in her review post.)

Group shot of the dinner too:

What would we do without Sonja and Astrid to entertain us? That's one golden tablecloth, there.


Photos: Svenskdam/Scanpix

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mary, 21-27 August

Here's what Mary wore from 21-27 August:

1. Boarding the royal yacht, Dannebrog, for a summer cruise of royal visits. Who's looking at the outfit? There's a twin involved!
2. Day 1 of the summer cruise, 22 August. Repeating one of my favorite purple dresses, topped with a repeated pink hat. I often find pink and purple too twee a combo, but this is working all over the place.
3. Day 2, 23 August. Lurve! I know a hefty chunk of you are about to tell me that she might as well be back in maternity wear, but so help me, I go weak for a good swing coat. Just so stinkin' elegant.
4. Last day, 25 August. More repeats, in a new pairing. Did not like the dress + coat combo at first, but I'm on board now.
5. Leaving for a trip to Africa, 25 August. Perfect princess travel wear.
6. Visiting a refugee camp in Kenya, 27 August.

I feel like this week just had a giant Mary's back! stamp right across it. This is precisely the elegance that makes me like her style in the first place, and we've been missing it for quite some time, what with the babies and all.

Also, this was a tremendously cute week. Husbands in uniform and babies with wee outfits and giant cheeks galore! Even an aquarium kiss, for the softies in the crowd.

Sometimes you just have to embrace the cheese. It's good for the soul.

What was your favorite outfit this week?

 Photos: Isopix/Peter Grosen/All Over Press Denmark/PurePeople/Abaca/Henrik Dam/Billed Bladet

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mary, 14-20 August

Here's what Mary wore from 14-20 August:

1. At the Dragon Cup Sailing Competition, 14 August.


2. Attending the 60th birthday party of Ove Ullerup, Lord Chamberlain to Queen Margrethe, 17 August. Meh?


3. Opening the 2011 Garden Living Fair, 19 August. This doesn't go together - uh, at all, kind of - but that freakishly vibrant green makes me giggle (in a good way). Gotta love an impromptu rain solution with a sense of humor, right?


4. At a friend's wedding, 20 August. Despite having once declared evening wear a paisley-free zone, I adore this. It's cute! (And purple-ish!)

Photos: Ole Bjørk/Billed-Bladet/APA PictureDesk/Svenskdam/tvsyd.dk/vejleamtsfolkeblad.dk

Week in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge, 14-20 August

Here's what Catherine wore from 14-20 August:

1. a) Visiting Birmingham in the aftermath of serious rioting, 19 August, in b) Alexander McQueen. I feel like this needs to be worn with a touch of irony. With a serious hairdo, and some cheeky shoes. A touch of costume to take it into a real military tribute, with a bit of 1940s flair. But worn this way - which is the nice, appropriate way; certainly this is no time for costumes - it's more of a 1980s Diana relic sort of thing.


2. Walking in Wales with her sister and friends, 20 August, in the same sweater she wore pre-wedding.

The question this week seems to be not whether you like outfit 1, but whether you feel it was appropriate; not usually a question we have to get into with the Duchess here. But the fact is, this outfit consists of a blouse retailing for $1,355 and a skirt for $995, along with Prada shoes. Too fancy and pricey for visiting an area this damaged, or not?

I don't have a problem with the cost here; she should look nice, and I fall in the class of people that will not magically forget that her clothes budget is the stuff of my dreams, even when she dresses from the high street. Besides, this is nothing compared to the cost of William's outfit.

But there is a public relations game at play here. Right now, the most consistently interesting thing the media has found to talk about when it comes to Kate is her clothes. (Is that the way it should be? No. But that's what it is, and my personal opinion is that until she becomes known for something else - a certain cause, that sort of thing - this is how it will remain.) So far, she's done a pretty good job of directing the media traffic as much as she can; repeating her clothes at Zara's wedding is a great example. This one, I think, was a bit of a fail in that department.

What do you think?

Photos: PA/Daily Mail/Net-a-porter/Bauer Griffin