Week in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge, 3 - 9 July, Part 3

(Previously, on Kate n' Wills Take North America....) And now we've arrived at the end of the Canada trip, and the moment we've all been waiting for: the cowboy hats. Canadian Judgement Day, coming up:

1. Arrival in Calgary, 7 July, a) on Kate with the ubiquitous LK Bennett nude heels and LK Bennett clutch, b) from Jenny Packham, and c) and d) the problem with the thing.

Yellow! Girly! Sort of a wee Fifties flair with a dash of schoolgirl thrown in just for kicks! You know I love it. Sadly, though, I do think this highlights one of the reasons Kate should just get a dresser already. I mean, we know she's a DIY girl, but one can't help but think things might have turned out better if there'd been someone on wind forecast watch, standing by with a pencil skirt with an extra lead-weighted hem and a hair tie, just in case. For not only did Kate come perilously close to a Marilyn moment, she also was so busy taking care of her hair and her skirt that she and Wills did not put on the cowboy hats they were given at the famous White Hatting ceremony. A disappointment for the crowd, the photographers, and enough of a faux pas that their press secretary had to clarify that they weren't snubbing anyone. All was forgiven in the end, because Kate gave a 6-year-old girl with Stage 4 cancer and a dream of meeting a real princess a big hug (TEARS), and then this happened....

2. a) Reception at the Calgary Stampede, 7 July, in b) an Alice by Temperley top, jeans, and brown boots.

3. a) Opening the Stampede, 8 July, in Temperley London (b - the "Rodeo" top, natch) and jeans.

It's full-on Cambridge Cowboy Chic! Yeehaw, y'all! I watched the live stream of some of reception, and the whole thing was completely hilarious. I had no idea Canada had its very own Texas. Anyway, the kids do Western well, no? I think they win the prize for best rodeo royal appearance, wouldn't you say? Most especially Cowboy Wills, who looked right at home rocking the hands-on-hips stance. Let me know when Temperley starts opening mass boutiques in the south-central U.S., I'll buy some stock or something.

 4. a) and b) At the Calgary Zoo and departing Canada, 8 July, in Catherine Walker and sporting c) the Queen's Maple Leaf Brooch with her nude clutch and those nude LK Bennett shoes once again.

Red, finally! And the Queen's brooch worn the right way! Kate went out with a bang, didn't she? She looks fab in red, and this is princess perfect. I'm especially loving the wee flair at the bottom, and the sleeve length.

And with that, William and Catherine said goodbye to Canada. Next stop: Los Angeles! (Stay tuned for the one and only black tie event of the trip!)


Photos: Chris Jackson/Getty Images/Reuters/Daylife/AP Photo/Alice Temperley/Jenny Packham

Week in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge, 26 June - 2 July, Part 2

If you need a refresher, here's where we left off with The Adventures of Kate and Wills in Canada. Now, to finish out the week through Saturday:

1. Canada Day, 1 July, a) Kate's outfit, b) the Maple Leaf Brooch, c) the red shoes, d) the dress from Reiss, e) the hat from Lock and Company, f) the clutch from Anya Hindmarch.

Confession: I'm disappointed. If there was a day to get a new dress, and make it from a Canadian designer, today would have been the day! It's Canada Day! I can't help but think that it looks like she planned on repeating the Reiss dress from her engagement photographs, and at the last minute, panicked and realized it wasn't Canadian enough. Cue the red shoes and stuck-on maple leaves in the hat. There's just a lot going on here.

2. Evening concert on Canada Day, 1 July, a) on Kate, b) the dress from Issa, worn with Prada pumps and another Anya Hindmarch clutch, and c) the maple leaf brooch again with diamond earrings.

After the Maple Leaf Brooch (on loan from the Queen, also worn by the Queen Mother and the Duchess of Cornwall) spent most of the day underneath Kate's hair, she threw it in the evening mix with an updo (yes!) and a purple Issa dress. This one I like standing up, not sitting down. (Weird, right? That's me.)

3. Day 3 of the Canada trip, 2 July, a) the Kensington dress from Catherine Walker with an Anya Hindmarch clutch, b) the back detail (with a bonus precious wee one), c) gamely sporting a chef's coat, d) the shoes, and e) swapping to black Prada shoes and a black Anya Hindmarch clutch.

A brand new designer on parade: Catherine Walker, she of my favorite Diana gown ever (and Carole Middleton's wedding outfit and so much more). A savvy choice, as Walker was French. I love the sweet sleeve and neckline details, and you know I love the first shoes of the day. But later she switched back to basic black, leaving me to wonder if they were uncomfortable or if she (gasp!) got them muddy in a tree planting haze. I long for an updo, though. There was a lot of hair flicking, even more than usual, what with the planting and meeting kids and playing chef, plus the back detail of the dress really deserves to fly on its own.

And now I'd like to give a shout out to an unsung fashion star on this trip so far: Prince William.

Two cases in point: lookin' good at the concert, and pulling a Barack by losing the jacket while on a hospital visit. I like to spread the praise around, you know.

Yes, I know this doesn't bring us up to everything she's worn so far, but you'll have to sit tight. In the mean time, did any of these three tickle your fancy?

Photos: Just Jared/AP/Reuters/Daily Mail/Camera Press/Mark Stewart/Splash/Michael Dunlea/Bancroft Media

Flashback Friday: The Elvis Gown

Today would have been Diana, Princess of Wales' 50th birthday. (Doesn't seem possible, does it?) I thought one of the best ways to pay tribute to this true style icon would be to remember her finest moments. So today, I'm talking about my favorite Diana look of all time: the Elvis gown.

The nickname, used by the Princess herself, is the stuff of pure cheese - a nod to Elvis and his sequin jumpsuits, long past his prime - but the look is pure regal elegance.

The strapless white silk gown is entirely covered with oyster pearls and sequins, as is the matching bolero jacket with popped collar and cropped sleeves. Catherine Walker was commissioned to make this ensemble for the Wales' 1989 trip to Hong Kong, but it ended up making its debut at the British Fashion Awards before departure. The original destination, though, served as the inspiration for the design: Walker later said that pearls had seemed appropriate for a visit to Asia. The gown's embroidery was completed by S. Lock Ltd.

As one of the gowns Diana chose to auction off for charity in 1997, the Elvis dress raised £81,203 (about $130,000 today). It was the second most expensive gown at the auction, bested only by the midnight blue Victor Edelstein gown that Diana wore while twirling with John Travolta at the White House.

The gown was originally purchased by the owners of souvenir company The Franklin Mint, who then proceeded to sell a Diana doll wearing a replica of the gown. The doll spurned an intense legal battle with the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund over use of Diana's image. After the lawsuit was settled, the gown was donated to London's Victoria & Albert Museum, which still holds it today.

See the elegance in action in Hong Kong:

This has always epitomized princess style to me. It's fashionable, it makes an impression, but it does so while being demure and understated. Perfection!

Tell me: what is your all-time favorite Diana look?

Royal Fashion Awards: Ascot 2011, Ladies' Day

It's day 3 of Ascot and it is it should be the best day yet: Ladies' Day! Also known as crazy hat Mecca. The question is: did the royals live up to the occasion? Let us see...

Best Roller Coaster

Princess Anne

Day 1, icy blue perfection. Day 2, stale mustard. Day 3...back on top! And dressed in purple, just for me. (Ha.) Whatever will tomorrow bring? Way to keep us on our toes, Anne.

Best in Non-Ladies' Day Form

Queen Elizabeth

There's definitely something to be said for consistency...but sometimes I just wish Liz would kick it up a notch for days like today. It'd probably scar my retinas for life, but at least we'd have a laugh. Surely that hairnet isn't the only nutty thing banging around in her closet? In the mean time, I suppose hot watermelon pink will have to do.

Best Try

Carole Middleton

All the chatter over the Middletons riding in a carriage today and being in the royal box kinda cracked me up. They have a stake in a horse racing today, why wouldn't they be there? Sophie's father was in a carriage yesterday, no comment on that. People seem to be grasping for things to hyperventilate over in Kate's absence. So good on Carole here for not giving it to them in the form of a fashion disaster. This hat is weird, but whatever.

Worst Loss of Mojo

Princess Beatrice

Seems that one princess-y effort wasn't a permanent trend (sigh). This is just...I mean...it's fine. It's not anything, really. It's like she tried to do something a little trussed up for Ladies' Day, but she forgot to work it. Bea's done lost her hat mojo.

Worst Race Rerun

The Countess of Wessex

Epsom, and now Ascot. While I can credit her for a flattering coat and for mixing up the hat on her repeat, I'm just a little bored overall. With the whole field. Poor Sophie, it's not her fault. UPDATE: I've added the hat into the equation now...and, well, at least somebody brought a little something out of the ordinary.

Best in Lovely

Princess Haya

I know some of you were a bit perturbed to learn that Haya here is one of multiple wives for the Sheikh (see our discussion on just exactly who Princess Haya is here), but I tell you, I have a soft spot for her. Doesn't she look like she'd be just lovely to have a chat with? As Crown Princess Katherine is to royal weddings, Princess Haya is to royal racing.

Worst in Missing Persons

Zara Phillips

You know what we needed today? Some Zara. Where is she? Why has she not been at Ascot for a while? She always brings something interesting to talk about. I need a Bat Signal or something.

Best in Ladies' Day Fashion

Absolutely Nobody

This whole day was a little pffftblerghsigh, wouldn't you say? The answer to my question (did the royals live up to the occasion) is: no. What's the matter, Windsors? Rain got you down? How come not a one of you really embraced the Ladies' Day spirit? People wear dead animals just for this occasion, you know. Two days left for you to redeem yourselves. Don't let us down.

How are you feeling about the Ladies' Day fashion? Am I the only one that's a bit let down?

Photos: Chris Jackson/Getty Images/Daylife/Daily Mail/Isopix/Rex Features

Non-Royal Fashion Awards: More Guests at the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge's Wedding

With 1900 guests in attendance, much of the hot and hot mess in fashion lay outside of the Windsors and their royal friends. Talking about non-royal fashion isn't a regular topic around here, but I figure anybody with a golden ticket to this wedding knew precisely the attention they could draw with their outfits. Which means: everybody's fair game. Here are a few of the guests that caught my attention:

Best of the Spencers

Karen Gordon

Left to Right: Lady Kitty Spencer; Lady Eliza Spencer; Lady Amelia Spencer; Karen Gordon, fiancée of Earl Spencer

Members of Diana's family were plentiful in the Abbey, but the greatest attention draw seems to have been the Earl Spencer and his brood. Out of his phalanx of blond daughters, Kitty raised the most eyebrows in her painted-on Victoria Beckham sheath, which turned out to be more cleavage-tastic than she may have realized under the overhead Abbey cameras. Personally, I like it. (True confession: if I looked like that, I'd probably take a "decency be damned" approach to clothes too.) But my favorite was the Lady With No Face, also known as Karen Gordon. As the second fiancée the Earl's had in the past year, she ended up on the receiving end of more than a few commentary jokes, but she herself was pure class in her well-cut rose outfit and matching hat. A total win.

Best of the Exes

Isabella Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe

L to R: Arabella Musgrave, Isabella Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, Jecca Craig

It has to be a tricky assignment, picking a wedding outfit if you're among the ex- and rumored-to-be-ex paramours of Prince William. What should you wear for your inevitable turn in the ''it could have been me'' tabloid features? Jecca Craig went the simple and business-like route, while Arabella Musgrave no doubt won bonus points at work for flying a big red Gucci flag (yes, she works for Gucci). Personally, I liked Isabella Calthorpe best: well-coordinated and plenty fancy in British design, even though it does have a bit of a potential maternity wear flair (and was worn by two other ladies as well - oops!).

Best in Maternity

Marina Fogle

L to R: Victoria Beckham; an unidentified pregnant guest; Marina Fogle, wife of Ben Fogle; the woman many named as Jacqui Ainsley, girlfriend of Guy Ritchie, but appears to be Isabella Calthorpe

It must have been a long day for the pregnant wedding guests, arriving way before the ceremony to sit in a hard chair and be deprived of loo access for hours on end. Which is why Victoria Beckham's outfit received an even bigger eye roll than usual from me: her ridiculousness doesn't rest for any occasion, does it? I do believe her only concession to the fact that she's with child was having Christian Louboutin specially place higher platforms than usual in her 6 inch heels. My attention was also caught by a random guest in purple when I couldn't figure out if she'd received an evening party invitation and just didn't want to change her outfit, or if she just didn't feel like buying something wedding-appropriate. {UPDATE: many photo agencies identified the fourth lady as the pregnant girlfriend of Guy Ritchie, and that's what I had her down as initially. I'm now fairly certain it's just Isabella Calthorpe again. So, ignore. It's all very confusing.} So the best in maternity wear for me went to Marina Fogle, who was smashing in bright green, and used a jacket over a fitted dress approach to avoid looking like she was wearing a Beckham-esque tent.

Worst of the Politician's Wives

Miriam González Durántez

L to R: Samantha Cameron, wife of Prime Minister David Cameron; Sally Bercow, wife of the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow; Miriam González Durántez, wife of Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg; Justine Thornton, fiancée of Labour Party leader Ed Miliband

It may have been a shining moment for the British royal family, but it was most certainly not one for the British political machine. Well, at least in the sartorial spouse category. These ladies bring up an important question: what's the greatest sartorial offense? Is it pretending as though you don't care, as though you're above something you find silly and ceremonial, by blatantly defying dress code and convention? (Ahem, Sam Cam and her ridiculous little NOT HAT Erdem clip.) Is it refusing to bend to the laws of decency, no matter what the occasion, like Mrs. Bercow's chest and thigh? Is it the sad case of a woman that probably thought she left the house looking stylish but really left wearing a deflated navy hot air balloon, as in the case of the future Mrs. Miliband? Those are all valid choices, but I cast my vote for something else: the attention-grabbing costume. Is there really any political advantage to making headlines by wearing the remains of a 1950s petticoat and a fortune teller turban with flowers smacked on, Mrs. Clegg?

Best of the Worst

Chelsy Davy

L to R: Sir Trevor Brooking's wife Hilkka, Tom Bradby's wife Claudia, the private wedding photographer Millie Pilkington, Chelsy Davy, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and sister Santa Sebag Montefiore

In a crowd this large, you're bound to have plenty of hot messes to raise your eyebrows at. Among those that caught my eye was Mrs. Brooking, in her long and overly fancy My Fair Lady dress in bridesmaid purple. The giant antennae on Mrs. Bradby's hat stood out during the broadcast, and in the pictures her loose dress and apparent trench coat accessory solidified her place on my worst-dressed list. Surprising for a woman in the fashion industry (Claudia works for Jigsaw and used to work with Kate, and her husband conducted the couple's engagement interview). I had trouble concentrating on our first glimpses of the bride with her photographer running around looking like...that. (Is that a homemade dress? Has to be, right?) And of course Tara Palmer-Tomkinson came dressed for press as the aristocratic set's resident Smurf. Her sister Santa didn't fare much better, pairing her summer dress with a fur wrap and a satellite dish primed for flower reception. But the worst of all, for me, was Chelsy Davy. How on earth is it possible to take a custom Alberta Ferretti outfit (Alberta Ferretti being one of the queens of feminine, classy clothing) and make it look like that? You can't dress yourself in to class, I guess.

Best of the Top Tier

Sunetra Sastry

L to R: Ffion Jenkins, wife of William Hague; Sunetra Sastry, wife of Rowan Atkinson; Joss Stone

Of all the guests that got it just right, I felt Ffion Jenkins deserved a top tier mention. Anybody that matches their cast to their outfit shows a dedication worthy of the best list. Pop star Joss Stone earned a few comments from you all earlier, and I completely agree: this is understated and perfect. But my favorite from all the pictures was Mrs. Bean herself, Sunetra Sastry. A gorgeous navy suit with just enough detail paired with classy nude accessories? Total win. Plus, her name is awesome. Sunetra Sastry. (I'll award points for whatever I want, thankyouverymuch).

Best of the Best

Carole Middleton

No question, Mrs. M. deserves her own category. Poor Carole's taken so much flack from impressions built about her based on assumption alone, and I have to say I was cheering for her when she turned up and got it so right. It's flattering, it has just the right amount of detail without being too much, and it's elegant as can be. Yet another successful moment in Mother of the Bride history.

Which guests caught your eye - for the good or for the bad?

Photos: Getty Images/Daylife/Reuters/Film Magic/Mark Stewart/Daily Mail