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: The Duchess of Cambridge, 18-24 December

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

1. Arriving for the annual big fat royal Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, 19 December. Anybody up for a round of Caption This? Here's my entry: "I'm in a car, the windows are blurred with rain, you can't see past my shoulders...are you seriously going to try and analyze my outfit? Seriously?"
2. a) At The Sun Military Awards, 19 December, in a b) a custom Alexander McQueen. Delish, still.
3. a) Visiting Centrepoint, 21 December, in b) a Ralph Lauren sweater dress. Would've stuck with the brown accessories myself, but I think black is her default. But what's the point of getting all dressed up when you're just going to be out-dorked by your hubs anyway?

While the world awaits a lil' Cambridge announcement, Prince William perfects his embarrassing dad dance moves.

Photos: Daylife/Getty Images/Net-a-porter/Ralph Lauren

Week in Review: Princess Máxima, 11-17 December

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

1. At the Prince Claus Awards, 14 December. Yay! The amazing purple dress makes a triumphant return.

Photo: Gala

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

Royal Fashion Awards: National Day in Monaco

Well friends, the day of reckoning has arrived, in which we begin to sort out what kind of National Day Princess Charlene will lead. And the results...are a mixed bag. So, business as usual for the Monaco bunch, basically. To the awards!

Worst of the Mixed Bag

Princess Charlene

Straight out of the gate, Charlene was an early favorite for the best dressed lady of the day. Yes, it's beige, and it's nonhatted. But it borders on a fierce level of chic with the cape (yay!) and the long gloves (YAY!) and just the right amount of textural contrast to the skirt. Plus, the hair and makeup are perfection - Her Serene Highness was glowing. So how on earth did she end up with a "Worst" award? Because the night came...

...and THIS happened. CHAR. Sweetie. It's like a Juicy Couture sweatsuit on evening duty. But the thing is, I'd be prepared to take the fabric and the single sleeve shenanigans if we could get a proper color up in here (you could call this "mink", I suppose; I'll go with "barn mouse") and a makeup and hair combo that didn't wash her out all alien-like. And you know, you know, I'd forgive every single above sin if she would've gone the tiara route. But she didn't, and my hopes have been forever dashed.

Best and Also Worst Because I'm Sad

Princess Caroline

Put Charlene and Caroline together and I think you've got one of the least formal, least blinged-out National Day galas in quite some time. Le sigh. I give up. In other news, Caroline's looking notably lovely - my irrational disappointment aside, she really did look younger than she's looked in a while.

Most in Need of a Switcheroo

Princess Caroline and Charlotte Casiraghi

As a matter of fact, she looked so young I'm gonna throw something out there: I think she and her daughter got their outfits mixed up. Caroline's day outfit, with a hat so very reminiscent of the one Charlotte wore to Albert's coronation, could use a dose of Charlotte's youthful irreverence, while Charlotte looks like she's been caught playing dress up in her mom's business suits. I like them both, I'm just saying: maybe we've got a Freaky Friday situation on our hands.

Best Expression

Princess Alexandra

I like this kid, and her wee polka dot tights. I like to think that expression says, "I'm in on the joke, and you're not." And clearly she's right!

Best Streak

Princess Stephanie

I don't know, guys. She was pretty good at the big wedding, and now I'm really liking her demure take on National Day. Here's hoping she keeps up the streak, as entertaining as her foibles can be.

Most Dependable

Prince Albert, Andrea Casiraghi, Pierre Casiraghi

Whether you're disappointed in the ladies or not, you can always turn to the men for a solid sartorial appearance, right? Right.

What did you make of family's National Day appearances?

Photos: Getty Images/Reuters/Daylife/PLS Pool/Zimbio

Week in Review: Crown Princess Victoria, 6-12 November

Here's what Victoria wore from 6-12 November:

1. a) Day 1 of a visit to Västernorrland, 7 November. These past few weeks have made it clear that we may need something besides the clothes to talk about (I know! The horror!) at least until the babe arrives. Thus I present Cute Picture 1b, a little wheelchair lovin' at the wheelchair factory, and Cute Picture 1c, bubbles. Just because.
2. a) Day 2, 8 November, with baby on board, and b) with a hammer. Said Daniel: "We are a modern family. I hold the bag while she holds the hammer." Gotta love that, right?

Photos: Purepeople/Abaca/Svenskdam/Lehtikuva

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mary, 6-12 November

Here's what Mary wore from 6-12 November:

1. a) Naming a ship in b) a Diane von Furstenberg coat, 7 November. While others are busy wondering if she's taking style inspiration from that other royal brunette, I'm busy wondering if she was tempted to change up her pre-planned wardrobe at the last minute precisely to avoid those comparisons. (I kid, by the way. It's a red coat with black accents...not exactly groundbreaking stuff requiring an inspiration!) Anyway, this is a great coat. Maybe I like it more than Kate's even.
2. Opening an exhibition, 9 November, in a fantastic repeated suit.

Photos: Purepeople/Abaca

Week in Review: Princess Mathilde, 16-22 October

Here's what Mathilde wore from 16-22 October:

1. Day 1 of the couple's economic mission in China, 21 October. Saucy little jacket, no? Looks fab.
2. Day 2, first outfit, 22 October.
3. Day 2, second outfit with (a) and without (b) the cape, 22 October. I am currently obsessed with capes, just so you know. Anything fun and swoopy with maybe just a dash of Severus Snape works for me.

An excellent start to the China visit - more next week. Mathilde's looking fantastic, these are all super flattering outfits. And hey, you know who else was in China for an economic mission recently?

That would be Guillaume, also known as the Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, also known as the only unmarried European heir of decent legal age left, ladies.

And in other Mathilde news, new pics were released to celebrate Princess Elisabeth's 10th birthday.

The family that coordinates together stays together. Go team purple!


Photos: Nieuwsblad/HLN/SIP/Charles Caratini/Cour gr ducale

Royal Fashion Awards: The American-Scandinavian Foundation's Centennial Ball

America's just riddled with royals at the moment! Prince Harry's been making his way through southern California's selection of cocktail waitresses on his way to Arizona for military training, while Princess Beatrice acted as boyfriend Dave's plus one in New Mexico and Las Vegas. But the main royal gathering happened over the weekend in New York City as a whole slew of Scandinavian royals on separate visits to the U.S. collided to celebrate with the American-Scandinavian Foundation and give us something sartorial to talk about (the real purpose of their trips, I'm quite sure...).

Best...uh...Assets? I don't know.

Crown Princess Mary

I am in love with the idea of this: the interesting neckline, the sort of va-va-voom quality of this shimmery fabric, the usage on the whole of a shimmery fabric for a non-tiara event. But I am in, well, not hate, per se, but dislike with a single raised eyebrow at the execution. That's one clingy dress, m'lady! In some pictures it's perfectly lovely, but in others...whoa. Kudos for the after-babies bod and all, but I'm just not sure we needed to see all of that.

Best Bling

Queen Silvia

Who you gonna call when the dress code says no to tiaras? Queen Silvia! (She's like the Ghostbusters, only prettier.) There's a brooch in the hair and a tiara (her modern fringe tiara) around the neck. A+. Oh, and PURPLE! Yay.

Best in Typical

Princess Madeleine

She's got a taste for strapless dresses that just make you want to give them a wee tug north, doesn't she? That said: she does look awfully pretty here. I love the styling.

Worst in Typical

Queen Sonja

Oh, man. I do not get her taste sometimes. She looks like she's being strangled to death by lace and pearls. Which, I suppose, if you've got to go, that might be the way to bow out, but still. She did put a brooch in her hair too, to be fair, but it takes a lot more than that to make up for the gown.

Best in Scandinavian...wait, huh?

Princess Tatiana

Just me that wondered why Nikolaos and Tatiana of Greece took their globe trotting party machine to the American-Scandinavian bash until suddenly remembering that they are princes of Greece and Denmark? Fine, whatever. Smartypants. Anyway: it's always hard to see what she's wearing, on account of the posing (argh), but I'm sold enough on what I can spy here to give the evening's prize to her. Lovely red, little bit of interest, and easier to move in than some of these other gowns.

Who was your best-dressed for the night?

Photos: Zimbio/Daylife/Getty Images/CTK/Bekia

Week in Review: Crown Princess Victoria, 9-15 October

Here's what Victoria wore from 9-15 October:

1. Attending a WWF Council meeting, 11 October, where Victoria and her father got a look at the book of the year, Cows: A Love Story. Alrighty then!
2. At a seminar on the Royal National City Park project in Stockholm, 13 October. If our only options are tent dresses or trousers and untucked shirts, which do you vote for? I might have to vote for the trousers. Yes, even when it results in the dreaded brown shoe/black pant combo. I think she looks much more her actual size this week; at least I'm not questioning the palace's given due date (March) this time.

Photos: Lehtikuva

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mary, 9-15 October

Here's what Mary wore from 9-15 October:

1. Attending a gala for World Mental Health Day, 10 October. Yay for red and all, but I think I'm going to have to pull the old-fashioned card here and say a skirt would have been better for this occasion.
2. Opening VIA University's new campus, 11 October. Once her purple jacket (a) came off (b), we had a very Letizia look on our hands. I like that she tried something different with her hair, but this is a miss for me.
3. a and b) At the Consortium for Global Talents, 12 October, in Malene Birger (c). Okay, PHEW. This is back to Mary form. Such a great princess dress, I don't even mind the gray.

Photos: Belga/Stiften/Seoghoer/BilledBladet

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 9-15 October

Here's what Mette-Marit wore from 9-15 October:

1. a and b) Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Fridtjof Nansen, 10 October. Part of me wants to dole out compliments for the use of color and for doing something different with the hair, while the rest of me can't stop thinking she looks like a schoolgirl from a Dr. Seuss tale.
2. a and b) Dinner for the commemoration, 10 October. PURPLE! Yay.
3. Visiting the Work Institute Buskerud, 11 October. I'm very entertained by the nametags here. "HELLO! My name is: Your Future Queen. Figure it out."

Photos: Daylife/Reuters/Zimbio/Getty Images/Lehtikuva

Royal Fashion Awards: Spain's National Day

Oh, kittens. It was a pretty day in Spain, and I'm not talking about the weather. As much as I delight in a good fashion disaster (sheer entertainment value, you know), sometimes it's just nice to sit back and enjoy some elegant ladies do their royal thang. Like so:

Best Pastel

Queen Sofia

How cute is this? You know I'm dying for the purple, and her take on the three-quarter length suit sleeve is especially fetching given our recent discussion about Letizia's pushed up jackets.

Prettiest in Pink

Infanta Elena

Two levels: a wee bit of Pretty in Pink on the jacket there, and a truly pretty in pink lace skirt. Might I suggest jumping on the Máxima and Mathilde train and crafting a matching jacket for next time, Your Royal Highness?

Best in Spectator

Felipe Juan Froilán and Victoria Federica

Elena's kids watched from the sidelines with friends. That Felipe looks like an impish little fellow, no?

Biggest Relief

Princess Letizia

After a casual break last year, it was nice to see her get her princess on in such a tasteful suit. That color really brings out her coloring, doesn't it?

Best of the Day

Infanta Cristina

Jumpy claps, I tell you. This is a beautiful dress and jacket. Just amazingly well constructed. I like it all, especially her hair which is looking particularly lovely. And I am most certainly awarding extra points for the husband factor, thank you very much.

Who wins your best dressed for this year's National Day?

Photos: Bekia/Zimbio

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 2-8 October

Here's what Letizia wore from 2-8 October:

1. Visiting Cordoba, 6 October. Alas, not even the purple shirt can save this from look from a dreaded case of OMTWS (Old Man Trouser Waist Syndrome).
2. Launching a new ship, 7 October. Oh, this is much better. MUCH better. Perfect, in fact: it's dressy (but not too dressy for hanging out with a bunch of polo shirt-wearing folks, as she was doing), and the colors are crisp and perfect for a day on the waterfront. A+.

Photos: Hoymujer/Terra

Week in Review: Princess Máxima, 18-24 September

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

1. Attending the baptism of Princess Margarita's daughter Paola, 18 September (Margarita is Willem-Alexander's cousin).
2. a) Prinsjesdag, 20 September, with b) a close up on the beadwork.
3. Receiving a book of poetry and attending the premiere of a musical, 21 September.
4. Opening the World Music Contest, 22 September. A sparkly delight repeated from the Qatar state visit.
5. In Washington, D.C. attending the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings, 23 September. Well, I suppose if anyone can pull off the double animal print, it's Máx...

You really can't see what she wore for outfit 1 but it doesn't matter because Holland's next top models were in the house:

Werk!

Photos: Profimedia/Dutch Photo Press/PPE/Nieboer/Getty Images/Daylife

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

Things that Make You Go Hmm...: Queen Silvia and Her Stripes

Oh, Sil...I don't know about this one, girl.

Queen Silvia at the presentation of the 2011 Stockholm Water Prize, 25 August.

Yeah, I gotta object to the sparkle this time. (I KNOW. I can't believe it either.) Make it matte, chop it at the knees, wear it on a sunny summer day, and we'd be in business. Not even the magical powers of sparkle can make a picnic frock into formal gear.

Also, I think that blonde Chewbacca skin might be alive.

Photos: Stella Pictures/Svenskdam

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: Crown Princess Victoria, 14-20 August

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

1. At the annual "Swede of the Year" awards, 17 August, the very same day her pregnancy was officially announced. Glowing in the face and in the dress: this is so vibrant! Love.


2. a) Opening the 39th Nordic Convention of Lawyers (sounds like a party), 18 August, in b) a dress from Mayla. A purple overdose. I am obliged to love it.


3. Attending Daniel's sister's wedding, 20 August, in a Malina dress. A whole week without a single neutral dress in sight. Bliss, I tell you!

Photo:  Billed Bladet/AOP/Reuters Pictures/Daylife/Mayla/Aftonbladet