2011 in Review: The Duchess of Cambridge

Best of the Year

Boom! The late entry wins the game at the buzzer! Yeah, I lurve it. The dress is just divine, I think this is the most flattering thing she wore the whole year. Like so many of you noted, I have some reservations about the necklace (I'd take the ruby flower deals off, that's too wee and twee for my tastes), but: she wore it. And what did I say about that? Step 1: put the diamonds on. Step 2: do other things. Here's hoping for a blingy new year!

Runners Up

I love a killer shoe and I love purple - these are not secrets well kept. Therefore, the very first Kate appearance of the year must make my list of runners up. Nods also go to what I found to be two of her most young, fresh, and feminine takes on the old school jacket and dress/skirt combo, the blue and black and the crochet look (which I know some of you will very much disagree with me on). At the time of the big tour, I favored her lilac Roksanda Ilicnic dress, but fickle me has now switched my affections to the twirly purple McQueen. The pink Jenny Packham was actually going to be my #1 until the black velvet slinked in at the buzzer because, well, I love a sparkly "Look at me!" number. I just do. Sue me.

And then there's the wedding gown. The wedding gown is in here simply because I recognize that it would be ludicrous not to include it, though I still agree with my first impressions. Thus, I include my favorite view: the train, which is and was perfection.

Worst of the Year

Nobody has a perfect year, alas. I thought about the Salmon Stella, which is probably the only thing I'd call an actual hot mess for the Duchess' whole year, and I thought about a couple of the entirely oatmeal ones - seriously, contrast is your friend - but I'm giving my title to the Alexander McQueen outfit worn to visit the aftermath of the riots. And that actually has nothing to do with how the thing looks (though I do stand by my initial assessment, which was: work it or go home).

No, this is about public relations. Katemania dictates that everything she wears will be analyzed to death and just a hair beyond that, and there's nothing she can do to stop it. It's a monster, and it's coming for all of us. But the newest Duchess on the block is a careful player in the sartorial game. She's done her best to restrain the debate over her outfits...except for this one. Debuting a pricey ensemble on this particular occasion was a misstep. I don't care if it personally offended you or not (it didn't bother me), but it was a rare PR mistake, and for that, I hereby dub it the Worst of the Year.

Which outfits make your best and worst lists for Catherine in 2011?

Photos: Daylife/Getty Images/Hello/AP

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: Crown Princess Victoria, 18-24 December

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

1. Attending the annual formal gathering of the Swedish Academy at the Stock Exchange in Stockholm, 20 December. Well, I mean, if you're going to go this far...tiara it up, man! I know, I know, that's the dress code's fault. Anyway, V gets points for adding a little hair bling, and also for wearing a dress that fits! Yay.

Photo: Svenskdam

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: Princess Letizia, 11-17 December

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

1. Attending a lunch at the palace, 13 December.
2. At a ceremony for the Prince of Girona Foundation, 14 December. Again with the strangely matched shoes. Why?

We also got a glimpse of the family's Christmas card this week, prepare your awwws:

 

Photos: Daylife/Getty Images

Week in Review: Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, 11-17 December

Here's what Maria Teresa wore from 11-17 December:

1. The King's dinner for the Nobel laureates in Sweden, 11 December.
2. Attending a requiem mass for the late Princess Elisabeth, 15 December.

Photos: Bunte/Tom Wagner/Cour gr ducale

Week in Review: Princess Mathilde, 11-17 December

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

 

1. Visiting Gedinne, 13 December.
2. At the University Hospital in Liege to visit victims of the gun and grenade attacks, 14 December.

Photos: APA Picture Desk/Reuters

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

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

1. The King's dinner for the Nobel laureates, 11 December. Wow, some of you really hated this one. I don't know...it still doesn't bother me. Mind you, I'm working with a SHOOTIE and non-maternity dress frame of mind.
2. a) Meeting the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, 12 December, in b) a By Malene Birger dress.
3. a and b) Receiving the palace Christmas trees, 15 December. Still looking for an appropriately funky canvas for that Lanvin for H&M necklace, I see.

Photos: Svenskdam/Malene Birger/Kungahuset

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: Princess Charlene, 11-17 December

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

1. At the Arbre de Noel for Monaco's children, 14 December. See, appearances like this are what get me. Elegant silhouette, great classy hair...beige beige beige.
2. a and b) Spreading more Christmas joy, 15 December. Much better with just even a little pop of blue!
3. Visiting College Charles III (a school), 16 December. If it isn't beige, it's black! This one has a little off-duty nun flair to it.
4. Receiving an award and attending a charity gala in Berlin, 17 December. Color! A whole outfit of it! A shade of red I'll call "almost brown". I think she looks fab, in what I'm guessing is Akris (of course).

Photos: Daylife/GettyImages/Frederic Nebinger/WireImage/Purepeople/Junior/BestImage

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 11-17 December

Here's what Mette-Marit wore from 11-17 December:

1. a) At the Nobel Peace Prize Concert, 11 December, in b) Emilio Pucci. The whole look, right down to those hot shoes, straight off the runway. Rawr.
2. Dinner with the artists performing in the Crown Prince and Crown Princess' holiday concert.
3. a) The Christmas concert, 15 December, in b) Valentino. Thank the fashion gods she didn't go for the ruffled collar, am I right?

Photos: Reuters/Daylife/Style.com/Hans Frederik Asbjørnsen/The Royal Court

Week in Review: Princess Máxima, 4-10 December

Here's what Máxima wore from 4-10 December:

1. At the closing ceremony of the Thousand and One Force project, 9 December, in an outfit she also wore for an audience on 6 December. Hmm...while I think we have a good silhouette on our hands, somehow the overall efffect is that of Queen Elizabeth taking a stroll at Balmoral.

Photo: PPE/Nieboer

Week in Review: Princess Letizia, 4-10 December

Here's what Princess Letizia wore from 4-10 December:

1. Watching the changing of the guard at the palace in Madrid, 7 December, rockin' the shades.

Photo: Purepeople/Best Image

Week in Review: Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, 4-10 December

Here's what Maria Teresa wore from 4-10 December:

1. At the closing of the European Year of Volunteering, 5 December.
2. Hosting a reception at the Grand Ducal Palace, 8 December.
3. The Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony, 10 December. I think the side view shows the good the dress can do, when not chopped in half by a sash.

Photos: Ministry of Family and Integration/Cour gr ducale/Svenskdam

Week in Review: Crown Princess Victoria, 4-10 December

Here's what Victoria wore from 4-10 December:

1. Attending a meeting on the 2011 Nobel Prize laureates, 5 December.
2. Lunch at the palace for a politician, 6 December. Legit boots instead of shooties? I'll take it!
3. a and b) The Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony, 10 December. Though I originally called it as Elie Saab, and others thought perhaps Malene Birger, it is indeed a Pär Engsheden creation. Doesn't matter, I still love it, and I love this too:

Baby's first Nobel! Awww.

Photos: Kungahuset/Daylife/Getty Images/SVT/Style.com

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 4-10 December

Here's what Mette-Marit wore from 4-10 December:

1. Attending the Save the Children party for the Nobel Peace Prize and then receiving the Peace Prize recipients at the palace, 10 December. Oh man, I love that coat. She also wore it when arriving at the ceremony.
2. a) At the Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony, 10 December, in a b) Valentino dress. She added length to the dress, we'll all be happy to note.
3. a) Arriving for the Nobel Banquet, 10 December, in a c) Valentino dress that was, yes, (b) a little bit see-through. Any time we fail to take into account the things that flash photography will do is a fail indeed, I'm sorry to say. Now, as I said, the look had already been done, by Marie-Chantal at Princess Máxima's 40th birthday concert:

And so we must put it to a vote: who wore it best?

UPDATE: The poll is now closed, and Mette-Marit wins it with 63% of your 515 votes!

Photos: Daylife/Style.com/Reuters/Mimote

Week in Review: Princess Charlene, 4-10 December

Here's what Charlene wore from 4-10 December:

1. Opening a Christmas market, 5 December. That's a great coat.
2. Visiting her first swimming pool, 7 December. This is not a great skirt, though it may make a great burlap sack.
3. At the Climate Action Networking Reception in South Africa, 7 December. This one just does nothing for her, I'm afraid. Points for killer shoes, anyway.
4. a) At the Polaris Project Presentation and b) meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, 8 December. Much better! She always seems happiest when home in South Africa, and particularly with Archbishop Tutu, which is wonderful to see. And this powder blue dress is a great neckline for her.

Photos: Purepeople/Abaca/Profimedia/Zimbio/GettyImages/Oryx

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

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

1. a) Attending a Gary Barlow charity concert at the Royal Albert Hall, 6 December, in b) a Zara dress and Ralph Lauren jacket (last seen leaving after the wedding). Basic party dress, royal-ed up with the addition of the jacket and tights. I've seen a lot of people clutching their pearls over the length, but that didn't bother me; she's covered up everywhere else, and it's the only concession she's making here to the fact that she's a 29-year-old at a rock concert. What do you wear to a concert at which your husband and his father are wearing suits and ties, anyway?

Photos: Ian Jones/Daily Mail/Zara

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