WEDDING FLOWERS: Brooches
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Showing posts with label Brooches. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brooches. Show all posts

Royal Fashion Awards: Garter Day, 2015

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Are you sick of tiaras? (Are you ill?) Not to worry, we're moving right along to the fancy hat portion of the month.


Garter Day is our plumed topic for today. The annual service for the Order of the Garter, Britain's oldest order of chivalry, includes all the royal Knights and Ladies of the Garter strutting around in their Hogwarts best. (By "strutting", I mean "slowly processing down a hill", obviously.)

If you're interested in the details and significance of what they wear (a bonnet, mantle, collar, and more) as well as the details on the jewels worn by the Queen and the Duchess of Cornwall, you can check out my post on the event at the Jewel Vault, and all the links there.

Just a few awards to hand out today:

Most Unstoppable
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh
Photos: Courtesy of gabeyslave on Twitter; 
Corporal Max Bryan (Army Photographer)/MOD/Crown Copyright
Here's your regular reminder that, at 89 and 94 years old, these two could run you into the ground: Saturday was the celebration of the Queen's official birthday (and they also fit in a private birthday celebration with their eldest grandkids at a wine bar), Her Maj was at the polo on Sunday, Monday was this thing with the feathers, and now Royal Ascot will roll on for five days. And then a state visit to Germany, and then a week of engagements in Scotland, and then Princess Charlotte's christening. These two kids, I tell ya.

Best in Plumes
The Ladies of the Order of the Garter
The Princess Royal, with carriage companions Sir Tim Laurence and the Gloucesters.
Photo: Courtesy of gabeyslave
Oh, sure, there were men there too. (And they were wearing suits. Morning suits, covered by the mantle.) But Princess Alexandra and Princess Anne are my annual Garter faves. They're a rare breed, royal ladies that have been given the Garter honor, so I can't help it. No one makes the plumage as imperious as Anne does and no one makes it as elegant as Alexandra does.
Princess Alexandra of Kent with carriage companion the Duke of Kent

Best in Spouse
The Countess of Wessex
Left to right: The Duchess of Cornwall, Countess of Wessex, Duchess of Gloucester
The Duchess of Cornwall knows she can handle a big hat, and this Philip Treacy chapeau is the very definition of major. Paired with an Anna Valentine coat, it's an outfit she's repeating from the Jubilee Thames River Pageant, with the Queen Mum's pearls thrown in for good measure. The Duchess of Gloucester continues to bring out the best of her jewel box, and I'd take those two diamond clips off her lapels real quick like.
Photos: Corporal Max Bryan (Army Photographer)/MOD/Crown Copyright; Suzannah
But I feel like we've had a sad run of blergh ensembles from the royal Garter spouses in the past couple years, and the Countess of Wessex's repeated green Suzannah dress is the refreshment I didn't even know I needed. It's the rare outfit that can actually hold its own against all those feathers and all that velvet, and doesn't need to be ridiculous to make it happen (I'm looking at you, Sophie, thank you for rethinking last year's strategy). A+ work.

Who's your Garter best dressed?

P.S.: Keep your eyes peeled both here and at the Vault for all the Ascot fun!

Royal Pre-Wedding Flashback of the Day: June 12

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The festivities for Prince Carl Philip and Sofia's wedding start today (Friday), with a pre-wedding dinner this evening. We'll be back later for that. Until then, shall we revisit one of the most epic royal pre-wedding looks of all time?

On the night before Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling's wedding, the Swedish royal family and their guests attended a dinner and concert. Victoria's look for the evening is one of my all-time favorite royal looks, because it's just the most...everything. Everything here is the MOST (and also, the BEST).


The most couture of couture dresses, a true example of the craft both in terms of workmanship (all that embellishment!) and in customization (an Elie Saab classic, similar to looks from the Spring 2010 Couture runway, but made bespoke for Victoria).

The most elaborate earrings, an impressive set created from a pair of diamond epaulettes (ornamental shoulder pieces often used on a military uniform) and worn for the first time at this event.

The most fabulous use of the family's heirloom diamond arrow brooch. Cupid's arrow, indeed!

The most dashing train attendant of all time. Who needs a lady-in-waiting when you have a husband-in-waiting, amirite?

Oh and also: the most adorableness. Whatever you do, don't forget the awwwwwww...
It's kinda rare to have pre-wedding events with as much fanfare as Victoria and Daniel did (she is the crown princess, after all; her siblings did/will have private dinners instead), thus making this level of MOSTness appropriate. But that's okay. This one deserves to be unique.

Programming Note: Today's a multiple post day, oh la la! Scroll down for a second outfit post (if you dare) and as I said at the top, we'll also be back later to chat about this evening's pre-wedding dinner in Sweden.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated / Style.com
Royal Garden Party of the Day: June 3

Royal Garden Party of the Day: June 3

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The Duchess of Cornwall hosted a garden party at Buckingham Palace yesterday in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Women's Institute. As is only fitting given the honored organization, Camilla was joined by a group of fellow royal ladies ready to brave a little wind and get their garden party on.
And as is only fitting since this quartet includes some of the loveliest Windsors that we don't talk about nearly enough, we shall take this opportunity to lavish some much-needed attention on them (and their gems!).

Navy and cream is a good combo on Cams, no? It's hard to go wrong with the classics. I love the larger of her two diamond and pearl chokers, I like her Diamond and Sapphire Butterfly Brooch (which is as far into the realm of bug jewelry as I am willing to go, MÁXIMA ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME) and I like that she also wore her Women's Institute Badge. And you know the hat's a good one when even Crown Princess Mary owns a similar model.

The Duchess of Gloucester wears this light blue ensemble a lot - in fact, she wore it to another garden party just a few days ago - but I can't say I blame her. It is simple yet flattering.
And most importantly, it's a good background for plenty of sapphires, diamonds, and pearls. Go Birgitte, go! She always seems to have something interesting going on the jewel department, and it's a crying shame that she ends up in the background at so many royal gatherings. Just think of all the sparkly fun we could be missing...

Princess Alexandra looks like a walking garden party, which is as it is always is and always should be.
No slouch in the gem department herself, we've got diamonds and pearls and a classic diamond flower brooch that has a sister in the collection of her cousin QEII.

And finally, the Countess of Wessex. I thought I stole this Emilia Wickstead horse print dress for myself, but I suppose as long as she keeps wearing it, we're good. LURVE.

P.S.: Later that evening, Cams got her tiara on! A surprise Tiara Watch is over at the Jewel Vault for your delight. Spoiler alert: Dame Joan Collins was involved.

Photos: WPA Pool via Getty Images

Royal Visit Catch Up of the Day: June 1

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King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima wrapped up their state visit to Canada last week and have now headed to the United States for an official visit.

Click here for a video
We covered day 1 of the Canadian fun last week, and day 2 continued with another lace and big hat combo in olive, which is sort of drab, but really anything's an improvement on the arrival outfit. I will say this is the first time I've thought that Máx might have reached her hat size limit. Lots of angles where she's taking hat head to new heights...by entirely eliminating her face.

Photo: Governor-General of Canada/Sgt Ronald Duchesne, Rideau Hall
The evening concert hosted by Their Majesties featured a repeat of the red Valentino gown Máx wore to Prinsjesdag last year, which feels so plain without a sash to break up the red sea. Not even a tsunami of a side part can save this one.
This is one bad perm away from the 1980s. But she is wearing something intriguing in the jewel department: pieces from the Ears of Wheat Tiara, detached and worn barrette-style. The Ears of Wheat Tiara is one of the rare diadems that Máx hasn't worn from the family collection. At least not yet.

Day three - just in time for the trip's end - finally brought the best day outfit of the journey. This repeated white Natan frock with another big hat proves that a slight decrease in brim size can make all the difference.
And bonus points for earring style. Always bonus points for that.

Sunday night, they started their next visit in Washington, D.C. with a dinner at the residence of the Dutch ambassador. Máxima wore the absolute worst spider brooch EVER and it is TRAUMATIZING.
Video here, photos here.
 NOPE NOPE NOPE. That is all.

 
Photos: NOS video, gg.ca, via Twitter and Getty Images as indicated

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