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

Royal Outfits of the Day: April 27

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Two outfits today, one I should like that I don't, and one I shouldn't that I do. It doesn't make any more sense than that sentence did.
Take this, for instance: Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary celebrated the anniversary of the Hotel d'Angleterre, and Mary wore a black dress from Ole Yde's YDE label with a tiered tulle skirt.
So this is basically the little sister to that black Carolina Herrera gown that Queen Letizia wore last year. And I looooved that gown. Therefore...I should like this gown...and yet, NOPE.
I blame the bodice. Maybe just borrow the dress from Leti next time?

And then there's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, still doing her version of wardrobe musical chairs, grabbing whatever's at hand when the music stops.
And much to my surprise, I think I like it this time! Sure, I'd change the skirt, because I can always find something to change. But the sweater manages to feel very much in the M-M style without being a) black or white, b) covered in flowers, or c) covered in ruffles. A change I can get behind.
The sweater is from Burberry Prorsum
The whole world's gone topsy turvy, I'm telling you.

Photos: as indicated and YDE, Style.com
Royal Haircut of the Day: April 21

Royal Haircut of the Day: April 21

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CHOP!
Queen Letizia attended the 'Woman Awards' last night in Madrid.
Look who got her hair did...
She tested out the faux bob (yes, that's bob with ONE o, stop giggling) hairstyle a time or two, and now she's really gone for it. I like to think she made a point of holding on to those long locks juuuuussst long enough to debut her new tiara in the best possible fashion before making the cut. (More on that tiara coming up later in the week, by the way!)
Her newly short and sassy bob was paired with Yanes earrings, Prada shoes, and another Felipe Varela LBD (she really takes that theory that you can never go wrong with a little black dress to heart, you know). I think I like the new 'do - she certainly seems to like it, at least. I do believe I'm detecting some swagger here. And I love a queen with swagger.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated

Royal Fashion Awards: Queen Margrethe's Fredensborg Birthday Dinner

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The last event of Queen Margrethe's birthday fiesta was a dinner at Fredensborg Palace, not to be confused with the dinner at Christiansborg Palace last night. Did you think we were going to repeat our palaces in the same birthday celebration? Don't be ridiculous.

I had hope that this evening's black tie dinner would be a tiara event. (A similar dinner back in 2010 was with tiaras, for example.) That hope, however, was dashed. SO CRUELLY DASHED. My faith in Margrethe's capacity for sartorial splendor has been shaken to its very core! How will we ever recover from this travesty??

Alright, I'm over it. Let's work with what we've got:

Most Side Eye in Accessories
Queen Margrethe
Sorry, birthday girl, but I'm giving you the side eye real hard here. The accessorizing, specifically - it was a great dress when she wore it to the Dutch state visit, and it still is now. But it's got cool and muted tones, and that turquoise and gold set is all kinds of bright and warm, and the contrast is making me cringe. (The necklace was a birthday gift from Prince Henrik, a new addition to her modern turquoise set which includes pieces he gave her for previous birthdays. Which is fantastic - and the necklace is the best piece of the set! - but still not at its best with this dress.) She also snuck a piece of the Floral Aigrette Tiara in her hair. Ordinarily I'd be all over that, but instead, I'm just wondering why she didn't just make the dinner a tiara thing and let the other ladies play too. It's possible I'm not entirely over it.


Most Likely Best
Crown Princess Mary
Even my faith in Mary's ability to pull off a great outfit is shaken. I think I like this one...I might even like the center part low ponytail. Hmm. I reserve the right to change my judgement.


Most Overshadowed
Princess Marie
Here's Marie again, looking fine again. But I'm not looking at her, I'm looking at Hef over there.


Most...Floatiest
Princess Benedikte
Just go with it, okay? Floaty is the only word I've got for this dress, and you wouldn't have been able to stop me from swooping around with my wings fluttering behind me right in the middle of dinner. That's why she's the princess and I am NOT. (One of the many reasons...)


Most Confusing
Queen Anne-Marie
I thought this was the same dress she wore to yesterday's dinner. But it's not. It's very slightly different. Used up those Best in Usual titles a little too soon, I guess.


Most on the Mend
Queen Silvia
I think the latest addition to our ongoing saga of Silvia and her attempts to stylishly heal her shoulder is a scarf cover for whatever device she's chosen this time. I don't know. Sil, you're adorable.

Most Typical
Crown Princess Mette-Marit
I originally posted this as Most Mysterious, because M-M sure did a good job evading the television camera. But sure enough, it's just another typical Mette-Marit flower power frock by Giambattista Valli.


Most Welcome Relief
Crown Princess Victoria
If we can't have tiaras, at least we have Elie Saab. (Her sister's Elie Saab, to be precise.) And on that sigh of relief...

...we're done! Do scroll through and make sure you haven't missed any of the events. We'll return to our regularly scheduled programming on Sunday.

Who was your best dressed at the Fredensborg dinner?

Photos:via Getty Images as indicated, DR1 video, Elie Saab

Royal Fashion Awards: Queen Margrethe’s Christiansborg Birthday Dinner

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Queen Margrethe and the Danish royal family were joined for an official dinner for her 75th birthday by fellow European sovereigns, and: YAY. That's all I have to say. Well, I have quite a lot more to say, as you will see from this lengthy and picture-laden entry, but that's the gist of it.

A couple notes: If we’ve covered these jewels in the past (and we usually have!), there will be a link. Most of these people are wearing the light blue Order of the Elephant from Denmark, which is usually given to sovereigns and their spouses, plus those in the Danish family. If foreign royals are wearing a different sash, it’s because they haven’t had a chance to receive the Order of the Elephant yet (they’re usually given at state visits, and occasionally at other times; here's my explainer post on that).

Now, to the awards:

Best in Coincidences
Queen Margrethe
Tuesday’s post featured a flashback to an epic Margrethe outfit using the Floral Aigrette Tiara and pieces of the ruby, diamond, and pearl set from the crown jewels – and that’s precisely what she gave us again! And in a flowing red dress, because why not? She is the birthday girl, after all. (And she flew solo, because Henrik is out with the flu.)


Best in Repeats
Crown Princess Mary
You saw me die over this Birgit Hallstein gown when Mary wore it previously. And then you saw me die over it in another format when Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt wore something similar to the New Year’s Court in 2014. And here we go again! Mary paired it this time with the tiara, small earrings, bracelet, and hair clips from the Danish Ruby Parure. This is both stunning and understated – in other words, the perfect choice. And in an inadvertent twin episode, PM Helle wore her version again, too!
Helle Thorning-Schmidt on the right

Best in Old Favorites, Part 1
Princess Marie
Marie loves a good peplum gown and she loves her Diamond Floral Tiara (which is her only solid option for an event like this, having just one other tiara at her disposal which is much more informal), so this navy lace peplum and tiara combo was entirely expected. But it’s also entirely lovely! She's also wearing a brooch from Queen Alexandrine as a pendant, so she's fully loaded with her family heirlooms.

Best in Old Favorites, Part 2
Queen Anne-Marie
I almost did another flashback to the birthday celebrations in 2010 today, which would have featured this exact same gown and Greek Emerald Parure pairing on Anne-Marie. She wears the heck out of her gowns and she wears the heck out of those emeralds, and I can’t say I blame her on either count.

Best in Beach Cover-Up Gravitas
Princess Benedikte
On anyone else, this floaty top layer would be a swimsuit cover-up, tossed on as they flew in from a day at the beach. But Princess B. can carry anything off, and now it's magically part of a gala gown (mind you, the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara and a solid smattering of diamonds doesn't hurt, either!).

Best in Extended Tiaras
Countess Sussie and Princess Elisabeth
Married to Count Ingolf of Rosenborg, cousin to the Queen, Countess Sussie (on the left) usually brings us a sighting of Queen Alexandrine’s Fringe Tiara, and so it is here. Also a cousin of Queen Margrethe, Princess Elisabeth (on the right) usually brings us a sighting of Princess Thyra’s Sapphire Tiara, and so it was yet again. File both these tiaras under "not a fave, but lovely to see."

Best in Solo Gentlemen
King Harald and Grand Duke Henri
I make no excuses for paying more attention to the ladies around here, but a little love for the gents in attendance without their better halves: Harald and Henri! Dashing in their uniforms all on their own (and I love Harald completing the Scandinavian Sovereign Trio there, which should be the name of their a cappella group). An engagement in New York is occupying Queen Sonja, and I'm not sure what happened to Grand Duchess Maria Teresa.

Best in Splendor Dedication
Queen Silvia
Silvia injured her shoulder a while back, and it appeared she had some sort of support fashioned out of her dress material for her bad arm, not for one second risking her sartorial splendor for some random injury. THIS IS TRUE DEDICATION, PEOPLE. All the applause to you, Queen Sil. (And to your fabulous Leuchtenberg Sapphires too!)

Best in Big Guns
Queen Mathilde
Together with her almost unbearably shiny repeated Armani Privé gown, Mathilde gave us a tiara debut: the full version of the Nine Provinces Tiara! She's worn the bandeau, but this was the first time she's added the top arches in. I think this might be the first time I've actually liked this pointy wall of diamonds, so credit to Mathilde for making that happen.

Most Meh in Understated
Queen Máxima
Well, she can’t bear full responsibility for bringing the jumpy claps every single time, I suppose. And leave it to Máxima to wear a tiki hut skirt and still make my understated list, eh? She went standard with the Diamond Bandeau Tiara, her favorite, but she did pin the brooch from the Stuart Tiara parure to her waist. She's just teasing us, at this point, keeping us waiting for an appearance of the elusive beast itself.

Best in NEW TIARAS!
Queen Letizia
Never mind that Máx went standard, Letizia picked up the slack with an elusive tiara of her own! Made by Ansorena and reportedly a gift from Felipe, we've been waiting years to see this one in action. The center brooch has been seen, but not the tiara. It was nearing apocryphal status, for heaven’s sake, but a foreign tiara engagement proved the perfect place to finally bring it out of hiding.
We will have to give this one the full Tiara Thursday treatment later on (a couple Spanish articles about the tiara: one, two).
I'm reserving judgement until then. But for now, for simply showing us something I had completely given up on, she wins all the jumpy claps!

Stay tuned...the festivities continue with a full day of events tomorrow and another dinner tomorrow. For now:

Who was your best dressed at this dinner?

Photos: Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images, DR1 video, Ansorena

Royal Outfit Evolution of the Day: April 13

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The Danish royal ladies (Queen Margrethe and Crown Princess Mary, in particular) are among the most adept in the royal crowd at making over their clothes as the years go on. Outfits are sent back to their designers or sent on to skilled tailors who take known pieces and give them a fresh look and a new life in the royal wardrobe. For the start of Margrethe's birthday celebrations last week, we saw one such dress on Mary, a Prada creation that has been altered at least twice and has gotten better with each change (if you ask me).
It came originally from the Fall 2004 Ready-to-Wear collection, where it was shown on the runway in a shorter length. I like to imagine this was among the loot from Mary's first princess shopping sprees - Prada is now one of her favorite brands, and she owns more than one piece from this particular collection.
2004: Prince Henrik's Birthday Dinner
The midnight velvet dress featured a cap sleeve with a deep v-neck, perfect for necklace display. It first appeared during the 70th birthday celebrations for Prince Henrik in 2004 just a month after her wedding, when she paired it with her wedding tiara and an intricate necklace from Marianne Dulong.
2006: Visit to Germany
The skirt was tiered, with a sash on one hip and a couple of rosette thingies (we're all about the technical terminology here) scattered on the front. A random element, and by far my least favorite part of the original design.
2012: Queen Margrethe's Jubilee Banquet
But look! After several appearances (both with and without tiara) over the years, by the time she wore it to the banquet for Queen Margrethe's jubilee in 2012, the rosettes had magically disappeared. And the whole world (read: me) breathed a sigh of relief, for the most drapery-esque part of the dress was gone. For this occasion, she paired it with the Danish Ruby Parure, using the open neckline to showcase the necklace in its glorious full version.
2015: Queen Margrethe's Birthday Gala Performance
And now, it's been changed once again. For the appearance last week, the neckline has been squared off, even better for showcasing necklaces and even more flattering for Mary. Has it reached perfection, or did you prefer a previous version?

Photos: Style.com and via Getty Images as indicated
Royal Flashback of the Week: April 3

Royal Flashback of the Week: April 3

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Queen Margrethe's 70th birthday celebrations in 2010 gave us one of the most fun royal photo ops in recent years, when Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary rounded up the other "heir couples" (as they were at the time) in attendance and went for a jolly little stroll across the cobblestones on their way to the last big event of the multi-day party, a private dinner for Queen Margrethe at Fredensborg Palace (you can see video of this here).
L to R: Princess Máxima and the Prince of Orange, the Crown Princess and Crown Prince of Norway, the Crown Princess of Sweden and Daniel Westling, the Crown Princess and Crown Prince of Denmark
This dinner had a black tie n' tiaras dress code, which I always love because 1) tiaras and 2) gowns that don't have to hold up to an array of orders and whatnot are often a lot more interesting. And sure enough, these ladies were up to the task in gowns that were the perfect thing for a tiara opportunity without all the extra clutter (...well, for the most part).
Mary wore a one shoulder teal Kenth Fredin dress with flattering draping across the body. This was one of her first "proper princess" gowns, a repeat worn to the couple's engagement dinner in 2003, and it's always been a hit. She paired it this time with the Midnight Tiara, earrings, and brooch, and this gown is the best match that set has met yet (in my un-humble and slightly rhyming opinion).
Mette-Marit's Nina Skarra dress was a fresh take on all the things she loves: a fresh petal-like take on her beloved ruffle skirts, and a fresh take on her pastel repertoire with a bright pink belt on that icy blue background. She revamped this gown last year, changing the bodice and adding sleeves and removing the belt, making it more useful as a gala gown to support her sashes and such but making me miss the original take. She wore her standard Diamond Daisy Tiara with this. (Moment of silence for an all-time great tiara hair moment. Amen.)
Máxima wore this spectacular Carolina Herrera blue floral one shoulder gown, which would have been too much in most gala situations, but was just right with a sprinkling of sapphires and the Dutch Sapphire Necklace Tiara. I've been hoping she'd become a big Herrera customer ever since, but I'm still waiting.
And finally, Victoria, my least favorite of the lot in prison break BCBG Max Azria stripes. She did not wear a tiara, sticking a family heirloom brooch in her hair instead. The sportiness of this dress makes it a hard match to any sort of delicate jewelry, and I can only think the Diamond Bandeau might have done the trick. Anyway, this appearance was so fun, even a tiara lover like me can get over that real quick. I don't have my hopes up too high for a repeat of this little jaunt anytime soon, but if we got one, I'd give it all the jumpy claps.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated
Royal Outfit Grab Bag of the Day: April 2

Royal Outfit Grab Bag of the Day: April 2

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And for today's installment of things random royals have worn recently...

Queen Máxima has been on a trip to Myanmar as part of her role as a U.N. advocate for inclusive finance, and she wore something a little familiar...the brown and blue version of the pink Dolce & Gabbana dress we've seen on Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Marie-Chantal! Give me the light pink any day, though.

Queen Mathilde attended an exhibit featuring Dries van Noten's work, so she wore a Dries van Noten outfit. Anything else would have been just rude, you see. (Queen Robocop's knee is on the mend, but she uses a wheelchair when lots of walking/standing are required.)
I liked the floral print underneath, but possibly the most interesting part of this outfit was the mix of patterns with the coordinating striped jacket. She also put in an appearance in another of her sheath dresses, which she does (and should) own in a million variations because they're just right for her.

Also riding the royal blue train lately was Sofia Hellqvist:
I like this. I think I like this? Yes, I like this. A slouchy casual air, but still some sparkle. I grow ever more excited to see what she picks for the big day ahead.

Photos: via Getty Images and Twitter as indicated
Princely Party of the Day: March 31

Princely Party of the Day: March 31

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The annual Rose Ball to benefit the Princess Grace Foundation was held on Saturday, and the Monaco bunch was out in full force (minus Princess Charlene, who stayed home because Princess Gabriella was ill, apparently). And, I don't know, is it just me, or is this an abnormally tame showing for the crew? Especially for a year when Karl Lagerfeld was in charge of the theme.
Left to right: Charlotte Casiraghi, Karl Lagerfeld, Princess Caroline of Hanover, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Paola Marzotto (Beatrice's mother), Pierre Casiraghi and Beatrice Borromeo
This year's theme was Art Deco, so Beatrice Borromeo's slinky column of liquid platinum was right on point. Charlotte Casiraghi's dress, sort of a day dress with evening wear ambitions (settle down, little frock), was the closest to curious we came...
...and even then, it's good for cutting a rug and it lets her face do all the work, a strategy with which you can never go wrong. Princess Caroline also took the Art Deco theme to heart in her ensemble, most of which I can't really pay attention to, because NECKLACE. And also EARRINGS.
This is her fringe necklace, one of the big family jewels she wears (and which may-or-may-not also be a tiara, you can see my post on that here), and it's nice to see her bring it out for this event. Just a spectacular display of diamond power, and for that I thank her.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated

Royal Flashback of the Day: March 27

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This week, Queen Margrethe opened a new exhibition of her dresses, put on in honor of her 75th birthday (coming up in April, have I reminded you of that often enough?).
You can see a few of the outfits on display in this gallery, including her wedding gown (minus the front lace panel and the daisy brooch), the gorgeous floral print gown she wore under a pink coat for Fred and Mary's wedding, and that floral rain coat she so cheerily and so memorably wears. (The fact that a rain reign coat makes the cut for an exhibit alongside couture gowns is everything I love about Queen Margrethe in a nutshell, by the way.)

No time like the present, then, to get back to our flashbacks to her 2010 birthday celebrations and cover one of my favorite gowns from her current rotation:
This apple green dress was created for the gala performance on the first night of those 2010 celebrations. I've been working my way through Dronningens Kjoler by Katia Johansen, which is all about her fabulous clothes and includes the Queen's own thoughts on some of the creations she's worn throughout her years; according to the book, this color was selected specifically because it would pop against the red and gold inside the theater. (And that it did, you can see video of her arrival and seating here).
Created by Birgitte Thaulow, Margrethe's current favorite designer, the gown is made from heavy silk zibeline bought by the Queen in London. It features a square neckline, elbow-length sleeves, and a shape created by an interesting gathering of pleats to a central sash. For the birthday celebrations, she played off the green and wore the tiara, necklace, brooch, and earrings from the Danish Emerald Parure, part of the crown jewels. The silhouette is theatrical enough to suit this drama queen, but the color gives it a new glow. And it has enough interest to stand on its own while still being plain enough to work with all sorts of orders and jewels.
Margrethe's big on repeating gowns, so of course we've seen this one several times. She wore it to Crown Princess Victoria's wedding just a few months later, in 2010 (seen above), and this is my favorite appearance so far. The green is so fresh, it looks amazing with the lightness of the pearl jewelry (the Pearl Poire Tiara and its assembled parure). She's also worn the dress with the emeralds again for the New Year's Court gala in 2011 and 2014.
The dress now has its own place in history, with a starring role in a portrait by Mikael Melbye which was placed on stamps to celebrate her ruby jubilee. The artist wanted a monochromatic look in order to focus the painting on her expression, so the green dress was painted in silver. It works in silver, it works in green, and I wouldn't mind it if she had a few run up in every other color of the rainbow. When it works, it works.

Photos: via Getty Images/DR
Royal Closet Raid of the Day: March 26

Royal Closet Raid of the Day: March 26

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Princess Eugenie celebrated her 25th birthday this week (getting a special Happy Birthday from her dad and the palace along the way), so I set out the find the best thing she's ever worn. And then I found it, and then I decided that I wish I had one for my own, and HERE WE ARE, it's time for another royal closet raid.
This is it, right? Best thing she's ever worn, I mean. This is a Vivienne Westwood gown, worn to the dinner the night before the Cambridges got hitched. She should live her life in Westwood, because this does all the right things for her. And it would do some right things for me too...hint hint.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated

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