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Showing posts with label Print. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Print. Show all posts
Royal Fashion Awards: Royal Ascot 2015, Days 4 & 5

Royal Fashion Awards: Royal Ascot 2015, Days 4 & 5

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The last two days of Royal Ascot did taper off in terms of royal attendance, but they also gave us the most Ascot-y of our royal Ascot hats this year, so it's a trade off. Let's finish this party up: 

Best in Coordination
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh (Day 5)
Check that tie-to-outfit coordination. Not too matchy-matchy, just right. Awww. (You can of course see Her Maj on Day 4 as well as all brooch info at the Vault.)

Best Comeback
Zara Phillips (Day 4)
Bouncing right back from a yellow number that made people ask all the wrong questions earlier in the week, this is simple but just the right silhouette for Zara. Lovely. Also, bonus grandmother/granddaughter hang out time:

Worst Step Back
Princess Beatrice (Day 4)
And she was doing so very well on Day 3. Alas, Beatrice - here with her mum and sister - stepped right back in that pile of tooooo muchhhhh that she got stuck in on Day 1, overdoing this skirt (which is already patterned and flared and wrinkled) with a fussy top and ankle straps and koosh ball flowers on her head. Princess Eugenie did it better on Day 3, and is doing it better retro-style here too.

Best Ascot Spirit
Lady Helen Taylor
Let it be known that I do not like bugs on my hats anymore than I like them on my jewelry. But it's Ascot! Someone has to have a little millinery fun. We've seen some big royal hats this year, but I think this is the only one that's really brought the whimsy that one can pull off at the biggest hat parade of the year.

Now that we've reached the end of the Ascot fun, it's time for the final question:

What was your favorite Ascot outfit for 2015?
(Voting for the Yorks on Day 3, myself.)

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated

Prince Carl Philip & Sofia's Wedding: Royal Guests, Part 1

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Hello again! As we reconvene after a day of royal wedding watching to continue our coverage of the Swedish wedding, don't forget to scroll down for the bride, groom, Swedish royal family, and how to see it again. Check back as official photos have since been added. (And if you're looking for the Windsors and Trooping the Colour, click here.)

Mattias Edwall / Kungahuset.se

We've got royal guests to tackle today. This is Part 1 of the Royal Fashion Awards: Guest Division, and we're hanging out with the other Nordic royals in attendance, from Norway and Denmark, plus a couple friends from Germany.

Biggest Tiara Double Take
Princess Ursula of Bavaria
Princess Ursula has a baby Spencer Tiara! It's always interesting to see what jewels the Bavarians turn up in, because they've sold some of their major pieces in recent years. This one gave me Diana déjà vu, big time.

Biggest in Hair
Princess Anna of Bavaria
I feel like none of the photos convey how big this updo was, but it certainly caught my eye on the broadcast. It almost disappeared her petite diamond fringe variation tiara, which comes from Anna's own family (the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburgs).

Most Predictable Repeat
Queen Margrethe of Denmark
Hello again, birthday dress, your skirt is looking particularly dashing in this shot. Daisy also gets a Most Predictable Tiara award, because she does love the Baden Palmette Tiara for weddings. Hearts and all, you know.

Worst in Repeats
Queen Sonja of Norway
Oh look, it's the Big Bird gown, back for the trillionth time in its millionth year. It bums me out, wearing such a workhorse dress for such a special occasion. No amount of diamonds and pearls can save it, not even Queen Maud's Pearl and Diamond Tiara.

Most in Need of a Different Tiara
Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Princess Märtha Louise of Norway
Well, I've been spoiled. The Norwegian princesses gave us some tiara shake ups at the last two Swedish royal weddings, and now they've gone and worn their regular small tiaras (the Diamond Daisy and King Olav's Gift Tiara), and...pffft.
Mette-Marit's skirt was from Temperley London, and her top from Nina Skarra
We do have some interesting additional gems - you just knew Mette-Marit would be the one with a heart pin on the back of her sash, didn't you? - and I do like the idea of a ball gown skirt with different tops. But the men are leading the pack here.

Nearest Miss
Princess Marie of Denmark
I was on board with this right away. Great color! Her great diamond floral tiara! And then I saw that her stomach had gills.
Dress by Alberta Ferretti

Most Undecided
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
On the one hand, this is my favorite of the three outfits she's worn to Swedish royal weddings. On the other hand, that's not saying much, as I don't think they've been among her top appearances. This I just find curious.
I love the big skirt and the way the colors of the sash and the pearls (her wedding tiara with added pearls, and her wedding earrings) go with it, but the fact that it is heavily embellished down the front with embellishment that you can't really see is kinda weird. Perhaps a remix is in the future. (Bonus points for extra sparkle in the updo, though.)

Later today, we'll take a look at the remaining royal guests. Until then...

Who's your best dressed of this lot?

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, SVT video, Mattias Edwall/Kungahuset.se

Prince Carl Philip & Sofia’s Wedding: The Swedish Royal Family

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The Swedish royal family has a history of turning up the sartorial volume significantly when it comes to big events. Did they succeed at their prince’s wedding? Well…yes and no. Let’s give out some awards and discuss:

(Hint: Click the tiara names to go to their individual entries!)

Best in Predictable
Queen Silvia
I predicted she would wear the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara, most of us predicted she would wear the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara, she wore the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara. And HUZZAH for that, because it is and remains a sparkly wall of diamonds with gorgeous blue at the top, and you can’t go wrong with that.
She added it to a dress in light lilac silk satin with embroidery of lace, sequins, and stones, all of which was a little bit on the shiny side for me. (Silvia in anything embellished and shiny: also predictable.)
With Sofia's parents. Photo: Mattias Edwall/Kungahuset.se
The King wore the mess dress model 1878 uniform of the Admiral of the Fleet with insignia from the Order of the Seraphim, the Order of Vasa, and the Order of the Sword. His medals are Gustav V's Jubilee Medal II, Gustav VI Adolf's Commemorative Medal, the Order of the Polar Star, and the Order of Vasa.

Best in Surprises
Crown Princess Victoria
I asked for some tiara switcheroos, and BEHOLD: the Connaught Tiara, worn for the first time by Victoria. I wanted to see that one on the bride, but I’ll settle for it on anyone!
With Sofia's sisters. Photo: Mattias Edwall/Kungahuset.se
Victoria wore a custom dress from the H&M Conscious Collection – also a surprise because, well, H&M at a royal wedding?! Victoria’s a big supporter of the company but even at that, this one surprised me.
Was it a good surprise? It’s growing on me, I’ll say that. It has the grand scale we’ve come to expect, even if it does appear to be covered in tire tracks. Both Victoria and Prince Daniel were wearing the Order of the Seraphim, and Daniel also wore the Order of the Polar Star.

Best of the Family
Princess Madeleine
I could give this to Madeleine just for getting all dolled up when she’s about to pop, but this isn’t a sympathy best; this is a WOW under any circumstances. This soft apricot pink Elie Saab was smoothly adapted for her maternity needs and her diamonds had all the necessary sparkle. As expected, she stuck with her Modern Fringe Tiara, which I'm guessing is the one she finds most comfortable. She added the Vasa Earrings, huge diamond numbers that date all the way back to the Vasa dynasty, and which are probably anything but comfortable.
Madeleine wore the Order of the Seraphim and Chris O’Neill wore the Order of the Polar Star. They brought Princess Leonore with them, and she topped today’s heirloom baby clothing stakes by wearing a dress that goes all the way back to King Gustaf VI Adolf, her great-great-grandfather. (Leonore seemed fascinated by the tiaras during the ceremony. I think this kid and I would get along.)

Best in Honeybadgers
The Haga Princesses
Princess Christina (in the mulberry dress) and Princess Désirée (in hot pink)
Listen, I think I’m a bit in love with the Haga Princesses, a.k.a. the four sisters of the King. Princess Margaretha is the best dressed here, in her fabulous Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara, but the rest of them could clearly care less what we think, and I just can’t help but love ‘em a bit for that attitude. Honeybadgers don’t care, man! Princess Christina doesn’t care that I’m tired of her picking the Six Button Tiara over and over again. Princess Désirée doesn’t care that she’s sporting the Cut Steel Tiara with what is basically a hot pink caftan.
Princess Birgitta (in the trousers) and Princess Margaretha
And Princess Birgitta REALLY doesn’t care that she’s not, in fact, headed to a beach soirée around her Mallorca home. She’s gonna wear her palazzo pants with a fur tossed on top as the only concession to her northern location, and she doesn't care what you think! I mean, this is basically a jumpsuit with the Baden Fringe Tiara. Don’t you have to love it, just a little bit, at least?? Come on. The absurdity, it’s delicious.

Coming up later: the international guests. Until then…

Who was your best dressed Swedish royal family member?

Photos: via Getty Images and SVT video, Mattias Edwall/Kungahuset.se

Prince Carl Philip & Sofia’s Wedding: The Pre-Wedding Dinner

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The party is starting! Ready your jumpy claps!

This evening, wedding guests gathered for a short boat ride on the way to the venue for the pre-wedding dinner. Only a couple of the international royal guests were present, but the headline family members certainly did give us some things to discuss...

Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist
I wondered if Sofia would continue the trend of wearing Elie Saab for her pre-wedding event, as her soon-to-be-sisters-in-law both did. And I was close: she wore Zuhair Murad, a.k.a. almost Elie Saab! (Also the groom was present. He wore a tux.)
Many of us have been hoping we’d see more of Zuhair Murad on the royal red carpet, and I think this couture dress certainly delivers. Just enough sparkle, and with a train (which looked like it was detachable) added to the back to give it a little extra royal oomph.
And the blue is divine on her, no? I love it. What a great start to the event!

The King and Queen
{SCREECH} Well, that escalated quickly. Let’s just say that something had to come in third place on the list of Silvia's best mother of the bride and/or groom pre-wedding outfits (it's a very specific list)...call it the sacrificial lamb?

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel
Okay, this is better! Victoria’s sparkly, slinky number is perfect for this and also for her next Great Gatsby-themed party (I figure there’s no point to living in a palace if you’re not going to throw the occasional Gatsby party, right?).
Crown Princess Victoria wore Jenny Packham, the original model from a bridal collection (the Packham bridal collections always have dresses that are great more uses than bridal, though). She also had a brooch in back in her updo, and you know I luv her for that.

Victoria, Daniel, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit
With many royal guests arriving tomorrow, it was a lovely surprise to see Victoria and Daniel bring part of the Norwegian contingent: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Märtha Louise, and Ari Behn. Crown Prince Haakon joined the party by car a bit later. Mette-Marit repeated the Giambattista Valli dress she wore to Queen Margrethe’s birthday dinner earlier this year.

Princess Märtha Louise and Ari Behn
Apparently seeing that his wife was intent on a tasteful beige dress, Ari Behn decided someone had to shake things up and tossed a sash around his waist. Sure, man, why not?

Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill
Also skipping the boat ride in favor of arriving by car, Princess Madeleine breezed by in a basic but sort of ethereal maternity dress.

Lastly, a couple aunts and an extra international royal couple, just for good measure:

Princess Birgitta, doing her Birgitta thing.

Princess Margaretha, doing her Margaretha thing. (What more can you say?)

Prince Leopold and Princess Ursula of Bavaria...doing their thing. A very sequin-y floral thing, which is a curious combo.

All in all, not a bad start to a wedding weekend. This entry may be updated later on, and feel free to add more in the comments!

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, Expressen video

Royal Outfit Grab Bag of the Day: June 10

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GREETINGS. Here are some random pockets of fabulousness that I would like to share with you, so that we may bask in the glow of their splendiferousness together:

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel at the Polar Music Prize last night
Victoria occasionally tries to go a little bit edgy for the music stuff, which is fine but not really in her wheelhouse. This is much better. Straight from the music event to cocktails on a warm Ibiza night, this. I hope someone gave her a drink with a wee umbrella in it.
Dress from House of Dagmar, Earrings from Oscar de la Renta


King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia also attended the Polar Music Prize
Here's Sils at the same event. (With a fur, so there goes my Ibiza fantasy.) Fabulous designation goes to the color only; the Yuki-designed ensemble itself is suspiciously Zbornakian.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia commemorated Armed Forces Day on Saturday.
Letizia mixed and matched a previously worn jacket and a previously worn skirt, and the whole is greater than the sum of its two parts. Well done.

Queen Máxima during the official visit to the U.S. last week.
And finally: Máx looks chic, and this brooch (from Queen Sophie, worn by Beatrix on her wedding day) is to die for. This was last week - a MILLION YEARS AGO in internet times - but dedicated Máx fans understand the importance of saving up the chic moments to sustain you during the long droughts, like a camel heading for a Sartorial Sahara that could spring itself on you at any time.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, Nelly, Oscar de la Renta

Royal Event of the Day: June 5

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Yesterday, the Danish royal family gathered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1915 Danish constitution, in which women were given the right to vote. And the outfits were...

Queen Margrethe
...pretty standard. Leave it to Daisy to sweep in like she's running an errand after work, coat flapping in her breeze.

Princess Marie and Prince Joachim
...pretty metallic. This is a lot of mixed metals, when you throw in the breastplate situation plus the sparkly shawl plus the sparkly shoes. Too many mixed metals, for moi. That dress shape does work well with her shorter hairdo, though.

Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik
...and pretty fabulous. You might not love Mary's dress as much as I do, but I love it enough for us both. You see, I've been lusting after these Burberry Prorsum silk georgette dresses in all their different forms for a while now (see: Maggie Gyllenhaal and Olivia Palermo in Mary's version, or Naomie Harris and Kirsten Dunst in a solid color version). They're very flowy, and romantic, and all of that stuff. And pairing this with the Valentino Rockstud shoes, a nude pump but with some bite? Perfection.
Also of note, the group shown here will all be in Sweden for the big wedding! Maybe Margrethe was in a rush to get home and polish her tiara.

Photos: Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images, Saks 5th Ave
Royal State Visit of the Day: June 4

Royal State Visit of the Day: June 4

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The King and Queen of Spain have finally embarked on their delayed first state visit abroad to France, and it has been a festival of new outfits. And it's all...fine. Appropriate! Check mark, passing grade. I mean, there's nothing much here that's flipping my skirt up, but perhaps you'll have better luck...

Does déjà vu equate to a French tribute? Because that's what I've got here. A new Felipe Varela outfit, but the same blergh-y feel as the thing she wore for their introductory visit to France.

Also from day 1, this repeated Carolina Herrera skirt is better in action. If I were Letizia, I'd demand people only photograph me while descending grand staircases.

Following in the footsteps of Queen Silvia's approach to the French-set totally boring state banquet dress code, I shall give Letizia her due credit for dressing as fancy as possible, right up to the hairdo and the new earrings. A slightly sparkly and heavily embellished Felipe Varela was a step above what anyone else sported. The men wore suits.

I don't really understand this combo, this coat with this color of suit underneath. Well, I don't understand orange-y reds and sleeveless suits to start with, so I'm left clinging to the coat.

This, on the other hand, is a safari for which I would gladly sign up.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated
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 State Visit and Tiara Watch of the Week: June 2

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I like to imagine the Swedish royal family limbering up their bobby pins and stretching in their high heels with one last tiara event before the big wedding, courtesy of the incoming state visit from the President of India. It's important to warm up for your athletic events.

But first: The President arrived in Sweden on Sunday and was greeted by the King and Queen, Crown Princess and Prince Daniel, and Prince Carl Philip with Sofia Hellqvist (making her state visit debut).
Big hat alert! Victoria looks so great with a big brim, and I'm so glad to be free of forehead-bolters for the day, I'm gonna forget everything else.
Kungahuset.se
If you were in the mood for a smaller hat, Queen Silvia's got you covered with one of her standard monochromatic ensembles. And if you were in the mood for a Mette-Marit-style state visit ensemble (you know, a plain outfit plus a not-a-hat ornament), well, Sofia's your girl. Her little pouf of a head decoration can't even be seen from the front.

~*Hit Pause On Your State Visit Musings*~
Day 2 for Victoria started out not in state visit mode but in crown princely BFF mode, welcoming next door neighbors Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit for the EAT Stockholm Food Forum. Happy summery prints abound!
Mette-Marit's dress from Isolda (with a stylized chili print!), Victoria's from Oscar de la Renta
The only thing about this that bums me out is the sad little angular blazer Mette-Marit threw on top of this floaty feminine dress. Awkward dress to pick if you want to cover it up, and an awkward clash of styles.
~*And Now Let The State Visit Musings Continue*~

Kungahuset.se
Joining up with the state visit group, Victoria threw a structured white jacket into the mix, and I think I like it even more than the cardigan. This Oscar de la Renta dress on Victoria and that white outfit from Sunday's post are giving me a renewed verve for her day style, and I hope it starts a streak.

At the end of day 2 came the tiaras.
Sofia floated in to her first state banquet on a cloud of black embellishment and ruffles (talk about taking a cue from Mette-Marit) and though she showed she's ready for more with her big emerald and diamond earrings from Ebba Brahe Jewellery, there were to be no gems from the family vault for the soon-to-be princess. Not just yet.

The tiara squad featured Silvia in her predictable Pronger and Victoria repeating her green sequined Elie Saab from the Nobel ceremony in 2012, with the Cut Steel Tiara. The golden tones of the Cut Steel plus the glittering green Vegas Kermit gown is not a combination of which I am fond, friends.
Kungahuset.se
UNLESS...unless we're not warming up for the wedding but are rather getting a few things out of our system before the big day, making way for something more interesting come June 13th. If that's the case, then carry on, Swedes, carry on.

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