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Showing posts with label Royal Men. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Royal Men. Show all posts

British Royal Outfits of the Day: March 20 (Updated)

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While I've been in a state visit coma, assorted Windsors have been doing their thing. Time to play catch up, y'all!
Will and Kate made their annual St. Patrick's Day visit to the Irish Guards, an event more about shamrocks and giant dogs and uniforms with frock coats than about other clothes.
But since "sartorial" is right in the name of the blog and all, I will duly report that Kate was in a repeated Lock & Co. hat and a new Catherine Walker coat. All brown, and while that is by its very nature not the most exciting of colors, this was quite elegant and she looked great.
The Duchess had another engagement this week too, for which she wore a new ASOS maternity dress and a repeated black coat with ruffle trim (by her mysterious "independent dressmaker," apparently).
And this was supremely cute. Polka dots are the best. I hope she went home and twirled, like this model's apparently about to do. Polka dots deserve a twirl.

Chaz and Cams embarked on their U.S. visit, which kicked off with a few meetings (oh hello there President Obama, Uncle Joe), a bit of sight seeing, and some general tourist schmoozing.
This geometric trim deal is a great outfit on the Duchess of Cornwall, no? It's from Bruce Oldfield. It didn't look quite so clean with her scarf and that fur-trimmed black hat she's been living in of late, so we don't have to look at those pics. Problem solved.
This evening reception dress is also Oldfield, but I'm mostly interested in the fact that she's rocking a cape and a selection from her magnificent collection of pearl chokers. (Those things would pull my attention in almost every situation, to be fair.)

And finally we have Prince Harry, who launched Walking With The Wounded's trek around Britain this week. Harry's got a lot going on now, what with leaving the army and all that, but I think we can all agree that the most important thing is that he continues to look really good in casual gear. #priorities

P.S.: Since we're catching up with the Windsors, let me tell you that it has been a jolly week at the Jewel Vault too. Highlights: William and QEII had a little Take Your Grandson to Work Day (for which she wore a Cambridge emerald brooch just to give those of us on the Brooch Identification Squad a chuckle), and Her Maj got a canine guard of honor, which is THE BEST.


Update: Here's Cams on the last day of the U.S. trip.
She made some new friends in Kentucky in an outfit from Dior (oh la la) and the newest addition to her pearl choker collection, one with an Art Deco sapphire clasp.
And here is an evening engagement during the trip that I missed (per the caption, it's the International Conservation Caucus Foundation Gala where Charles was presented with the ICCF Teddy Roosevelt Award for Exceptional Leadership in Conservation, March 19):
And how could I miss this one - that's my very favorite of Camilla's pearl chokers! Oh, that thing makes me happy every time I see it. So glad she brought that to the U.S. with her.

Photos: Via Getty Images as indicated, ASOS

Royal Outfit Grab Bag of the Day: February 4

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Today's outfit grab bag has a British flavor, so locate a scone and settle in:
The Earl and Countess of Wessex embarked on a visit to Finland, meeting with President Sauli Niinistö and his wife, Jenni Haukio. This black Tom Ford dress (per the Countess of Wessex blog), black boots, and print scarf on the Countess seems a little too clingy and a little too casual to me, so I have to give this one a miss.
Later on, Sophie opted to repeat a burgundy guipure lace dress. I'm not the biggest fan of the large scale laces, but this is lovely on her. It's from Stella McCartney, but most definitely in the shallow end of the Stella pool, so to speak (which is most definitely where Sophie should stay).

And now we bop over to the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, who attended the British Asian Trust Dinner last night.
Camilla's worn this gown many times, and the best thing about it is that she uses it to showcase whatever purple gems she can dig out of her vault.
Hellooooo, amethysts. You know you're dealing with some major earrings when they're powerful enough to be spotted through the signature Cams 'do. She's also sporting her diamond serpent necklace, one of her favorites, but I only have eyes for the purple.

And finally, also out and about...
Prince Harry met marathon runners raising money for RFU's Injured Players Foundation and visited a youth project. And here's your Very Important Harry Update: He continues to do casual wear better than any other royal.
And he knows it.

Photos:  @TPKanslia, @ukinfinland, Net-a-porter, Chris Jackson and WPA Pool via Getty Images
Royal Outfit of the Day: October 13

Royal Outfit of the Day: October 13

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This weekend marked another milestone for Felipe VI's reign in Spain: his first National Day as king.
For the parade, Felipe was decked out in uniform, their daughters were dressed in Nanos, and Letizia stuck to her favorite designer, Felipe Varela. The dress has the look of a standard, one of those tweedy/bouclé numbers you might get from vintage Chanel, but Letizia - as always - puts her own twist on the story with a closely tailored fit and a shaped neckline.
The story took an unexpected turn at the back: a different fabric! Which has the unfortunate effect of appearing that they accidentally ran out of the good stuff. I was with her until that plot twist, and now I think I have to crown Felipe the best dressed of the day (if you're going to change out of your uniform for the reception, might as well make it some natty pinstripes, right?).


Photos: Eduardo Parra and Juan Naharro Gimenez via Getty Images

Royal Parliament Opening of (Last) Week: October 7

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'Tis the season for royal parliament business, and Norway took their turn last week. The King opened parliament with the Queen and the Crown Prince in attendance. This is the standard group for this event, by the way; this is one that Mette-Marit does not attend.
Queen Sonja often favors colors that go with the surroundings, and this year's red peplum jacket, black skirt, and black hat with cut outs on the brim were no exception. She did wave her Norwegian fashion flag in an outfit from Peter Dundas, who is the current designer for Emilio Pucci, and jewelry from Gine Sommerfelt (per Kjell Arne Totland). I'm not particularly fond of that close-fitting hat style, but Sonja sure seems to like it.

As for the gentlemen, they both wore the collar of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav together with the blue riband of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit. 
Norway falls somewhere in the middle on the spectrum of fanciness in these royal parliament openings: not as sparkly as Britain's crowned affair and without the carriages and court dress of the Dutch Prinsjesdag, but still with a throne and uniforms. (The Danish version happens today, and we'll hopefully be covering that on its own later.) I think it's a happy medium. I don't always cover the Norwegian event here, but sometimes a little bit of pomp just hits the spot.

If you'd like to see this event on video, click here.

Photos: Sverre Chr. Jarild/Stortinget and Terje Heiestad/Stortinget, Bilder fra Stortinget via Flickr/Creative Commons

Royal Outfit of the Day: September 18

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This one's for those of you that complain that I think Mary never puts a foot wrong.
Video: The Danish royal family attended a dinner for the Red Cross last week.
Several steps wrong, this. A textured mustard dress is a hard sell on its own, if you ask me, and that's before you start throwing accessories at it. And the accessories are where I focus my scrunchy face: a statement cuff and a statement belt and a statement pair of earrings and a statement feather clutch. That's a lot of statements, my friend. (And they don't necessarily agree with each other, these statements, as the clutch and the earrings are frilly and intricate and the belt and cuff are strong and structural.) It looks a lot better in video, mainly because you have less time to see all of those accoutrements. (But click here for a gallery anyway, if you like.)
The dress, from Hugo Boss (per Styleofmary)
With that out of the way, we can talk about the outfit that really needs our attention: Henrik, of course. DaisyMobile-driving Henrik and his BOLO TIE. (Sidebar: The Wiki page on the bolo tie amuses me greatly. They are easy to make from attractive flat objects such as Christmas tree ornaments or refrigerator magnets! Excellent.) I hope he wears it for the fictional dinner party I plan on inviting him to, because I have QUESTIONS.
In other news, Joachim and Marie are there (bless her heart, she looks nice, but she's blending into the background) and Daisy pulls out the surprise best-dressed of the night with a dress that flatters her waist just right, each and every one of the thousand times she's worn it.

Oh, and by the way: Heads up, Canada! Mary and Fred have arrived on your fair shores for a visit. Catch 'em if you can, and report back if you do! Yesterday was day 1.
I love it when they do the classic family album pose. "And here we are in Ottawa, kids..."

Photos: Hugo Boss, BilledBladet video, Sonia Recchia via Getty Images
Royal Birthday of the Day: September 15

Royal Birthday of the Day: September 15

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Time for a Prince Harry day!
Not only is it his 30th birthday today, but he's just wrapped his greatest accomplishment yet: the Invictus Games. Organizing the competition for wounded warriors (inspired by the Warrior Games in the United States) has been, by all accounts, a labor of love for Harry, and it turned out to be a tremendous success.
The Invictus Games make everybody happy! Including a photobombing Crown Prince Frederik, who came to support the Danish team.
Video: Prince Harry's speech at the opening ceremony
Harry's been all over the place in the past week, sporting his casual prince uniform of jeans and a polo shirt or fleece. I do love Casual Prince Harry. I also love Soldier Prince Harry and Suit n' Tie Prince Harry, but I'm telling you that no prince does casual prince as good as Harry does.
Right? (Sidebar: I love that Charles doesn't even try the casual route. He knows he'd be all kinds of wrong in jeans and a fleece. Stick to what you know.) Do feel free to celebrate the birthday boy with your favorite version of Harry in the comments below. A celebration for us all...
Video: More snippets from the Games, including Idris Elba at the opening ceremony, because it's Monday and You're Worth It.


Photos: Chris Jackson, WPA Pool, Karwai Tang/WireImage all via Getty Images

The Spanish Proclamation: The Main Event

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Video: A short look above,
or click here for a full replay (I'm not sure if it will be up permanently)
It was a great day for a Proclamation in Spain – the sun was shining, the crowds were cheering, and King Felipe VI is officially on the throne. While I attempt to break my habit of writing “Princess Letizia”, let’s recap the sartorial side of the royal family’s big day.

Felipe has a commanding presence as king, don’t you think? Being dressed to the nines in his army gala uniform with his newly awarded red Captain General sash doesn’t hurt, obviously. He gave a strong speech that received a worthy (and lengthy) standing ovation, and that was just part of the warm welcome the royal family received today.

I felt like yesterday was about Juan Carlos and today was about Felipe, and I think Queen Letizia’s outfit choices have reflected that focus well. Today she chose a sleek white coat and dress with a hint of sparkly embellishment at the collar, needless to say from her favorite designer Felipe Varela. It was more formal than her usual choices, but not a drastic attention-grabbing departure from the style for which she is known. The collar added a patriotic touch with hints of red and yellow in the decoration, but not on a level that would make you wonder if she’d gotten lost on the way home from the World Cup. She avoided big jewelry but did add the small bow decoration of the Order of Charles III as a nod to the formality of the occasion. All in all, she walked a fine line and she walked it well, and unless she drops an enormously fabulous tiara appearance on us in the months to come, this will be a strong contender for her best of the year.

The brand new Princess of Asturias (Leonor) seemed a bit bemused by the extra attention, as did her sister Infanta Sofia, but they were both on their very best behavior. They wore matching outfits in different colors (pink for Leonor, blue for Sofia) with a little bit of fun in the hair department in the form of braids for Leonor and a sparkly dragonfly headband for Sofia. An A+ appearance if there ever was one.

Queen Sofia received her own well-deserved standing ovation during the Proclamation, and she sweetly accepted the affection in a sleek yellow ensemble with pearl and ruby jewelry (the pendant on her necklace belonged to her mother, Queen Frederika). She was supported by Infanta Elena, who wore cream and was spotted dropping a graceful curtsey to her brother. Also present at the Congress, and you can pick them out above, were Juan Carlos’ sisters Infantas Pilar and Margarita, plus Sofia’s siblings Princess Irene and King Constantine (with wife Queen Anne-Marie).

This was the rare day where there were no royal outfit flops to be found. Everyone was appropriate and everyone looked fantastic, and that really allowed the true purpose of the day to shine through. Well played, Spain.

P.S.: We won't have our regular post on Friday. Ascot is still happening over at the Vault, if you haven't checked in there.

Photos: RTVE video

The Spanish Proclamation: The Abdication

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Juan Carlos I ended his reign today, as he signed the bill of abdication in the grand Hall of Columns at the Royal Palace. The bill goes into effect (and Felipe becomes king) at midnight. (...and, as an update after my initial posting, it now is past midnight in Spain, so the change is official!)

Video: The abdication
The ceremony was short but moving, and extended applause greeted the King as he symbolically switched chairs with his son after the signing.
The King appeared quite unsteady on his feet and accepted a kiss on the cheek from an elegantly dressed Queen Sofia after the signing, before embracing his son.
It was, as expected, an understated occasion (although as it was pointed out in the live post, you can't help but have a regal event in this setting). In keeping with that, Letizia wore a repeated dress from Felipe Varela.
She did, however, use the diamond earrings she wore on her wedding day. They were a gift from the King and Queen, so it's not only a nice upgrade for a special occasion, but a nice nod to her in-laws.
Rounding out the family party, a pair of slightly squirmy infantas (judging by their mother's reactions, that is) sat to the side with Infanta Elena. Behind them sat the King's two sisters, Infanta Pilar and Infanta Margarita.

Stay tuned for updates from Thursday's proclamation! If you'd like to watch live, you can comment here on the open post.

Photos: CasaRealTV/Felipe Varela

Royal Family Gathering of the Day: June 13

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Video: The Danish royal family gathered at their French residence Château de Cayx to celebrate Prince Henrik's 80th birthday.
My favorite dress on Mary? Nah. Mostly because I am generally opposed to wimpy belting. Not a bad number for lounging around one's château, though.
The maxi dress is from Ilse Jacobsen, available in a variety of colors
It did give the whole family picture a bit of needed color, so credit for that.


We also must mention that there's a new portrait of Prince Henrik out in honor of his 80th. By photographer Jacob Jørgensen, the photo art depicts Henrik riding a unicorn. OH YES. See it, plus an article on the intentions behind it (basically, Henrik has a good sense of humor and a great love for art, and the idea comes from one of his own artworks) at Royalista (link). Not only does this totally capture the spirit of Henrik (and is really well done), but frankly I'd be more interested in royal portraiture on the whole if more mythical creatures were involved. Where's my picture of QEII fighting a dragon, artists of the world? Hmm?

Photos: Ilse Jacobsen/Fashionola/Amazon/Getty Images by Patric Aventurier
Royal Garden Party of the Day: June 11

Royal Garden Party of the Day: June 11

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At Buckingham Palace yesterday, the Queen hosted a garden party with several members of the royal family in attendance.
And who was the best dressed royal at the garden party, you ask?
The birthday boy, of course! The Duke of Edinburgh turned 93 yesterday, and he's still one of the most debonair royals around. Look at this coordinating tie/boutonnière/top hat game! And on a gray morning suit no less, a very sophisticated color palette. Yes, he takes the bite-sized garden party-appropriate cake here.

The Queen was my second best dressed pick, but that's what my other blog is for, so click here.

And after those two kids comes, well, everybody else. Line up, ladies!
Thank you, very helpful, let's work from left to right: We've got the Duchess of Gloucester, very understated but elegant by default. The Princess Royal seems to be wearing a hat purchased in the last decade for a change, always a delightful surprise, and she's got lovely aquamarine accessories (including a brooch that used to be the central part of her Aquamarine Pineflower Tiara). The Duchess of Cambridge is repeating an outfit I loved the first time around, but she removed the ribbon belt and changed up the hat and accessories. As much as I appreciate trying to shake it up for a repeat...I, uh, really miss the original belt and hat. Oh well. On the bright side, Princess Eugenie's got some shoe interest happening, and that will always cheer me up right quick. Well done.


Photos: British Monarchy instagram and WPA Pool/Getty Images

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