How the Duchess is Bringing Lady Back
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And now for this week’s post…
For those of you that follow me on Twitter you know how I adore the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. I was thrilled with their wedding and thought her wedding dress was one of the loveliest I have ever seen. I wasn’t just thrilled because it was a royal event, however, but because I’ve had my eye on the Duchess of Cambridge for quite some time as one to watch- style-wise.
In our society of late, young women have had few (if any) good fashion role models. Platform pumps, bandage dresses, hair extensions and orange tans are much too prevalent on the fashion scene. Too much flesh exposed, too little grace and class displayed.
And then came Catherine in the public eye- now scrutinized to the last detail like her late mother-in-law Princess Diana. But thankfully this delicate Duchess is anything but garish and showy. In fact, it is my humble opinion that she is single-handedly (if I am to make a play on that famous Justin Timberlake song) bringing “lady” back.
Demure knee-length dresses, court shoes, polished hair and understated makeup (le no makeup look, if you will)- Catherine is showing young women all over the world that being classy, tasteful and polished is the height of chicness and style. My favorite look from the whole tour is the Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen sweater dress she wore to Prince Edward Island (pictured above). I adore this dress because it is a nod to the 20s, nautical and ladylike- perfect for the romance of Prince Edward Island- the setting for one of my favorite childhood books (and apparently the Duchess's too!), Anne of Green Gables.
Elements of her ladylike style:
The dress. Catherine’s dresses are always modest, yet alluring. Her hemlines and necklines do not expose too much skin, yet because her clothing always fits her beautifully she does not come off as frumpy or old fashioned in the least. She also has fun with color wearing yellow, red, lilac and purple on her royal tour.
Sheer pantyhose This look is being dusted off from the 80s and I am, surprisingly, loving it! It is Royal protocol to have the legs covered in tights. Catherine’s flesh colored sheer tights create an added polish to her looks. I am thinking about how I am going to incorporate sheer tights to my wardrobe this fall...
Shoes Catherine’s shoes are always understated and ladylike. She forgoes today’s popular platform heels for more traditional court shoes, tasteful heels and ballet flats. She often wears nude-tone shoes which give her outfits a modern look and are a great way to elongate the leg. In her downtime she opts for classic footwear. Just a few days after her wedding she was spotted going grocery shopping in a pair of London Sole brown croc ballet flats (a personal favorite of my own).
Hair There are several ways Catherine wears her hair:
Long and flowing: a polished blow dry and curling iron create this effect- very princess-y
Half up and half down: with some volume at the crown of her head and the top half of her hair neatly tied back in a semi-bun
Ponytail: Catherine's ponytails are never pulled too tight on her head... she usually has movement and body to her ponytails as is demonstrated in the above picture.
A sophisticated chignon: one of my favorite looks for her- pinned artfully and with volume at the crown, this is a chic and polished hairdo.
Jewelry I imagine as the years go on Catherine’s jewelry will become more and more spectacular. On this tour her jewels have been very subtle and understated- Kiki McDonough gemstone earrings, delicate bracelets, a diamond broach (on loan from the Queen) and, of course, her stunning sapphire and diamond engagement ring.
There you have my recap of Kate's spectacular royal tour fashions. To see a picture of all of the outfits she wore on tour, check out this Daily Mail article by clicking here.
Some critics have called her sartorial choices boring. I, on the other hand, have never been more thrilled.
I would love to know... what do you think of Catherine's style?
This Thursday, look for a special review of Ramy Beauty's Fall 2011 makeup line...
The Daily Connoisseur is now available on Amazon Kindle
Follow me on Twitter @jenlyneva
Image of the Duchess in the Alexander McQueen sweater dress is from fashionista.com
And now for this week’s post…
For those of you that follow me on Twitter you know how I adore the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. I was thrilled with their wedding and thought her wedding dress was one of the loveliest I have ever seen. I wasn’t just thrilled because it was a royal event, however, but because I’ve had my eye on the Duchess of Cambridge for quite some time as one to watch- style-wise.
In our society of late, young women have had few (if any) good fashion role models. Platform pumps, bandage dresses, hair extensions and orange tans are much too prevalent on the fashion scene. Too much flesh exposed, too little grace and class displayed.
And then came Catherine in the public eye- now scrutinized to the last detail like her late mother-in-law Princess Diana. But thankfully this delicate Duchess is anything but garish and showy. In fact, it is my humble opinion that she is single-handedly (if I am to make a play on that famous Justin Timberlake song) bringing “lady” back.
Demure knee-length dresses, court shoes, polished hair and understated makeup (le no makeup look, if you will)- Catherine is showing young women all over the world that being classy, tasteful and polished is the height of chicness and style. My favorite look from the whole tour is the Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen sweater dress she wore to Prince Edward Island (pictured above). I adore this dress because it is a nod to the 20s, nautical and ladylike- perfect for the romance of Prince Edward Island- the setting for one of my favorite childhood books (and apparently the Duchess's too!), Anne of Green Gables.
Elements of her ladylike style:
The dress. Catherine’s dresses are always modest, yet alluring. Her hemlines and necklines do not expose too much skin, yet because her clothing always fits her beautifully she does not come off as frumpy or old fashioned in the least. She also has fun with color wearing yellow, red, lilac and purple on her royal tour.
Sheer pantyhose This look is being dusted off from the 80s and I am, surprisingly, loving it! It is Royal protocol to have the legs covered in tights. Catherine’s flesh colored sheer tights create an added polish to her looks. I am thinking about how I am going to incorporate sheer tights to my wardrobe this fall...
Shoes Catherine’s shoes are always understated and ladylike. She forgoes today’s popular platform heels for more traditional court shoes, tasteful heels and ballet flats. She often wears nude-tone shoes which give her outfits a modern look and are a great way to elongate the leg. In her downtime she opts for classic footwear. Just a few days after her wedding she was spotted going grocery shopping in a pair of London Sole brown croc ballet flats (a personal favorite of my own).
Hair There are several ways Catherine wears her hair:
Long and flowing: a polished blow dry and curling iron create this effect- very princess-y
Half up and half down: with some volume at the crown of her head and the top half of her hair neatly tied back in a semi-bun
Ponytail: Catherine's ponytails are never pulled too tight on her head... she usually has movement and body to her ponytails as is demonstrated in the above picture.
A sophisticated chignon: one of my favorite looks for her- pinned artfully and with volume at the crown, this is a chic and polished hairdo.
Jewelry I imagine as the years go on Catherine’s jewelry will become more and more spectacular. On this tour her jewels have been very subtle and understated- Kiki McDonough gemstone earrings, delicate bracelets, a diamond broach (on loan from the Queen) and, of course, her stunning sapphire and diamond engagement ring.
There you have my recap of Kate's spectacular royal tour fashions. To see a picture of all of the outfits she wore on tour, check out this Daily Mail article by clicking here.
Some critics have called her sartorial choices boring. I, on the other hand, have never been more thrilled.
I would love to know... what do you think of Catherine's style?
This Thursday, look for a special review of Ramy Beauty's Fall 2011 makeup line...
The Daily Connoisseur is now available on Amazon Kindle
Follow me on Twitter @jenlyneva
Image of the Duchess in the Alexander McQueen sweater dress is from fashionista.com
Category Article fashion, Royalty, Style
