Zara Phillips' Wedding Dress & Kate Middleton Recycles at the Wedding

Kate Middleton looked beautiful, if understated, in a largely recycled outfit at the wedding of Zara Phillips to Mike Tindall today. First, let's start with the bride...

Zara Phillips looked like a very happy bride in a somewhat simple Stewart Parvin, which did suit the Queen's granddaughter's laidback style.

We love Zara's choice of the Meander Tiara,

on loan from mom Princess Anne.

Kate wore the same neutral gold brocade coat by Day Birger et Mikkelsen (from their Resort 2006 collection) that she wore to Laura Parker-Bowles' wedding and to the wedding of Oli Baker in 2010 (when she accessorized with black shoes and fascinator). Not sure if she's wearing the same lace dress underneath (Update: Other photos do show the same hint of lace, so we're saying it is the same dress Kate wore to the LPB wedding, the Charlie Savory wedding and the Young Stalin book party, which Collette Dinnigan has now confirmed as one of hers, something we previously suspected). We like that Kate added a different chapeau for a fresh, new look.

Kate accessorized with her L.K. Bennett Natalie clutch and Sledge2 pumps, as well as what looks like the same diamond drop earrings the Duchess sported with that purple Issa dress on Canada Day.

The dramatic hat (we're definitely fans) is by Gina Foster Millinery.

Above you can see the same hat, from Foster's Kensington W8

S/S 11 collection, in a different colour.

Kate's slanted "potato chip" hat had a similar feel to the

black one that Zara sported at Kate and William's wedding in April.

We think this type of recycling works much better than the DVF dress that Kate wore yesterday. More time has elapsed, plus the addition of all new accessories--including the dramatic hat--makes the outfit fresh again.

We also think Beatrice and Eugenie looked better last night.

We're not big fans of all Bea's sequins today.

And look at these royal ladies jumping on the nude platform

pump bandwagon. L.K. Bennett can't stock 'em fast enough.

Some pretty wedding guests...

Some background on the Meander Tiara,

which we really love:

via knowingtheroyals.wordpress.org

According to Wikipedia: "This tiara was a wedding gift to then Princess Elizabeth from her mother-in-law Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark (born Princess Alice of Battenberg). The Meander Tiara is in the classical Greek 'key pattern' featuring a large brilliant cut diamond in the centre surrounded by a diamond wreath. The tiara also incorporates a central wreath of leaves and scrolls on either side. The Queen has never worn it in public and it was given to Princess Anne around 1972. Princess Anne has frequently worn the tiara in public, notably during her engagement to Mark Phillips."

Also from Kate and Camilla to Bea and Eugenie, the Countess of Wessex and other guests, everyone seemed to be wearing a pair of nude, platform heels. Does everyone have Kate Fever?

Photos via The Daily Mail

Kate Middleton at Zara Phillips' Pre-Wedding Party on the Britannia

via mirror.co.uk

Yawn.

C'mon Kate, work with us here.

We're sure you didn't want to steal Zara's spotlight and that's commendable.

We love the fact that you're willing to recycle outfits even though you've got

a bank account healthier than a marathon-running Pippa.

It's all good.

Except, not so soon...

We kind of love when Kate pulls out an item we haven't seen since 2006 and makes it new again, but she should wait at least six months before wearing the same dress to big events in  our opinion (the opinion that counts, obviously). At least KMidd's green Diane von Furstenberg dress--the same one the Duchess wore in L.A.--is pretty and a nice enough colour. For Zara's party Kate switched up the shoes, opting for black pumps instead--ostensibly her standard black Pradas, but we can't be sure from these pics.

via dailymail.co.uk

Bride-to-be Zara Phillips looked pretty (and ready to party--we bet she'd be great fun, that Zara) in a one-shouldered tie dye dress (the Alice + Olivia Bree) in hues reminiscent of the water. Appropriate when your bash is being held on a yacht. Zara's sky-high nude platform heels seem to be the sexy night version of the Sledge2 worn with an oversize animal print clutch, which we're not sure we're feeling with that dress.

And who is homeboy with the plaid pants?

We want to party with him too.

It also looks like Kate is carrying her Anya Hindmarch Maud clutch,

the same one she usually pairs with the Prada pumps.

Kate Middleton's Reiss Shola Dress is Back in Stock!

The Reiss Shola dress worn by Kate Middleton to meet the Obamas has been restocked and is now available online if you'd like to purchase one for yourself. Happy Shopping!

CopyKate: A Cheaper Version of the Duchess' Jimmy Choo Lovely Blush Pumps

via fabsugar.com

Kate Middleton's Jimmy Choo Lovely blush coloured pumps are really a very classic kind of shoe. The style and colour mean you can wear these shoes until they fall apart on you and with a ton of different outfits. Of course, even taking their versatility into account, not everyone can spring for the real deal, which is why we have to say thanks to ALDO for providing us with a similar version for much, much less.

Allow us to introduce the Arnoldoa in Taupe.

Only $49.98 and available in sizes 5 through 11.

Happy Shopping!

Old School Stylings: Kate Middleton at Charlie Savory's Wedding

Can we say hot mess? Not sure that any of the individual pieces here are offensive (except for maybe the hair flowers), but Kate Middleton looked kind of horrible at the wedding of Charlie Savory in 2010.

KMidd sported the same pink double-breasted jacket she wore to Peter Phillip's wedding in 2008 (with the same pink satin heels) paired with the lace dress (likely Collette Dinnigan) she wore to Laura Parker-Bowles' wedding. Kate accessorized with what looks like the Asprey button pendant necklace and a beaded clutch.

We're thinking that what really throws this whole outfit off is happening from the neck up. Whatever it is, it's not working. No. Just...no.

Kate was seen wearing the same dress at the Young Stalin

book party that she attended with Pippa in 2007.

And she's wearing a watch, something we haven't seen in awhile.

Update: Kate's gold lace dress has been confirmed as Collette Dinnigan by the designer.

The Royals Are on the Move - For Zara's Wedding!

Mike and Zara Outside their Gloucestershire
Home After Announcing their Engagement

It's not all about William and Kate this year when it comes to British royal weddings. Saturday another of the Queen's grandbabies will be saying "I do." Calm down girls, it's obvs not Harry, but rather Zara Phillips, the blonde daughter of Princess Anne. Officially Zara isn't a member of the royal family, but she is 12th in line for the throne, so that's something we guess. Zara and her fiancé seem remarkably down-to-earth, which is nice.

The royals, including QEII as well as Will and Kate, will be heading to Canongate Kirk in Scotland to celebrate Zara's marriage to rugby star Mike Tindall. The wedding is expected to be très private--no embarrassing Hello! spread à la Peter Phillips for his sister--and the Queen has apparently forbidden Zara from selling photos.

Police are also warning the curious that it's best to stay away as there will be little opportunity to glimpse a royal. We're sure we will get a few snaps at least, which we're looking forward to. We're not expecting too much from Kate as we're quite sure the Duchess will do everything possible to ensure she doesn't overshadow the bride.

Kate Middleton's Diamond Pave Disc Necklace Identified!

{via}

Thanks to What Kate Wore and the blog's eagle eyed readers, one of the pieces on our Kate Middleton Mystery Fashion Items List has now been identified. The pavé diamond disc necklace that the Duchess of Cambridge has worn on several occasions (from Canada Day to Kate's most recent outing at Buckingham Palace) has been ID'd as the Asprey Button Pendant.

mirror.co.uk

AOL

Makes sense as Kate's necklace did seem to have BOND stamped at the side, which corresponds with the company's 167 New Bond Street address. Here are some similar pendants from Asprey showing the same button-type style as Kate's:

Simplex Diam

$1,820

We can't tell you what a relief it is when a mystery item is ID'd. There is a few more--from Kate's pink boucle jacket in Charlottetown to the Duchess of Cambridge's white ruffled blouse in Slave Lake--that we're still dying to know the origins of.

CopyKate: A Lilac Gown Inspired by Kate Middleton's BAFTA McQueen

Lusting over the pale purple belted McQueen gown that Kate Middleton sported at the BAFTA event in L.A.? edressme.com now has a lilac gown inspired by the Duchess' simple and elegant evening style. The copy has a bow in the back, which we're not really loving, but otherwise we think its a pretty good version.

Add a pair of sparkly Choos and you're good to go!

CopyKate: Get Your By Malene Birger Bullet Dress

Want your own Bullet Dress By Malene Birger

as worn by Kate Middleton? Pre-order now!

Kate Middleton at Private Tour of Buckingham Palace Exhibit with Queen

Here are the first photos of the Duchess of Cambridge and Queen Elizabeth at the opening of the dress exhibit at Buckingham Palace today. We kind of love the fact that QEII took one look at the headless mannequin and proclaimed, "It's made to look very creepy." Awesome. And she's kinda right.

We'll get back to you on Kate's simple neutral shift, which has a drapey (that is a technical term) V-neck and three-quarter length sleeves. Kate's wearing her Jimmy Choo Lovely pumps and that mystery diamond disk necklace {UPDATE: The Duchess' pave necklace is by Asprey London}. The dress looks like Joseph, very close to the Vanessa dress that Kate wore in Charlottetown in colour, fabric and feel. We haven't found the exact dress, though, so we're still on the case!

{UPDATE: See below for dress details.}

And can we say, right off the bat, that although we love you Kate, we're not feeling this dress. C'mon KMidd, we try to defend you when peeps say you're boring and predictable, but you're making our job a lot harder when you show up in dresses like this. Classic, yes, and in any other shade we would have been on board, but this nude business is so...boring. Really, there's no other word for it. Yawn, snooze--okay, guess we found a few more words. Especially next to the Queen looking like a fresh garden in a riotous floral pattern and lipstick!

This Joseph 3/4 length dress is similar to Kate's, although obviously her's has a deeper V-neckline with more drape (almost looks like she pinned it) and the fabric is different.

The Joseph Athena crepe dress is also similar in colour and fabric.

UPDATE:

Above is a photo of "the" dress - the Joseph Scala Crepe dress,

currently on sale on eBay. {Thanks to Tamara for the find!}

Photos: Clarence House and The Daily Mail

Kate Middleton's Wedding Shoes, Dress, Etc. Go on Display at Buckingham Palace

If you, like us, have always wondered what Kate Middleton's Alexander McQueen lace wedding shoes really looked like, now you have your answer. Sensible, closed toe, prettier for the lace. Very Kate, we'd say. If you're in London you can head to Buckingham Palace where Kate's wedding ware is going on display.

The top two layers of the wedding cake on display are apparently replicas as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have saved them, per tradition, to serve at their first child's christening. I guess that's because, unlike us who save for our first anniversary, these royals usually have their kids before then. 

The Duchess of Cambridge is set to kick off the exhibit along with QEII later today. We're keeping our eyes peeled for you AAKers! You can check out some more detailed pics of Kate's £250,000 (we know!) wedding dress here.

CopyKate: Get the Look of Kate's Navy Lace Erdem from Ottawa

One of our favourite Kate Middleton outfits from the royal tour was that navy blue Erdem dress that the Duchess of Cambridge wore when touching down in Ottawa.

Chic, lacey, flattering. The Reiss Donatella Lace Shift Dress (£149) is a great option for a lot less.

Prince Harry's Rumored Girlfriend All Covered Up

We've seen a lot of Prince Harry's rumored new gal pal so far. Lingerie and swimsuit photos and all that. This is a new look for Florence Brudenell-Bruce, who is a descendant of the Earl of Cardigan per The Daily Mail. Florence used to date F1's Jenson Button and has also been linked to Henry St George and Iain Russell.

The 25-year-old looked demure and put together in several

photos from the Anonymous by Ross+Bute look book.

And while Flee does ladylike well, we will say that she

really does know how to make a pair of cut-offs look good.

What do you think of Harry's supposed new lady love?

A step up from Chelsy?

CopyKate: Get the Look of the Kiki Mcdonough Diamond and Topaz 'Grace' Stud Earrings

via strictlykatemiddleton.blogspot.com

Kate's white topaz and diamond stud earrings (from the Grace collection by KMidd fave Kiki Mcdonough) are one of those staple pieces that are a must-have in any waredrobe. Classy, understated and just a little bit blingy they work with jeans or dresses.

An alternative to the Mcdonough pair are these

Halo Stud Earrings set in 14K white gold ($175).

Happy Shopping!