Kate and Pippa Take a Stroll on the Beach

Photo: PopSugar.com

The Middleton girls were spotted together this weekend, strolling along the beach on Llanddwyn Island, near Anglesey, where Kate and Wills have set up shop. (We're skipping any allusions to babymaking that may or may not have popped into our brains when we typed that last sentence). Kate was the picture of laid back cool in a pink cowl-necked tunic sweater we've seen before, skinny jeans, an olive coloured jacket (Barbour?) and wellies. Pippa not so much. Really, those running shoes should have been chucked into the water. And to think that beau Alex Loudon wasn't far behind sporting a vibrant pink sweater. Oh, Your Royal Hotness, how the mighty have fallen.

Kate's chic boots are by Le Chameau.

Kate Middleton Wears Military-Inspired McQueen in Birmingham

Photo: Getty

Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge were spotted out and about in Birmingham, meeting with area residents and families of the victims of the London riots. Kate's attire sombre enough, another military-inspired ensemble from Alexander McQueen (Pre Fall 2011). We'll just say, straight off the bat that this isn't our fave McQueen military look on Kate. We love the skirt, but we're thinking a little more simple on the blouse would have been good. Yes, a girl can have to many gold epaulets. And we're not entirely loving the match of the blue suede mystery pumps with this outfit, either.

Photo: style.com

You can see that Kate has done away with the belt and made the slits in the skirt much lower. The military silk-georgette blouse and the embellished wool crepe skirt are both available on net-a-porter.com. Kate also added her sapphire cabochon earrings (thought to be Tiffany) to the outfit.

Sartorial opinions aside, many have raised the question as to whether a military-inspired outfit--let alone one costing thousands--was really appropriate for the occasion. Kate's usually pretty diplomatic in what she wears, and conscious of the message she's sending, do you think this was a misstep?

Spotted: Kate Middleton Shopping at Zara's



Old School Stylings: KMidd in a Checked
Blazer from Zara


We thought we'd interrupt your afternoon with some breaking news: Kate Middleton was spotted shopping at Zara today! Okay, so maybe this qualifies as a slow news day.

According to HollywoodLife.com, "around 4 p.m. London time, Kate visited the Zara on London’s Duke of York Square, near upscale, boutique-lined King’s Road. 'Kate was in the store,' says the source. But Kate didn’t linger too long: 'She came in, and she left after a few minutes.'" Doesn't sound like Kate purchased any new Zara pieces that we can ooh and aah over.

We kind of love that Kate is able to slip into stores and shop with us normal folk with hardly anyone even noticing! Click here if you want to see some of the Zara pieces that the Duchess of Cambridge has worn in the past.

Get Your Hands on Kate Middleton's Blue Issa Engagement Dress & Strappy LK Bennett Sandals

One of our all-time favourite Kate Middleton looks is the royal blue Issa wrap dress the Duchess wore when announcing her engagement to Prince William. Not only did the dress perfectly flatter Kate's new bling, but it suited her to a tee. The dress seriously did wonders for Kate's body and we've been lusting after it ever since. Our prayers are answered as MyTheresa is now stocking the same dress (or nearly identical). If you're looking to buy Kate's blue Issa engagement dress you can get one from the site for €498.00.

Also, the strappy taupe sandals that Catherine wore to the polo match in Santa Barbara with that pretty floral Jenny Packham number are now back in stock. The L.K. Bennett Sliver Sandals in Dark Taupe sell for £185.00.

Happy Shopping! xo

Princess Victoria of Sweden is Pregnant!

Yes, we know, this blog is All About Kate, but we have a soft spot for other royals too, especially ones who seem as sweet as Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. The future Queen wed her Prince Charming (nee Daniel Westling) in June 2010 and the adorable couple have just announced that they're expecting their first child. The Royal Court issued a statement confirming the pregnancy: "Their Royal Highnesses The Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel are happy to announce that the Crown Princess is expecting their first child...The mother-to-be is doing well. No changes in the schedule of The Crown Princess' public engagements are planned during the fall of 2011."

According to the statement the royal bundle of joy is expected in March 2012. Congrats to the Crown Princess and Prince -- they are one seriously cute couple for whom we wish much joy and happiness!

The Duchess of Cambridge's Summer Reading List

Today it isn't about what Kate is wearing, but rather what Kate Middleton is reading. Or said to be reading this summer. According to The Telegraph, the Duchess was spotted at a book store purchasing two novels, which we assume she's devouring as we speak.

One of the books that Kate bought is Sarah Winman's When God Was a Rabbit, described as "an incredibly exciting debut from an extraordinary new literary voice...a mesmerising portrait of childhood and growing up; the loss of innocence, eccentricity and familial bonds. Stripped down to its bare bones, it's the story of the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister." Knowing how close those Middletons are it isn't really a surprise that this type of read might appeal to Kate.

Also in Kate's bag was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (for Pete's sake, who chooses these titles?!) The novel's website introduces the setting as "January 1946: writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a stranger, a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And so begins a remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name." 

Elizabeth Gilbert, of Eat, Pray, Love fame, is just one of the authors singing the book's praises, stating, "I can’t remember the last time I discovered a novel as smart and delightful as this one, a world so vivid that I kept forgetting this was a work of fiction populated with characters so utterly wonderful that I kept forgetting they weren’t my actual friends and neighbors. Treat yourself to this book please—I can’t recommend it highly enough.”

If the Elizabeth Gilbert Factor wasn't enough to get this oddly-named novel flying off the shelves, let's see if the Kate Factor equates to books just as much as it does to fashion. Will you be picking up a "Kate endorsed" novel? We'd love to know what you're reading this summer too!

In other royal news, it's being reported that Prince Harry has dumped supposed girlfriend  Florence "Flee" Brudenell-Bruce. Apparently, Harry doesn't want to be tied down while concentrating on his Apache helicopter training. Always the slippery one, that Harry.

Pippa Sports the Pink Issa 'Lucky' Dress at Cricket Match

Much has been made of how Kate Middleton "recycles" her clothing pieces (what we normal people call wearing something more than once), but we don't think as much time has been spent looking at the way the Middleton women swap pieces amongst themselves. We've seen the Duchess of Cambridge carrying the same suede clutch to the Order of the Garter ceremony that her mom, Carole, wore to the royal wedding; and now we're seeing Pippa in the same pink sundress that Kate has worn before--well, we can't actually decide if the colour is the same (it may be more red than the pink we saw Kate wearing?)

If you'll take a trip down memory lane with us, the Duchess of Cambridge was spotted shopping in London wearing the hot pink Issa dress (the 'Lucky' - which Kate owns in several colours) before jetting off on her Canada tour. Much was made of the outing in the press because Kate carried her bags herself. That's right folks, carried them herself.

This weekend Pippa was spotted in an Issa 'Lucky' at her boyfriend's cricket match, which she paired with her trusty cream Russell & Bromley flats. See? Kate and Pip really are just like the rest of us.

So tell us...who do you think wore it better? Kate or Pippa?

Kate Drops Pounds on 'Grazia' and Befriends Reese Witherspoon

Have you heard about the furor over the Grazia cover featuring Kate Middleton in her wedding dress? On the cover of the magazine's UK edition the Duchess of Cambridge's wasp waist looks even more minuscule than usual. TPTB at Grazia claimed that they didn't digitally manipulate the photo and then quickly backtracked. Possibly because, when compared to the magazine's Australian edition, the Photoshop hack job is completely obvious. Grazia is now blaming the issue on having to cut William out of the picture. We say, give Kate a break, like she doesn't have enough people worrying about her weight already.

In some fun news its being reported that Kate Middleton and Reese Witherspoon really hit it off when they met in L.A. recently. The two new brides are now apparently communicating by phone and email!

CopyKate: Get Your Own Pair of Kate's Acorn Earrings

Love those diamond acorn earrings that Kate Middleton wore on her wedding day? We think the earrings, custom made by Robinson Pelham, perfectly echoed the scrolls on Kate's borrowed Cartier tiara, and were also a brilliant way to keep the Middletons at the forefront of a big royal day. Every time someone looks at Kate's face they were reminded of her family and their newly designed, acorn-bedecked crest.

If you'd like your own pair of sparkly acorn earrings, check out Nordstrom. The store carries the Ariella collection, which also offers replicas of Kate's engagement ring and the sapphire-and-diamond earrings she's been sporting lately. The prices aren't bad, either.

Happy Shopping! xo

Love Pippa's Bridesmaid Dress? Here's a Lower Cost Version

It's no secret that we're not the biggest fans of the Duchess of Cambridge's younger sister. You won't find any rah-rah Pippa here. Frankly, we find it difficult to understand all the fuss over her Royal Hotness (Really?! Who thinks up these names?)

While Pippa seems to have a rockin' bod, the only time we've ever seen her looking really soft and pretty was in her white McQueen at the royal wedding. We weren't even big fans of her in the Temperley after. Still, while Pippa looked great in the McQueen, we don't agree at all with those who claim that Pippa overshadowed the bride.

While we love her Modalu bags, overall Pippa kind of makes us feel the same way Chelsy Davy always did. Confused and a little bit dirty. There is just something about both those girls that doesn't sit 100% right with us.

Seems we're going off on a tangent here. We digress. This entire post is about a new dress soon to be available from Debenhams that will allow you to copy Pippa's bridesmaid look for less (we think it would work well for brides too). According to the Telegraph, the high street store will be selling a similar cowl-necked dress later this year for £170. While not an exact match, it's definitely pretty similar--and unforgiving. To receive updates you can email ladyinwaitinglist@debenhams.com.

In other Pippa news (we're rolling with it today), Vanity Fair and 60 Minutes polled Americans to find out just what they know about the Pipster. Unfortunately, the results are unlikely to please the Middletons, because "despite playing a massive role in the Royal wedding, just 32% of US citizens knew who Pippa was and many even guessed she was a dirty actress in blue movies." [1] Pippa as a porn star? Ouch.

Duchess of Cambridge Dish: Best Dressed List Kate Gets SAS Training and Flies Budget

Kate Mania is in full effect so it's not surprising that the newly minted Duchess of Cambridge has found a place on Vanity Fair's 2011 Best Dressed List--her first time doing so as a royal. VF says that Catherine (who made her first list appearance in 2008)has "captivated the world with her signature mix of high and low fashion," thereby earning her spot.  Others named include Carla Bruni and Charlene of Monaco, the Obamas on the couple list, and Mario D'Urso, Alejandro Santo Domingo, Colin Firth, Jenson Button and Stavros Niarchos. We'd wager that Kate will make it to the Hall of Fame quite soon.

And while Kate can do glamour with the best of them--always with her trademark simple elegance--she can also rough it. If flying budget airlines qualifies as roughing it (we'd say so.) In a case of royals being just like the rest of us, William, Kate and Harry all saved their pennies getting to and from Zara's Scottish wedding. William and Kate went through normal security and everything when boarding a Flybe jet in Edinburgh, destined for Manchester. According to the Daily Mail, Prince Harry flew EasyJet both ways "checking in his green army-issue bag for £10."

Perhaps worried about all of KMidd's "normal girl" activities like grocery shopping and flying commercial, the royals have seen to it that the Duchess got some intensive anti-kidnapping training from the SAS. Sure, Kate always travels with a bodyguard but her new found visibility means that she needs to be prepared were the unthinkable to happen.

The Daily Mail reports that "the course, described as 'very tough,' teaches survival skills including how to react when attacked and how to build a relationship in the event of a hostage situation." According to a source, "'The VIP kidnap protection training teaches how to cope both mentally and physically. The mental element involves reacting to unusual situations, such as when there was a stranger in the Queen's bedroom--and she just started talking to him...It also teaches how to become more aware of anything 'unusual' in routine situations, driving under pressure and coded messages."

While we hope that no member of the royal family--or anyone for that matter--has to use such training it sounds like some great James Bond-ish fun to us. Coded messages? Sign us up!


Photo: Mark Large/Getty Images

Kate Middleton Goes Casual in Purple Cashmere and Skinny Jeans

William and Kate were seen strolling along hand-in-hand in Scotland

wearing matching purple sweaters and button-downs.

No confirmation, but Kate's purple sweater certainly looks like Ralph Lauren's Blue Label cable knit cashmere sweater. The Duchess of Cambridge's skinny jeans are J. Brand and her running shoes are from Adidas.

The jumper looks similar to--if not the same as--one that Kate sported in 2007.

Later on Kate was seen nipping out for some groceries at Tesco wearing the same sweater and skinny jeans in a lighter wash. Catherine also sported the checked Aquascutum scarf that she wore in Canada and flats that look similar to the ones we've seen at the grocery store before, except these ones don't appear to be the same type of mock croc, but rather leather.

Our vote is for Outfit #2.

Update: Paige Denim has confirmed that Kate's light wash skinny jeans are their Skyline Ankle Peg style in Beachwood (available on Revolve for $158).