Kate Recycles Blue Lace Erdem for Hannah Gillingham's Wedding

Kate, William and Pippa were all in attendance for the wedding of the Duchess' friend Hannah Gillingham in Suffolk. As per usual Kate went with a recycled frock, ostensibly to ensure attention would remain firmly on the bride. In this case K-Midd opted for the blue lace Erdem Cecile dress she wore during her Canada tour, accessorized with her blue suede pumps, Anya Hindmarch clutch, a great belt (we seriously heart the addition of this belt) and a cropped blue jacket (reportedly also a reworked Erdem, a similar jacket trimmed in a houndstooth print can be purchased at Matches).

 Kate's fab studded belt is Alexander McQueen,

which was previously available for purchase on net-a-porter.com.

As for Pippa Middleton, when's the last time she hasn't looked a fool at a wedding? Taken apart the pieces of her outfit aren't offensive. Some are quite nice actually. There is a lot of spangly, sparkly, and gold, but who would expect anything less from Look at Me! Pippa. Still, we're not loving the whole ensemble. Also, just us or do the sisters seem to be sporting very similar footwear?

The beaming bride and her new husband.

Hannah's dress, however, is a little too Kate for our taste.

Photo 1, 4, 5 via The Daily Mail

Lady in Red: The Duchess of Cambridge in Beulah London

Last night the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made their way into London for the black tie gala held by 100 Women in Hedge Funds at St. James' Palace. Not only is Prince William a patron of the fundraising organization, but he is also involved with the charity that the night benefited (to the tune of more than £675,000), the Child Bereavement Charity.


Kate seemed determined not to fade into the background, choosing a rather bold floor-length, V-neck gown in silk jersey. The red Sarai dress from Beulah London also featured billowing long sleeves in chiffon. Beulah London is the brainchild of Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs, close pal of Wills and daughter of the Marquess of Bristol, and Lavinia Brennan.

Lady Isaacs Wears the Sarai Dress with Lavinia Brennan

According to The Daily Mail, the line was started "almost two years ago to provide employment for human trafficking victims in India. [Isaacs] was drawn to their stories during a trip to the country where she spent time working in slums with recovering rape and abuse victims who had escaped the international sex trade." Of all the labels Kate could be bringing publicity to this one seems quite worthy, a fact that was likely quite plain to the Duchess too.

Is it just us or does Kate look particularly...old in the picture above, especially from the neck up? There seems to be something kind of stiff and matronly about the hair/make-up/face situation. We're not feeling that same fresh, dewy vibe we got from, say, that Packham at the ARK Gala. Still, the Beulah is an interesting choice. If you're wondering about Kate's glittery gold clutch, it's by Wilbur and Gussie.

The gold clutch is also the same one that Pippa wore with her red dress (the Temperley London Begonia Dress) at the recent Boodles Boxing Ball charity event. Pips was pretty much a hot mess in our estimation.

Kate Wears Red Lace to Wedding in Wiltshire

Kate arrived at the wedding ceremony of Thomas Sutton and Harriet Colthurst with pal Louise Aubrey-Fletcher, looking chic in a knee-length red lace dress. The dress was originally reported as Erdem, but has now been confirmed as a french lace number from Collette Dinnigan. It may not be our favourite Kate look (the slanted hat kind of has a stewardess feel), but we understand that it must be difficult for the Duchess to strike the right note when trying not to upstage the bride.

Kate's accessories included a pair of patent platform Prada pumps.

While they look black in the first picture, this one definitely shows

them as more burgundy. The Duchess also carried her Aspinal

London Eaton Clutch and wore a diamond bracelet that looks

like the one she wore to the BAFTA event in L.A.

 

A similar red dress from Collette Dinnigan, fashioned from French lace.

This one has cap sleeves and an attractive V-neckline (we pretty much

like it better than Kate's), but is made of the same lace and has the same hemline.

Pippa, who has been on quite the marathon wedding schedule as of late, showed up with boyfriend Alex Loudon this time. Pips wore a monochromatic Alexander McQueen dress. This isn't terrible, but we never seem to be wowed by the Pipster's wedding looks.

The bride wore an oldish-feeling column dress with a pleated bodice.

We do like that tiara. Very much.

Oh, and were you wondering just what Wills was up to?

He was at the wedding too, but as he was an usher he showed

up at the church beforehand so that Kate had to arrive solo.

Photos via The Daily Mail

Kate Shops for Home Goods at Peter Jones & Happy Birthday Pippa!

Kate Middleton was spotted shopping at home goods store Peter Jones, wearing her standard casual outfit of skinny jeans (we're thinking Hudsons) and flats. This time Kate accessorized with a floaty peasant-style blouse with some pretty feminine detailing from Warehouse. Many have remarked how, once again, Kate was carrying her own bags. Seriously peeps? She's a Duchess not an invalid.

There is some real Kate News to report, namely that the royal couple have donated a Land Rover wedding gift they received to a Mountain Rescue Group. How very selfless, Wills and Kate! Also, there are reports that Catherine is determined to learn Welsh so she can fit in better on Anglesey. Hats off to KMidd for having the cojones to tackle the difficult language (that's right, we speak Spanish!)

Pippa Middleton, meanwhile, was seen out and about in London, all smiles on her 28th birthday. Okay, so we haven't always had the smoothest of relationships with the Pipster--and we're not really feeling the H&M lace minidress and knee-high black boots combo--but we'd like to wish her a very happy birthday nonetheless.

Photo 1. Us Weekly

Photo 2. People

Pippa Middleton Sports The Kate Blouse in London

Pippa Middleton was seen out and about in London today wearing what looks like a perhaps more sheer version the now-iconic Kate Blouse from Whistles, the very same one that big sis Catherine sported in her Mario Testino-snapped engagement pics.

We're pretty sure the one that Pip was sporting is the original, because the reissued version (snapped up by the Duchess of Cambridge prior to the royal wedding) comes sans collar and it seems sure that the engagement photo blouse had one. 

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.

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?

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.

Kate Middleton's Wedding Dress: Part Deux

A girl needs to be comfortable for dancing and Kate Middleton is no different. Departing Clarence House for Buckingham Palace and her wedding reception, the newly minted Duchess of Cambridge chose to chuck her McQueen wedding gown for another white dress designed by Sarah Burton. Kate's second dress is a strapless, floor-length gazar number with a jewelled waistband that Kate accessorized with a cute and cropped angora sweater. Camilla, also seen here, switched it up opting for another Anna Valentine creation.

Pippa Middleton also left her white McQueen behind...

For the evening Pippa opted for a jewel-coloured Temperley London gown.

We're not 100% sure we're on the Pippa train, although we can say the girl certainly is tanned.

Photos via cbsnews.com and fashionista.com

The British Royal Wedding: It's McQueen for the Future Queen!

You're getting married in front of billions of people and marrying into one of the most prestigious royal families in the world. And your hubby-to-be is the second-in-line to the throne to boot. This is one of those times when the age-old What to wear? question can be a real sartorial conundrum.

via tv.popcrunch.com

Kate Middleton must have known she couldn't go too trendy, too avant garde or too sexy. She would have wanted a gown that spoke to her personality and would also stand up to the test of time. Keeping all that in mind we think Catherine's dress, designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, achieves its aims. Sure maybe its a bit too Grace Kelly for our liking (beautiful, but if we were KMidd we'd want a dress that screamed KATE not GRACE--you know what we mean...) but the construction and detailing were gorgeous.

The web exploded the night before the wedding when a hooded figure was seen going into the Goring Hotel where the now-Duchess of Cambridge was staying with her family. Eagle eyed fashionistas instantly ID'd the figure by her trademark belt and ballet flats: Sarah Burton! We were going to get the McQueen we'd been hoping for! And, yes, maybe the dress was more Burton than Lee McQueen, but there were definitely traces of the house--especially at the nipped in waist and fall of the skirt, which was our favourite part of the dress.

Here are some details on the dress via US Magazine and Clarence House:

"Its bodice and skirt features a lace applique hand-made by the Royal School of Needlework, with lace designed and hand-engineered using a nearly 200-year-old tradition known as Carrickmacross lace-making. Individual flowers -- rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock -- were hand-cut and hand-engineered onto ivory silk tulle. The dress itself was made with ivory and white satin gazar and 'echoes an opening flower,' the statement adds. The train measures two-meters, 70-centimeters. The gown also features an ivory satin bodice narrowed at the waist and padded at the hips; the back is finished with 58 gazar and organza-covered buttons fastened by Rouleau loops."

So let's recap. We thought Kate Middleton looked beautiful. Fresh and happy and like herself. The delicate lace was, of course, classic, and the corset bodice and flowing embroidered skirt did wonders for that wasp-like waist. A gorgeous veil too and a perfect choice of understated tiara borrowed from the Queen.

So, obvs, no OTT fashion statements, not that we expected any. We would have just liked a dress that was a bit more unique.



Kate's tiara is the "halo" Cartier tiara (I've also heard it referred to as the Scroll) that originally belonged to the Queen Mother and was given to Queen Elizabeth on her 18th birthday.



The Queen Mother, Princess Margaret and Anne, and the Duchess of
Cambridge have all worn the Halo Tiara via the royalforums.com

Notice the acorn dangling from Kate's earrings?

A clear reference to the new Middleton family crest

custom made by Robinson Pelham Jewellers.

Pippa Middleton also made quite a splash on the wedding day in her own McQueen gown, which obviously hugged all the right places, like the maid of honour's well-toned posterior. The Middletons certainly have arrived.

Carole Middleton also looked chic, elegant and youthful in pale blue Catherine Walker. The mother-of-the-bride looked beautiful without overshadowing her daughter.

The bouquet, meanwhile was described as "a shield-shaped wired bouquet of myrtle, lily-of-the-valley, sweet William and hyacinth. The bouquet was designed by Shane Connolly and draws on the traditions of flowers of significance for the Royal Family, the Middleton family and on the Language of Flowers."

We're partial to lily of the valley when it comes to brides.

We woke up early to watch a wedding taking place a continent away and we weren't disappointed by the spectacle, but what we really loved were those touches of realness that seem to suggest that this royal couple is the real deal. Like when William turned to Kate's farther Michael and made a quip of having planned for a small family affair.

Our favourite part was the sly look that Harry snuck as Kate walked down the aisle towards William who, per tradition, kept his back turned. The younger prince turned to his brother and said, "Wait 'til you see her." Let's say it all together now: AWWWW.

When Wills, so often reserved, did see Kate how did he react?

By telling her how beautiful she looked. Over and over.

Score one for the McQueen.

The sly smiles and knowing looks shared by the duo throughout the ceremony shows that they're a real couple. They know each other. This isn't some awkward arranged deal and I think the Firm will be all the better for it.

As for the rehearsed balcony kiss? Well wishers were treated to not one but two liplocks, albeit quite chaste ones. Judging from the fans screaming as if they were at a rock concert the royals are enjoying a popularity they haven't dreamt of in years. While the princes have always been popular we'd wager that a lot of it has to do with Kate. A little bit fairytale princess, a little bit every woman. We don't think it'll be long now before Wills may just have to borrow JFK's famous quip about being the man accompanying Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris. Its going to be tough work for Kate not to overshadow her husband in the coming months.

As for the guests...

A quite pregnant Victoria Beckham sported a dress (tent?) of her own design, sky-high custom Louboutins and a stewardess-esque fascinator via Philip Treacy.

Can someone please explain to us why Chelsy Davy always looks like the morning after? How does the girl manage to look like she's doing the walk of shame in custom Alberta Ferretti?

And then there is Beatrice and Eugenie. The York girls weren't exactly sartorial wins. Eugenie was pretty much a hot mess in blue Vivienne Westwood while we quite liked Beatrice's Valentino suit, although her Philip Treacy fascinator did look a bit like it was attaching her face, which we're not exactly sure is the point.

We quite liked Samantha Cameron's Burberry dress and the overall colour scheme of her outfit. Criticized by some for her Blair Waldorf-esque headband instead of a hat, we're not inclined to be quite so harsh on SamCam.

Our favourite ceremony look had to be Lady Sophie Windsor who was almost noir-ishly glam in her navy Armani Privé cocktail dress and jacket combo. The coat, in silk jacquard, featured a subtle checkerboard pattern and was fastened by an unfussy bow. Sophie's hat (the 'Stealth') is also Philip Treacy who, we suspect, can now retire to his own island.

What did you think of Kate Middleton's wedding day style?

Who was your best and worst dressed guest?

Photosvia The Daily Mail, Getty, windsorknot.today.com, fashionista.com, people.com, vanityfair.com, OK!