10 photos in galleryThe Duchess of Cambridge — Katie No More Waity — was BUSY these last few weeks. Seems like the honeymoon ends, and girlfriend had to go right to work, showing up places in hats and making people enjoy Monarchy-Watching once more. I have great sympathy for anyone whose job requires looking so well-blown-out all the time. Right now, my own hair is making me look like the victim of an ancient curse. Hey, maybe that’s why the royals love their hats so much — you don’t have to flat-iron the crown of your head so carefully when it’s got a silk croissant popped on top of it. Let’s take a look.
Well Played Couple of Weeks, The Artist Formerly Known as Kate Middleton
well-played
Fug file: Photos, Well Played, Hot Right Now, royalty, Wills and Kate
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Comments (74):
I fear my newfound adoration for Duchess Catherine will be forced to cage match with my long standing adoration for Her Majesty The Queen. Those are two women who know how to dress.
However- as the mother of a Katherine (called Kate) it BUGS THE HELL OUT OF ME that Catherine also goes by Kate. Shouldn’t it be Cate? I know. Picky picky. She could go by Zaphod if she wanted to.
ooo. The html is weak in this one today. Sorry for the extraneous bolding.
You know, I would have an aneurism if I had to think about what hat and what coat to wear all the time. I also don’t have any fashion taste so I’d probably look ridiculous most of the time if I had to, too.
I freaking LOVE these kids. Kate, Wills, Harry, Pippa — they’re all so pretty and seemingly happy and smart and witty…and all in a way that makes me love them more every time I see them.
I adore Kate (and Pippa)! I can only wish to be that awesome even 1% of the time.
Pippa’s coat in that last photo looks like it is 12 sizes too big. And yeah, the satin isn’t good. But everything else is fabu.
For me, “Nobody keeps Harry from Andy Cohen” has now replaced “Nobody puts Baby in the corner’. Thank you for that.
FLAWLESS!!
So elegant! So elegant! And so, so pleasing to see someone who looks like she’s beautifully attired in her own clothing, rather than someone who looks like they borrowed gorgeous clothing for an evening (not that there’s anything wrong with borrowing gorgeous clothing for an evening, if you can get those gigs).
Also, you ladies are brilliant and funny. It’s always such a nice pause in the day to stop over here and laugh.
I just love Catherine (I’m referring to her as Catherine, since all of the papers over here in Britain do, too, now). I like how she combines high-end designers with “normal girl” stores. She doesn’t have a stylist, so her taste is naturally great, and I appreciate that she recycles favourite items. The black and white printed dress she wore to the friend’s wedding? I love it, too. She wore it out clubbing a couple of years ago. Catherine is smart and considerate to recognise that while she might be one of the most photographed women in the world from now on, she didn’t want to take away any attention from the bride on her big day – hence, wearing a lovely but not “LOOK AT MEEEE!” dress that day.
However, the matchy-matchiness of both her blue and dove grey outfits irk me a wee bit. As an ex-pat Canadian living in England, I’ve noticed that wedding guest attire differs significantly from back home. Whilst I adore the frequency with which women wear hats to formal occasions, I don’t like their general propensity to MATCH every piece of their outfit. Back home, it is seen as being old-fashioned and ageing to do so, and I have to say I agree. Seriously, so many of the department stores and companies that sell occasion wear intentionally sell and market entire ensembles that are meant to be worn all together, and not just by women in their 50s and older: you match your dress to your coat to your hat/fascinator to your jewelry to your shoes to your handbag. As Tim Gunn would say, “That’s a whole lot of look!” I do hope that Catherine continues with her stylish clothing choices and doesn’t get sucked into the Old Lady Trap too soon.
That said, I have always loved the Queen. Her Majesty is of an appropriate age to wear all-matching ensembles, and she is always immaculately turned out. She is so energetic and sprightly and sharp as a tack, which is unbelievably impressive when you consider the condition of a lot of (most?) other women her age. The canary yellow she wore to The Wedding were especially fab. I love me some bright yellow.
Pippa’s lime satin coat was gross. Too matronly and too tacky for someone who is obviously trying to get as much media attention as possible right now.
Forgot to mention- photo #9- you guys can keep the coat and hat if I can have whatever is behind Duchess #1.
Why- I think it’s Prince Harry! I WIN!
She is just so impeccably turned out ALL the time it kills me! Also, she and Wills are just so stinking cute. I am pretty sure she wore that white McQueen coat on purpose to remind everyone of their wedding, considering he is wearing the same thing and they seem to be on the same or a similar balcony as their post-hitching kiss, no? Well played, Middleton, well played.
I think I will enjoy looking at the Duchess of Cambridge’s ensembles equally as much as I enjoy Princess Letizia watching. They both wear absolutely beautiful clothes, and they wear them beautifully. I’d like for both of them to go out for really big burgers because they are both looking extremely slender, but brava to both for wearing clothes that are lovely, ladylike and appropriate but never matronly. Being able to do that with the required hat (or fascinator) must incredibly challenging, but the lovely Kate is doing it superbly and always looks remarkably comfortable and relaxed and pretty in a hat that might make others (okay, me) look really dorky.
Well Played indeed, Duchess. My only quibble is that first white jacket: I really don’t like it on her. Sure, with the short skirt, it doesn’t look too old for her, but those pockets and those too-long sleeves…. even if the jacket was a bit shorter I’d be ok with it.
Regardless, love her style and smile – she looks so happy.
And the Queen is always impeccably matchingly turned out.
Picture seven, along with your commentary, made me laugh out loud (of course in an inappropriate setting). I do love me some evil Harryface. Also, no-longer Waity, pressure-to-Matey Katie is stunning, flawless, etc. And I love how Pippa CONSTANTLY looks like she’s up to no good.
Also: my apologies for that terrible joke.
I didn’t know that Kate wore Zara after the wedding. I have about ten of their dresses, and I’m glad to hear I’m in good glam company.
I’m not sure why but at first I didn’t want to like her, but how can I resist! She is effortlessly stylish (wish I could be) and is really lovely.
I want that McQueen coat!
Also, I’d love to watch Real Housewives with Harry anytime.
I think the dress that Pippa is wearing under that awful satin coat is probably better than Catherine’s, so she was told to cover up OR ELSE, and the coat was the only thing available. Also: what’s up with the guy in jeans behind them? A *really* undercover bodyguard?
She’s so lovely in everything! An this is so refreshing after umpteen photos of Ga Ga, Ke$ha, Rihanna, etc.in bizarro-peekaboo costumes.
May Catherine inspire people to dress for beauty instead of attention at any cost.
i’ve seen here in that blue coat before…don’t know where or when, but it’s defnitely not new. which makes me love her even MORE, as if that were possible.
I too was christened Catherine but have been known my whole life as Kate (or Katie), so it’s not unheard of. My parents wanted to both call me Kate and name me after my grandmother, Catherine (thank God they didn’t name me Gertrude after the other one!).
What in the world is going on with Kate’s right arm/elbow in the last picture? I’m sure it’s just a weird angle or something, but it looks so odd. Anyhow, I love all the looks except for the blue coat and hat, which look too old and dowdy to me. Though the color itself is lovely on her.
That McQueen coat makes me ache inside. So Beautiful. And why is so hard to find simple, chic little dresses like that last one? Those look good on almost everyone, yet I have the hardest time finding them – plenty of sleeveless sheath dresses, but not with the little cap sleeves. Want.
LOVE!!
She wore the blue coat to a friend’s wedding a couple of years ago.
I’ve read that she is taking a page out of Princess Diana’s book and deliberately wearing outfits she has been photographed/seen in before to events where she is not the guest of honour, in an effort to deflect attention from herself and perhaps prevent quite the same frenzy as if she wore something new and everyone wanted to know the designer, etc.. Like the black and white dress from several years ago to a friend’s wedding this weekend. She’s still going to be the center of attention, no matter what she wears, but it seems like a subtle way of saying “what *I* am wearing is not the most important thing here.”
I almost feel the need to become a potty mouth on the internet to express just how much I love seeing photos of William making Kate laugh. It makes my heart sing.
Also making my heart sing? THAT MCQUEEN COAT. OH MY SWEET LORD I WANT THAT. So badly that it’s actually starting to make me depressed about my lack of funds to buy it, and my inability to keep white coats clean for longer than an hour.
Can we please start a petition to have a viewing party with Harry for the RH? Seriously. Any city. That would make my life.
Not that it’s a problem for any of the royals, but I wonder how much closet space it takes for all their hats? They probably have a whole hat ROOM.
Why is Harry always right behind Kate? You can totally tell it’s him in the picture where she’s wearing the matchy blue hat.
Anyway, she’s totally charming and beautiful and all the girls in the world (myself included) want to be her.
Lots of love to her and her fabulousness. However, SHE IS REALLY SKINNY, even more so then on her wedding day, I think. Also, she always has the engagement ring strategically flashing about on her handbag or whatever. It is a habit of many women with a nice rock, and I don’t care for it in her or anyone. Plus it feels like she is really pushing the Diana angle a little hard.
Yeah, Catherines have been going by Kate and Katie for a very, very long time. Cate is rare and always has been in comparison.
I love the last look but everything else just kind of puts me to sleep. Royalty, eh.
You can’t help liking someone who looks this happy. And this happy to be photographed. She appears to be truly enjoying herself.
I loved that Martin Short skit! Sometimes I think I’m the only person in the world who remembers it (other than, perhaps, Martin Short himself).
Oh, and the Duchess–love her!
The b&w satin dress is also a repeat wear – from several years ago no less!! She is truly awesome.
From the Mirror –
“the Duchess of Cambridge chose a black and white patterned dress which she was spotted in four years ago. In 2007 she wore it to Boujis nightclub on another outing with sister Pippa…”
I like her, but less eyeliner and more carbs would improve things.
They’re delightful, and I love looking at them. I see she is still wearing her engagement ring on her left ring finger. Is her wedding band underneath it?
And I’d prefer Pippa’s coat, with lining that matches her dress, if it was not quite so poisonous a shade of green, and if she wore it unbuttoned.
I really like looking at pictures of pretty people wearing pretty clothes, especially when the boys are rockin’ the uniforms and the girls’ clothes flatter rather than overwhelm them. I obviously don’t know anything about what any of them are like in real life, but they sure do project an image of happiness and charm.
(though I’m not actually quite old enough to be the mother of any of them, anybody more than a decade younger than me seems like a very young’un anymore)
And Her Majesty just rocks.
Blimey, lookit Wills.
I’ve taken Beatrice’s wedding hat and twisted into another, more appealing shape.
It’s the hat that keeps on giving.
Good show for me!
Lovely but you missed the best outfit! This pink dress is divine and cannot go unnoticed! Even if Blair Waldorff had it first:
http://www.celebitchy.com/161966/kate_middleton_in_blush-pink_jenny_packham_gorgeous_or_meh/
Right? Right??! She nailed it. But she needs to eat a sandwich or three.
Also, I saw photos of Pippa in a pink wrap dress, perhaps later in the same day Kate wore the black/white circles dress that was quite cute.
Any way to find out the maker of that awesome blue coat????
@qwertygirl: No, I do, too! My best friend and I were on the swim team in high school despite having no athletic ability whatsoever as swimmers, and we used to send each other into fits of giggles by turning to each other during breaks in practice and saying, in unison: “Hey, you: Look at that — I know you! I know you!”
I love the Queen’s style, but doesn’t she have sensible shoes in white? Or a neutral? Those look heavy with such a festive outfit. I don’t know if pink shoes would do. Perhaps that’s a bit much. Pink IS hard to match. Help me fug nation! What color would be better? Polka dots? She’s the queen so I imagine she can have kind of shoe she wants.
As Sara “Fergie” recently told Oprah, “She’s doing it right!” She certainly is. Charming, polished, but approachable (in a Royals way, you know what I mean). Flawless. And that first white coat! Perfection.
Also, regarding her ring, I like that it looks very natural on her hand–it’s such a signature piece and yet it looks like any other really great engagement ring on her finger. Does that make sense? It fits her hands and she looks comfortable with it on.
Ditto on the McQueen coat. Goodness. I reeeeeally want that. Unfortunately, I probably don’t have enough coats to do it justice (I’d be inclined to wear it CONSTANTLY), and I live in Houston, but whatever. I want.
And the hat she paired with it: perfect. I want that too.
Overall, I think she’s making the mumsy-jacket-coordinatey look that seems to be required of the royals over there work pretty well for her. Sure, some of it is a bit matchy or old looking, but I think she’s adjusting to it pretty well.
As she continues to adapt to her new roll, I think it will be interesting to watch her. I don’t find her to be a super style icon these days, but who knows. She has a good sense of what works for her, so maybe she’ll feel more comfortable branching out a bit and showing us some interesting stuff as she gets older. She will certainly have the pocketbook for it!
I love Pippa’s choice of that coat. It’s so very “omg, stop looking at me, this is our friend’s big day. Also, notice how incredibly modestly dressed I am! Not a curve in sight!” I also really hope that she decides to have an awesome career doing something she loves instead of skating by as a professional royal sister-in-law.
LC, we covered the Packham here: http://gofugyourself.com/well-played-kate-catherine-duchess-of-cambridge-formerly-middleton-06-2011
Yes, but in the blue picture Harry is standing directly behind her, giving the illusion of AN ENORMOUS HEAD.
Oh, Prince Harry. When did you become so grrr? Take over the world with an army of ginger princes. I won’t mind.
I just want her wardrobe budget!!
What, no comment on the fact that Harry is standing thisclose to Kate in pic #9??
If you have a look at the rest of the balcony pics, it’s actually something Naughty Harry said that made her giggle like that.
Said. Or DID.
[taps nose]
You can have the black and white dress! I own the exact one- and I got it at Zara about 7 years ago
Oh, geez, Your Grace, you are so high up on my list of girl crushes at this point it’s not even funny: the hair, the smile, the figure, the style, the HATS….it’s just all too much. I’ve yet to see her in anything I didn’t think she sold 100% and some of it is so perfect it makes me want to faint.
If I were a designer I would be clamoring at her door to dress her.
@LC: the Girls did a whole post on the pink dress yesterday. Yesterday? Last week? It’s all melting together…
Is the last picture badly photoshopped to make her look even thinner than she is? That might be the reason for the weirdly broadened arm in that photo.
Nothing on GFY has ever been photoshopped — unless obviously and awkwardly done by us for purposes named in the post. These are all straight from legit photo houses, promise.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge is to floaty dresses and matching coats as Diana, Princess of Wales was to drop waisted, blouson dresses…
Love love love her! (Aside: As a Catherine myself, it really annoys me that she goes by Kate and not Cate… argh!) In any case, I think she looks great here. And totally agree that Pippa looks terrible in that coat, yuck!
Love the McQueen coat and love the fact that she is doing some ‘recycling’ as well– she looks great! I’m so jealous.
Love the picture with Harry/Kate/unknown cute little girl– anyone else think they’re seeing the future? (Not Harry/Kate of course, but you know, Kate and Will having children and being out there on the balcony with Uncle Harry.)
There can never be too many Catherine pictures; she always looks so great! And I am not usually a fan of headwear, but I love the ones in these pictures, especially the black on and the one that the Queen is wearing.
And @Pam: I would like her wardrobe budget too. *sighs*
I think lot of women in Australia could learn a great deal from these pictures as to what to wear to the racetrack. Wear a hat yes, but COVER YOURSELF!! And Kate wasn’t even going to the races.
Did no one else notice that the hat in the first picture (that I believe GFY said resembled a Pepperage Farm cookie) also resembles an acorn? I.e., acorns such as those now on the newly-created Middleton family coat of arms? (Also, do you think she’ll ever wear those cute diamond acorn earrings her parents gave her for her wedding again? I’d love it if she did, but I can’t image her finding an event appropriate enough except some big state thing.)
The hat Pippa’s wearing with that terrible jacket, on the other hand…ugh. Droopy.
Does anyone else think her right arm in the last picture looks very strange?
I’ve gotta say, I kinda love the kimono-esqueness of that blue coat. Wouldn’t she make a lovely geisha?
I think the weird arm in the last pic is caused by the photographer’s long lens – see how the grass in the foreground is out of focus? The snapper is miles from the action. Telephoto lenses distort things – see this explanation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspective_distortion_(photography)
I don’t think the satin coat can be blamed on lens distortion though….
Is that I tie that I can see in #8? Go girl if so! That’s daring!
haha, just looked back and its the way the material is folded, it looks like a loosened tie…. i think it’s time for my diet coke break now.
Anita – I think you’ve created another GFY SAT question!
I love the Duchess. She’s so beautiful. It’s lovely to see a new renaissance (is that an oxymoron) for the Royals.
I love picture #9 – it’s like Harry’s looming up out of the shadows to reveal his army of Ginger clones, whilst the Duchess smiles, unaware of the coming onslaught.
I love me some Prince Harry. That is all. Oh, and Princess Kate (I refuse to call her Dutchess – you marry a prince, you should get to be called a princess!!) is beyond gorgeous, I just wish she would remove the eyeliner.
I am excited for Kate and William’s arrive to the US and of course I am dying to see what she’ll be wearing. I love the order of the garter ensemble as well as her McQueen coat! Just stunning! http://www.bravoerunway.com
I can’t believe you think this is ‘well played’!!! I think it is dreadful. The skirt is like a cheap tutu and the white colour is just hideous. This hem length in the ‘Derby’ setting is a real no-go. It’s all about restrained chic ….. ie: knee length but NOT a skating skirt! Personally, I think these hat’s or ‘fascinators’ look COMMON – no other word for it. Check out Ladies Day at Aintree for a jaw dropper.
If your goal in life is being a professional clothes hanger, and royal hanger-on you may as well give it your best…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ad infinitum
Did anybody else notice that the lining on Pippa’s coat matches her dress? Way too matchy matchy – or is it REVERSIBLE?!