Because we haven’t checked in on the Princess (I know, I know — close enough) lately. Also: she hasn’t been out that much lately. I’m sure Us Weekly will explain why, eventually. IS IT A SECRET BABY? (Probably not.)
This happened yesterday:
I particularly enjoy the trick of the light in this photo that makes her look as though Heaven Itself is lighting her path, and she is thinking, “Thank you, God, for giving me this hair.”
And this next one is a bit old — it happened in August, but I….was in a carb-induced coma? Who even knows what I was doing in August. Probably cocktails were involved. Still, we are nothing if not Middleton-completists, so I couldn’t resist tossing it in:
Adorably naval! And one day we’ll manage to get her in shoes that aren’t so Aggressively Sensible. I swear to you, Fug Nation, one day our shoe dreams will come true.
[Photos: Splash]
Comments (70):
Did the Queen sit Kate down and be like “Rule #1 – We don’t wear fancy shoes. Rule #2 – WE DON’T WEAR FANCY SHOES.”
you just made me burst out laughing in the middle of a very quiet train.
Well played
Those two always make me smile. So adorable together.
I’m about to say something drastic. I don’t like Pippa. I love Kate. I find it wonderful that she doesn’t dress like a tramp. I realize that’s part of “the deal” for her marriage to the not-so-prince-like Prince of Wales. Sorry, he just got a lot less good looking.
http://www.autumnvanweir.com
Those shoes aren’t so bad! Check out the stumpy heels on the obscured lady in the 2nd picture. Btw, I have never seen a picture of Kate (even before she was married/engaged) in which she looks like an absolute mess. How do rich people do this?! Don’t they ever have to pick up their mail in their pajamas or get quick take-out?
the thing is, those europeans think it is just madness to leave the house not in proper clothes. I had a friend from europe staying with me for a bit who was secretly a little aghast that I would walk around in leggings and a big sweater, like, outside of the house and *everything.* Maybe I just know fancy europeans, but I think their standards are quite different.
Well, I lived in Europe for a while, and the people there ran the gamut from “do not be seen in pajamas anywhere but in bed” to “water outdoor plants in underwear.” Which basically means that there’s people and then there’s other people, I guess
Oh my God! I go to the shop to buy a paper/milk/etc with a coat over my nightie and a pair of tennis shoes or UGG boots or gum boots (depends on the weather!) AND I live in Europe (London to be precise). I have been to work on a couple of occasions with a tenchcoat/mac over my underwear as was in a hurry and couldn’t be arsed to decide what to wear!
What does she do with her cute clutch when she goes in to glad-hand and talk to people? Does Wills hold it for her? Is there a designated clutch-holder? And what is in there? Lipstick? Airplane bottle of whiskey for the limo ride home?
They both look great.
The only thing that bums me out about the second outfit is the occasion she chose it for. She was visiting the site of recent riots in Birmingham. Why so posh looking? Or should I say, why so ‘police cadet’ looking? She wore jeans and flats in Canada, she couldn’t have looked more like a regular person for this?
That aside, love her
I totally agree. Those are 2 VERY expensive pieces, and the rioting – at least some of it – was a reaction to the so-called ‘austerity measures.’ A tone-deaf choice, but she’s still new at this.
Since both shoes look the same to me, I think she found a pair of very comfortable pumps and then ordered every color available. Smart.
She probably has to walk a lot, so….finding a pair of stylish shoes that don’t have 5-inch heels might be tough. Then again, I’m a man and wear flats, so how would I know?
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I think she must have a dozen pair of those “oh so chic tan ones” which on my best days my back would not have allowed me to wear.
Adorable, as usual!
And, I’m pretty sure there is a shoe rule when on official engagements, yes? I think the heel cannot be higher than 3″, and they have to be closed toe. Unless she adds sparkles, or even the spiked shoes of Anna Faris (which would be awesome!) there isn’t much room to have fantastical shoes with those guidelines.
I’m just happy she doesn’t wear hooves. They seem to be such a sweet couple.
Where’s the Harry Catch Up? Please?
So elegant! And not to quibble with you, Jessica, but as a lady who walks around in heels all day, I think pumps like that are really the only kind of fully functional heel. If they fit you properly and they’re well made, you can spend all day in them, walk around in them, and, you know, accompany your prince and kiss babies at hospital openings without thinking about your feet the whole time. So, what I’m saying is: I understand the DESIRE for less Aggressively Sensible footwear, but I appreciate the logic of the understated, stable work pump in her wardrobe.
Oh, I know — I just think she could possibly find sassier pumps. My kingdom for a peeptoe! (Which opens the hose issue, so I get it, but…you know)
You’re so right. Now that you mention it, she probably could. I have a deep love for sensible pointy-toed pumps, but if I had Sarah Burton on speed dial….I would have someone MAKE me sassier work pumps if necessary. Of course, British taxpayers would not be auditing my shoe expenditure in this story. Or my hosiery.
i just think you should see this http://www.popsugar.com/Mary-Kate-Ashley-Olsen-Pictures-Paris-Fashion-Week-19274625?page=0,0,13#14
Okay, I am sorry. I have to say it. In the second photo, she’s got a box around her box. Why? It’s a fug for me. That is all.
agreed. Love her, love her style, but the second skirt is framing her uterus. Awkward.
That would never have occurred to me. The buttons on her skirt match the pattern on her top.
No comprendo.
I love seeing Wills and Kate together…they just look so utterly happy together. I’m happy for her but absolutely delighted for him.
I like the shoes! In the real (bunion-prone, sadly) world, most women can’t wear the crazy spikes/platforms.
Wait ’til you’ve had the surgery and have to wear flats.
I like a nice pointy-toed pump. She’s fab.
Aggressively Sensible. HAAAAAAAAAA. Well put!
@Autumn Van Weir: Since we are nothing if not nit-pickingly pendatic around here, William is not the Prince of Wales. He is the Duke of Cambridge. His dad is and has been the Prince of Wales for forty-some years. You assume that title when the monarch bestows it on you. It is traditionally given to the heir to the throne, so when HM shuffles off this mortal coil and Charles becomes king–which is totally what will happen, unless he croaks first. There is no way the House of Windsor will even consider abdication–William probably will be invested as the Prince of Wales. But not yet.
Um. I seriously loathe that second dress. I saw tons of that in church in the 90s, and I went to church with home schooling Pentecostal women who made homemade bread and shopped at thrift stores. I love those women, but…I do not want myself or my current girlcrush to LOOK like those women.
Sensible? She’s wearing stilettos! And, in the first picture, they’re platform stilettos with an impressive heel height! The woman behind her in the second photo is wearing sensible shoes. Now, if you want “Aggressively Sensible,” see Maggie Gyllenhaal’s shoes from yesterday: http://gofugyourself.com/stranger-than-fugtion-09-2011
I’m just not SURE about the second outfit. A bit Drum Majorette, I fear. But nobody’s perfect.
I agree Squirrel, any shoes that high do not say sensible to me….but then I never wear anything but flats.
Thank god somebody (or 2 somebodies) said what I was thinking. But then, I live in Wisconsin. Heels aren’t so practical.
The world needs more Kate Middleton and less Kim Kardashian. Kate always looks elegant and tasteful. It’s not her job to be on the leading edge of fashion. However, it is her job to represent the Monarchy in a respectful manner.
I think it would be better if we have more Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (she is not Kate Middleton anymore) then Kim Kardashian. We need to address the Duchess correctly. This just show’s respect.
Sorry Pauline, but if you’re going to nitpick others, I have to point out that you used ‘then’ instead of ‘than’ and ‘shows’ doesn’t need an apostrophe. Glass houses ladies.
Fifiw: Well said.
About the second outfit – I think she’s been looking a bit costume-y to me lately. I’m glad the first photo is just a simple – albeit dull-colored – dress. The military-esque shirt she wore in August to Birmingham *after the riots* is a bit much.
Hey, by Brit Royal standards, Kate’s shoes are positively daring! I mean, the heels are less than one inch in diameter!
thank you for this. i’ve missed her. she doesn’t look remotely pregnant — but NO PRESSURE! take your time!
The shoes have spiked 4″ heels and pointy toes. They are in no way sensible. What they are is plain. It’s the worst of all possible shoe worlds. Upon Middleton’s feet we behold the last stand of the noble, desperate 20th-century effort to distinctively dress the world’s remnant feudal aristocracy by upholstering it in unenviable bulky, puffy, doily, chintzy, lumpy, awkward, garish matronliness.
As royalty has to be dressed distinctively from the hoi poloi (or we might begin to doubt–late at night, in our sleepless moments–that God is the all-benevolent force behind social stratification), I personally am very satisfied that the royal aesthetic wranglers are granting us commoners the monopoly over the good shoes, whether they be Fendi and Dior or Dansko Professional and Frye.
Ha! I love that idea–if we have to be “common” at least we get kick-ass shoes! Anyway, as for princess shinylocks–could she not have worn just a TOUCH of color in that first outfit. EVERYTHING is neutral–dress, shoes, clutch, even EARRINGS! For the love of a delicious short rib dinner, COLOR!
And the McQueen naval outfit to visit riot-torn Birmingham was completely tone-deaf. But she is young. And sheltered.
haha “Princess Shinylocks” – awesome. She is fab. I love her. I love Wills. I love her and Wills together. Also, I love Pippa and Harry, alone or together. But, I digress into my Brit obsession….
Why does everyone still call her Kate Middleton. Her title is HRH Princess William, Duchess of Cambridge (along with two other titles). She received these when they married in April. So let’s address her with her correct title. This just show’s respect.
We don’t disrespect her, it’s just such a mouthful and we all know her as Kate Middleton. At least people don’t call her Waity Katie anymore. Be grateful for that!
For me, it’s not about respect, rather, colloquialism. As Matilda put it, that’s quite a mouthful (heck…you didn’t even pronounce her whole title).
Not keen on the second outfit. It’s a bit Marks & Spencer workwear circa 1988.
However, dressing down to visit after the riots would be the wrong approach. The people who would come out to see them aren’t the ones who were rioting, they’re people who would want to see Royals looking like Royals. We all know they’re wealthy, so trying to dress ‘common’ in those circumstances would just come across as patronising.
I remember seeing an article somewhere about how she was behind closed doors, getting some kind of tutoring from different agencies on how the country is run. They called it princess camp.
A secret baby?
Well let’s see, she only seems to weigh about 75 pounds,
so yeah, a clutch would cover that up.
Your idea of sensible shoes is my idea of shoes I wouldn’t be able to walk in…
She’s doing a great job of looking appropriate at all times, which isn’t as easy as it sounds. But I don’t think she has enough body fat to conceive.
She looks stunning in the first picture– the dress is a bit plain, but she looks gorgeous and I’m sorry, I love those nude pumps. However, while she looks nice in the second picture, I’m not a huge fan of the outfit. The blouse and the skirt are a little too matchy-matchy and themed– I think it would have been better to pair the blouse with a plain skirt or vice versa. I like them separately, but am not wowed by them together. Even though I’m not British, I also agree that perhaps this wasn’t the best outfit to wear while visiting the scenes of the riots. I don’t think jeans and flats would have been a good idea either– she needs to looking properly “royal” and professional, but I don’t think this is quite the right outfit.
on behalf of girls who always pick sensible over crazy insane but so cute shoes, we feel sexy when we can stand and move and not freak out over the bone-crushing pain radiating from out feet because we had to stand to wait for the cab or dinner or because “the bar is just 2 blocks this way”…. SENSIBLE SHOE GIRLS UNITE! IT’S TIME!
Hurrah for outrageously expensive flats!
The first outfit is impeccable. She picks very simple clothes, but they always fit beautifully and I totally covet her shoe wardrobe. I wouldn’t call them sensible for a woman who often makes public appearances where she stands for hours at a time, but they are always flattering and elegant, she walks in them gracefully, and thank goodness when she occasionally wears a platform, it is a short platform and they don’t look like hoof shoes. I am also fascinated that someone has the lifestyle to carry such a teeny tiny purse all the time. But, then, she probably has a PERSON with her to carry anything she wants.
As for the military outfit, I like it, but I don’t love it. I agree that it looks very 80′s — I had an Anne Klein II outfit way back when that looked a bit like this. I sometimes visit WhatKateWore.com and this was listed as a McQueen and I nearly choked when I saw the price of that outfit. The blouse sells for $1355 and the skirt is $995. That’s for Ready-to-wear, folks. No embroidery or beadwork. The skirt is wool, not cashmere, just wool. No doubt it is flattering, I’m sure it is nicely constructed and the fabric may be high quality, but WOW even if it is hand sewn, I really don’t know what makes a blouse and skirt THAT expensive other than having a label inside it that reads “McQueen.”
Every time I see a picture of her, my very first thought is “She is SO PRETTY.” My second thought is “I want her hair!!!” Then I actually start to contemplate the outfits.
The only thing “sensible” about those spikes is how they show her legs off to best effect. They are simple, yes, unfussy, yes, not sensible. Flats or low solid heels are sensible (posture, walking, etc)
If only she’d eat a sandwich now and then.
Well, I think she always looks unbearably frumpy – more like ’29 going on 69′. I just have to say it and please, American people, do NOT fall into a rose tinted swoon. It is important to be very discerning when critiquing a royal. The majority of the British Royal family wouldn’t look out of place at a pub karaoke night or similar! By that, I mean they are pretty rough and not really what you would call ‘royal’ at all! Check out Zara Philips – for example!
Zara Philips is a tatty embarrassment with buck teeth.
Aggressively Sensible? Are you kidding? I couldn’t walk in those shoes for more than 20 minutes without hitting the point I took them off and threw them at someone’s head. They may be plain heels, but they are not @&#*ing sensible.
Someone probably mentioned this but just in case: She’s a Princess not a movie star.
Has she ever NOT looked absolutely PERFECT? She’s a hanger with a head!!! A head with BEAUTIFUL hair!
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn. She’s just so vanilla.
She’s got the age, the figure, the face, the hair and the money to be a bit more fashion forward and what does she do? She opts for clothes that my mum wears. Actually my mum wore the navy outfit about 25 years ago.
That’s why they call ‘em “court shoes.” They are plain, not fancy but extremely expensive.
She has enough going on with the hair and the face and the figure and the very tastefully appointed dresses that shoes are superfluous. And yeah, the Queen probably did send her a memo through channels.
First days on the job/starting her new career – not the time to be a fashion leader, yet.
She is doing a fabulous job of being elegant, refined and appropriate in these early days.
She can be more adventurous later.
Remember how hideous most of Dianna’s first year stuff was, matronly dresses and horrid little hats with feathers. then she broke free of the fussy. Catherine is already streets ahead.
Really? She is so, so boring.