Ascot 2011 (Everyone Else Edition)

And now for everyone else....

Date:  June 2011
Place:  Ascot, England
Event:  Royal Ascot

Day one:  Beatrice is wearing a black jacket by Philosophy de Alberta Ferretti and a nude and black dress by 3.1 Phillip Lim.  Eugenie is wearing a teal lace dress by Issa.  We are less than enamored with Eugenie's shoes.  They look just plain wrong with that outfit.

Day one:  We're not sure who created their toppers, but we think Eugenie's falls flat--neither flattering nor interesting.  (And it's Ascot--hats are supposed to be interesting!)  Beatrice on the other hand is wearing a low topped, wide brimmed hat that is super flattering.  Why can't people dress like this on a daily basis?

Day three:  We are simply in love with Beatrice's blue look.  (We'll get to Anne, on the left, later on.)

Day three:  We've not confirmed who created this ensemble, but we're agog.  The hat is a bit lukewarm, but from the neck down Beatrice really looks like royalty.  One quibble is that it looks awfully warm for summertime.  But we don't see her breaking a sweat.

Day four:  Eugenie seems to be wearing both navy and black with a sand colored jacket.  The dress is a bit blah, but at least her hat (mildly flattering) is getting in the spirit of things at Ascot, as is the lady's beside her. 

Day four:  The hat is, by the way, a Philip Treacy creation.  You probably knew that though--those tell-tale "horns" are hard to miss.

Day five:  Va-va-va-voom!  We are a fan of red vixen-ish dresses around here, let me tell you.  (Your faithful narrator got married in one.)  This Alexander McQueen dress donned by Eugenie on the final day of Ascot is particularly interesting.  It's a slightly different version of that bridesmaid's dress worn by Pippa Middleton to Kate and William's wedding.  We're not joking. 

Day five:  On the off chance that Eugenie is actually employing a tailor, seamstress, or otherwise to fit her clothes, we beg her to considering hiring someone else!  This is a gorgeous dress and she really pops in it, but . . . it simply does not fit.  The bunching around the hips, thighs, and under the bosoms is a clear sign, it doesn't fit!  I wonder if she stood all day in fear of busting open a seam.

Day five:  Call us crazy, but did she borrow her sisters' shoes--the ones Beatrice wore on day three with that delicious blue outfit?  Sisterly thrift.  Finally!

Day two:  Not much to say about about the Countess of Wessex.  We want to like the hat--getting into the Ascot spirit and all that--but it looks a bit like she went through a car wash with it.  Oh well.

Day one:  Our last Ascot lady is the wonderfully frugal and perennially slim Princess Royal.  Her outfit on the first day was not terribly flattering--looks a bit big and frumpy.  But we don't hate that color on her.  And for sedate Anne, we must applaud the effort in the hat department.  Too bad about the shoes.

Day two:  Here Princess Anne is wearing a caramel colored get up that looks rather dated.  Honestly, the high-necked dress doesn't bother us so much as the color of the coat and hat (and also the cut of the hat). 

Day two:  But considering Anne first wore this dress in 1980 (lower right-hand corner) for Trooping the Colour . . . we'll overlook those faults.  She wore it again in 1983 (lower left-hand corner) to Epsom and also in 1991 to Ascot (upper right-hand corner).  Bravo for keeping your figure over three decades!

Day three:  We reckon this is a slightly more recent outfit and it's quite a nice color for her.  Not everyone can pull off a pale lavender.  If she had tried a bit harder below the ankle and, perhaps, gone for a bigger hat, she would look really rocking.  So to speak.

And that wraps up Royal Ascot for this year.  Stay tuned for lots, lots more!  Thanks for reading Fashionably Royal.

Ascot 2011 (Her Majesty's Edition)

The Queen was present for each day of Royal Ascot, so this entry is devoted to her outfits.  We'll look at everyone else next time!

Date:  June 2011
Place:  Ascot, England
Event:  Royal Ascot

Elizabeth kicked off the week with a pale green Karl Ludwig dress and coat.  We adore  those shoes.

The hat is purported to be an Angela Kelly creation.  I'm not sure what Ms. Kelly or Her Majesty were thinking, but a disheveled, unraveled mess is never really appropriate for any occasion--now is it?

For day two, the Queen pulled out an old crowd favorite--a white coat and Barbie pink dress and swirl hat.

She has worn this ensemble at least twice before; first, at a royal garden party in 2009 and second, in Muscat during a visit to Oman in 2010.

On day three, Lilibet pulled out another recycled outfit.

She wore this salmon suit and hat previously in Canada in 2010.

We really dig the hat, are on the fence about the color, and really don't care for the slapdash frilly edging.  No comment on the square 1980s buttons.

On the fourth day, the Queen donned another outfit from her 2010 Canadian tour.  She looks lovely in yellow.  She should wear it every day!  Her jewels look great with this suit, too.

On the final day, Elizabeth pulled out yet another suit from her time in Canada last year.

The hat is divine.  The outfit is nice but a bit boring.  No comment, again, on the square buttons.  We love her coordinated umbrella.  And that brooch automatically kicks every outfit up a notch.

That's it for this time.  Thanks for reading Fashionably Royal.  Tune in next time for more coverage of Royal Ascot!

Wimbledon 2011

Tennis is a major passion of mine.  So, I enjoy this post more than is strictly necessary.  Game, set, match!

Date:  June-July 2011
Place:  Southwest London
Event:  The Championships, Wimbledon

First up, Camilla in what seems from a distance to be a cute and appropriate ensemble.

But look a little closer and it gets weird.  Her dress is jutting out through holes in the jacket.  This is not an attractive look on anyone.  On top of that, her jacket does not fit at all well.  Those buttons look like they're about to wave a white flag.  And, can we just take this opportunity to beg the Duchess of Cornwall to get a good bra?  To be frank, the Queen has perkier looking bosoms and she's 85.  Camilla's clothes would fit so much better if she could be bothered.

Next comes Princess Beatrice (and her boyfriend Dave Clark again, yay!).  We've not yet identified the makers of her dress, but we think it's adorable--especially on someone her age. 

One little quibble--the pockets on the jacket help keep the large lapel balanced and when her arms are at her side, the pockets are hidden throwing the jacket balance off.  Looks good clapping, here.

You can see the flamingo pattern on the dress here and better see the trim on the jacket.

THEN!  A few days later, Bea came back for more.  (If I were a royal I would be glued in that box every day!)  This time she wore a white jacket and black and white patterned dress.

The jacket looks just a bit too baggy and we lose sight of her trim figure.  The Issa dress was a bit blah, but not terrible.

Finally, we have the Duchess of Cambridge.  I'm a bit conflicted about this one.  I want to like the effort she put into looking tennis-appropriate, but it comes off just a bit too literal.  In the end, though, she looks pretty and seemed to be having fun.  So we'll let her slide.

The tiered, white dress is a Temperley London creation (the 'Moriah') and is slightly higher end than Kate usually wears and can be bought online here.

There's been a lot of chatter about Kate's bracelet, too, supposed to be a gift from Camilla.  I'm more skeptical, though.  It's said that Camilla's cypher is on one side and Catherine's cypher is on the other side (seen here).  However, I've not been able to find a photo of any other cypher on the bracelet than this one--the cypher of the Duchess of Cambridge. 

Well, that's all of the royal spotting to be done at this year's Wimbledon.  Now, if only some of them would turn up in New York for the US Open in September.  Stay tuned--lots more to come.  Thanks for reading Fashionably Royal.

Trooping the Colour 2011 (with bonus coverage)

What is ostensibly a military parade has become an all-out royal affair.  Trooping the Colour marks the monarch's official birthday in June each year (opposed to the Queen's actual birthday, in April).  So, we get to see some royals in their military get-ups and others in the latest (or not-so-latest) fashions.

Date:  11 June 2011
Place:  London, England
Event:  Trooping the Colour

The Princess Royal is wearing the outfit of a colonel in the Blues and Royals (in which her nephew Harry serves), an honorary role for Anne.

Here, the Countess of Wessex is wearing an unidentified outfit that commentators have noted is just a bit too low-cut for such an occasion (but then again, the Countess doesn't mind showing off her assets, does she?)  At one point on the balcony, her bra was in plain view.  But at least she wears underclothes.  In any event, her hat is a repeat from Ascot 2006.  She was criticized at the time for the gigantic cabbage rose plastered on it.  One wonders why she has failed to prune it back in the intervening years.

Oh, and for the first time in my memory, Prince Edward got to wear a military uniform to the Trooping.  Here he is seen wearing the uniform of Colonel in the London Scottish regiment--also an honorary role for him.  We'll get to Eugenie in a bit.

Prince Harry is wearing the outfit of a Captain in the Blues and Royals, a position in which he actively serves.  His uncle Prince Andrew looks a bit plain in what looks to be a morning suit and top hat.  (His waistcoat has nearly disappeared!)

Royal watchers usually enjoy the balcony appearance during Trooping the Colour as it is when the extended family (including some far-flung cousins) is most likely to make a public appearance.

This is only about one-third of the folks on the balcony!  Look how happy the Queen looks.

Now back to Eugenie....

What . . . what is that thing on her head?  To me, this is worse than what her sister Beatrice wore to Kate and Will's wedding.  This wouldn't fetch anything for charity if sold on eBay.  The bow alone should be a prosecutable offense.

Also, whatever she has on from the neck down is doing her no favors.  She's a curvier girl than her sister and thus needs more structure in her clothing to keep her from looking dumpy (which, actually, she isn't).  The smocking on her belly adds a stone of weight that she hasn't got.  Why, Eugenie, why?  Silver lining:  we can happily distract ourselves with how adorable Lady Louise is!

Next up, Camilla and Catherine--the two Cs are chumming it up a lot.  I wonder if they decided they should both wear cream.  It's sort of Camilla's signature color and she doesn't look half-bad in it.  Here, she's recycled the Philip Treacy hat she wore to her civil marriage ceremony in 2005.  It's an absolute stunner (even if we think it's a bit odd to re-use one's wedding apparel).  Also, her outfit looks similar (but still different) to the cream outfit she wore at Buckingham Palace when the Obamas visited last month.  Same designer perhaps?

The Duchess of Cambridge is also wearing a Philip Treacy topper, except hers is black (guess they forgot to coordinate that bit).  Her coat is by Alexander McQueen.  This whole white-coat-thing is starting to get to me.  The royal family may be a bit barmy, but there's no need to run about in straightjackets all the time! 

Also, this is quite a structural jacket that really loses something when the wearer is seated and covered by a tartan blanket.  Here's what it looks like:

Then, of course, there is Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh.  Word has it that the Queen's ensemble is a repeat, but from when and where exactly we've not quite figured out.  Philip is wearing the uniform of a colonel in the Grenadier Guards, another honorary position.  Considering he's just turned 90, he's still pretty spry!

Later that day, Kate joined her sister Pippa at the wedding of friend Sam Waley-Cohen to Annabel Ballin.  Beatrice even showed up, though she was absent from the Trooping.  Kate's hat stayed put, but changed into a black print dress by Zara that she was first seen wearing in May 2007 at a nightclub with Pippa (during that famous, and temporary, break-up with William).  Or maybe she had this dress underneath the coat.  She carried a black silk purse by Anya Hindmarch, which she also carried when meeting the Obamas at Buckingham Palace this spring.

Pippa was seen wearing a poorly fitting coat in a most pungent color--it didn't seem to go with anything else she was wearing.  Not to mention the wrinkles!

Finally, Beatrice wore a cute blue lace dress and stylish high heels.  Unfortunately the fussiness of the jacket takes away from the whole look.  The mismatched hat doesn't help, either.  We are always glad to see Beatrice with her best accessory--long-time beau Dave Clark.

Stay tuned as we continue to catch up on June--our favorite month of the year!  Lots to cover in July as well.  Not to mention, blasts from the past.  Thanks for reading Fashionably Royal!

Epsom Derby 2011

The Royals do love their horses!  And fashion . . . .

Date:  4 June 2011
Place:  Epsom, England
Event:  Epsom Derby

First up, the ever blossoming Princess Beatrice.  She took the blossoming bit rather literally with this floral ensemble and fascinator with white leaves and ivory rose.

The fascinator is interesting and beautiful in its own right, but the unflattering hues and potato-sack nature of the dress clash with it.  Meanwhile, her sister Princess Eugenie wore a white cap-sleeve dress with black polka dots and a matching wide-brimmed white and black straw hat.  The structure of the hat is stunning on her, but the dress is a bit plain.

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, who is purportedly undergoing intense physical training sessions to slim down (though she's thin already, we would like to point out!), chose a champagne colored Bruce Oldfield concoction.  Sophie seems to be less than amused by Philip's humor.

The hat she chose is one of those hats that looks better from certain angles that from others--this angle being less than stellar.  (I could not locate a suitable photo from the other side, but you can see a hint of the feathers and flowers on the underside in the above photo.)

Her Majesty popped in a bright, crayon pink outfit and hat, which she wore before to Ascot in 2009.  Looks like Liz is pulling a Kate.  The hat is by milliner Rachel Trevor-Morgan.

We here love the geometric pattern of the dress fabric and the fact that Prince Philip almost seems to have coordinated his look with his wife's.

Should I?  Or shouldn't I?  Okay, I'll do it.  "We are not amused."  Sorry.

Finally, we have the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge--Will and Kate.  William's suit looks ever so slightly like he may have borrowed it from his father-in-law's wardrobe.

Catherine continued her affordable chic trend by wearing a Reiss "Peacock" dress (£195), a JOSEPH "Nessie" tweed jacket, L. K. Bennett "Sledge" leather court shoes in light taupe (£175--she's been getting a lot of mileage out of these shoes), L. K. Bennett "Natalie" handclutch (£140--she's been seen with this several times), a pale brown straw beret by Whiteley, and Kiki Mcdonough citrine drop earrings (£495).

The Reiss dress is, sadly, hidden by the slightly straight-jacket-esque look that Kate had going on.  Here is what it looks like underneath.

Another small quibble we have, though it is indeed minor, is Kate's poor posture.  She naturally looks amazing in practically anything, but she would indeed take it to 11 if she stood up straight with less rounded shoulders.  Don't be shy, girlfriend!

So, that was it for the Epsom Derby this year!  Stay tuned for lots lots more.  Thanks for reading Fashionably Royal.