This is our final poll on Kate Middleton‘s 2016 fashion, and our final 2016 in Review. Quick stats: Kate wore 35 dresses in 2016 – 29 of them were new while only 6 of them were repeats from previous years. Since this post is going to get long, let’s jump right in.
1) Alexander McQueen bespoke pre-fall 2016 collection – For her arrival at the Taj Palace Hotel and the wreath laying ceremony to kick off her tour of India on April 10, Kate wore this new bespoke McQueen dress based on the pre-fall 2016 collection.
2) LK Bennett Eugenia Skirted Dress – On August 25, for an unannounced visit to YoungMinds in connection with their Heads Together campaign, Kate chose this new red LK Bennett dress.
3) Alexander McQueen bespoke Resort 2017 dress – On her second day in Canada on September 25, Kate chose another new bespoke McQueen, this one based on the Resort 2017 collection.
4) Preen red ‘Finella’ dress – Kate debuted two of this Preen Finella dress in 2016, the first being this red number she wore during the Canada tour on September 26.
5) Alexander McQueen bespoke poppy print dress – This new McQueen bespoke poppy print dress got trotted out to three events, although they were all done on the same day, October 18: Team GB BP reception; Meeting with BBC Radio 1 Teen Heroes; ITV DofE documentary.
6) Topshop ‘Embroidered Smock Dress’ – After going on safari in India on April 13, Kate fed baby elephants in this new Topshop dress.
7) Alexander McQueen pink wool cashmere peplum dress – This repeated McQueen dress was originally put into the ‘separates’ category when it was included in the 2014 year end polls, but since then we’ve learned it is in fact a dress, which means it gets included in the dress poll now after Kate repeated it to view her Vogue portraits at the National Portrait Gallery on May 4.
8) Lela Rose ‘Double Faced Twill Elbow Sleeve Dress’ – For her first day in Cornwall on September 1, Kate chose this new Lela Rose dress.
9) Kate Spade ‘Encore Rose Chiffon Dress’ – For World Mental Health Day on October 10, Kate went pink and floral in this new dress.
10) Roksanda Ilincic bespoke yellow ‘Ryedale’ dress – Kate made two appearances at Wimbledon in 2016, the first was on July 7 when she wore this repeated yellow dress.
11) Dolce & Gabbana bespoke ‘Pocket watch-appliqué crepe midi dress’ – Kate wore this new bespoke dress for several engagements in Canada on September 27.
12) Temperley London ‘Desdemona Lace Dress’ in jade – For a meeting with the Prime Minister of India on April 12, Kate wore this new dress from Temperley.
13) Naeem Khan blue and white dress – For her attempt at an iconic photo at the Taj Mahal on April 16, Kate chose this new blue and white dress from Naeem Khan.
14) LK Bennett ‘Addison Printed Silk Dress’ – After getting back from India, Kate (along with William and Harry) hosted President and First Lady Obama at Kensington Palace on April 22. Kate chose a new blue dress from LK Bennett for the occasion.
15) Roksanda Ilincic ‘Blue Marwood Color-block Wool-crepe Dress’ – To The Patron’s Lunch on June 12, as part of HM’s 90th birthday celebrations, Kate wore this new color-block dress from Roksanda.
16) Stella McCartney ‘Ridley’ dress – Kate has worn this Stella McCartney dress so many times over the years, and to Prince George’s first engagement in UK soil at the Air Show on July 8, Kate wore it yet again.
17) LK Bennett blue Lasa poppy print dress – Kate repeated this LK Bennett dress for engagements in Luton on August 24.
18) Altuzarra Aimee Polka-Dot Button-Front Dress in Blue – This Altuzarra dress made its debut on September 16 at an event at Stewards Academy for Heads Together.
19) Jenny Packham blue dress – For her triumphant return to Canada on September 24, Kate chose a new bespoke dress by Jenny Packham.
20) LK Bennett Cersei Dress – Kate visited the NHM for Place2Be on November 22 in a new LK Bennett dress.
21) Roksanda Ilincic ‘Peridot’ dress – For a visit to the Anna Freud Centre on May 4, Kate chose to repeat a Roksanda dress.
22) Emilia Wickstead ‘Wool-Crepe Midi Dress’ – Kate’s second day in India on April 11 saw Kate debut this Emilia Wickstead dress.
23) Dolce & Gabbana ‘Cotton-blend lace dress’ – This lace dress made its debut at the Royal Windsor Horse Show on May 15 under a coat, but we didn’t get a good look at it until June 15 when Kate wore it to Royal Acsot.
24) Alexander McQueen cream ruffled dress – I was surprised when Kate repeated this dress since this is the dress she wore to Prince George’s Christening and I assumed it would be too “iconic” for her to repeat. But repeat she did, on May 25 to a Buckingham Palace Garden Party.
25) Barbara Casasola off-the-shoulder white dress – Kate went a bit more daring than she usually does (with her coats buttoned up to her throat) when she wore this new off-the-shoulder dress to the Museum of the Year Awards on July 6.
26) See by Chloé ‘Pointelle-knit cotton-blend dress’ in Ivory – Kate wore this new cream dress to the children’s garden party in Canada on September 29.
27) Jonathan Saunders black swallow print dress – Kate so rarely takes of her coat when she does engagements, but on March 10 during engagements related to male suicide Kate took off her Erdem coat to reveal this new black print dress.
28) Tory Burch ‘Sophia’ Print A-Line Dress – On June 14, William and Kate stopped by the US Embassy in London to sign the book of condolence for the victims of the Pulse Orlando shooting. Instead of repeating one of her myriad of black dresses, Kate chose a new Tory Burch dress for the occasion.
29) Preen black ‘Finella’ dress – The second of Kate’s two Finella dresses was this black dress she debuted at the Place2Be Awards on November 22.
30) Jenny Packham bespoke lace dress with peter pan collar – When Kate debuted this dress at the Somme 100 event on July 1, KP said it was by a “private dressmaker”, but given that this dress is so similar to the Jenny Packham dress Kate wore on arrival in Canada, it is assumed that this is also Jenny Packham. The lace is from Sophie Hallette, a French textile house which made the lace for Kate’s wedding dress.
31) Anita Dongre ‘Gulrukh Tunic Dress’ – For a couple events on April 10 in India, Kate wore this new colorful dress from Indian designer Anita Dongre.
32) Glamorous maxi dress – While in India on April 12, Kate wore this new maxi dress.
33) Anna Sui ‘Printed crinkled silk-chiffon and twill maxi dress’ – Kate debuted this dress in India on April 12. Oddly enough, this dress worn in India “pays tribute to mid-century Scandinavian style”.
34) Alexander McQueen bespoke ‘Obsession-Print Short-Sleeve Silk Dress, Ivory’ – For her second trip to Wimbledon in 2016, Kate wore this new bespoke McQueen printed dress.
35) Vanessa Seward ‘Cai floral-print silk-jacquard dress’ – Kate’s final debut of 2016 was this Vanessa Seward dress she wore to The Mix Christmas Party with Heads Together on December 19.
Thank You KMR. I LOVE your blog!
This is so fun! Thanks!
Thanks for the post! You’re always spot on! It was a reminder for me of a fairly bland year for Kate but she did have some stunning moments, too!
Overall I thought her 2016 fashion choices were boring. There were some real misses and some hits, but mostly boring.
Thanks KMR I enjoy the polls, but oh dear I struggled to choose least favourite….there were several serious contenders!!
There were several I disliked, but for Least Favorite I went with the one that I thought was not only ugly but made no sense for the event: the American designed dress paying tribute to Scandinavian style worn in India.
I went for the A McQ Poppy dress . But the D & G lace thing came a very close second.
Her LKB dresses are available in the outlet stores which is interesting. Her influence is clearly not as great as the sugars like to think.
I think at one time there was great interest in her but interest in her has gone down significantly in the last 5 years.
Cause she’s not really giving anything that would make her interesting. Her sound bites range from meh to huh?!, we barely hear her talk, and you don’t get a real sense that she cares about her position and role, or other people really. Maybe she’s sympathetic towards her causes but that’s different from actually caring about it. Even we know very little about her. Puff pieces can only do so much; they need to be reflected in words and actions.
I think that Kate was overexposed to the public before she and William even married. There was no mystery unlike Diana who came out of no where and Boom! snagged the heir to the throne in a few months. A much more fascinating story than one played out in the press for 8 years. After marriage, let’s face it. Few have the same star power as Diana but I don’t think Kate wants that. Unfortunately for the monarchy, that’s what they need to survive.
The monarchy doesn’t need star power to survive. Just people willing to do the grunt work and show they care. That makes them valuable.
Diana was an anomaly. No one is expecting another Diana unless they are royalty loons.
Bethny, also, Diana transformed before our eyes from sightly gawky normal teenager to royal swan. Talk about fairy tales! That probably won’t happen again given that heirs, and spares, are choosing full grown women as partners.
@BethNY, I think the monarchy needs another Diana starpower to survive especially after The Queen passes.
Off topic, but does anyone know how much it cost annually for the Cambridge family security?
I’ve been reading the blog for quite some time and this is the first time I decided to comment. Thank you for your polls, KMR, it’s really fun 🙂
Wow, Kate wore some really ugly dresses this year. The Alexander McQueen poppy print was something that made me think: what the hell? Did she forget she was supposed to attend the reception and just popped up in her nightgown? Same with the Kate Spade Encore Rose Chiffon and the LK Bennett Cersei Dress. The Vanessa Seward reminded me of something my grandma used to wear when she got back from work and had to cook and clean around the house. But for the least favorite I voted for the Temperley London Desdemona Dress. Although the dress in itself was not that ugly, it looked so horrible on Kate that I just couldn’t get it out from my mind for some time. How can you have this body type and wear that dress? Her boobs were nowhere to be found and it just accentuated how stick-thin she is. Not a good look altogether.
For best look I voted for the blue Catherine Walker she wore when she arrived in Canada. It was a great look with the hat and the updo. When she descended that plane I was: Finally, she did a good job! It was well fitted, tight so no flashing this time, a magnificent color on her and the hat was a nice tribute to the welcoming country. All in all, it was probably her best look for the year.
Oh m, I’m so happy you decided to comment. I also read this blog for a long time before commenting for the first time, and believe me, now you will not be able to stop commenting. Welcome.
Thank you 🙂
Oh I totally agree. I loved that outfit for when she landed in Canada!
I disliked that Temperly dress too, but the Poppy dress got my vote. Mismatched seams, and redundant since she already had a poppy dress.
First, Thanks KMR for this poIl and for you always put the design name before the dress so it’s easy for people to vote. The only one dress I really liked on India tour was the Naeem Khan blue and white dress, and it is on the top of the poll results for the favorite. I didn’t like that Kate tried so hard “to look like” an Indian woman. I think she could have worn British designers but with Indian accessories (after all she was representing British people). All that “Indian Kate” overdose was too much for me.
In this poll I only liked 6 dresses, Kate’s 2016 style was really boring. As Birdy said before I struggled to choose least favorite….
Have a good day everybody.
What do “Indian women” look like, exactly? Even if we don’t consider the Indian diaspora, that’s still over 500 million women that you’re accounting for in that comment. Bit of a bold statement.
Hi Halfofone, I mean “Indian woman” as Kate being dressed like an Indian woman. She didn’t need it. As I said before I think she could have worn British designers but with Indian accessories (after all she was representing British people). I even read an article saying exactly this, the reporter even called Kate and “average Indian”.
I’m still not sure what you’re trying to describe here. Do you mean Indian designers? I just don’t see how she could be trying to look like an Indian woman based on what you’ve said. Because all Indian women don’t dress the same and if we are going to go there then she would’ve had to wear a sari or salwar to actually look like she was trying to look like a caricature of an Indian woman.
I think she’s referring to Kate half-assing the fashion commentary. She clearly dressed differently than her usual style, so she was trying to make a comment. The red AmcQ paisley dress, for instance, showcased a British designer and Indian pattern (paisley). Fine. The cricket-playing dress was by an Indian designer modified to suit British style. Also fine. Much of the rest was just randomly “colorful” (in quotes because that’s the term her aides used) and vaguely insulting. It often didn’t highlight either British or Indian designers or designs.
Sure, but I think that commentary could’ve been made without implying that there is even such thing as “trying to dress like an Indian woman”. If you want to talk about a lack of showcasing British or Indian designers, then yes let’s have that discussion. There is no need to make blanket statements about a race of women numbering close to one billion, if not more. As an “average” Indian woman who does not own anything remotely close to anything KM wore on that tour, it’s really frustrating to read.
I agree, Halfofone. I think that Kate thought she was respecting Indian women. Not that she was — not through her “colorful” clothing choices.
My problem with Kate’s India tour wardrobe is that respecting the culture of India apparently means wearing boho chic prints, even if those prints are paying tribute to Scandinavian design.
Honestly, I don’t know how Kate left the house in some of those dresses. Though it is an unpopular choice I liked the Roksanda color-block dress because it flatters her torso, is unfussy, and has a late-1960’s Emma Peel aka Diana Rigg vibe to it. The yellow dress is similarly flattering. Both locate Kate as a woman in her 30’s. Some sympathetically chosen accessories would help too.
Frills, those disgusting fascinators, lace, are frumpy. The ethnic costumes for India are patronising and just wrong. As for the poppy house-cleaning frock: noooooo! The short-waisted approach does not work either. They distort the actual dress, making it look like an empire-line. The alterations are almost always poorly done; i have no idea why anyone would spend thousands on clothes to then hack them about.
For someone with a trim body who should be stunning everyone, Kate always looks dull. Again, I say employ + listen to + follow the advice of a professional stylist. It won’t solve everything – Kate is intrinsically dull – but it will help.
I like the Roksanda dresses, too. The cut and colour blocking are flattering and interesting. I also like the Preen dresses as the cut is flattering on Kate’s shape. Just imagine them with more exciting accessories!
The prints are largely too busy and drown Kate in chintziness.
How one person can spend so much on so many ugly dresses is beyond me but I did loved the Preen, especially in red. Kate really does suit red.
+1
And then too read so many of them sold out or she is a fashion icon ? dumbfounded!
+ 2
I just can’t vote for a least favorite. Between ugly prints, what the Sam Hill flaps and Peter Pan collars, poor posture ruining the look, and just bad tailoring there were too many to choose from When she hits it she nails it. But boring was her motto for 2016
Don’t forget button and dart nipples. Smh.
Thank you! I knew the list looked incomplete
I couldn’t vote for a least favorite either, so many bad choices.
Why is the “waistline” on any of these nowhere near the natural waist area ?
Because she has a long torso and is trying to correct for it with her clothes, I think.
I disliked a lot of her dresses this year, so I didn’t bother to choose a least favorite. But that off the shoulder Casasola dress? Divine! Definitely my favorite.
That dress was beautifully designed with such fine detail, and looked really good on Kate. It made her look fresh and more her age too.
it was a toss-up for me between that and the plainer Roksanda which I eventually went for due to being overcome by all the lace and oddness elsewhere. That dress at Ascot reminded of the kewpie dolls with frilly, lace dresses who sit in bathrooms of grannies. A toilet roll is hidden under the dress.
Haha that lace thing really does look like one of those crotcheted toilet paper covers – so awful!
Totally agree about the Casasola – she looked so youthful in it. I’d never seen it until this post, and I have to say, it really highlights the frumpiness of some of her other choices. And did you see the gorgeous slingbacks she wore with it? Such a departure from the pumps she favors. Her shoe game is just…sad.
The Roksanda was quite pretty as well. And I think the blue dress she wore for their arrival in Canada was nice but it sort of reminded me of idk something out of an Agent Carter cosplay.
Yes! The slingbacks were a good choice. ‘Tis a pity she is not more adventurous with shoes. Kate looked confident; the dress fitted well and showed her to advantage, perfectly attuned to the occasion.
Wow, so many horrible dresses. I can’t decide which is my fave and which my least favorite. I guess the red preen number will win as best, but I really could not stand it. Especially on Kate. The yellow she wore to Wimbledon, would have gotten my best pick if it were in a different color.
The worst? Oh, so many. I really disliked all the print dresses. And, the white dress with the boob flaps would have been nicer without the flaps and in a different color. I can’t look at it without remembering the dress fly up at the wreath laying ceremony, though.
Kate, obviously, has different taste than me. If I had to vote for a fave, it would be the blue poppy, which someone else hated. To me, it looked the best on her and was a prettier design than some of her others.
Oh, and I just looked through the photos again. That red and white number she wore in Canada was so awful. It looked like a doily. Oh, gosh, that is one of the worst.
Thanks, KMR. Another post to enjoy!
The Peter Pan collars and boob flaps ruined a lot of the outfits for me
The blue poppy is my favorite as well. It fits well and has a pop without needing any accessories
I had just as many favourites as misses, I think! I decided to choose a brand new dress in both categories to help me narrow it down.
The black Preen was my choice for best- I think how she styled her hair with it also helped make my decision. Runner ups were all the dresses she wore in Canada and the Jenny Peckham lace number she wore in Somme.
My least liked vote was for the Anita Dongre, and looking back I really didn’t like any of the new dresses she wore in India.
The Alexander McQueen poppy “dressing” gown was one of the oddest dress choices in her entire repertoire since the engagement. Who is the yes man responsible for that big miss?
Oh, no. Not another poll that I have not a clue as to which dresses to vote for. I love these polls, but I’m sorry, I just can’t seem to find a favorite. And, I don’t like so many of them, that it’s really hard to pick the least fave, too. Thanks, though, for putting this together and giving us a chance to have our opinions heard.
I agree that so many of Kate’s dresses just don’t fit her properly. Combine that with poor posture and boring accessories, and it’s easy to see why we often don’t like what she wears.
The red and the black dresses that most people liked (Preen dresses) really don’t send me. I think they were not accessorized properly. Keep thinking back to what I think Rhiannon commented initially as to what a difference a brooch would have made on the shoulder strap.
I really find the print day dresses ghastly. I’m sorry, but I do. Many of the dresses are dowdy. I didn’t like the look of the dress she wore when visiting the Taj, but seeing it in this post, I am considering calling that one my fave!
The rose colored dress she wore on her India visit,(Top Shop, one after the safari)would have looked far better if the waist were adjusted differently. Maybe, Kate’s coats are her best wardrobe pieces. And, maybe that is why she never takes them off while at her indoor appearances.
My least favorite? The red and white number she wore in Canada. Horrid!
I am going to re-think my opinions in the future. If she looks happy and confident in something she is wearing, even if it’s not to my taste, I am going to give it more of a thumbs up. Kate,appearing to be confident would be a big step up for me… a sign that she is wearing the clothes, not them wearing her!
It was a toss up of three likes for me but the blue Jenny packham won out becuase it show when Kate accessorizes right and pulls her hair back, how great she can look. You could actually see her earrings and a pretty sparkly brooch! The arrival look had me thinking Canada was going to be great dress wise boy was a way off on that assumption.
I also liked the Naheem Kahn and if she wasn’t against the white back drop of the Taj Mahal, it would have worked for me instead she looked like a Delft blue pattern.
Liked one of the reds too.
Everything else was abysmal
I disliked the vast majority of the dresses but part of that was the way they fit – I think almost all of them looked too tight across the chest. She’s not busty and I’m not commenting on her body, just that the fit of her dresses isn’t flattering. I also dislike the short sleeves on some of them, especially when the sleeves look tight. Number 11 illustrates both my points – I think the dress would be much more attractive if it skimmed her body rather more loosly.
Thanks Babbalou, for making the point about her chest. I hesitated doing so because I am not judging flat-chested women, but I think that on Kate, the dresses just don’t look right because she is so flat. It’s all in the way the dresses are tailored, I believe. Every woman, no matter what her body type, needs her clothing fitted correctly. Kate’s clothing just never hits that mark. I agree with you!!!
I agree about the fit. If she is spending the money on bespoke dresses she should do the work and have a fitting in person on her body, not a dressmaker’s dummy.
What’s even more baffling than her not going to final fittings is she’s either giving them wrong measurements or her shoddy team is altering it after the fact. All combine to make for a poor item.
If she had a true stylist they’d help her with outfits that fit her body type.
She also wears a lot of dresses that have sleeves the cut midway through her forearm and it makes her hands look huge and manly sometimes. She should either wear long sleeves to the wrist or much shorter sleeves that stop at the elbow or higher.
But if she is too lazy to get measured for her outfits, then nothing will change.
Meghan markle has a lot of contact with reporters, here is another one on video saying not positive things about her after meeting https://twitter.com/Studio10au/status/820770561135558657
Have to agree with the majority, Kate’s clothes choices full stop were way off last year. My fav is one I’ve liked from the first time I saw it in 2011, the silvery grey Roksnda Peridot – to me its timeless, and no matter how she dresses it up it always looks good! My least fav is the Anita dongra – really don’t know what she was thinking when she chose her wardrobe of the Indian tour. She got it wrong on so many levels, and how is she ever going to wear any of them again?
Thanks KMR for putting this together. WHen I look at these outfits as a whole, it just strikes me that Kate’s choices are so boring and lack pizazz. That said, I voted for the red Preen as my favorite and if I could have voted for a second favorite it would have been the Barbara Casasola off-the-shoulder white dress. Can you imagine how great Kate would have looked in that dress if she had worn her hair swept to a one sided low pony tail to show off her shoulders and accessorized with some sparkly, blingy earrings? All in all, both dresses were really a surprising departure from her normal look; strangled high necks, 3/4 sleeves, high waists, prissy collars….you all know my thoughts. For the worst I had quite a few but topping my list was that lime green jello colored lace Temperley. How many ways can you say awful? I do not even think a decent brassiere would have helped that dress. The second worst for me was that cheesy looking Kate Spade ‘Encore Rose Chiffon Dress. I cannot believe how badly that dress fits her. The waistline seam is just beyond bad and it is a dress more for a 60+ matron. Also, I think it is time to say goodbye to lace in 2017, except maybe for evening clothes and wedding gowns.
Actually, I don’t think Kate’s choices are boring. Imagine any of those dresses on Crown Princess Victoria or Princess Mary or even Queen Maxima. I think that Kate just lacks the gravitas, the personality to pull them off. She lets the clothes wear her rather than the other way around. Imagine them with some jewelry or funky shoes, with her security blanket of a hair done differently. I think most of her dresses (most, not all) have a lot of potential but Kate just can’t bring it out.
m…you do have a point that Kate lacks the personality/lack of good accessories/regal demeanor/ sophisticated hair/ a real stylist to pull off some of these dresses , but I see so many of the same styles-for example No.s 8,22,and 34 are just about the same except for material and some details-3/4 sleeves, set in waist, a-line bottom. No’s 9,14,20,31 and 35-long sleeve flowy shirtwaists buttoned up to her neck. No’s 10,15,16,17-same old same old. I think if she worked harder, did a better job at fooling us that she is truly well-informed and committed and interested in her causes then maybe I would not focus on her fashion as much.
The similarity of the clothes doesn’t make them bad. It once again comes back to Kate and her lack of imagination. Instead of taking a dress she already has and styling it differently to make a new look out of it, she buys almost the same one in different color or with different pockets or whatever she thinks makes it completely different 🙂 The clothes by themselves are not boring or dull. Kate makes them such.
If you allow me, I will illustrate what I mean. Remember the blue LK Bennett dress Kate wore twice:
First, she wore it on Valentine’s Day in 2014 for an engagement with the Art Room:
http://whatkatewore.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Kate-Arriving-Feb-14-2014-Northolt-School-Detroit-LK-Bennett-Dress-Cartier-Whatling-Splash-700-x-1000.jpg
And then she wore it in August to visit the poppy installation at the Tower of London:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/5b/75/dd/5b75dd446832332ff01a02aefb2db8c9.jpg
It’s almost the same look – the hair, the accessories, the shoes (albeit the first time she wore black, the second – navy).
And here we have Crown Princess Victoria in the same dress but in white, also twice:
At the installation of a bishop:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/63/d6/16/63d61679ea81779b25338351e4075075.jpg
And at a museum:
http://katemiddletonreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Victoria-and-Daniel-arriving-at-Computer-History-Museum.jpg
Different accessories make for a completely different look. And Kate, instead of learning how to accessorize properly, just goes and buys a slightly different dress to shake up her look…
Perfect comment and illustration!
Looking at these dresses, I’ve realized that if CP Mary, CP Victoria or Leti were wearing them I would think much differently about them, I think I would actually like more of them then I do now. Imo, the difference is the poise, styling, fit and effort each of these women put into their outfits. If I saw many of these items on a hanger in the store or on a model in a magazine I would probably give them a second look, maybe even try one or two on, but with Kate’s poor posture, awkward hand position, lack of styling, poor tailoring and zero effort makes me want to pass them right by.
I have often thought of these designers banging their heads against the wall when they see how the Duchess has either altered their creations or styled them. If I were a designer I think I would be rather insistent that I send over a tailor and stylist to ensure that the Duchess (and by extension my designs) looked her best.
+1
I just want to say I LOVE how you organized the dresses by color! What a neat perspective. I appreciate the stats as well – So it’s 63 days of work in 29 new dresses, 6 new gowns, 8 new coats and 7 new separates! Not to mention the new casual wear (which wasn’t covered?). That’s at least 50 outfits.
I actually think it’s pretty hard to say that money was “spent” on it — because we are never told how much, if anything is charged to the account. Just like I’m pretty sure they aren’t leasing all those range rovers and didn’t pay full price… Probably more accurate to say the wardrobe is valued at… and give a figure.
Really well done research KMR! Would love to see these stats kept with her annual public appearance numbers. I also like the idea of keeping track of which designers (UK, Commonwealth, or foreign) she is favoring with the public’s money as suggested above. I think she will be seen more out with William when he increases his royal duties in 2017. (If he does.)
There are a lot of least faves for me; mainly, the ones that are print! IMO, they just don’t fit Kate’s body at all!
Oh and hi! ((waves)) I’m unpacked, moved in and the folks left this afternoon! Whew!
Oh, good for you, Kimothy! The worst is over. Now you and Missy can start to enjoy your new home.
Like Herazeus said a few posts back, I like a lot of her India tour dresses, but I don’t like them on Kate. The look is very boho-chic, which was popular when I was in high school, although not called Boho-chic back then. It is a youthful look. #32 is my favorite. My parents may have a dress of mine like that in the back of a closet somewhere… Kate just doesn’t pull it off, because it isn’t her true style. As others here have said, her clothes wear her. She doesn’t accessorize, and wears her hair down often, so we literally have nothing interesting to look at except her clothes, and the lack of styling and often poor tailoring means they are boring.
I really wish that Glamorous maxidress was still available! I should’ve snagged it when I had the chance.
(Also, this may be thread hijacking lol but I’m totally waiting for you to cover the “William becoming full time royal after quitting EAAA” story KMR!)
Not specific to this post, but I do want to thank KMR for your quality writing and careful monitoring of tone. In the current US political environment sometimes I need to escape from reading hateful things, and in the last several months this site has been my daily mental vacation from the craziness. You put in a lot of work, and I thought you should know that you’re helping people in ways you might not have imagined. Thank you.
Thank you, Esme!
I loved the Red Preen dress and voted for it as my favourite. Why? The dress is simple enough but Kate wore it beautifully: it fit her, she looked beaming and confident, her hair was styled beautifully, she accessories were just right..she looked like a beautiful and elegant Duchess in it. The neckline of that dress was very unique too. When I first saw her in that dress, I thought that she got it right! Unfortunately, most of her other looks never hit that same mark or come close. The dresses and coats and separates are lovely pieces in and of itself, but it wears Kate and not the other way around.
It makes me wonder why some dresses fit well and others don’t come even close. And the choices are odd overall – some solid, others not so much. I sometimes wonder if others are having a say in choosing certain things? Like a broken record, I wish Kate would team up with a professional stylist.
Looking at the 2016 collation you have so perfectly created, KMR (thank you!), what strikes me is this: Kate does not have her own style. It is as if she erratically moves from one type of thing to another, trying to find something (and perhaps buys more almost identical versions, as described up-thread, when she thinks she found it).
As a result of seemingly wavering from one style to another, focus is on the clothes, not on what she says (if anything at all…) or what the occasion is – I think this not having her own style ends up making her a clothes horse.
A vague thought I had while scrolling through was of a dress-up doll (unfortunately Barbie came to mind), for which one has bought lots of different outfits.
There does not seem to be any common thread or continuity running through her wardrobe (and much of it is, IMO, unsuitable for the job she is supposed to do).
By comparison:
While I cannot prove the Queen’s clothes have such a common thread, I certainly *feel* that the Queen has a style that is hers and is recognisably her style (while changing through the decades of her life) – so one need not focus on it to understand what she (the Queen) is wearing or why she may have chosen a particular outfit, and can just get on with paying attention to the event she is at and what she is saying/doing there.
Cathy seems to leap around from one style and decade to another (’70s flowy boho, ’50s/’60s neat suits, etc.).
It is another way of describing that the clothes wear her, and so become a distraction.
I think one of my favourite dresses this year is the blue Roland Mouret dress for Sport’s Aid Gala but I don’t see it in this list.
Kate’s choices were mostly boring this year but there were some bolder choices even if not to my taste that show that there is still a glimpse of hope. I think that there will be another pregnancy this year and that we will see Kate even less in 2017.