This morning, the Duchess of Cambridge visited the Northside Center for Child Development in Harlem on the first official engagement of her three-day trip to New York. The Center provides education and mental health services to 3,300 New York City children and families each year. Upon arrival, Her Royal Highness was greeted by the First Lady of New York, Chirlane McCray. Once inside, Kate attended a briefing with the directors of the center, wrapped Christmas presents with volunteers, and attended an art class with the children. Kate wore a new coat from British designer Goat Fashion. The mod style 'Washington' coat (£680) is made from heavy-weight black wool crepe. It has a classic swing coat shape and contrast nude tabs on the cuffs and back and decorative contrast enamel buttons. The Duchess accessorized with her Mulberry 'Bayswater' black suede clutch and wore her trusty Episode 'Angel' black suede pumps. She kept her jewellery subtle, wearing her Annoushka Pearl Drops and Kiki Diamond Hoop earrings and Cartier Ballon Bleu de Cartier Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch. The Duchess finished the look with her Cornelia James merino jersey wool gloves with the side bow. Tonight, Kate will join her husband, Prince William at a NBA basketball match in Brooklyn, where they will watch local team the Brooklyn Nets take on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Today, The Duchess of Cambridge made her first public appearance in more than two months.
Catherine who is pregnant with her second child has been suffering with Hyperemesis Gravidarum for several weeks. She has been forced to cancel a number of engagements due to her illness.
It appears Kate's condition is steadily improving and today she was well enough to join Prince William to greet The President of Singapore, Tony Tan Keng Yam and his wife at the Royal Garden Hotel in London on behalf of Her Majesty, The Queen.
The royal couple later attended the ceremonial welcome for Singapore's Head of State at Horse Guards Parade in London.
The Duchess wore a bespoke grey Prince of Wales plaid Alexander McQueen coat. The silhouette is trademark McQueen with its fitted bodice, structured shoulders and flared skirt. Other features include a peak lapel, concealed front fastening and slanted pockets.
The coat is based on this ready-to-wear Prince of Wales plaid box-pleat coat from the Alexander McQueen Pre-Spring Summer 2015 collection.
The Duchess accessorized with some familiar pieces. She coordinated the coat with her Jane Taylor 'Lupin' grey velour felt teardrop beret, first worn to the Easter Sunday church service in Sydney.
On her feet were the black Prada suede round toe pumps which made their debut in December of 2013 at the Nelson Mandela film premiere.
The black clutch bag she was carrying appears to be a new addition to her closet. Jenny Packham confirmed via Instagram that it is their 'Roxy' black suede clutch.
The AW14 'Roxy' clutch has a pleated, material design featuring a baguette cut, golden shadow Swarovski crystal clasp and a detachable long snake chain. It retails for £378.
The Duchess wore the Annoushka Pearl Drops & Kiki Diamond Hoop Earrings and Mappin & Webb Empress Mini White Gold & Diamond Pendant Necklace.
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I. At 11pm (BST) on August 4, 1914, Britain declared war on Germany after the Germans had invaded Belgium. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge commemorated the anniversary by attending a number of ceremonies in Belgium. William and Kate arrived at L'Abbaye Saint-Laurent in Liege, where they were received by Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium. Following the official greeting, they walked to the Cointe Inter-allied Memorial for a service, during which Prince William gave a speech paying tribute to the host nation Your Majesties, if I may say so, Belgium's steadfast remembrance of your war dead, and ours, is a great credit to your nation. On behalf of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, head of the Commonwealth, thank you for the honour you do us all. For today's commemoration services, the Duchess wore a cream ensemble featuring a Alexander McQueen coat dress. The coat has many feminine touches including a Peter Pan collar, puffed accent sleeves and a pleated skirt. The design is bespoke but fuses elements from a couple Alexander McQueen pieces. Kate's headpiece is by Jane Taylor Millinery (credit to @AnnieElizabethN for the ID). She wore the 'Fleur-Ruffle' straw beret in nude/blush pink. The headpiece has a tonal hand dyed ruffle detail and is from the current summer collection. It retails for £615. Kate wore her trusty L.K. Bennett taupe 'Sledge' pumps. Kate accessorized with her Annoushka pearl drop earrings paired with her Kiki McDonough diamond hoops and Ballon Bleu de Cartier Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch. The Duchess carried her customized Alexander McQueen suede clutch. SHOP KATE'S STYLE ... In the afternoon, William and Kate traveled to the town of Mons where they were joined by Prince Harry for a reception at Mons Town Hall. The royal trio concluded the day with a twilight ceremony at Saint-Symphorien Military Cemetery. The Duchess laid a floral tribute. Tomorrow, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge along with Prince Harry will continue their WWI commemorations with a visit to the Tower of London's "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" poppy installation in the Tower's moat.
Today, Clarence House released the full set of family photos to mark the 1st birthday of HRH Prince George. A short statement was also released by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to coincide with the photographs: We would like to take this opportunity on George's first birthday to thank everyone over the last year, wherever we have met them, both at home and overseas, for their warm and generous good wishes to George and our family The photos were taken by PA staff photographer, John Stillwell, when the royal trio visited the "Sensational Butterflies" exhibition at the Natural History Museum. We got a glimpse of them leaving the exhibition earlier this month. As previously noted, Kate wore the Suzannah 'Budding Hearts' silk dress. The frock retails for £475 (US$810). Below are some cheaper alternatives for this style. We first got a glimpse of this dress under her Erdem coat on a visit to the Waikato region of New Zealand during the 2014 royal tour. In the photos, we can also see that Kate is wearing her Annoushka pearl drop earrings paired with her Kiki McDonough diamond hoops. The next engagement for Kate will be next week. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge along with Prince Harry will attend events at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games from 28th July.
It's no secret that the Duchess of Cambridge is an avid fan of tennis. Today, William and Kate took their seats in the Royal Box at Wimbledon to watch the quarter finals clash on Centre Court between Andy Murray and Grigor Dimitrov. Kate has an affinity for wearing white to the Wimbledon Championships, obviously a homage to the Wimbledon players' dress code. She continued that trend today, wearing her white eyelet Zimmermann Roamer Day dress, first seen on Good Friday during the Royal Tour of Australia. In the past, Kate has worn white frocks by Issa, Temperley London, Joseph and Alexander McQueen. Last year Kate didn't attend any matches at Wimbledon because she was over 8 months pregnant with Prince George. Today, Kate added a dash of colour to her ensemble with a red pashmina and her Anya Hindmarch Basket Fan Clutch. The red shawl dates back to at least February 2007. Kate was photographed carrying it as she left the exclusive Mamilanji club. Today Kate wore her Ray-Ban folding sunglasses, also first seen during this year's Royal Tour. Other familiar accessories included her Annoushka pearl /Kiki hoop earrings and Cartier watch. Duchess Kate blog has a full-length photo of Kate which shows her wearing the LK Bennett 'Sledge' pumps. There was some Twitter activity this morning about a sighting of William, Kate and baby George at the Natural History Museum's Butterfly Exhibit. The Duchess is seen wearing her Suzannah Green Budding Heart Silk Tea Dress. We first got a glimpse of this dress under her Erdem coat on a visit to the Waikato region of New Zealand during the 2014 royal tour.
The Queen celebrated her official birthday today with the Trooping the Colour parade. Although Her Majesty was born on 21 April, it has long been the tradition to publicly celebrate the Sovereign's birthday on a day in the summer. The Duchess of Cambridge attended her fourth consecutive Trooping the Colour event. Today she wore an ice blue separates outfit by Alexander McQueen. The jacket appears to be a modified version of this ready-to-wear piece, first identified by Kate Middleton Style Blog . This fauna silk-cotton jacquard jacket has a peplum waist and short stand-up collar with thin V neckline. It has a concealed hook and eye closure. The long sleeves are finished with four button cuffs. Kate's skirt appears to be made of the same matching fabric. The Duchess donned a new bespoke hat from Jane Taylor Millenary. Another new piece included a pearl cluster brooch, details of which are yet to emerge. She wore her Annoushka pearl drops with Kiki McDonough hoop earrings. Another familiar accessory was her modified Alexander McQueen clutch. GET KATE'S TROOPING THE COLOUR STYLE FOR LESS ... Following a breakfast reception at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, the Duchess of Cambridge dashed back to London to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace. Also in attendance was Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip, who was celebrating his 93rd birthday. Catherine changed out of her Jaeger contrast crepe dress and into the much-adored Alexander McQueen champagne lace dress, first worn two years earlier to the Queen's Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral. For today's event, Kate opted to remove the tonal sash belt and complete her look with new accessories. The Duchess wore a new hat from Jane Corbett Millinery which is a bespoke piece designed to coordinate with her frock. Kate accessorized with a new pair of nude patent heels which are currently unidentified. One possibility is the LK Bennett 'Florete' pumps. She carried her Russell and Bromley nude patent 'Park Avenue' clutch. She kept her jewellery to a minimum, wearing only her Annoushka baroque pearl drops with Kiki hoop earrings (in addition to her wedding rings, of course!). SHOP KATE'S GARDEN PARTY STYLE FOR LESS ... 12/06/2014 - ID UPDATE Ashley Marie contacted LK Bennett regarding their 'Florete' pumps, but they wrote that this was not the style the Duchess wore to the Garden party. I then contacted Russell & Bromley to ask if their '5th Ave' court shoes could be an ID. They responded with a denial but did claim that the '5th Ave' style used to be available in beige patent (the same colour/fabric as her R&B 'Park Ave' clutch). Ashley Marie persisted with this and managed to get a hold of someone more knowledgeable at R&B. They confirmed that the '5th Ave' style is indeed the one the Duchess wore. Despite my efforts and the misinformation I was given by Russell & Bromley, I'm delighted that Ashely Marie got to the truth!
The '5th Ave' court shoe in beige patent was from their 2013 collection and is no longer available. It is currently available in a variety of shades and fabrics. These point toe courts feature a slim 8cm heel height. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge flew into Adelaide this morning looking refreshed from their overnight stay in Uluru. Catherine looked stunning in a blush pink ensemble from Alexander McQueen. The outfit appears to be separates featuring a knit peplum top with cropped sleeves and a matching skirt with fluid pleats. Below are similar ready-to-wear pieces from a previous seasonal collection by Alexander McQueen. A close-up of the top in sunlight shows fine woollen type fibres. This is most likely a bespoke outfit with the details yet to be confirmed. Today, we saw the return of Kate's favourite accessories combination; the 'Sledge' patent pumps and 'Natalie' straw clutch both from LK Bennett. Kate's jewellery included her Annoushka pearl drops with Kiki hoop earrings, Asprey 'Woodland' charm necklace and Cartier Ballon Bleu watch. SHOP KATE'S MCQUEEN STYLE FOR LESS ... Today's events were based in the working-class suburb of Elizabeth, named after Queen Elizabeth II, who visited the area in 1963. The Duke and Duchess spent time engaging with the disadvantaged youth in the area. Their first stop was a visit to the Northern Sound System, a community-run music workshop that gives young people the chance to rehearse, record and perform their own music. The royal couple then moved outside where Prince William added a blue sky to an aerosol art display. This was followed by a an exhibition of BMX and scooter stunts by the local teens. It was then on to the Playford Civic Centre where William and Kate unveiled a plaque to commemorate the naming of the new Prince George Plaza. This was followed by a short walkabout, and then a civic reception co-hosted by the Governor of South Australia and Acting Premier of South Australia. It was also attended by 200 guests, all under the age of 30. Later that afternoon, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge returned to their home base in Canberra to be reunited with baby Prince George. You can read full details of today's events on the official website of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. 16th July 2014 - UPDATE It has emerged that Catherine's Alexander McQueen ensemble is a dress, not a separate skirt and top as we originally thought. It is from the Pre-Fall 2014 collection. The dress features a peplum waist with an asymmetrical hem. It is fabricated from a blend of 90% wool and 10% cashmere. It was recently made available for purchase from mytheresa.com for £ 1,985.
This morning, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge started their Good Friday with a visit to the Royal Easter Show at Sydney's Olympic Park. The Show is an annual event, set up to bring the bush to the city. It has a carnival atmosphere with agricultural competitions, animal experiences, fair rides and shopping. On this warm sunny Autumn day, Catherine wore a white broderie anglaise dress by Australian designer Zimmermann. The Roamer Day Dress is from the upcoming Summer Swim 2014 range and will retail for AU$495. According to the Herald Sun newspaper the frock was due to arrive instore worldwide this June but the release date has reportedly been moved forward in response to overwhelming demand. Australian actress Naomi Watts modeled the eyelet dress in Zimmermann’s upcoming campaign. SHOP REPLIKATES OF THE ZIMMERMANN ROAMER DAY DRESS ... For the first time on this Royal Tour, Kate wore her Stuart Weitzman tan 'Minx' cork wedges, initially worn by the Duchess during the Royal Tour of South East Asia in 2012. The wedges were reissued this season and retail for US$395. Kate colour coordinated her shoes with the LK Bennett 'Natalie' clutch which dates back to 2011. She again wore her Annoushka pearl drops with Kiki hoop earrings and Cartier Ballon Bleu watch. After a quick stop at Admiralty House to see Prince George the Royal couple made a visit to Bear Cottage, in the seaside suburb of Manly. It is the only children’s hospice in the state of New South Wales. The Duchess made a heartfelt speech paying tribute to the hospice and also participated in a music session with the children. Following their emotional hospice visit, William and Kate made a short trip to Manly beach where they met with junior lifesavers in an event to highlight Australia’s surf life-saving clubs. The Royal couple were presented with a custom-made surfboard for Prince George. You can read further details of today's events on the official website of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Tomorrow, the Duke and Duchess travel to Brisbane, Queensland where they will visit the largest operational base of the Royal Australian Air Force at Amberley. That afternoon they will attend a reception in the city centre hosted by Queensland’s Governor and Premier. Royal Tour Day 10: Duchess, a ray of sunshine in Roksanda Ilincic for first day in Australia16/4/2014
This afternoon, the royal trio emerged from their flight from Wellington to commence the Australian leg of their royal tour in Sydney.
Kate wore a sunshine yellow sheath dress by London-based designer Roksanda Ilincic. No doubt the Duchess selected this colour to reflect the gold of Australia's national colours - green and gold. The dress is a modified version of the Roksanda Ilincic 'Ryedale' wool-crepe dress. The ready-to-wear dress from the spring/summer 2014 collection features bell sleeves and has an exposed back zipper. It currently retails for £941.
Kate's bespoke version has the block colours reversed, with the yellow being the dominant hue. The sleeves have also been fitted and the neckline modified from round to square.
Kate paired the dress with her favourite accessories from LK Bennett; the 'Sledge' pumps and 'Natalia' straw clutch.
LK Bennett 'Sledge' Taupe Patent Pumps (in stock)
LK Bennett 'Natalie' Straw Clutch (sold out)
Kate also donned three pieces of jewellery she has worn consistently throughout the tour; the Mappin & Webb 'Fortune' necklace, Cartier Ballon Bleu watch, and Annoushka pearl drops with Kiki hoop earrings.
Mappin & Webb 'Fortune' necklace (in stock)
Cartier Ballon Bleu watch (in stock)
Annoushka pearl drops with Kiki diamond hoop earrings (in stock)
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge headed straight to a reception at the iconic Opera House situated on the famous Sydney Harbour.
Following the reception, the royal couple greeted eager fans waiting around the perimeter of the Sydney Opera House. They concluded the day by taking a police escorted ferry across the beautiful Sydney Harbour to Admiralty House where they will be staying. |
I have retired the "Bits and Bobs" section of the website and started a new segment title "Outfit Chronicle".
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