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 attended the SportAid athlete workshop at the GSK Human Performance Lab in Brentford, West London. Catherine has been Patron of SportsAid since 2013, reflecting her support for the charity which is helping the next generation of British sporting talent. SportsAid offers financial and practical assistance to young athletes, helping them fulfill their ambitions and potential. At the workshop the Duchess met SportsAid athletes as they undertook a number of advanced performance assessments. Some of these young athletes are destined for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games. After a tour of the world-class facility, the Duchess was invited to undertake two cognitive tests to experience firsthand some of the training done by the athletes. Kate looked stylish and comfortable in the iris 'Vreeland' dress from Goat Fashion. The plum hued shirt dress is rendered in a light wool crepe and has a fit and flare silhouette. The collared dress features a buttoned bodice and cuffs, a self belt with colour matched buckle, and concealed side zip closure. The dress will set you back £450 and is currently available in limited sizes. It is also on sale at Diani Boutique for US$580 in an 'iron' hue. This is not the first occasion Kate has worn a piece from the British designer. Previously Kate wore the Goat 'Redgrave’ coat, as well as the ‘Scarlett’ dress. Today, Kate also wore a new pair of black suede boots, the 'Half N Half Stretch Rider' by Stuart Weitzman from Russell and Bromley. The knee-high boots have a stretch panel on the back and suede on the front, with a low 4 cm stacked block heel. Stuart Weitzman also offers a few equivalent styles with very subtle differences. They are the Mezzanine, Mezzaluna and Mezzamezza. Kate paired her suede boots with her black suede Stuart Weitzman 'Muse' clutch. She completed the outfit with her sapphire and diamond oval drop earrings. SHOP KATE'S LOOK FOR LESS ...
The Duchess of Cambridge visited Blessed Sacrament School in Islington today to see first-hand the progress of the M-PACT project. The initiative aims to provide early support for schoolchildren affected by parental drug or alcohol addiction. The project is funded by The Royal Foundation and Comic Relief, and delivered by charities Place2Be and Action on Addiction, of which the Duchess is a patron. It was launched in April 2013, when Kate and comedian John Bishop visited Willows Primary School in Wythenshawe, Manchester. For last year's visit, the Duchess was seven months pregnant with Prince George and she showed off her baby bump in the printed Erdem 'Sophia' shift dress. For today's event, Kate opted for a solid sheath dress by Goat. The style is named 'Scarlett' and it is rendered in a coral hue. Goat classifies the colour as 'geranium'. The wool crepe dress is characterised by a pleated bust and defined with a matching belt. It retails for £450. It was available from matchesfashion.com and my-wardrobe.com but quickly sold after being seen on the Duchess. The 'Scarlett' style is still available in other colour options. When William and Kate visited Scotland in May this year, Kate wore a Goat geranium sheath dress underneath her Jonathan Saunders coat. It seems very likely that is was the Goat 'Scarlett' pleated front dress. For today's event, the Duchess kept her accessories neutral, carrying her LK Bennett 'Natalie' straw clutch and wearing her Jimmy Choo 'Gilbert' kid leather pumps. We also saw familiar pieces of jewellery. Kate wore her Links of London 'Effervescence Bubble Stiletto' earrings and Cartier Ballon Bleu watch. Kate styled her long hair in a pretty half up-do. SHOP KATE'S LOOK FOR LESS ... Today William and Catherine spent the day in Scotland where they go by the titles of the Earl and Countess of Strathearn. It was their first joint engagement since returning from their tour of Australia and New Zealand last month. For today's visit, Kate wore a vibrant red stripe wool jacquard coat by Scottish-born designer Jonathan Saunders. The Jonathan Saunders 'Athena' coat is from his A/W 2013 collection and retailed for US$2555. The coat features a single breasted button front, single breast pocket, full-length sleeves, flap front pockets, and single vent at back. It is made from a blend of wool and mohair. The Palace revealed that the dress Kate wore under the coat is by Goat Fashion. Goat has a couple of sheath styles available in the Geranium hue; the 'Scarlett' dress and the 'Thea' dress. However, Goat (via Twitter) have suggested that the frock may be their 'Thea' dress. 'Thea' is a fitted wool crepe dress with front pockets and flared angle sleeve. It is fully lined with concealed centre back zip. It currently retails for £420. The Countess opted for neutral accessories, wearing her trusty LK Bennett 'Sledge' pumps in patent taupe which coordinated perfectly with her LK Bennett 'Avona' clutch. For jewellery, Kate wore her Kiki McDonough Citrine Drop earrings and also sported a new silver brooch with a Celtic knot design. According to the Palace, the brooch is a private wedding gift. My Small Obsessions has further details on the brooch. The Earl and Countess began the day with a visit to Strathearn Community Campus in Crieff where they met young carers, Scouts, Cadets and Brownies. They also met representatives of the Scottish Air Ambulance. They then visited the newly restored MacRosty Park and unveiled a plaque to mark the dedication of the park as a Field in Trust. On their third stop, the royal couple visited the Famous Grouse Distillery, the country's oldest distillery in Perthshire. They enjoyed a shot of whisky and bottled their own Glenturret malt. On their final stop, the Earl and Countess of Strathearn attended a village fete in Forteviot and meet community representatives. You can read more details about today's events on the official website of the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge. The next engagement for William and Catherine will be on Friday, 6th June where they will attend a veterans' tea party in the town of Arromanches and participate in the Commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Normandy Landings at Gold Beach.
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I have retired the "Bits and Bobs" section of the website and started a new segment title "Outfit Chronicle".
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December 2014
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