For the final event of their whirlwind visit to the Big Apple, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a glitzy gala dinner at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET). The black tie function was a fundraiser for the university they attended, St Andrews in Scotland. The Duchess repeated her Jenny Packham ink blue silk tulle gown. She first wore it in October 2013 for the 100 Women in Hedge Funds Gala and in February 2014 at the National Portrait Gallery. Kate again styled the gown with her Jimmy Choo Cosmic Platform Pumps (US$695). However, tonight she premiered some serious bling. She wore an exquisite jewelry set consisting of emerald and diamond earrings and a matching bracelet. The chandelier style earrings feature three strands of white and yellow diamonds secured to a large emerald surrounded by diamonds. The bracelet matches the motif of the earrings. The jewels are reportedly a private gift. William and Kate leaving the MET. The Duchess was absolutely flawless on their final night in the Big Apple. It was the perfect ending to a successful visit. Farewell New York!
This morning, the Duchess of Cambridge was in Norfolk to attend the launch of the £10 million capital appeal for a new East Anglia Children’s Hospice (EACH) in Norwich.
EACH provides supportive services for families with seriously ill children. Catherine has supported the charity as Royal Patron since January 2012.
The Duchess debuted a vibrant shift dress from Katherine Hooker. She wore the 'Ascot' style in red.
Katherine Hooker provides customization of the 'Ascot' dress, offering it in a range of fabrics and sleeve styles. Below we show the ready-to-wear 'Ascot' in dupion silk and black wool crepe (£380), and the bespoke option with a sleeveless silhouette in red dupion (£495).
Kate contrasted the red hue with her black Stuart Weitzman 'Muse' clutch bag and Jimmy Choo 'Aimee' platform pumps.
She accessorized with her Kiki Green Amethyst Cushion & Diamond Earrings and Mappin & Webb 'Fortune' necklace.
There are currently no scheduled events for the Duchess until her trip to New York city with Prince William. They will arrive in New York on 7th Dec and participate in a number of engagements over 3 days including a glittering black-tie charity dinner, a NBA basketball game and visits to see inner-city youth projects.
The Duchess of Cambridge, Royal Patron of the children's mental health charity Place2Be, attended their first-ever Place2Be Wellbeing in Schools Awards tonight.
Place2Be is the leading UK provider of school-based mental health services, providing early therapeutic intervention to help children and young people cope with issues such as bullying, bereavement, domestic violence, family breakdown, neglect and trauma. The Duchess has supported the program since April 2013.
The reception was held at Kensington Palace and the Duchess had the opportunity to meet the young 20 awards finalists.
Her Royal Highness presented Bailey Dunne with the Child Champion award, which acknowledges a child's contribution to the mental health and emotional wellbeing of their peers within the school community.
This evening, Kate debuted a new ensemble, pairing a Hobbs London black illusion dot top with a Jenny Packham peacock blue silk full skirt.
She accessorized her new look with previously worn pieces:
The next engagement for the Duchess of Cambridge will be on November 25th where she will attend the EACH_Norfolk £10 million capital appeal launch for a new hospice in Norwich.
REPLIKATE THE LOOK FOR LESS ...
This evening, the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge were the guests of honour at the Royal Variety Performance at the Palladium Theatre in London. This is the first time William and Kate have attended the show which is traditionally reserved for senior members of the Royal family. Their presence tonight reflects their growing role within the monarchy. Kate looked stunning in a black lace dress, wearing the DVF 'Zarita' gown. The Zarita is a full length lace gown with a fitted bodice and waist, which opens into a sweeping fluted hem. It has 3/4 sheer lace sleeves, scalloped lace detail at the neckline and v-shaped back. It retails from £780 and is available from DVF UK, Net-a-Porter and Boutique 1. The 'Zarita' style is also available in a cocktail length and comes in a range of colours. On her feet were her Jimmy Choo Cosmic Platform Pumps (US$695). She carried her sparkly black bead clutch bag first seen last month at the Action on Addiction gala. It remains unidentified. Kate added a hint of colour to her otherwise all-black attire wearing her Kiki McDonough Lola blue topaz hoop earrings. The next announced engagement for the Duchess will be on 19th November, where she will attend Place2Be Wellbeing in Schools Awards hosted at the Kensington Palace State Apartments.
The Duchess of Cambridge, who is patron of the charity Action on Addiction, attended their black-tie Autumn Gala dinner this evening. Kate stepped out on to the pink carpet at the L'Anima Restaurant in London's East End, looking radiant in a new Temperley London frock. The piece is from Alice Temperley's pre-fall 2014 collection, the brand’s Emblem Flare dress. The knee-length black dress features sheer chevron-style panels overlaying a nude slip. It is “inspired by stained glass ironwork and woven from a lightweight cotton-blend yarn.” The design is finished with a bateau neckline and a scoop back. It retails for £595. Temperley London also offers two other styles with the 'Emblem' design, a bodycon dress and long-sleeve top. Kate added a thin black bow belt to enhance the waist of the dress. The Duchess wore her black suede Jimmy Choo Cosmic Platform Pumps (US$695). Tonight, Kate carried a "new" black beaded clutch with a fan motif on the flap. Anna from My Small Obsessions believes the bag may be an older piece, carried during the wedding of Mel Nicholson & Oli Baker in May 2010. The Duchess kept her jewellery simple, wearing her diamond deco-style drop earrings. SHOP KATE'S GALA STYLE FOR LESS ... Today, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were joined by Prince Harry on a visit to the opening of the Tower of London's "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" poppy installation. The expansive art installation is in honour of the 100th anniversary of World War I. It gives the illusion of a blood-red moat around the castle and the evolving work will feature 888,246 ceramic poppies when completed. The poppies represent a British or Colonial military fatality during the Great War. The installation is the work of ceramic artist Paul Cummins, with setting by stage designer Tom Piper. It was officially opened to the public today, and will run until late Autumn with the last poppy to be symbolically planted on Armistice Day, 11th November 2014. For today's engagement, The Duchess wore her snorkel blue L.K. Bennett 'Detroit' dress. This dress was first worn on Valentine's Day this year to the opening of the ICAP Art Room at Northolt High School in London. The Duchess carried her navy suede Russell & Bromley 'Muse' clutch. Other familiar accessories included her Sapphire & Diamond Oval Drop Earrings and Ballon Bleu de Cartier Stainless Steel Wristwatch. There were two new additions to Kate's outfit today. The Duchess swapped her usual Alexander McQueen navy suede pumps with a new pair from Jimmy Choo named 'Georgia' (identified by My Small Obsessions). This style features a thick column shaped heel with a rounded toe. They are currently available for€450/US$625. Kate also debuted the Empress Mini White Gold and Diamond Pendant necklace by Mappin & Webb (identified by My Small Obsessions). A sparkling motif pendant features 0.40 carats of round brilliant-cut diamonds set in 18 carat white gold on a 46cm (18 inch) chain. The motif measures 15mm (0.59 inches) in diameter. The piece retails for £1,850. The Cambridge's will take a break for the remaining Summer. Kate is scheduled to return to royal duties in mid September, where she will undertake her first solo visit abroad. On 20th - 21st September 2014, the Duchess of Cambridge will visit Malta to mark its 50th annivsary of independence. SHOP KATE'S STYLE ...
It was a clash of the tennis giants today at the Wimbledon Championships, with Rodger Federer taking on Novak Djokovic in the men's finals. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge returned to the Royal Box at the All England Club to watch the epic match, having attended the men's quarter finals a few days earlier. The Duchess wore the Jonathan Saunders 'Evelyn' dress previously worn in the Solomon Islands on the Jubilee Tour of 2012. The 'Evelyn' is a retro-inspired cotton-blend dress, tailored to uptown perfection. It is rendered in an aqua, white and forest-green textured geometric-print. It has a modified boat neck that extends to a V in the back. The sheath dress is finished with a self tie belt. Kate accessorised the dress with her LK Bennett 'Avona' clutch and Jimmy Choo 'Gilbert' nude kid leather pumps. She was also carrying a cream pashmina, yet to be identified. The Duchess wore her Kiki McDonough green amethyst and diamond oval earrings and Givenchy 'Obsedia' sunglasses. She also wore her Cartier wristwatch. Djokovic triumphed in a five-set thriller and was later congratulated by the royal couple. SHOP KATE'S WIMBLEDON STYLE 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 ... The Duchess of Cambridge attended today's historic Garter Day service with other members of the Royal Family. The Order of the Garter is the most senior and the oldest British Order of Chivalry and was founded by Edward III in 1348. Each year in June, a procession and service take place at Windsor Castle for the Order of the Garter. Prince William has been a Royal Knights Companion of the Garter since 2008. Kate wore her bespoke ice blue silk Christopher Kane coat, previously worn to the pre-Olympic reception and Opening Ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012. Catherine watched the parade from under a canopy along with Sophie, the Countess of Wessex and other dignitaries. The Duchess donned a new hat by Lock & Co. The Sweet Delight style is 100% woven straw and retails for £875. We also saw the return of the LK Bennett 'Natalie' clutch and her pear drop earrings which are yet to be identified. Kate wore a new pair of nude shoes to today's ceremony. They are the Jimmy Choo ' Gilbert' pumps in nude kid leather. These shoes are part of theJimmy Choo 24:7 capsule collection. The 'Gilbert' feature an almond toe and 3.5" stiletto heel. SHOP KATE'S GARTER DAY STYLE FOR LESS ... THIS POST IS IN PROGRESS ...
This morning the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge commenced the final leg of their royal tour Down Under in the nation's capital city of Canberra. First on the itinerary was a visit to the National Arboretum perched high on the hills overlooking Lake Burley Griffin. The arboretum was recently opened in the wake of the bushfires that ravaged the area over a decade ago. The royal couple planted an English Oak tree to make a contribution to the efforts of the arboretum. The Duchess wore a vivid grass green coat dress by Catherine Walker. This is a bespoke piece that fuses design elements of the Catherine Walker 'Evelyn' coatdress and the 'Lara' coat from the current collection. Both are fabricated from Venetian wool and it is evident that Kate combined the zip scuba collar of the 'Lara' with the full skirt of the 'Evelyn' including the hand pick stitching and belt. We got a glimpse of the Suzannah Green Budding Heart silk tea dress under her coat. Kate also wore this dress under her green Erdem coat when she recently visited the Waikato region of New Zealand. On her feet were the infamous LK Bennett 'Sledge' taupe patent pumps. Kate wore her emerald and diamond earrings and Cartier Ballon Bleu watch. The Duke and Duchess then attended a reception hosted by Prime Minister Tony Abbott in the Great Hall of Parliament House. Prince William made a short speech and told the audience of 600 how much he and his family had enjoyed their visit to Australia. He also made a comical remark about Prince George's affection for his plush toy wombat. Immediately following the reception, William and Kate headed to the National Portrait Gallery where they viewed some of its prized paintings, including one of Australian native, Princess Mary of Denmark. SHOP KATE'S 'ARBORETUM' STYLE FOR LESS ... On their final evening of the Royal Tour, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a cocktail reception at Government House hosted by the Governor General, Sir Peter Cosgrove. The royal couple mingled with 100 carefully selected guests from the arts, sport, business and charity. Kate looked elegant in a monochromatic outfit and with her hair in a loose chignon. She wore an ivory fitted peplum dress from American designer Lela Rose. This is the first occasion we have seen the Duchess wear this label. The linen-blend sheath dress is from the Spring 2012 collection. It features circular lace short sleeves and peplum waist. It originally retailed for US$1295. Kate contrasted the dress with her black suede Mulberry 'Bayswater' clutch and Jimmy Choo 'Cosmic' platform pumps. The Duchess completed the ensemble with her dazzling diamond earrings and bracelet set which she tends to favour for formal events. She also wore her Cartier Ballon Bleu watch. Tomorrow is the last day of the three-week royal tour. The Duke and Duchess will attend an ANZAC Day service at the Australian War Memorial before boarding a Royal Australian Air Force plane bound for London at around 2pm. SHOP REPLIKATE'S OF THE LELA ROSE DRESS ... You can read full details of today's events on the official website of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
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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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