This evening, the Duchess of Cambridge stepped out for her second engagement of the day, attending the 50th Annual Wildlife Photography Awards at the Natural History Museum in London, of which she is Royal Patron. Only hours after attending a ceremonial welcome for the President of Singapore, the Duchess of Cambridge made a wardrobe change for this evening's black-tie event wearing a bespoke pale jade Jenny Packham creation. The maxi wrap dress was the perfect choice for the Duchess who is about 3 months pregnant with her second child. The gown features a three-quarter sleeve with a wrap front surplice neckline and a lightweight envelope skirt with a pee-a-boo short hem skirt underneath. The silhouette of Kate's bespoke gown appears to be modeled on this Jenny Packham A/W 2014 Cruise collection piece. Kate accessorized the dress with a new clutch bag from Alexander McQueen. Like all her other McQueen bags, Kate had this one modified with the removal of the signature skull clasp. The small curved molded clutch is rendered in a gradient nude pink python leather with gold metal frame. Kate paired the clutch with her blush pink LK Bennett Agata suede sandals, first seen at the 2011 annual ARK dinner. This evening, the Duchess donned a new sparkling diamond necklace and matching earrings. The pieces are from the Monica Vinader 'Riva' collection (thanks to My Small Obsession for the ID). Kate wore the 'Riva' Diamond Cluster Bib necklace which is a Harrods exclusive according to Monica Vinader's Instagram page.
Regrettably the necklace is not available on the Harrods website, but the matching 'Riva' Diamond Cluster Drop Earrings are available directly from Monica Vinader. The earrings are described as Featuring Riva's signature organic shape and pave set diamonds totalling 0.32 carats, these cocktail earrings are beautifully elegant. Measuring approximately 27mm (1.0") in length x 35mm (1.4") in width, the earrings are light enough to wear all day long. 23/10/2014 UPDATE The staff at Monica Vinader contacted me via Twitter to let me know that the Riva diamond cluster bib necklace is now available for pre-order via their website. Featuring Riva's signature organic shape in 21 interconnecting hoops, and pavé set diamonds totalling 0.84 carats, this bib is the epitome of elegance. Measuring approximately 11cm in length by 5.5cm in width, with an adjustable 18 inch chain. SHOP KATE'S STYLE ...
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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 ...
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.
The Duchess of Cambridge started the day by attending a reception hosted by her patronage SportsAid, an organisation which supports the next generation of British sports stars. She then joined her husband and Prince Harry at Hampden Park to attend the athletics on Day 6 of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. It was a consecutive day of outfit recycling for the thrifty Duchess and she stuck with pieces she has favoured at previous sporting events. For today's outing, the Duchess paired her ultra-blue Stella McCartney 'Ridley' dress with her navy Smythe single button blazer (in stock at Saks Fifth Ave). Kate repeated the same accessories she wore to yesterday's events. On her feet were the Stuart Weitzman 'Corkswoon' wedges in navy suede and she carried a matching bag. There is some active debate that the clutch is not her trusty Russell & Bromley 'Muse' clutch. The flap appears to be slightly different to the 'Muse' and the silhouette is not as long. I think the style is more like the Emmy 'Natasha' clutch. Kate owns the 'Natasha' clutch in a carbon and chocolate hue. Emmy offers fabric customization so it's possible Kate has now added another to her collection in a bespoke navy suede. Kate's also recycled her jewellery from yesterday, wearing her Kiki McDonough Citrine Drop earrings, Asprey necklace featuring 'Woodland' charms and Cartier Ballon Bleu wristwatch. SHOP KATE'S SPORTY BUSINESS STYLE FOR LESS ... 02/08/2014 UPDATE The navy suede clutch has been identified by My Small Obsessions. The Duchess was carrying the LK Bennett 'Frome' navy blue suede clutch bag. The sleek clutch is crafted in soft suede, featuring a mag-dot closure, internal zip compartment and convenient removable strap handle. It retailed for £185 but has unfortunately sold out.
The Tour de France got underway today with a Grand Depart from Leeds, England. 198 elite bike riders lined up at Harewood House where they greeted by the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Her Royal Highness cut the ribbon to officially commence the annual bike race to Paris. Kate wore her bright green Erdem 'Allie' coat featuring a zipped front and Peter Pan collar. She first wore the wool crepe coat on Day 6 of the Royal Tour in New Zealand. Today, she accessorised the coat with her taupe LK Bennett 'Avona' clutch and matching 'Sledge' pumps. We again got a glimpse of the Suzannah 'Budding Heart' silk tea dress. Oh when are we going to see this dress in its full glory!? The Duchess was given the honour of presenting Marcel Kittel with the yellow jersey after he won stage one of the Tour de France in Harrogate. The next public engagement for the Duchess of Cambridge will be in just over 3 weeks, when she, William and Prince Harry will attend the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on 28th & 29th July. SHOP KATE'S LOOK FOR LESS ... 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 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 ...
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. 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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