Royal wedding fashion

[wrp96]

thanks for the reply. i think it is amazing how she just naturally knows and does the correct regal customs on que. she is a wonderful princess for William. :) i am so happy for them.

 

 

I am certain that she has had extensive lessons in protocol and etiquette. That being said, from what I know because she was already a respectful, attentive, smart woman, the lessons just enhanced her already wonderful character and personality.

[iheartbda]

Just some general thoughts.

I too am hoping her gown sways the strapless trend.....they ALL look the same. And then there are the gowns look like they belong in a brothel with bustiers, sheer tops, all laced up.

Everyone can comment on what they thought the dress or bouquet should have been, Kate choose what she wanted and did a fabulous job.....IMO, of course.

I want to know how they keep those hats on their foreheads or coming out the side of their head....super glue? Thought many of them were fun without being outrageous and many were beautiful.

There's a Facebook page on Eugenie and Beatrice's hats.......OH MY.

 

What made me laugh was Prince Harry turning around and taking a peek at Kate coming down the aisle and Prince William giving him a nudge to turn back around :D

 

Nora

Did you read Prince Harry's lips? I feel pretty sure he said, "wait til you see her.":)

[ookpik]

thanks for the reply. i think it is amazing how she just naturally knows and does the correct regal customs on que. she is a wonderful princess for William. :) i am so happy for them.

 

She is not a princess; her title is now HRH the Duchess of Cambridge. She looked like a princess though. Much happiness to her and Wills.

[dustyroad]

I am certain that she has had extensive lessons in protocol and etiquette. That being said, from what I know because she was already a respectful, attentive, smart woman, the lessons just enhanced her already wonderful character and personality.

 

im sure you are right. she just looks so natural when she does it. :)

[cruisemom42]

Traditionally in English royal weddings, the bridal party has been made up of younger girls. Usually there is one (or two) who is a bit older to help with the younger girls, but still generally they are pretty young and all in white (or ivory).

 

Here is a pic of Charles and Diana's wedding party so you can see what I mean: http://users.rcn.com/wswift/art/wedding.jpg

 

And here is the wedding party picture from Queen Elizabeth II's wedding; as you can see she had older bridesmaids, including her sister Princess Margaret, but all apparently wearing white or ivory:

 

http://www.fashion-era.com/images/SocialHistory/wdgrp400.jpg

 

From what I understand, Kate and William broke with tradition a bit by having a "Maid of honor" and a "Best man" (traditionally the role of Best Man has been called "Supporter" for royal weddings.....).

 

I liked Pippa's dress but perhaps it was a BIT on the sexy side for a royal wedding.

 

I loved Kate's dress.

[suezyq50]

I loved the wedding dress. Very elegant.

[Ontariotrekker]

William and Catherine's first state trip is to Canada and we are all waiting to see what she wears. They will be here in July and it will be hot but last summer when Queen Elizabeth was here, she strolled the streets of a very warm Toronto in a Canada Red dress and hat while the crowds cheered and wilted in the heat!

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I am a huge fan of Kate's gown and her reception dress. Both are so elegant and just the kind of gowns I would love. I often watch "Say Yes to the Dress" and have wondered when and why women began insisting on strapless gowns for their weddings. What is that all about?

 

That show has many brides-to-be who don't want lace either. I was so pleased to see Kate wear lace. She was so beautiful. I found myself modifying the exact bodice and sleeves of her wedding gown into black lace and adding a straight skirt, for a wonderful cocktail dress. My upper arms arent very attractive and long sleeves are far better for me.

 

Also Kate's idea of wearing a cozy shrug over a strapless gown--what a great idea for those of us who can't wear sleeveless. I'm sure Kate can wear sleeveless--when the time and place are right.

 

Kate's sister Pipa looked sensational too...but NOT Fergie's daughters in their hats. One person wrote that one of the hat's looked like antelope antlers. I bet they felt terrible their own mother wasn't invited as if she is a social pariah.

 

No one does pomp and circumstance like the Brits. How I loved watching the cavalry on their perfect horses and in their decorative, traditional uniforms. That was so cool and very moving. The carriage was amazing. What an unforgettable wedding!

[mjwcruising]

I thought Kate looks classy and elegant.

 

I want to know how they keep those hats on their foreheads or coming out the side of their head....super glue? Thought many of them were fun without being outrageous and many were beautiful.

 

From what I could tell the hats that sat to the side of the head had a head band attached and most often blended with the hair.

For the ones that sat on the forehead I assumed the hat had something attached that went to the back of the head especially for the one who were wearing their hair pulled back like Victoria Beckum. I'm not sure about the ones who didn't have their hair pulled back like Eugenie and Beatrice.

[Faith of the Heart]

I watched the Fashion Police royal edition on E! last night and they said the dress worn by Pippa is the exact same dress worn previously by Cameron Diaz! (in red) :eek:

 

The dress Cameron Diaz wore to the Golden Globe awards was indeed quite similar (and by Alexander McQueen as well), but not exactly the same (no lace, different waistline shaping/seams, don't think the red dress had a train either I thought it was just floor length...-but not sure...).

[Liv4cruzin]

RE: William's salute & Kate's 'bow'......I had wondered about this as well since it happened at least 4-5 times during the post wedding procession. I tried researching online; but came up empty. I did post the question on FB; & someone (who happens to be Finnish) guessed that it might have been each time they passed one of the many military bands that were playing the national anthem. I guess I never noticed it being done by commoners or royalty, for that matter, before. Then finally a photo posted on people.com today DID confirm that one of the salutes/bows was when they passed the Cenotaph monument. Not sure about the other occasions though.

 

I also did some online research on 'fascinators'. I was surprised to see hundreds of them available online in prices that started as low as $15.00! Some come attached to a normal curved headband, some with small combs and/or clips; & the smaller, light weight ones are attached to a large elastic band (similar to a pony tail elastic). I like the concept; but guess those of us in the US might like kinda silly wearing them over here.

 

Also during my royal wedding research, I came across an article where a deaf lip reader had 'transcribed' all the lip movement throughout the day. (I will try to find the article; & post the link here.) Her (I believe it was a she) translation showed just how much fun the royals were having throughout the day. Very fresh, candid & comical stuff; just like Diana would have wanted it to be for him. I did learn later while watching coverage on BBC America, that there is a sort of 'gentlemen's agree' now w/ the British press that cameramen are to 'cut away' during those intimate family moments so that lip readers are not able to divulge their private conversation (probably as a result of Prince Charles' slip of the tongue years ago after Diana's death, when he mumbled an unkind slur about a photog).

[Liv4cruzin]

URL to translation referred to in previous post:

 

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42827777/ns/today-today_people/?GT1=43001

[Pearlbill]

I think I think Beatrice and Euginie wore those awful hats to mock the whole wedding since their mother, Sarah Fergeson, didn't get an invite! LOL!

 

I absolutely loved Kate's dress though. So classy and timeless. I know some of the fashion critics are saying it wasn't young or trendy enough, but that would have been so dated looking in a few years and totally inappropriate for such a grand and historic occasion. I think Pipa's dress was a nod to the young and modern element and will be in demand for a lot of modern brides.

 

I too loved Kate's dress.

 

I also loved the "fascinators" that Beatrice and Eugenie wore. They seemed like so much fun, not to mention very fashionable.

The fascinator that Victoria Beckham wore was perfect! It suited her to a tee. I love that Kate Middleton has brought this type of headwear back in style. Total fun!

 

Pearl

[MrsPete]

So by now most of you have at least seen the wedding gown of the Duchess of Cambridge (Kate). What did you think? I was reading another fashion forum and many thought the gown should have been more modern, blingy, slinky, etc. Many bemoaned that it lacked "wow". Personally, I thought the gown very classic and elegant, and liked it much much more than Diana's famed gown. Diana looked like the gown wore her rather than the other way around.

I'm with you: Very classic and elegant.

 

Diana's dress was incredible, and I loved it at the time . . . but now I look at it and say, "Wow, that screams 1980s". Kate's wedding portraits will hang in castles and will be reproduced on everything from tea-towels to coffee mugs, yet I don't think that 50 years from now our grandchildren will say, "Look how old fashioned she looks!" Instead, they'll say "very classic and elegant". Well chosen, Kate.

I often watch "Say Yes to the Dress" and have wondered when and why women began insisting on strapless gowns for their weddings. What is that all about? . . . That show has many brides-to-be who don't want lace either.

It's all about following today's trends rather than choosing what's most flattering on the bride herself!

 

Things like this come and go: I was married in 1990, and the trend at that time was a hideous little "wreath" on the head, worn dipping down over the forehead. It looked a bit like an athletic headband with bling. That trend only lasted a year or two, but it was ALL that was available when I was shopping. I ended up making my own veil (which was actually very easy and certainly a budget choice -- if memory serves, I think it cost about 10% the cost of a ready-made veil).

 

Anyway, back to my point . . . I wonder if Kate's choice of dress will mark the end of the can't-see-beyond-strapless trend.

[momofmeg]

The dress Cameron Diaz wore to the Golden Globe awards was indeed quite similar (and by Alexander McQueen as well), but not exactly the same (no lace, different waistline shaping/seams, don't think the red dress had a train either I thought it was just floor length...-but not sure...).

 

Did Pippa's dress have lace? I did not notice.

[momofmeg]

I'm with you: Very classic and elegant.

 

Diana's dress was incredible, and I loved it at the time . . . but now I look at it and say, "Wow, that screams 1980s". Kate's wedding portraits will hang in castles and will be reproduced on everything from tea-towels to coffee mugs, yet I don't think that 50 years from now our grandchildren will say, "Look how old fashioned she looks!" Instead, they'll say "very classic and elegant". Well chosen, Kate. It's all about following today's trends rather than choosing what's most flattering on the bride herself!

 

Things like this come and go: I was married in 1990, and the trend at that time was a hideous little "wreath" on the head, worn dipping down over the forehead. It looked a bit like an athletic headband with bling. That trend only lasted a year or two, but it was ALL that was available when I was shopping. I ended up making my own veil (which was actually very easy and certainly a budget choice -- if memory serves, I think it cost about 10% the cost of a ready-made veil).

 

Anyway, back to my point . . . I wonder if Kate's choice of dress will mark the end of the can't-see-beyond-strapless trend.

 

I hope so-I watched one epsisode of "Say Yes to the Dress," and the girl was quite obese, especially in her bosum, she insisted on a strapless slinky dress-although her mother and the sales person tried to stir her to other more flattering styles. She looked liked a encased sausage and it packed more pounds onto her than she actually had-and the poor girl's friends, including her fiance,(He was there-I think he did not see beyond her breasts which were very prominent in that style) were all telling her how pretty she looked. Poor thing-20 years from now she will gasp in shame at her weddingpics/video.

 

My older sister was married in 1965. Her dress was mid calf length, (they called that ballerina length back then) fitted in the waist, and satin. The bodice had a lace overlay and the sleeves were lace that matched the bodice lace and came to a point at the wrist. Very pretty, but very dated by the time I was married. When I saw a pic of Princess Grace's gown, it made me think of my sister's, except Grace Kelly's was floor length and my sis had no trane. However, I am sure the style of my sister's gown was inspired by Princess Grace. I don't think she realized it at the time though. She probably just picked what was in style that she liked. She married at 17, so she would have been a child when Princess Grace married.

[iheartbda]

Did Pippa's dress have lace? I did not notice.

 

There's a tiny bit right on the very edge of the neckline and sleeves. I also thought there was a bit across the front in the cleavage area. Couldn't find a real closeup.

[GORDONCHICK]

Diana's dress was incredible, and I loved it at the time . . . but now I look at it and say, "Wow, that screams 1980s". Kate's wedding portraits will hang in castles and will be reproduced on everything from tea-towels to coffee mugs, yet I don't think that 50 years from now our grandchildren will say, "Look how old fashioned she looks!" Instead, they'll say "very classic and elegant". Well chosen, Kate. It's all about following today's trends rather than choosing what's most flattering on the bride herself!

 

 

 

Actually, they won't be on tea towels - that's one item they didn't commission! Why, I don't know, but they didn't.

[Barb Nahoumi]

According to Randy from "Say Yes to the dress," and Clinton Kelley, of "What Not to Wear," Kate's lovely timless gown will have an impact on the wedding gown industry.

 

Randy thinks that more brides will ask for similar gowns with sleeves. I hope that he is right. Strapless gowns are not for all.

[kitty9]

I've read a number of foreign newspapers today, and many of them did critiques of the fashion. Most bemoaned the sheer lunacy of many of the hats. Victoria Beckham, they said, looked as if she was going to a funeral, and her hubby was criticized for wearing his OBE medal on the wrong side, plus the fact that it was inappropriate to wear it to a wedding.

 

One newspaper called Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie "Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber". I thought the one hat looked like moose antlers. Harry's girlfriend's dress was universally panned as being a bad color and way too tight "around her ample breasts".

 

Princess Anne's dress was called "old curtains from the basement". But they raved about Sophie the Countess of Wessex.

 

One paper said they thought the mother of the bride chose her dress to thumb her nose at Camilla. The designer, Catherine Walker, was a favorite of Princess Diana, and the style was reminiscent of Diana. The papers said that she and Camilla did not get along very well during the planning.

It is really funny to read the UK newspapers. They hold absolutely nothing back and trashed a lot of wedding goers.

[KandCsailing]

Princess Anne's dress was called "old curtains from the basement"

Oh dear, my British heritage is showing...I thought it was a cute outfit for her.

[kitty9]

Every newspaper loved Catherine's gown, but they panned her overdone eye makeup.

 

I liked her gown but her bouquet was a disappointment. I thought it looked too small and the flowers looked very wilted. The gown needed a slightly larger bouquet to balance the fullness of the skirt.

 

And I do not understand the British tradition of the wedding party wearing white. Pippa looked spectacular and I thought she came close to overshadowing the bride.

 

Some of the most nasty comments were about the Prime Minister's wife. I guess they were told to wear hats, but she didn't and her hair looked dirty and bedhead-like and her dress was dowdy and wrinkled.

 

If you can go online and read UK newspapers, give it a shot. It's really a fun read.

[kitty9]

Oh dear, my British heritage is showing...I thought it was a cute outfit for her.

 

I agree. I thought she looked better than she has in a long time. The purple was a very lovely color on her.

[momofmeg]

I do remember the bridesmaids in Princess Diana's wedding-(the ages of flower girls and junior bridesmaids) wearing white. I also remember there was no older attendant though it does seem Charles had Andy? but maybe I am wrong on that.

 

My thinking is though-if William and Kate broke that royal wedding tradition by having a maid of honor-why could she not wear color also. As Kitty said, it seemed she was competing with the bride.

 

Maybe it is silly and "American" of me, to feel this way, but I was always told not to wear white or ivory colors to the wedding as that was reserved for the bride. One wedding I attended (second marriage) the bride wore a golden taupe gown and I was embarrassed because I had on beige and my dress was lighter.

[momofmeg]

You know who started wearing white as bridal gowns? Queen Victoria, and she chose white because the fabric was less expensive than dyed, as a nod to her people, who felt the monarchy were too lavish. Before that, brides wore most any color, but they did wear a wedding veil.

 

Can anyone tell me how long it has been royal tradition for bridesmaids to wear white?