Since she gets it right 99% of the time, the remaining 1% of fashion “misses” really stand out. To be clear, we love, love, love the Duchess of Cambridge, and watching her step so elegantly into her new life as a royal has given us many a teary eye and warm fuzzy. In fact, we love Duchess Catherine so much that we feel pretty comfortable breaking with tradition – for once – and pointing out a few things we really didn’t like. It should also be noted that “worst” for her doesn’t make them bad in general. Come on…even Princess Diana had an ugly dress or two, right?
Photo by Beulah London
#1 ”Blossom” Dress by Beulah London, £490
Kate wore this design last weekend while attending a friend’s wedding with Prince William. While we’re really not fans (at all) of the poofy-then-cuffed sleeves, the color doesn’t do her any favors either. There are pleats at the shoulders, waist, and cuffs, and a tie belt.
Photo from The Daily Mail
Actually, it might be the combination of the white hat, nude heels, straw clutch, and dress that just doesn’t quite “sit right” with us. Kate does look lovely in knee-length styles, though.
The silk chiffon dress is still available on the designer’s website, though recent high demand (thanks to Kate!) has resulted in a 2-week delay in orders. Also available in the same pattern are a scarf and kaftan-style dress.
More photos of Kate are available at The Daily Mail.
Photo by Mulberry
#2 ”Peace and Love” Pleated Shirt Dress by Mulberry, £1,400
Holy peace signs, Batman. Kate wore this dress to a press reception at Buckingham Palace in November 2011. The entire piece is covered in pleats, and there are…deep breath…peace signs woven into the fabric. The garment features what’s known as a “Peter Pan” collar and a narrow, gold-clasped belt. The color, perhaps appropriately, is called “cabbage.”
Photo from The Daily Mail
Where to start. We think that shade of emerald green is difficult for anyone to carry off, but the Duchess does a fair job of it. Perhaps it’s the all-over pleats that are most off-putting. The style is decidedly retro, and it’s far more trendy than Kate’s usual classic choices. We’re also not big on the poofy sleeves, which are pinched at the cuff by a rather narrow band.
The frock was from the Mulberry Fall 2011 ready-to-wear collection, so it’s mercifully no longer available for purchase.
A few more photos of Kate are available at The Daily Mail.
Photo by Libelula
#3 ”Rebecca” Shirt Dress by Libelula, £290
Kate wore this dress in May 2012 while watching William and Harry play polo at Ascot Park. Though the dress is pictured in emerald green, Kate wore the design in “mermaid blue.” It was also available in black velvet, according to What Kate Wore. The garment has a stand-up collar, a row of buttons to the waist, and piping along the collar, cuffs, and waistline.
Photo from The Daily Mail
This dress, in particular, seemed a bit too big for Kate; the waist seemed to be very loose, as did the bodice. She looks stunning in her go-to sheath style, but the shirt dress look just isn’t – in our opinion – her best. The design also hit her a bit above the knee, and she wore the dress with sky-high espadrilles, which made her legs look extra long and even slightly gangly. It seems we aren’t a fan of the long-sleeved shirt dress style overall, since our top three “misses” fall into that category.
The 100% silk dress is sold out and no longer available, though the label does have some really nice pieces we’d love to see Kate wear. There are more pictures of Kate in the dress at The Daily Mail.
Photo by Beulah London
#4 “Sarai” Dress by Beulah London, £565
Once again with the Beulah London…. Kate wore this dress to the 100 Women in Hedge Funds gala, benefiting the Child Bereavement Charity. After looking absolutely stunning in her earlier evening gown choices – the pale pink Jenny Packham and the lavender Alexander McQueen – this was, for us, a huge disappointment.
Photo from The Daily Mail
The dress, which comes in blue and red, is made of silk jersey and chiffon fabric, and the arms and front tie are sheer. Once again, the billowing sleeves look dated, particularly because they’re nipped at the wrist with a thin band. Kate also chose to tie the sash in an off-to-the-side bow, which looks far more outdated than the center knot shown in the designer’s picture.
Kate looked breathtaking in her red Alexander McQueen dress for the Diamond Jubilee river parade, so we know she can definitely rock the color. However, she looked slightly washed out in this particular shade, which looks a bit more orange than the McQueen did.
The dress is still available from Beulah, and can be ordered on their website. More pictures of Kate and William at the gala are available via The Daily Mail.
