The Duchess of Cambridge making the Vanity Fair best dressed list has prompted me to put down my own thoughts on this subject. I don't see The Duchess as Best Dressed, more like Well Dressed. You know, polished. A look/idea that seems to have been forgotten a bit.
I truly think that so many people have become so accustomed to seeing starlets in lace knickers ( see Rihanna with nipple covers in Barbados) and a throng of singers/celebs in bodysuits , that when someone comes along and wears tailored clothing, and , gasp, sleeves , they don't know what to do. Sleeves have become an endangered species it seems.
Here's the thing- sleeves can be nice . Short and long. All the oohing and ahhing over the wedding gown- it has sleeves . People were raving about the lace sleeve detail like they had never seen them before. I bet the youngest never had. For years every society bride and not so society seemed to get married in the same plain silk strapless dress. Even Vera Wang said after making Ivanka Trump's dress ( so gorgeous and with sleeves ) that she was so glad to finally not do a strapless again. Even if much of that is her very own fault.
Does Kate look lovely ? Does she look polished? Yes. Does she look amazing? Sometimes. I haven't been a fan of a lot of her looks but some I adore. The red maple leaf hat in Canada- adore ( but the pendant just doesn't go with it). The Grey Katherine Walker in Canada - adore. The Jenny Packham yellow dres in Canada- snore.
Kate does sometimes seem to have a bit of a style rut. Obviously she knows what she likes and what works on her or she thinks does, and she is sticking to it all the way. To her defense , the rules of the Monarchy certianly define what she can wear in many ways. All those nude stockings? Not because she thinks they are the greatest thing ever, but that protocol demands she wear them. She 's 30, do you really think she wants to wear hose every single day ? She went barelegged aplenty when single and pre - engagement. Modern women were overjoyed at throwing the stockings away for most occasions. ( Well most of us were at least. I know no one under the age of 50 who willing wears them ). I bet Kate would go bare too , if she could. That said, I also have noticed stockings, especially black semi -sheers being far more popular in the UK than here.
And so she has to wear suits and sleeves. Balance youth with court protocol and that she does pretty well, although leaning more towards protocol than youth.
But I still don't see her as best dressesd. You want a best dressed in royal- see Crown Princess Mary of Denmark( below). But I like well dressed and I like polished even more. Here's hoping she will eventually find herself willing to try a few new things with a little panache and really become a style star. In the meantime if she gets designers to add more sleeves to things, then I am all for it. If she gets people to cast off their hooded sweatshirts, I am even more all for it.
4 comments:
cosign everything in this post! such sad social commentary when you are made a style icon simply for wearing more than an inch of clothing, lmao! wow
Vonnie of Socialite Dreams
Thanks so much Socialite for commenting. I'm interested in other's take on this , and like hearing your thoughts.
Hi there, nice blog – just wanted to acknowledge that with a comment
Thanks very much Sahiba.
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