Style queens, help my mum dress for a Buckingham Palace garden party...I thank you xxxx

[ChudleyMintonCanons]

My sister will be dragging our mum around Kingston tomorrow to find her an outfit. I think the best solution will be a tailored coat or jacket over a print dress. And a hat of some description. Oh stylish ones, are we going along the right lines, and have you seen anything suitable?

BTW she is 5'5" and a shapely size 16.

ooh, good idea. Do you need an appointment, do you think?

Bang on Chudders. She needs a hat, and sleeveless is out. Not too spiky on the heels.

I am slightly younger than your mum (I hope! ) and am wearing a pink fitted jacket, pink floral silk frock, black hat, black shoes (too spiky but f& it ).

Don't wear spikey heels coz of the lovely lawns (Moon66 speaks from experience)

Thank you LL, i have been reading your threads and wondering what you wore. Have you a link? I've seen some lovely stuff on Planet and Jacques Vert websites.

Would a fascinator do instead of hat?

Haven't been yet, we are going on Tuesday (I am soooooo excited, not that you'd know, I haven't been going on and on and on about it ) and no, sorry, is all old stuff - I couldn't find anything I liked new.

I see Bentalls offer a style advisor too. Will try both first thing.

LL, hope the sun shines. My mum is going the following week.

Well, lots of sun for her too! Hope she has a great time, and gets a lovely outfit.

Whew, I am pleased to report that they struck gold in amongst the sale leftovers - this jacket (isn't that shiny in RL) and this dress (without the grannyish pearl brooch), silver sandals and an extremely frivolous matching fascinator from Hobbs.

Thanks for the advice. Just need to find a bag now, and a hairdresser who can style around the crazed parrot head-dress

Little Lapin - I am going on Tuesday - eek, tomorrow, too!

What colour is your ticket for the tea tent, or are you in with the hoi polloi?

Weather report - the sun is shining over London as I write
Can you both, MrsS and LL, tell us what is was like [nosey]

It was very windy and I feared that the wind was going to blow my dress up and expose my magic knickers to the world. But it did stay dry.

I spotted two people in flipflops, one in Birkenstocks and one laydee in trainers. But no crocs.

There were about 10,000 people there. Unless you have a ticket for the Royal or Diplomatic tea tent, you probably have quite a wait for your tea and cakes. I "strained the greens" before I went and didn't have much to drink as I didn't fancy the queue for the loo.

The iced coffee is good, as is choccy cake and some almond and coffee puff things.

Queen was in pink. Sophie didn't look very pregnant, but looked very happy.

My mum has purchased a pair of magic knickers, not sure that going to the loo is even an option once they are on
Did you get close up to the royals?

I tell you what, CMC, your mum can wear whatever she bloody likes! There were loads of sleeveless dresses, I saw several strapless and even one full length black dress WITH TIARA (I am not kidding - hope that wasn't you MrsS!) and quite a few women without hats, although it specifically says that on the invitation bumpf.

It was bleedin' windy, there were a few hats cartwheeling across the lawn (invest in a hatpin, says I ).

We were just in the throng (8,000 apparently) and we were about 5 ft from Prince Philip but to be honest, standing around gawping at them while they chatted to people felt very odd, so we had a quick squizz, then back to the tea tent .

The smally eats were excellent, rich chocolate mousse, tiny cheesecakes, sandwiches, smoked salmon blini things and then icecream! We had a good wander around the gardens, which are lovely - very calm in the middle of the city.

MrsS, my friend was in flipflops (and a bright pink hat!) but then she is 6 months pregnant . There were a couple of small huddles of Naval officers (they can spot each other from miles away ) so I would have been with them.

I enjoyed it, but it was a bit surreal. DH is back there for dinner in a few weeks - no partners allowed though

at tiara - did it look real?!

No and was accompanied by major league hair extensions... I shouldn't be so mean, she was obviously enjoying the day

at concept of getting tiara stuck in hair extensions!!

Whenever I used to see people wearing horrible clothes and would point them out to my mum she would say "now darling, she thinks she looks lovely."

DH took an american friend to the opera one night - up in the gods at the ENO. She turned up in full evening dress, he was in chinos and a fleece LOL

CMC - I wore magic knickers too - see my other thread.

The thing I liked best was being whisked through in a car and bypassing the crowds queueing. It all went downhill after that for me.

Agree with Little Lapin on wear what you like. But there did seem to be an awful lot of pink and lilac polyester and grey hair...

Mum will be wearing turquoise with her grey hair - see my post dated Mon 16-Jul-07 18:55:46 below
She's hoping everyone else will be in lilac or beige polyester, which was her first choice until my sister took her firmly in hand LOL

I wore pink

Very nice. And i am liking your handsome (I presume) accessory