Royal style: from pussy bows to furbelows

[QueenOfTheAndals]

As on the previous thread, please critique the outfit rather than criticise the woman and keep Megxit talk for the many many threads already dedicated to that!

Kate is very slim but I don't think she looks unhealthy and it's clearly how she prefers to be. I think some shots are taken at weird angles so she looks very narrow. Her sister and mother are also slim and I suspect it's just a decent diet and exercise rather than anything too extreme for them.

That's just supposition though, we actually know nothing about their habits!

Her legs were amazing in that sailing pic, and she looks gorgeous in the early rowing team pic, though that is the only time a friend spoke against her I think.

Agreed Queen although I suspect only one of us had a Wispa for breakfast

My paternal cousins can eat for England & they never put on weight. It always annoys Me that I take after my maternal side in that department. I just have to look at food to put weight on

I 'm not a fan of Kate's boots either - "pointy witchy" great description!
Otherwise I thought she looked great ,particularly thought the trousers and blouse suited her.

Seeing that pic of Sophie in Sierra Leone I'm just wondering if you stylish people might be able to suggest other outfits she could have worn ? I don't always like Kate's style but I do see that she achieves that Wow effect that I guess is required on the world stage .

I thought Sophie's clothes looked a bit ordinary but I think formal dressing must be tricky in a hot climate .

Going back to Kate's hair looking a little frazzled in those pictures yesterday, I wonder if it's just this very damp weather? Here in the NW anyway the air is so damp and foggy at the moment, it's wreaking havoc with my hair. This morning I blow dried it with plenty of serum and it looked reasonable, but I'm just back from the school run, which we do on foot, and I look such a fright - Frizz Central!

Mother it's the same on the south coast, the kind of day that you need curly hair for! My DDs curls love the damp, I straighten my hair so if I venture out in it, I go fluffy.

I think Sophie will have to pick up work that now isn’t being done by H&M. Her DC are older and she appears to be available. She gets on well with the Queen. She met our military personnel in Sierra Leone and she dressed down somewhat. She did this trip at short notice and appeared to engage with local people very well. She should wear what’s comfortable in the circumstances.

Also Kate doesn’t have to look great every day! She doesn’t work every day. She has lots of time with DC and more help then most of us only dream about. She always looks polished but so did Teresa May in her way, with far less help and advice. It’s just what professional women do!

Plenty of female royals hold military "ranks" and the men hold them in multiple services without having served in multiple branches of the forces so I don't think Sophie would have to put in a few years as a marine in order to take the post. My husband's squadron was headed by the Queen Mother - I'm pretty sure she didn't fly in bombings raids!

I hope Sophie W gets lots of gigs and a nice dress allowance. She seems very committed.

I hope Sophie W gets lots of gigs and a nice dress allowance
Me too. She’s put the time in. 20;years

I really admire the work Sophie does with victims of sexual violence and trafficking. I don't know how she can put up with Andrew at family gatherings!

She probably has to maintain good manners for the sake of the Queen. That doesn’t mean she likes him or holds deep and meaningful conversations with him. She probably tolerates him for the sake of the Queen.

Regarding her clothes. Having seen her, I think she’s stunning now. She looks perfect and appropriate most of the time. Really good dress sense and, dare I say it, better than Meghan. She is 55 and really doesn’t look it. I’m hoping she can and will do more to support the Queen.

If other members of the RF don’t step in, there will be lots of events and charities with no Royal supporting them.

I think that would've been the case anyway with Charles's "slimmed-down" monarchy and the Kents and Gloucesters etc retiring. I'm guessing that a lot of engagements would've been dropped and I think someone on these threads has said William has come out and said he'd look at a new model for royal patronage etc.

I think one suggestion was that they would be patrons for a particular length of time rather than for life. This would allow them to support a wider range of causes over the course of their working life which seems quite a good idea to me.

I'm a 'summer' and am certain DoC is too. So those blues would be even better if they were muted.

I would've thought someone like Sophie is more a summer. Kate to me seems an Autumn as colours like olive, forest green, teal and berry look so good on her.

Sophie has such an easy elegance about her. Her smile is lovely too. Loved the birthday greetings video at the gathering William was hosting. So nice and natural.

The best I’ve ever seen Kate look in terms of colours was the photo from Archie’s christening.

I have the same colouring as Kate (and am also experiencing the same issue re hair, ie used to be brunette, trying to go lighter to cover the greys). She is definitely an Autumn.

Same colouring as Kate used to wear pinks, blues, and greens, now gone lighter due to grey hairs so autumn colours suit me better than vibrant ones.

I would think that Kate could stay a bit darker as getting her hair done monthly surely isn't a big deal? I do like her hair when she's got the highlights in but agree that its a bit in-between at the moment.

I think overall what was interesting between the two events is that it was obvious that while she'd touched up, she hadn't done a full re-make up or outfit. So in Wales she looked a bit more polished, and less tired, than she did in Surrey. But that's not entirely surprising seeing as she had started the day in London I believe (as she was supposed to go to Battersea first) then off to Wales then back to Surrey. Do they travel by helicopter for those trips? Because otherwise it's a lot of sitting in cars, getting in and out in the rain etc.

But really, she seemed so normal from that perspective. I left the house yesterday looking fresh and glowy and fab (if I do say so myself). By my final meeting at 5pm, I was still looking neat and my make up was okay, but I'd definitely lost the glow. And by the time I got home at 8:30 well..... I looked like a woman who'd had a long day!

I've liked Kate's various work day looks this week. I'm a fan of camel coats and I like her spikey high heeled black boots too!

I loved the green/blue chevron fabric, with its 60s op-art vibe, but I think it might have worked better with a sharp tailored shirt style rather than the soft pussy bow style.
I liked Kate's animal print skirt, it's nice to see her wear something more "fun" instead of those everlasting plain coat dresses.

I think Sophie usually gets it right when on her overseas trips, it wouldn't be appropriate to be in high end designer clothes when she's visiting poor rural communities.

I wonder if Kate feels a bit like she has a free pass at the moment I'm terms of criticism from the press and even the family so feels she mix it up a bit without fearing a panning in the papers (or a lecture from the men in grey suits.)