Can we have a thread devoted to Royal wedding dresses?

[Dustyblue]

I'm no fashionista but I love scrutinizing how these brides deck themselves out for such a huge event. Me? I'd look like a hippo in a frock.

I'll start- my favourite is Princess Mary of Denmark. She looked like a dream.

Mary of Denmark

Dustyblue, have a look at the royal style and beauty threads - if you post over there you'll get some lovely, friendly, expert input and some great pictures.

Princess Mary looked beautiful.

I like Sarah Chatto's dress.

The good =

My favourite was Kate’s. Absolutely stunning lace.

Princess Eugenie’s also very nice.

Grace Kelly’s = most timeless

The bad =

Meghan’s was very disappointing - initially I thought it was badly fitted but my friend says that’s the style. Idk, it’s not for me.

Is it treason to say my least favourite is Diana’s 🤐

I liked the principle of Diana's dress, which was very much of its time but looks hopelessly outdated now, and the creased fabric ruined it. Liked Kate's and Princess Claire of Luxembourg's, Eugenie's was nice, ( hated Beatrice's😟) and I liked Princess Margaret's. Grace Kelly's dress was lovely!

As soon as I saw grace Kelly's dress I thought it looked so like Catherine's. Loved Beatrice and Eugenie's dresses. Meghans was a bit meh with the style although the veil and tiara saved it.

I think there's already a section in style and beauty on royal clothes?

Diana’s and Fergie’s haven’t aged well IMO - very much of their time. I love Margaret’s, my own dress was similar although in a tea length and with short sleeves on the over jacket. I liked Meghan’s, even with the slight oversized look; I thought it was very simple and elegant. I also really like Eugenie’s, I thought the low back was a really lovely and personal touch.

Definitely come join us on the royal style threads OP!

If I may count Pippa Middleton as almost royal, I thought her dress was absolutely gorgeous, the guipure lace in particular.

Not so keen on Eugenie's, I thought the wide neck looked like it was about to fall off her shoulders. I though Beatrice's remodelling of a dress if the queen's was stunning.

Megan's and Kate's both stunning. Especially Kate's because I love lace.

Princess Margaret's edged veil I though was gorgeous.

Queen, Sarah, Diana, Sophie, all unremarkable.

From favourite to least favourite:

LOVE
Catherine’s ceremony dress
Beatrice
Meghan’s reception dress
Eugenie’s ceremony dress
Camilla

LIKE
Zara
Autumn
Margaret
Catherine’s reception dress

MEH
Sophie
Eugenie’s reception dress (lovely colour but didn’t like the silhouette)
Elizabeth
Anne to Mark Phillips

DISLIKE
Meghan’s ceremony dress
Diana
Sarah
Anne to Timothy Lawrence

I liked Princess Margaret's and Princess Anne's first one. Diana's was messy but it was probably not wise to have said so at the time. I thought Fergie's was nicer than Diana's. I like what Camilla wears mostly and without checking out every detail I thought she looked good in her grey get-up. Kate's - pretty. Meghan's - I liked the simplicity and the boat-neck.

I loved Autumn Philips dress and also thought Kate's was stunning. Beatrice, Eugenie and Zara looked nice enough. Didn't rate Meghan's.

A few random thoughts.

Kate's dress had beautiful fabric and fitted her perfectly, but the overall effect was lacking in something. I didn't like the lace sleeves, and her hair and make up looked too casual.

Meghan's dress was a great idea, as clean, simple lines suit her best. However, the fit was appalling for custom couture. Or indeed for any wedding dress.

Mette Marit of Norway had an amazing dress, added to by the fact that she chose a Norwegian designer.

I liked Diana's dress, creases and all! It was of its time, and would look ridiculous now, but it suited her and the occasion.

Camilla really scrubbed up well on her wedding!

'My favourite was Kate’s. Absolutely stunning lace'

Agree. I still sigh when I see photos of it. She looked so perfect

Camilla looked fabulous, gorgeous outfit and headpiece

Eugenie and Beatrice - so different from each other but both gorgeous

I still can’t get over the disappointment I felt when I saw Meghan’s dress 🤣 I had such high expectations. The reception dress did make up for it though. I like to think she would have preferred the halter neck if she wasnt having a traditional royal church wedding and could have got away with exposing her shoulders. And Diana’s aquamarine ring was the cherry on the top.

Sleek, simple, modern and glamorous.

Ooh out of curiosity I googled the wedding dress that Meghan wore for her wedding to Trevor and it looks not dissimilar to Catherine’s reception dress with the bejewelled band. Sorry for the rubbish quality photos.

I was so disappointed. I’m told it was meant to fit like that, but it looked like she’d borrowed it from someone 2 sizes larger at the last minute. And it didn’t feel very royal.

I loved Meghan’s dress style but I agree it was ill fitting for couture. I really did not like Kate’s. Very, very staid and old fashioned for me. Tbh I think weddings is where the Royals really fall down give me say yes to the dress any day of the week. The Royals cannot follow trends and so they always look out of date even on the day in my opinion.

I can't see how it was 'meant' to fit like that. When you have such a simple style, getting a perfect fit is extremely important because there is nothing to distract the eye.

To me the dress looked unfinished, kind of like it was just taken off the tailor's dummy. Really unacceptable from a top Paris couture house.

Meghan's dress was very stylish IMO, modern clean lines, but I agree with others it was a little big on her. Bit of a shame. But the overall shape, neckline, hair, makeup, veil and tiara suited her so well.

Loved Kate's hair, makeup and veil. The dress was nice, but the lace sleeves overdid it a bit and made it look old-fashioned, especially over the shoulders/chest area, but it was still demure and pretty.

It is interesting to see them side by side. They were the same age in these photos, I think?

I really didn't like the bust area on Kate's dress, looked pointy and a bit Madonna like.

They got married within 4 months of each other. Catherine was 29 and Meghan had just turned 30 a few weeks beforehand.

Agree about the 'Barbarella boobs'. She had the same on her reception dress.

I also didn't like the narrow 'V' neckline. I think it broke up the overall 'flow' of the dress.

Fascinating. I heard that Meghan blogged about Kate as a bride. I assume it was just before her own wedding, about how they were so different (which turned out to be so true!)

They got married the same year I think, it must have been a popular style.

I agree that Meghan's ceremony dress wasn't amazing. I can't believe it was meant to fit like that. Her reception dress was absolutely gorgeous though, I'd have liked to see more of it with her standing still - I think all the pictures are of her holding the train to walk.

I really liked Eugenie's reception dress (lovely colour I think but I've seen it look different in different pictures) but I didn't like the ceremony dress as much.

I can well imagine it was intentional. She seems to favour relaxed/over sized/ baggy fits & silhouettes. But sometimes it doesn’t work out and comes across as ill fitting (see the red Veteran’s day dress for example).

I just can’t imagine that all these designers are purposely giving her poor fitting dresses. I think she must be asking for alterations and either doesn’t realise or doesn’t care that they look poor. Like the gold dress she wore to the awards the other week. It originally had straps and she had it altered to be strapless but then it made her boobs look a bit saggy because there was no support. Or my other theory is that she goes to fittings in the wrong underwear and doesn’t realise until the day.

I prefer a more tailored, fitted look and adored her Suits wardrobe. She also looks fab in pencil skirt & blouse/shirt & jeans combo.

My friend (who knows more about dresses than me 🤣) said that it was a heavy/stiff satin and cut away from the body… I think she was deliberately aiming for something but I didn’t think whatever that was worked