On Tuesday, we discussed the appearance of the Cambridges and Sussexes at a Buckingham Palace reception marking the anniversary of Prince Charles’ investiture as the Prince of Wales. Meghan wore a cute brocade dress and an Amanda Wakeley coat. I thought she looked great. On the other hand, Kate wore a dress that felt very familiar and very dated. Going off unreliable designer IDs found on Twitter, I suggested that the dress was possibly Beulah London, because (as certain tweets pointed out), Kate has a few dresses from that label which looked strikingly similar to this. As it turns out, NOPE. She had this dress made with a private dressmaker! Kate has done that before, had things specially made for her, but it doesn’t happen that often.
One of the Duchess of Cambridge’s recent ensembles a pale blue dress she wore to the 50th anniversary of Prince Charles’ Investiture on Tuesday, March 5, did not have a big — or even small— design house behind it. The Sun’s royal correspondent Emily Andrews Tweeted on Tuesday morning that the anniversary dress was created by a “private dressmaker.”
Unlike the Queen’s go-to creators, the name and identity of Middleton’s remains a mystery— one we cannot wait to solve. After all, she or he created a pretty memorable and gorgeous look.
The fact that she went to a private dressmaker is notable but not particularly scandalous. The fact that she went to a private dressmaker to make THIS dress is notable AND scandalous. She could have found this exact dress in a vintage shop or any kind of thrift shop with a healthy clothing section with ‘80s styles. Kate literally went to a dressmaker and requested MORE BUTTONS and a high, ruffled neck and ‘80s secretary vibes. My God.
Here are a few more photos of Kate in Blackpool yesterday, after the rain. It turns out that the Sportmax coat was a repeat (forgive me for not recognizing a coat that looks the same as about ten other coats in her closet), and her “peacock” patterned dress was Michael Kors. I hope she rewears the Kors dress because I want to see the whole thing in motion. It looks pretty – great colors – but it also looks very “Kate.”
Photos courtesy of WENN, Avalon Red.
That is Ulyana Sergeenko’s dress
the fabric looks different
Why they don’t ID the dress? Somebody copied Ulyana? Or it’s Ulyana and they don’t wanna say for another reason?
If it is Ulyana Sergeenko’s dress, I can think of two good reasons why they wouldn’t want to say it: UK-Russian relations have been awful for a while now, and that racist note she wrote in couture week in Paris last year.
But I strongly suspect it isn’t, as I would hope Kate’s team would know better than to go there (although after D&G etc, maybe not).
@Tina what is worse? Buy and hide the name of the designer for any reason, which I believe is the price; or asking someone else to copy the dress and having people talk about it?
@Char, I don’t know – I can’t imagine that the price would be the issue. I also don’t think it’s that distinctive a dress, it looks like a million 1980s dresses to me. But I’m not a dressmaker.
she’s looking younger because she’s using much botox. you can really see it in these photos where she’s raising her forehead in that expression but has no forehead lines. Im not hating on her-I use botox too-Im just noting it because people keep saying she looks younger and refreshed and radiant or whatever-she’s got about 30cc’s of botox in her forehead.
edited to add: they need to shave that fuzz off williams’ head. it just looks terrible. just have a smooth bald patch for gods sake and own it.
This is it. There is nothing wrong with using Botox. It’s pretending that suddenly it’s new makeup or cream that has suddenly removed lines that is the problem. Women are shamed enough about aging as it is that unhealthy to pretend there are quick fixes. There should also be more acknowledgment of the inevitably of aging and wrinkles because not everyone can afford to use Botox consistently or even want to use it at all.
I like Kate a lot but I’m sorry, she does look far older than she is. Her forehead is smooth but her under-eye area looks like that of a woman in her late 40s at best.
Seriously you feel she should announce she’s using botox. Sure that will go over like a lead balloon.
Not trying to be argumentative, as I don’t really know Botox from butter in most cases, but hand on heart, only the other day I thought to myself that Kate has a markedly lined forehead (and I immediately thought ‘Eat more oils’!)
Maybe it was particularly harsh lighting, or even mean a Photoshop amendment.
I am always amazed at how people can spot fillers etc, where the work is at non-Madonna levels.
In this photo here, I thought she just looked momentarily glazed over; you know, like a sudden brain freeze? 🙂
@Nic, i agree!
Gunnie Sax.
Totally! I personally really like the look.
Nah, I love Ulyanna Sergeenko, this is not that. I’ll lay money that it’s Sarah Burton. Look at the cuffs on the sleeves and the fabric. They are the same touches and general shape that she added to the schmatta Kate wore to Pippa’s wedding. I would imagine that McQueen is pivoting to having Sarah make the clothes under her own name in order to stop the brand dilution. The DM identified it as McQueen and they are probably at least partially right. There are likely a few things at play here: the price ticks up if it’s an actual McQueen, Kate gets a lot of criticism (rightly) for commissioning multiple generic and off brand “bespoke” pieces made by an unnecessarily expensive design house, and McQueen has been trying to get back on track, creatively, since Lee’s death. Churning out generic coats and dresses for an institution Lee despised is not the way to do it. Having Sarah make the clothes anonymously takes care of everyone’s problems. They could have just baked the dressmakers. That they didn’t is suspicious.
Great eye and excellent points.
No matter who technically made it, she absolutely knocked off Sergeenko’s dress. Shameful.
I think Sergeenko has a much more distinctive and modern take on retro style than this. I had one of her dresses in my hands a few years ago and, not only was it beautiful, it had a modern twist. None of this washed out sloppy sister wives look. Kate doesn’t have the gravitas for clothes with personality. She does best when she’s wearing unidentifiable separates- which has only happened a small handful of times.
@Ahoy I am not familiar with this designer at all, but if you scroll down to “Update #2” in this link you can see the specific dress which people are referring to in this case:
https://whatkatewore.com/2019/03/05/kate-in-soft-blue-for-prince-of-wales-buckingham-palace-reception/
Holy cow @Lorelei, I hadn’t seen that collection but you’re right, that’s a straight rip off. But the Sergeenko is far superior. God, Kate is clueless. Why not wear one of her other thousand blue dresses?
I am legitimately worried, this is a totally generic dress, pls explain.
(Also if anyone is asking, I totally approve of Presidents Putin and Erdogan, also Stalin was great, nothing to see here).
Having that dress privately made from scratch isn’t great since she has at least one that’s almost identical. On the other hand, bespoke dresses are apparently free, so there’s that!
Heavy sarcasm aside, is it my screen or does the skirt look a bit sheer in that photo?
You can see a difference above the hem, so it looks like it has a lining
you’re spot on about the bespoke thing – It’s almost like the Royals think if they say it’s bespoke, custom or privately made, then taxpayers won’t question the price!
There is really no reason for any of them to be wearing bespoke/custom etc anything unless it’s for a black tie gala.
I agree re: bespoke and custom. I have to admit, if I was a royal, part of me would be like ALL CUSTOM ALL THE TIME! but in reality – its one thing to get custom for state dinners, a major gala, maybe something like the Trooping, but Kate AND Meghan really go overboard with it.
so does the Queen frankly. everyday “work” clothing does not need to be bespoke. It makes them all seem so out of touch
I think the tailor made price depends on the tailor. For example if they’re buying pret-a-porter McQueen, Erdem, Givenchy they’re spending more than a local tailors custom dress because they’re not paying for brand markup.
Compared to high-street brands, yes, it’s more expensive.
Diana wore a lot of custom-made. It was fun to watch, sort of like when I was a kid & my mom made variations from one Simplicity pattern. You can see that in a lot of Diana’s dresses, at least in the early years.
Not when you are Meghan….she’s gotten most of her bespoke clothing priced
Didnt she also wear a dress from a seamstress? I think it is good idea, no tags and no couture. Camilla and queen do it
Yes, it’s so mystifying how the tabloids will put a price on Meghan’s bespoke clothing but not that of Kate, Camilla or the Queen.
Kate’s bespoke is often priced. Look back at her yearly total articles and you’ll find it. It’s usually priced if designer is known based off similar or inquiries with the designer. Unknown designer/tailor – unknown price. Same with Meghan’s brocade dress from this event being unknown.
The tabloids don’t do the year-end work themselves, they just “report” on other people’s work. I’m talking about examples like this, where Meghan’s supposed “inspiration” for Kate’s dress is given a price, but Kate’s bespoke McQueen isn’t: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6690587/Did-Kate-Middleton-copy-Meghan-Markle-Alexander-McQueen-BAFTA-dress.html
@tina in that article they based the price off the ready to wear similar style. Kates is obviously not like any mcqueen ready to wear as its so un-mcqueen, there’s nothing to compare to. I get what you’re saying but at the end of the year Daily Mail makes up estimations on all the bespoke items in their totals and have for years. I think they’re unfair to Meghan in many ways, but they like to up the “scrounger” comments with price tags whenever they can assign them to either lady.
@Eliza but that’s the case for all of Kate’s McQueen bespoke clothing (and there’s a lot of it). The Daily Mail used to like to give Kate the “scrounger” tag but not any more, not since Meghan’s been on the scene. Since then, they have (for example) priced Meghan’s Stella McCartney reception gown, but none of Kate’s bespoke McQueen.
Kate’s stuff used to be priced more before Meghan came on the scene. Then suddenly her outfits didn’t have prices referenced and six figures were assigned to things worn by Meghan. It’s not subtle. Price it all for both or for neither.
There is a story to be had on the cost of clothing of all royals, but the tabloids are too lazy to do the work and the blogs are very biased.
Hell, they were pricing clothing Meghan had owned for years. It’s ridiculous and obvious.
Glad to see someone else calling it ‘pale blue’. I never saw the ‘mint green’, lol. She really does has similar things to this though. Forget finding one in a thrift shop, she could find three in her closet.
LOL! I don’t see blue but mint green. It’s like the optical illusion dress that wentviral on FB a few years ago.
I’m now on my tablet in a waiting room and totally see the mint green. Must be a color difference in my computer screen.
Geez, I see mint green too! I like the dress. It suits her and she looks comfortable in it. Isn’t that the definition of style?
I see a green leaning blue. I think everyone is kind of right – it’s not full blown mint, but it’s also not just light blue.
Yeah, it’s gray blue. Drab gray blue.
So the way I envision it is, she took that Beulah dress from Malaysia in 2012, showed it to the dressmaker and said exactly what you posted – “like this – exact color and style – but lets add some buttons and more frills at the neck.” I know people insist that the 80s/90s are back, but that is not the same as looking dated. Here, she looked dated, and frankly, outdone by Anne and Camilla.
to end on a positive – I like the peacock dress. I said yesterday that I like when she seems to just dress like a professional woman, which is how her outfit yesterday struck me. Businesslike, practical, attractive, etc. The peacock dress is pretty and sort of has that vintage feel from what I can see, and very “Kate” but still has a modern vibe.
This is not a 1980’s dress style, though. 1880’s maybe…
@bythesea my thoughts align more with yours…..I’m just anticipating the defense of this dress, ha.
And to be honest, its not that I think she looks awful here. She doesn’t. Hair and makeup look good, and the dress, while not great and so close to other dresses in her closet, is not the worst thing she’s worn. I just cant imagine going to a private dressmaker and saying THIS! I want this!
I totally agree it is the Beulah dress redesigned and not in a good way. It’s a shame bc she cd have worn just about anything else. This makes her look droopy and seems like she doesn’t fit with the decor nor even the season. It is the first time I have seen her where I wonder why did she wear that, and have it designed even. I wondered if she had some kind of allergic skin condition where she needed to cover up and use lightweight fabric
You’re probably right, but why not just wear the Beulah dress in the first place? She is so ridiculous sometimes.
Literally this.
I’m guessing because the Beulah looks chintzy and even more dated than the sack she chose.
If she were smart, she would put all of her ‘iconic’ dresses up for auction to benedit that charity they got Ed Shheeran to save from her and buy a new wardrobe. This time of sensible, anonymous separates (in the right sizes, smh). The loonies who rabidly buy up her fashion would jump on this.
I don’t know if it’s just the camera but her smile always looks like a smug smirk to me.
I was thinking bored.
It might be just these photos, but the ones here from Blackpool do make it seem like she’s trying to look like she’s listening while there’s something completely different going on upstairs!
I think she just has a slightly crooked smile, which tends to read a little smug if you aren’t smiling with teeth. An unfortunate characteristic, though, in somebody whose job it is to look interested in the peasantry.
I said this a few weeks ago about Will and Harry, when someone mentioned that Harry often looks grumpy, and I think its true for Kate as well – she doesn’t have a good listening face. My listening face involves my eyebrows scrunching and my lips downturning (SUPER ATTRACTIVE) – a superior at my work once told me to stop because I was going to need botox in the future (gee, thanks…..)
Anyway, I think Meghan has a really good listening face. I think she does a good job of looking engaged and interested when she’s not talking. I don’t think Will, Harry or Kate have a good listening face. So I think often they look bored, grumpy, or like they aren’t paying attention, when they are just trying to look like they are especially interested.
I also think Kate’s botox probably doesn’t help, as noted above.
Kate always looks politely engaged to me. Not 100% in, but polite. William seems bored, and Harry, unless with children or young adults, grumpy. Meghan looks like she’s acting interested-and that’s the problem for me. It looks like she’s acting. It’s because her facial expression changes in a nanosecond to “must look like I’m concentrating very hard on the person in front of me.”
The DM linked this to the Queen using Angela Kelly. I think it may have actually been Angela Kelly. It would be very flattering to Kelly and to the Queen.
Eh…she has her own style and I commend her for sticking to it. It’s not a dress I would wear, but clearly she’s fond of the style.
exactly. I really like the way she dress.
“the name and identity of Middleton’s remains a mystery” Presumably because they are so ashamed to have made that dress.
She looks good in the bottom pics, great colour on her.
I thought she was wearing the same dress Pippa wore to Louis’ christening, but in a different colour! I can’t believe she had this done privately when, as you said, this design already exists under multiple brands.
That dress is hideous. Kate, Laura Ingalls called and wants her dress back.
Laura Ingalls’ dresses weren’t even that high-necked. I’m not even kidding!
Oh, wow. I remember going to a close family friend’s wedding in the 80s, and my younger sister wearing an almost identical dress in dove grey, with a little matching hat. She even had those dove-grey pantyhose-hose on, and looked like a, well, a…little dove. I think she’d seen Princess Diana in something similar, and she idolised Diana. Maybe these styles are making a comeback thanks to Duchess K? But why have specially made something that you already own in four different colours? It’s wasteful, and it’s ok to wear an outfit several times in public, even if you are married to a prince.
The only positive thing I can say about this frock is that at least it is a good length on her instead of those frumpy on-the-knees things she wears all the time. But other than that, it is just another sister-wife dress.
I would wear this dress in a heartbeat. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
Question 1: Does the Queen ever repeat her outfits? Her wardrobe must be HUGE…I don’t even see her mix and matching
Question 2: Is this because the “Kate effect” has effectively put so many businesses out of business that now she’s having her clothes made privately?
Question 3: If the Queen wore designer clothing (they wouldn’t make it in her size is my guess) would they go out of business too?
Not touching 2 and 3, but the Queen often repeats outfits. She’s worn her Wedgwood-inspired outfit several times.
Angela Kelly catalogues her wardrobe too so she knows what the queen actually has. Someone needs to do that for Kate.
Interesting idea re your point #2
Princess Anne is wearing outfits from 30 years ago.
The Queen has pretty well identical coats in all the colours of the rainbow. And she always wears the same shoes.
I actually like Kate’s dress. But then I am not determined to hate everything she does/wears.
ha. As a seamstress myself (or ‘sewist’ if you will), I wouldn’t want my name plastered across the media associating myself with this creation. Best to fly under the radar. I could make a dress like this, but I would refuse – it would be such a drag to do a commission piece that was absolutely HIDEOUS.
It’s a tragic vision from big hair to prairie dress to white graduation shoes.
She looks like Karen Carpenter. She was a singer in the 70s who wore granny dresses to cover up her eating disorder and had big hair. The connection didn’t hit me until just now.
Maybe a sister wife made it?
I think her “dressmaker” is Sarah Burton under her own name. The details are reminiscent of the style she’s been making for Kate. This way, McQueen doesn’t suffer from brand dilution and Kate doesn’t get criticism for wasting money on multiple highly expensive generic designs from a known design house- whose ethos she doesn’t share. The only way we know that any of her clothing was made at McQueen is that they tell us, besides that white coat dress from years ago, none of the items, including and especially her wedding dress, have any of the hallmarks of McQueen’s designs.
Honestly, I think having a personal seamstress is a good idea for Kate. Now she just has to know how to use her properly- making multiple dresses in related, recognizable designs is not why you have a seamstress.
My guess is you are right about Sarah Burton, Ahoyoy……..
I love Kate but why would you leave your house to have someone make that??!!?? I actually like the skirt, but there are so many elegant ways to do that bodice that would have made her look elegant/modern and they didn’t do any of it. It’s a missed opportunity for sure.
Really boring granny dress.
That dress is not a good look. So dated. As I stated, she looks like stepped off the McCall’s dress pattern book from the 70s.
The last pic where Wills is speaking and she looks like she’s in deep thought; I wonder if she is musing: THIS is what I waited for and wanted so badly????
It looks like a nightgown from little house on the prairie.
Guest, spot on. I wanted to add Little Prarie look too. Too funny!
Yes! Exactly right. Little House on the Prarie…sister wives edition.
OMFG, “Little House on the Prairie: Sister Wives Edition” — I am DYING 😂
Don’t mind the dress style, just the color was a snooze. She can look very stunning in other colors.
Did she do something to her face? The area around her eyebrows looks off/different.
I saw on instagram side-by-side comparisons of her wearing two other dresses that looked exactly the same as this one with only slightly different necklines. I don’t see why she would need to buy another one just as similar, let alone have it made.
That dress is so grandma style. Tragic.
The sleeves are quite a similar style to the sleeves on the dress she wore to Pippa’s wedding. She really sticks to what she likes.
Anyone remember Gunne Sax dresses from the 80’s?!? Kate would have been a shareholder!!
I just saw an article that Laura Ashley may be making a comeback. For the love of god, no.
My mother bought similar Sloane Ranger dresses in the 80s; it was Princess Di et al go-to look, pie-frill collars and all. I’m only surprised it doesn’t have a pussy-cat bow at the neck. But that might interfere with the buttons. (And does anyone remember the sailor dress trend? My inner eyes are still burning over those horrors.) Can’t Kate just Ebay “Laura Ashley 1980s” and save on the cost of a sempstress?
I sell vintage clothing for a living and I make an absolute killing with my shop.
This dress has elements of late 70’s/early 80’s styling but not completely. Its an interesting mix of modern does 70’s doing the 30’s.
But honestly there’s nothing being made these days that doesn’t do the exact same thing but just with different eras.
Funny how some are considered hip and other’s aren’t.
It’s all an easy paycheck for me though.
It doesn’t surprise me that you do well with vintage clothing. The quality and construction of clothing was far superior in the 20th century, at every price point. These days you don’t get excellent quality unless you’re paying thousands of dollars. It’s really gross how much people are charging for polyester fashions.
Oh, there’s a lot of polyester starting in the 70s, and it increased in the 80s
@Beaniebean, not on $1000 dresses there wasn’t. You can’t pick up a dress made in the last decade between $200 and $1000 without polyester. At $1,000, the clothing will have a mix of polyester, lined with polyester, at $500, the dresses are polyester, lined with polyester, and at $200, the dresses are polyester and unlined. It’s a travesty. The point of buying mid price point and higher clothing is so that it will last. With the lack of quality in today’s goods, it’s almost pointless to buy anything expensive.
Kate must be a fan of the movie 9 to 5. I swear Lily Tomlin wears a dress exactly like that in the movie.
This style of dress is very in right now. It may look dated to you, but if you head over to Net A Porter you’ll dozens of high priced versions of this same dress. She’s on point here people!
Literally she has something similar in her closet. She didn’t have to spend more money.
Being on Net a Porter doesn’t mean its a good dress lol. I did see her Missoni from last week there though.
But (and I said this yesterday) – its not just the dress, it has a lot to do with how Kate styled it. Remember one time maybe two years ago, Kate wore a dress (I cannot remember the brand, but it was a red patterned dress) and that day or the day before or something Drew Barrymore was photographed wearing it, and Drew just looked so much better in it. It was kind of a vintage-y dress like this (I think midi length, long sleeves) but Drew made it look fresh and stylish, and Kate did not. I think that’s the same thing here. I could see someone else wearing this dress and making it work (maybe).
The Tory Burch column she wore on the India tour. This is what I keep saying about Kate. She doesn’t have any natural style so she ends up looking like a fashion victim in her designer clothes. Anonymous clothing would look so much better on her and let people focus on her.
Here’s what happened.
Right after the wedding, Meg accidentally walked into Willy’s craft room. He was making a dress. A little mint-green / light-blue number with buttons and a high, frilly collar. She offered some suggestions on how to make it look a bit more modern. Long story short, things were never the same between them. After all, nobody criticizes smug Willy’s craftsmanship!
Since the sartorial standoff, things haven’t been the same in the family. Supposedly, Willy is also highly offended by Meghan’s ill-fitting outfits, as she never takes his advice to “just do one more fitting!!!”
Did she make him cry?
Yes, she did. I was there. I saw it.
Years ago she wore a white lace dress to Ascot that looked like Gunne Sax. Long sleeves and a ruffle at the hem line. It was couture!
Who(m)ever taught her about proportions needs to be poked with multiple sticks!
Also she has what 30 of these same exact style dresses! Custom? Seriously?
I have her same body type- tall, long torso, comparatively shorter legs. It’s not really a challenge to find flattering outfits, but normal tall girl things don’t look right- the cropped pants/heels/blouse/blazer look, that Kate loves so much, for example, does not look like it’s supposed to on us. High-waisted pants, high-waisted pencil skirts, pencil dresses and a little bit of extra weight around the hips helps tremendously. Swimmers bodies are kind of a pain in the neck. She finally got the proportions right with that trouser look over the holidays- she needs to stick with that
She often dresses like her mother and they have a completely different body type. She has yet to find a stylist to tell her what works best with her body type.
Man, I really hate commenting on what women wear (because we are more than that) but she makes it SO HARD. Whhhhhhhhhhhhhhhy does she dress so badly? UGH. It’s like her style is so terrible that it forces one to talk about it.
@Nina, geez if you “really hate” it so much, why do it? Why add to the unpleasantness of this world if you’re not even having fun doing it!
The peacock dress does look lovely though! Rich jewel tones really do so much for Kate than pastels. Pastels literally do nothing for her like more saturated colors do.
Would it be awesome if we ever saw Kate in some leather pants, great heels and a sexy top? She has such long legs, she would look amazing and modern and . . .fun!
She could look truly fabulous if she were to get some good advice.
Regardless of what we think of the dress, she’s smart to go with the “private dressmaker” because then no one can even GUESS at the price, and it counts as £0.00 when the clothing tallies are compiled.
She easily could have gotten the same exact dress off the rack, as we’ve seen, but she wants her numbers to always be lower than Meghan’s. This is a good (and by good I mean sneaky) way to do it. SMH
She is trying too hard. Such a bad taste.
I actually like this dress and think she looks lovely in it.
It is however very predictable.
I honestly wonder if this dress is actually *from* the ’80s…!
Maybe this dress is a hand-me-down from her mom, Carole? Perhaps it was actually made by Carole’s mother or a friend or even a professional seamstress for a special occasion?
Maybe that’s why they’re keeping the dressmaker’s name private?
Kate constantly dresses like her mom would have in the ’80s. I’ve been convinced for a long time that Carole is the person behind Kate’s “style”.
agree with everything you said !
Bespoke Ingalls.
Sorry, double post
This needs to be one of the Comments of the Week on the next podcast.
This is actually quite clever, because by getting it made by a private dressmaker, Kate can avoid the discussions about how much the outfit cost. She really has been paying attention to the backlash from the press aimed at Meghan, it seems. Too bad the dress isn’t actually great.
I think she has indeed been paying attention. It seems lately she and William are taking their duties a lot more seriously. They had been getting away with the bare minimum for years, and Meghan’s arrival and unrelenting work ethic have forced them to step up their game, I think it’s another reason William just doesn’t like her.
This is a really mean-spirited article… so unnecessary
The color and print of her peacock dress is pretty great. The green coat was meh. That pale minty dress is a tragedy. Limp. Sad. Twee. The fabric looks icky too. Just so cringeworthy. Also I cannot get past her eye brows that are jacked up to her forehead. OMG girl stop with the Botox! Her facial contortions are making me laugh.