I, along with more than two billion other viewers, tuned in to watch Kate Middleton marry Prince William, heir to the British throne, on April 29th. Aside from the guest list and the ceremony itself, the most talked about element of the wedding was the fashion. Viewers around the world tuned in to see what (and who) Kate would wear on her big day. And she didn’t disappoint. The guests, however, are an entirely different story.
DO: look timeless
Sarah Burton, the creative director for the late Alexander McQueen, designed a classic yet modern dress for the bride-to-be. Middleton struck a balance between looking young and modern with the deep but classy V-neck, and wearing something suitable for Westminster Abbey. Channeling fellow commoner-becomes-princess Grace Kelly, Middleton opted for a tight fitting top that showed off her slim (and shrinking?) figure, a full skirt and handmade elegant lace sleeves. To top it off, the newly crowned Duchess of Cambridge wore a vintage Cartier tiara that has been with the royal family since the reign of King George VI.
DON’T: wear a sculpture on your head
One of the biggest trends of the Royal Wedding was hats – anything-but-ordinary hats. Many of these hats were stylish like those worn by Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece and Victoria Beckham aka Posh Spice.
However, the most buzzed about headwear belong to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, the daughters of Prince Andrew, Duke of York (brother of HRH Charles, Prince of Wales) and Sarah “Fergie”, Duchess of York. While the younger of the sisters, Eugenie, sported a cobalt blue, Peter Pan-like hat complete with a purple rose and white feathers, Beatrice opted for a hat that led people to ask, “Are those antlers on her head?” The piece that sat upon Beatrice’s head, designed by Philip Treacy, even launched a Facebook page entitled, “Princess Beatrice’s ridiculous Royal Wedding hat” that has gone viral with thousands of Facebook users “liking” it. You know you’ve committed a fashion faux paz if it’s Facebook official.
DO dress for the season
Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II looked radiant in her canary yellow primrose dress and matching coat for the spring wedding of her grandson, Prince William. The hand-sewn beading at the neck of the dress was in the shape of sunrays,
The Queen accessorized with white gloves and pearls, which added a ladylike, timeless elegance. And to top it off, Her Royal Highness wore a matching yellow hat, albeit much less extravagant then Princess Beatrice’s hat, which was decorated with silk roses.