Shoulder puffs, goth princess vibes, and one royal slip-up. Even an icon of elegance like
Princess Catherine occasionally drops the ball when it comes to fashion!
"I invite you you all to rise and drink a toast
to President Ramaphosa and to the people of South Africa."
If there's one thing that Princess Catherine knows how to do well, it's evening wear. Just
think of the dress she wore while honoring South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa
during her first official state dinner as the Princess of Wales: the tailored bodice,
the bold cape detailing, and the tiara, in which she simply looked stunning. In many ways,
Catherine is working against her own standards, making her choice in 2016 a bit disappointing.
Here's Catherine's look that she chose while attending the British premiere of "A
Street Cat Named Bob." The event was to raise money and awareness for addiction recovery,
and though the evening was supporting an incredibly good cause and Catherine
looked the part, this ensemble certainly was not her best.
Starting with the bodice of the dress, its lace appliqué detailing screamed more matronly than
then-Duchess of Cambridge in all her fashionable glory. If you look a little bit more closely,
the top doesn't actually fit her particularly well, gaping a bit at the sleeves and shoulder
line. Moving to the sleeves, the length is a little long, cutting off Catherine's wrists
in most of the photos. The pleated skirt makes this dress even more dated, and not in a chic,
vintage way — and given how well she can rock an evening look, this one did not do her justice.
An element of fashion is all about experimentation,
and we'll certainly give it to Princess Catherine that she has tried a bunch of
different styles over the years — not an easy thing to do when you're in the public eye.
From her early aught looks to rocking affordable streetwear to the designer
pantsuits she wears today, Catherine has certainly worn a lot of different fashion hats,
but this look from 2012 was not successful. The then-Duchess of Cambridge attempted to pull off
this green midi-dress while attending the official opening of the Natural History
Museum's Treasures Galleries. As it wasn't a formal event or state dinner, Catherine
was able to wear something a bit more fun and flirty — but this green dress was simply not it.
Breaking it down, the color is ... a choice. Though we applaud her for taking risks,
this bold color really distracts from Catherine's delicate features and is striking in a way that
doesn't leave you saying, "Wow." The cut of the dress is also a bit bulky on her,
as the sleeves drape at the elbows and make her look far boxier. Capping off this unflattering
look, Catherine's hairstyle at the time really distracted from her beauty, as her heavy curtain
bangs covered much of her eye and cheekbone area. Overall, this look didn't serve her at all.
Princess Catherine's current era of impeccably tailored suits, fitted coats, and designer labels
is 10 out of 10, and we understand that it took some time to get there. However,
there are certain looks that really didn't do her justice, and this is one of them.
While attending the "Back to Nature" festival hosted at the RHS Garden Wisley in 2019,
Catherine wore this pale blue and pink dress, belted at the waist, with her auburn hair
flowing in the wind behind her. Based on the expressions of the people behind her,
everyone was thrilled to make her acquaintance, but this ensemble really isn't flattering on her.
Attending a festival with nature at the center of it is certainly an opportunity to dress in
florals, but Catherine's attempt on this day in particular screamed
"retirement home" rather than "let's save the environment." The belt in particular — as it
is quite thick with a large buckle — is very dated given that she wore this look in 2019,
and the pink bouquets are really quite distracting. The fit is fine
and nothing to rave about, but there are just a few too many elements.
Though her role as a senior member of the royal family is ultimately in service of the monarchy,
Princess Catherine has made a distinct point to bring attention to children's
issues over the years. Her advocacy has been vital, and we, for one,
love that about her. Looking solely at her outfit choice for this charity event,
however, brings less of a glowing review, as it was simply not doing her any favors.
On this particular occasion, Catherine was in attendance at the 2015 Place2Be
Headteacher Conference in London. A patron of the charity, Catherine was
there specifically to bring more attention to children's mental health. Unfortunately,
her outfit didn't do her justice. Starting with the top, the blue-gray color is quite nice,
but the aquamarine detailing around the cuffs and collar is really bulky and distracting,
and dare we say a little cheap looking. The tailoring is also very off,
with bulky material gathering at her shoulders and collarbone area.
Moving down to the skirt, the peplum accent is fine, but the actual fit of
the skirt is also very bulky around her waist and hips. We're definitely not saying that she
needed to wear something skintight, but for such a high-profile person,
the tailoring of this look — or lack thereof — was very unflattering. To make matters worse,
it was incredibly windy on the day in question, messing up Catherine's hair.
While attending a COVID-19 vaccination center in March 2021 at Westminster Abbey,
Princess Catherine wore this cream colored coat and dark tan heels, listening to the
religious leaders explain the comings and goings of the center alongside her husband,
Prince William. And while the work she was there to do was extremely important,
this outfit really did not do her any justice.
We're all for a coat dress, and Catherine has rocked some impeccable looks over the years,
but this choice wasn't a flattering one. Starting with the color, the yellowish tinge
really washed her out, as Catherine is rather fair in complexion. This coat dress in black,
or even in a deep royal blue, would've been a step in the right direction. Looking at
the material of the coat dress, the subtle detailing really looks more like a quilt
you'd find in an old person's home rather than on the back of one of the most stylish women.
And lastly, looking at the fit, the material comes across as very heavy,
almost weighing the princess down unnecessarily. Overall, not her best look.
This dress that Princess Catherine wore in 2019 could really go either way as to
whether you love it or hate it. We don't mind it, but if you take a step back and look at the
dress as a whole, it really doesn't flatter the princess in the ways in which it could.
Catherine, then the Duchess of Cambridge, wore this dress while attending the Royal Variety
Performance held at the Palladium Theatre on November 18, 2019. Certainly an occasion to
dress up for, she stepped out in the black lace number which featured 1980s-era shoulder puffs,
with her auburn hair curled to the nines. There are elements of this look that could work,
but when it comes to the collective whole, it really doesn't suit the princess.
For starters, the puffy sleeve detailing dates the dress unnecessarily,
and the lace screams more doily than anything else. The bold black décolletage and waist
detailing cuts Catherine's torso in ways that a chic, fitted lace dress wouldn't,
and her curled hair — and its length — is definitely competing with the sleeves and
neckline. There are elements of this look that work, but collectively, it's not harmonious.
"I actually went bright red when I met you,
and sort of scuttled off feeling very shy about — about meeting you."
Before she was the Princess of Wales, Catherine was Kate Middleton, Prince William's girlfriend
from St. Andrews University that everyone wanted to know more about. Though she was technically
a commoner, Catherine came from a well-to-do family that owned a lucrative business. As such,
she was able to attend prep school and, later, the prestigious university in Scotland where she
just so happened to find her prince, literally. As she and William were connected publicly by 2004,
Catherine started popping up on the aristocratic circuit, including this pictured 2007 visit.
Attending day one of the Cheltenham Horse Racing Festival on March 13,
2007, Catherine truly embraced the fashion of the time and rocked
head-to-toe brown — though it really was not flattering, in retrospect.
Starting with the silhouette, the skirt length on Catherine's figure made her
look shorter than she actually is. Catherine is quite tall, standing at 5'9”. Cutting her
off at the mid-calf while bleeding into the boots she chose for the occasion,
the look from the waist down did not flatter Catherine's natural, graceful look. Meanwhile,
the jacket, though nicely fitted, also hit her at an odd spot just below the waistline,
messing up the proportions even more. Along with the 2000s sunnies, this wasn't her best look.
One thing about the wind is that it does not discriminate,
so we'll let those little fashion faux pas slip. But, as shown, Princess Catherine's
fashion look while attending a wedding in 2008 is absolutely not her best look,
which is surprising considering the heightened importance of the event she was attending.
Pictured on July 19, Catherine was walking to the nuptials of Lady Rose Windsor, the daughter
of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester and George Gilman. Appropriately held at The Queen's Chapel,
Catherine's attendance was certainly not surprising, as she was the steady girlfriend
of Prince William at the time. However, her outfit for the occasion did not do her justice,
and the wind blowing up her skirt and exposing her slip made a bad situation worse.
Wearing a multi-patterned dress that screams Wet Seal, Catherine paired the look with an
oddly positioned blazer that cut her off right at the hip line. Wearing a
fascinator — as is typical for a royal wedding — Catherine's headpiece choice
screams early-2000s goth princess rather than royal wedding chic, and her hair
definitely suffered from the blustery conditions as well. Overall, this look was incredibly
disjointed for the now-princess, and we're glad that we haven't seen the likes of it since.