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Duchess Kate is spending more of Charles’ money on high-end clothes this year

2016 has brought us a “new and improved” Duchess of Cambridge, or so her PR would have us believe. Five years into her role as duchess, Kate is supposed to be feeling more comfortable in her royal role. We’re also supposed to believe that she’s successfully transitioned from her mass-market High Street looks to more expensive and sophisticated designer clothes. Personally, I don’t see much of a difference in her style in the past few years other than the price tags. Which I suspect is the point of this piece at the Daily Mail. While Prince Harry is shopping the bargain bins at Waitrose, Kate is spending her father-in-law’s money on undercooked cinnamon bun hats and doily dresses. She was once hailed ‘Queen of the High Street’ for championing mid-range clothes within reach of the average woman’s budget. But the Duchess of Cambridge has been re-crowned the ‘Designer Duchess’ after replacing her trusted Zara dresses and Topshop bargains with haute couture. Once a reluctant style icon, Kate –who famously wore a £50 blue Zara dress the day after her wedding – is now almost exclusively choosing high-end gowns, coats and shoes. And the 34-year-old’s new tastes do not come cheap. Much of her working wardrobe is paid for by the Prince of Wales, who funds William, Kate and Harry’s official activities. Royal accounts published last week show Charles’s ‘other expenditure’, which includes money spent on Kate and his sons, rose 9.5 per cent in a year to £3.2 million – although aides refused to specify how much of that went on Kate’s wardrobe. The transition has come with the help of an in-house tailor and her personal dresser, 29-year-old Natasha Archer, also based in Kensington Palace. The most expensive item Kate has been seen in this year was a £7,000 pale blue Catherine Walker coat dress, which she wore to the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral last month. While her clothes are now of a better quality, she is increasingly ‘recycling’ outfits she has worn before, including a £2,000 cream-coloured Alexander McQueen coat dress seen at Trooping the Colour in June. And she has finally ditched her trusty £145 LK Bennett court shoes in favour of pumps by Milan-based Gianvito Rossi, costing about £450. ‘Kate is wearing pricier pieces for semi-formal engagements,’ says Susan Kelley, editor of the website What Kate Wore. ‘We’ve seen her in three Dolce & Gabbana lace dresses in the past year which cost more than £6,000 in total. Now, almost all of her special occasion dresses are upscale, luxury labels.’ [From The Daily Mail] I understand that her wardrobe is supposed to be seen as a “years-long transition,” rather than an overnight change from middle-class girlfriend to high-end duchess. But what strikes me about Kate’s wardrobe is that you really can’t tell which pieces are high-end and which pieces are mass market, and I don’t mean that as a compliment. Some women – the Diane Krugers and Cate Blanchetts of the world – can make inexpensive clothes look rich. Some women – like Kate – make high-end pieces look mass-market. One of the biggest issues with Kate’s clothes is how much she’s spending on personalized tailoring, most of which is unneeded. Or worse yet, the tailoring actually screws up the look. And you have to look no further than her absolutely awful bespoke piece at the Battle of Somme centenary event last Friday to see that this is Kate’s (expensive) vision for how she’s supposed to look. All with Charles’ money! Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.

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Duchess Kate wears a $2900 zig-zag Missoni coat at WWI memorial

Embed from Getty Images On Thursday evening, Prince Harry, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge arrived at Thiepval memorial to the Missing in France to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Somme during World War I. Tributes were also held in London, with the Queen, Prince Philip and David Cameron all attending a service at Westminster Abbey. The younger royals got sent to France though, which is how it should be. I’ve come to expect Harry at these kind of somber military events, but the Cambridges usually don’t pull this kind of duty. I think Kate looks nice here. She wore this Missoni coat which probably retails for something like $2900, although she’s likely had it significantly altered. But I like that it’s memorial-appropriate but it’s not just solid-black. She managed to stand out but not be disrespectful. And hey, at least she wasn’t wearing hot pink. She gets bonus points from me for wearing her hair back, wearing a fascinator that didn’t look like an undercooked cinnamon bun, and for keeping her accessories very simple. She might not look like Barbie Duchess, but she looked respectful of the event. What else? Prince William made a speech and as I was skimming the text, I was like “whoa, politics!” Take a gander: “One hundred years ago tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. the British army attacked German lines across these fields. To the young men eager to fight it was known as the ‘Big Push.’ The joint British and French offensive intended to put unbearable pressure on the German army and hasten an end to the war. Most of those who went over the top that day were wartime volunteers. Some as young as 16. Some had already seen action. For others the Somme was their first experience of battle. By the end of the 1st of July the British Army had sustained almost 60,00 casualties, of whom nearly one third had died. We lost the flower of a generation. And in the years to come it sometimes seemed that with them a sense of vital optimism had disappeared forever from British life. It was, in many ways, the saddest day in the long story of our nation. “Tonight we think of them as they nerved themselves for what lay ahead. We acknowledge the failures of European governments, including our own, to prevent the catastrophe of World War. We offer our humblest respects to each man who fought in the Battle of the Somme from every corner of the British Isles and from across the Commonwealth. We honor those whose names are recorded on this memorial. More than 72,000 who have no know grave. And to those who lie buried in Commonwealth war cemeteries. And tonight we stand here with a promise to those men. We will remember you. The gift you gave your country is treasured by every one of us this day. The sacrifice you made will never, ever, be forgotten.” [From People] “We acknowledge the failures of European governments, including our own, to prevent the catastrophe of World War…” That felt pointed, right? Props to William for acknowledging the lack of leadership that caused so many young men to die in that dreadful battle. And if people want to believe he’s just making a reference to the lack of leadership 100 years ago, so be it. But maybe he’s talking about a lack of leadership today. Bregrexit! Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Photos courtesy of Getty.

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Duchess Kate repeats a red Catherine Walker ensemble: fab or drab?

RED HEELS!!!!!! Duchess Kate is wearing red heels! No wedges of doom. No nude pumps. No beige stilettos. She’s wearing honest-to-God red heels! And they’re good, aren’t they? I also have to say, I’ve always had a great deal of affection for Kate in red. She wears a lot of blue, probably because she A) thinks blue is her signature color and B) wants everything to match Big Blue, her sapphire engagement ring. But red looks amazing on her and she wears it too infrequently. These photos are from yesterday’s Order of the Garter ceremony at Windsor Castle, William and Kate’s fourth public outing in as many days. Kate’s Catherine Walker dress and coat were repeats, but I actually didn’t remember them. She wore this ensemble for the first time in 2011, during her first royal tour to Canada. She actually styled it differently this time too – she wore her hair back and she wore a rather fancy hat. She accessorized with the same diamond drop earrings that she wore for her wedding (purchased as a gift by her parents), a silver pendant (which she has been wearing a lot lately) and an Art Deco-ish bracelet, which we’ve seen before. I’m totally fine with the whole look. And I’ll say again: she should seriously consider adding more red pieces to her wardrobe. And just say no to nude heels! Meanwhile, Vanity Fair reports that William and Kate will be stopping by the Royal Ascot this week “much to the Queen’s delight.” After a spectacular turn out for the Queen’s 90th birthday over the weekend, the royals will be out in full force again this week to celebrate Royal Ascot. Royal Watch has learned that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will make their debut at the annual race meet/high-society outing in Berkshire, much to the Queen’s delight. In the past, William and Kate have always turned down offers to join the Queen and her guests in the Royal Enclosure, but this year they are turning out as a birthday surprise for the Queen, who has attended every Royal Meeting at the Ascot during her reign. “They know how much Ascot means to the Queen and they will be there for one day this week,” says a source about the event, which commences Tuesday. “They will enjoy an afternoon in the royal box with Her Majesty.” [From Vanity Fair] What’s interesting to me is that the Queen has requested their presence apparently multiple times over the past five years and they were always too “busy,” I suppose? I always imagined that when the Queen asks you to go somewhere, it’s not a request, it’s an order. However will William and Kate recuperate from this harried work schedule? I mean, they’ll be doing five events in one week! That’s a lot of keen-ness. Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News.

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Duchess Kate in a Catherine Walker coatdress at St. Paul’s: cute or cloying?

Here are some photos of the Duchess of Cambridge and other royals today at St. Paul’s Cathedral. They attended a service of thanksgiving for Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday, which is funny because today is actually the Duke of Edinburgh’s 95th birthday. But today is the start of a three-day celebration for the Queen, her birthday and her historic reign. In addition to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, this church service was also attended by the York princesses, Prince Harry, the Prince of Wales, the Countess of Wessex, the Duke of York, the Princess Royal, the Duchess of Cornwall, Zara Phillips, Tony Blair, David Cameron and John Major. You can see the Daily Mail’s photos here. While the Queen wore a bright yellow, Kate decided on a more muted palate. She chose this light blue Catherine Walker coatdress, because Kate is obsessed with coatdresses. The white, lacy lattice-work down the front is not my cup of tea, but I think the look is appropriate for a morning church service. The thing that bugs me most of all is that I believe with all my heart that Kate had the hem raised so she could show off more leg, and whomever did it made a hash of it – look at how uneven that looks! Kate’s hat is by Jane Taylor, and Kate paired the ensemble with a pair of much-beloved nude heels. I have to say… the York princesses looked fantastic this morning. The Duke of York, not so much. Photos courtesy of WENN.

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Duchess Kate repeats a McQueen for the Queen’s garden party: cute or meh?

I wouldn’t have even used this ^^ photo but the @KensingtonRoyal Twitter account actually posted this pic to promote the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s appearance at Tuesday’s Buckingham Palace garden party. Isn’t that interesting? The KensingtonRoyal account – the official account for Will, Kate and Harry – is often accused of cherry-picking particular images that reflect the younger royals as looking particular good and/or engaged. But this photo seems particularly unfortunate for Kate – it’s almost like the KP press office is just owning the fact that this is Kate’s Social-Interaction-Face. As for Will and Kate’s appearance at the palace yesterday, Kate has been to the annual garden party several times before, but this is William’s first time. I would suspect that, if pressed, his press office would say that this is the first time he’s ever had an opening in his diary to attend! Kate repeated an Alexander McQueen coatdress which we saw back in 2013, for Prince George’s christening. I didn’t really care for it then, and I really don’t care for it now. The boob ruffle is just odd, and whenever Kate tries to move her arms (to touch her hair, or whatever), the coat bunches up in weird places. The whole thing looks sloppy, and it’s not just the sh-tty tailoring. It’s the design! Why would anyone want a big, vertical ruffle down their chest? Will and Kate also chatted with some medical personnel at the garden party, because apparently the “support” OBGYNs who delivered George and Charlotte were there. Maybe this makes me sound prissy, but I would not want to socialize with my gyno at a garden party at the palace. That just seems awkward and unnecessary. You can read some quotes from the doctors here. They’re very forthcoming with details about the lead-up to the royal births. Also, check out the refreshments at the garden party! I hope Will and Kate are taking notes on the Queen’s refreshments – when Will and Kate hosted a get-together before their India-Bhutan tour, the refreshments were really struggling. That strawberry (??) cake looks AMAZING. ? A selection of the cakes available to guests at today's Garden Party pic.twitter.com/E1ZL1KaYtX — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 24, 2016 Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Photos courtesy of @KensingtonRoyal and Getty.

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Bethenny Frankel’s Botox doctor explains how he achieved her new look

Earlier this week, Bethenny Frankel admitted to getting Botox to reshape her jaw. It was refreshing to hear a celebrity own up to injectables, as so many try to fib and attribute their altered faces to skin care, diet or weight loss. (Looking at you, Olivia Munn.) Bethenny explained that her dermatologist told her that her jaw was too “tense” due to habitually grinding her teeth. She said “About three years ago, my dermatologist said to me, why don’t we try injecting your jaw because it’s so tense.” The result is that her face looks more filled out, her cheeks are less prominent and she does look “better.” Radar Online was able to get Bethenny’s dermatologist to speak about her procedures on the record, and he explained it as an aesthetic decision to bring her jaw more in proportion to the rest of her face. Botox doc — Manhattan dermatologist Dr. Howard Sobel — is exclusively telling all to RadarOnline.com about his client’s injections. “Botox can be injected in the Masseter muscle, right above the jawline. This is often done to correct the discomfort and tensions of TMJ, specifically what I did for Bethenny.” Dr. Sobel, the founder of DDF Skincare, explains to Radar. The professional admits the 45-year-old mom’s face has changed shape. “Bethenny’s jawline was very prominent and not in proportion to her cheeks,” he says, adding that he injected small amounts of Botox over a period of months to atrophy the muscle. “By shrinking the Masseter muscle down slowly, her cheeks became more prominent than the squareness of her jaw, resulting in a softer, more feminine look.” Dr. Sobel would not comment on any other services the outspoken star may have received. Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Susan Evans— who has never treated the star— recently told Radar that she believes she has gotten cheek implants or fillers, in addition to a chin implant and eye lift. [From Radar Online] It doesn’t seem like Dr. Sobel really read Bethenny’s interview or he would have said something about her bruxism, but the end result is the same and she probably did get some relief from her tense muscles. It doesn’t sound like it was the reason he originally presented to her as she claimed, but whatever. I love how Radar adds another surgeon who speculates that Bethenny probably had a bunch of other things done too. In related news, Bethenny skewered Sonja Morgan on the last episode of Real Housewives of NY. Apparently Sonja has a prosecco brand called “Tipsy Girl” which enraged Bethenny for potentially capitalizing on the success of her alcohol and lifestyle brand, “Skinny Girl.” Bethenny had Sonja in tears as she said “When a brand rides on the coattails of another brand and kind of uses a similar name, they call it a cheater brand.” She then dismissed it by adding “You can’t affect my business at all. It doesn’t matter,” but told Sonja she wanted nothing to do with her at all. Bethenny has since penned a blog calling Sonja “sad,” bragging about her business ventures and claiming she welcomes competition. It doesn’t sound like it. These Real Housewives should go into business helping women decide what kind of Botox, fillers and plastic surgery to get. I just googled that, and plastic surgery advice coaches are a real thing. Obviously Bethenny couldn’t do this because you have to be good with people, but there’s definitely a call for it. Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images

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Duchess Kate wears decade-old boots, skinny jeans for Bhutan hike: cute?

Embed from Getty Images It’s been said before, but it’s worth repeating: the Duchess of Cambridge is at her best when she gets to do something athletic. When the photo-op involves running, hiking or being sporty, she does well. So these photos are totally fine with me – William and Kate took a three-hour hike today in Bhutan. It was an uphill climb/hike to the Tiger’s Nest monastery built into a clifftop. It’s one of the biggest tourist sites in Bhutan, which brings me to another point that a lot of the royal reporters have been making… just like Will and Kate’s Australia/New Zealand tour two years ago, this tour has seemingly involved a lot of tourist activities, almost like this is a government-sponsored vacation. Of course Will and Kate wanted to see the Tiger’s Nest and of course they enjoyed themselves. But don’t call it a royal tour, you know? Call it what it is: a vacation. For the hours-long hike, Kate chose a decent ensemble. Meaning, at least she didn’t attempt a lengthy hike in wedges or heels. She actually pulled out some brown Penelope Chilvers boots which she’s had in her closet for more than a decade. Kate was actually wearing these boots in one of her most famous college-era photos (go here to see). The boots cost £475. She paired her old boots with skinny jeans (that likely have some stretch), a simple white blouse and the £495 Nubuck vest/waistcoat. I don’t understand why a three-hour hike wouldn’t have been a perfect moment for a ponytail, but then again, I’m not a duchess. Apparently, as they were hiking, Kate joked that they were “burning off the curry.” The Daily Mail also points out that William was working up a sweat but that Kate is so sporty that she was breezing through the hike. I love that the @KensingtonRoyal Twitter manager posted the butt shot like that was the big take-away image from the hike. TRH hiked to the top of the mountain, and were taken by monks through the temples at the monastery #RoyalVisitBhutan pic.twitter.com/7Fy6nnXEPS — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 15, 2016 Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Photos courtesy of Getty.