Week in Review: Princess Nikolaos, 13-19 February

Here's what Tatiana wore from 13-19 February:

1.  a, b and c) in Vanity Fair (Spain). What's up with the leafy bits around the neck in 1a, huh?
2. a and b) Attending Samantha Cameron's reception for London Fashion Week at 10 Downing Street, 18 February. As per usual, I care only about the shoes, which are hot enough I'm willing to overlook the red bra peeking out from under the dress in 2a. You know I love Tatiana, but it has to be said: tone down the posing, please! You're at 10 Downing Street, not on the runway.

Best and Worst of the Week

Well, ball gowns always win, so 1b gets the week from me. (What a gorgeous pic, right?) I usually expect photoshoots to be styled to the top, which is why I am extra confused by 1c. Long sleeved shirt under a not-vest not-shirt contraption. No thank you.

Photos: Dave M. Benett/Getty Images/Vanity Fair

Tiara Thursday: The Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara

Welcome to our new feature, Tiara Thursdays! Created specifically for the indulgence of my inner magpie. (And yours, too!) Every Thursday until Kate and Will's Big Day, I'm highlighting some of the British royal family's tiaras that I'd like to see on Miss Catherine. Pure speculation and crossed fingers, of course. Won't you join in?

The only downside to being an ardent royal jewel fan: the secrecy. Those royal vaults are sealed so tightly, and no one wants to talk about these explicit markers of majesty - particularly not in these sorts of economic times. So we guess, and we hope that our favorite pieces have survived through the years.

This one, I'm afraid, might be pure hope.

On her wedding day, Queen Elizabeth received quite the sparkly avalanche of presents. Among the spoils were a diamond tiara and matching necklace from the Nizam of Hyderabad. Made by Cartier, the design is appropriately based on English roses.

Excuse me while I quietly sob in the corner and long for the days when wedding gifts could be as over-the-top as the sender wanted, without fear of media hoopla and public backlash. Sigh.

Okay, I'm back now, and I'm ready to discuss the fate of this diadem.

(Deep breath.) Queen Elizabeth may have dismantled this tiara. Potentially in favor of assembling this...gem:

Argh, the Burmese ruby tiara. Honestly, I just don't get her taste in jewels sometimes. Excuse me, I need to get my tissues again.

These are the facts, or "facts" more accurately, given the absence of official information:

• The Queen hasn't worn the tiara publicly since about the early 1950s. (The last public appearance including the Nizam tiara that I've seen was 1952.)
• Of the Burmese ruby tiara's creation, Leslie Field says in The Queen's Jewels: "The diamonds came from a tiara the Queen had been given as a wedding gift by the Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar." (p.69, 1987 ed.) This statement is the main source of the dismantling rumors.
• However, in Tiaras: A History of Splendour, Geoffrey Munn does not include that detail in his description of the Burmese ruby tiara. He writes only briefly of the Nizam piece, saying: "There is also a tiara in bandeau form that was a wedding gift from the Nizam of Hyderabad," implying by use of the present tense that the piece still exists. (p. 1965, 2003 printing)
• The Royal Jewels by Suzy Menkes also neglects to mention the dismantling of the tiara, thus implying it still exists.
• In honor of the 60th wedding anniversary of the Queen and Prince Philip, Buckingham Palace's 2007 summer exhibition included a selection of wedding gifts. On display: the necklace, but not the tiara.  Indeed, no mention of the tiara was made.

We do know the set hasn't gone away entirely. The Queen still wears the necklace:

Also, she wears pieces of the tiara: one larger rose brooch and two smaller brooches.

I say, if the tiara has been dismantled, let's put it back together. Though they may have removed the original diamonds, I'm going to make a leap of faith and assume the frame is still knocking about somewhere. It'd be rude to totally throw a wedding gift away, right? One doesn't want to be rude.

I think this would be a great choice for Kate. Based on her past tiara-giving behavior, the Queen opts to gift pieces that haven't been seen in a long time (or ever), rather than her favorites. It's got some heft without being overly large and ostentatious, and heaven knows Kate's got the hair to display it right. This one comes with options, which is perfect for a royal that probably won't have a large jewel collection to start out with: the three brooches within the tiara, and the necklace which has a detachable pendant. Also, it's nice and neutral. All diamond and floral, which is easily matched with lots of gowns.

Your thoughts, dear readers? The Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara for Kate: Yes or No?

Flashback Friday: Grand Duchess Maria Teresa's Tiaras

Settle in with some chocolate ice cream and a cocktail, kids: it's time to indulge in some guilty jewel pleasures!

Last Friday, we commemorated the 30th wedding anniversary of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess by flashing back to Maria Teresa's wedding gown. This week, we shall continue by celebrating my favorite thing about my favorite Grand Duchess: her tiara collection. And it is a collection, let me tell you. Commence drooling...now:

(Note: these are the names I use for these tiaras. You won't find anything official here!)

1. Congo Diamond Necklace Tiara. The classic Luxembourg wedding tiara, given to M-T's late mother-in-law Joséphine-Charlotte (a Belgian princess) as a wedding present from the Congo (then a Belgian colony). This was the first of two tiaras she wore on her wedding day: yes, it seems J-C was my kind of girl. As far as I know, it's been a long time since this one's been worn in tiara form (as a necklace, yes - tiara, no); perhaps the next time we see it will be on Guillaume's future bride, or on Alexandra's wedding day?

2. Diamond Floral Tiara #1. This wee bit of floral bling is the only one that we've seen Princess Alexandra wear, and it was loaned out to niece Marie Christine on her wedding day. It almost sits flat back on the head sometimes, which is odd.

3. Diamond Floral Tiara #2. Mostly, I hear reference to only one diamond floral tiara in the Lux family (#1), but I do think this one is different. More of a vine structure than flowers, it looks to me, plus it appears larger and to have a different shape than #1. You know you're talking about a jewel collection of substance when it includes more than one diamond floral tiara!

4. Joséphine-Charlotte's Diamond Belgian Scroll Tiara. This sparkler was the second tiara Joséphine-Charlotte wore on her wedding day, for pictures, and it was another wedding gift. I love this tiara so hard, you guys. I can't believe they almost sold it: it was part of a proposed auction of some of J-C's jewels after her death. Public outcry was such that the Grand Duke ended up canceling the sale, thank heavens! I'm ever so glad it's found a secure place in the royal vault since that little mishap.



5. Luxembourg Empire Tiara. Too big, you say? Too much? No, I say, you are wrong. Because: BAM! This is a tiara, right? All hail the big guns! Maria Teresa didn't wear this bad boy until after Joséphine-Charlotte's death, but she's found a few choice occasions for it since. I will concede that this is a hard one to orchestrate the hair around, though.

6. Aquamarine Bandeau Tiara. There aren't that many good aquamarine tiaras out there - especially aquamarine tiaras that come with a parure to wear alongside - and I think this is one of them. 

7. Chaumet Emerald Tiara. It's Wonder Woman, I know. You've got to watch your tiara hair with this one, but I still love it. It's like you just plopped a duck egg of an emerald on your head. That's my kind of super hero. (Also: that choker was also on the proposed jewel sale. Outrage!)

8. Joséphine-Charlotte's Van Cleef and Arpels Emerald and Diamond Convertible Tiara. Longest tiara name ever? (I'm just trying to be servicey with the details.) This is...odd. I think I prefer it as a necklace. Maria Teresa just wore this for the first time during the state visit to Portugal last fall. She wore it to a black tie event at which she was the only one sporting a tiara, so the scale was probably right, but I much prefer this on a younger princess. Like Tessy, who wore this on her first-ever tiara outing for National Day 2008.

9. Topaz Tiara. (I'm guessing topaz here. Don't really know.) This one hasn't been seen since the early days of Maria Teresa's marriage. I think it's time for it to come out of retirement: it's unusual, in a good way. It'd be another good option for a younger princess, such as Alexandra or Tessy. (Also: holy earrings, Batman! My ear lobes ache just looking at them!)

10. Grand Duchess Marie Adelaide's Tiara. I haven't done the math or anything, but I think we could proclaim this one the most frequently worn tiara of the lot. Maria Teresa sure seems to like it, but I'm not so convinced. Sometimes it seems like it sits too high up on the head for my tastes. 

11. Amethyst Tiara. Needs more bling. Seriously, you can hardly see it up there! And visible framework sends shivers down my magpie spine. It's a shame, too: the world needs more fabulous amethyst tiaras.

12. Pearl and Diamond Choker Tiara. As the name states, the lattice portion of this can also be worn as a choker, and you have to admire any jewel that gives you more bang for your buck. That said, I don't like it. Looks like a diamond barbed wire fence atop the head to me. Which, I mean, if you're going to put a fence on your noggin, you might as well make it sparkly, but still: I'm not a fan.

13. Turquoise Tiara. Methinks this one might be a new addition by Maria Teresa in the past few years, which I'm always in favor of. It's definitely a tiara for the younger generation, though: it's far more suited to Tessy (who wore it for National Day 2010) than to M-T. She needs...more.

Without question, one of my favorite jewel collections. Lucky girl, that M-T!

And now it's time to pick and choose: which one's your favorite?

Week in Review: Princess Máxima, 6-12 February

Here's what Princess Máxima wore the week of 6-12 February:

1. Attending a Women in Financial Services meeting, 7 February. In the photos where this looks more red than brown, I like it (with the exception that the stockings, which are overkill on the monochrome theme).
2. Opening the Produs praktical education school, 8 February. This sleeveless dress is a repeat. Cute and flattering!
3. At the Goed Geld Gala (Good Money Gala) of the Nationale Postcode Loterij, 9 February. Oh, this might be the chicest daywear I've seen Máxima in since I started this blog.
4. Visiting the closure of the BizWorld project at the Christoffel school, 10 February, a) with her wrap and b) inside without. This is a NATAN top, Mathilde has the same one in different colors, and we just saw Máx's red version last month. With the wrap, it's a whole lot of beige, but I like it without.
5. Attending the signing of one of the agreements between Qredits and the European investment foundation EIF, 11 February. Oh, dear. More thoughts below.

Best and Worst of the Week

Let's start with the worst, shall we?

It's like she took every sartorial complaint I've ever had about her and mashed it into one train wreck outfit! We've got tights that are color-matched to the outfit (such a pet peeve of mine, especially when we're not talking about black-on-black). We've got shoes that don't go with the outfit and are totally wrong for the tights. We've got messy hair, and last but not least, we have curiously overgrown jewelry. And it's a shame, too: on its own, that dress is quite flattering. Thankfully, she also showed us the other end of the spectrum in the same week:

No overly opaque stockings, no messy hair, no excessive accessorizing. All together, an outfit worthy of jumpy claps. What say you, my sartorial-minded friends?

Photos: PPE/Dutch Photo Press

Flashback Friday: Grand Duchess Maria Teresa's Wedding Dress

Look who's celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary next week:

On February 14, 1981, Henri (then the Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg) married Cuban-born María Teresa Mestre y Batista-Falla after meeting her while both were studying at the University of Geneva. Naturally, we must mark this occasion by flashing back to the best part of any wedding (well, as far as this blog's concerned, at least): the dress.

It's a couture design from Balmain, and like most good couture, the craft is in the details. The whole dress is intricately patterned, but you can hardly tell in photographs. Oh, how I would kill to see it in person so I could fully appreciate everything that's going on here.

Really, though, the lack of detail from far away is one of the things that makes this dress work. Maria Teresa's never been the tall, willowy sort, and bathing her in a sea of ruffles or sequins would have been a disaster. This is simple and clean, even with the fur trim.

I am fundamentally opposed to fur trim on wedding gowns (it's a tad too Evil Snow Queen for me), but this is subtle. And it was February, a full-on winter gown is appropriate.

Another thing this dress has going for it: a good train/veil length. Long enough for the occasion, but not so long as to swallow her whole. Interesting detail: part of the train extends directly from her shoulders, cape-style.

She covered her face with a front veil when entering the cathedral on the arm of her father. Maria Teresa's tiara was one of the few royal wedding tiaras that could actually accommodate a front veil easily. The Congo Diamond Tiara was a gift from the Belgian colony of Congo to then-Belgian Princess Josephine-Charlotte (Henri's mother) when she married, and she wore it at her wedding. After Maria Teresa, both of Henri's sisters wore it for their respective weddings.These days, Maria Teresa occasionally wears it in necklace form.

Speaking of Princesses Marie-Astrid and Margaretha, their wedding gowns bring me to another point of consideration when looking back on Maria Teresa's gown: the ability of the design to age well over time.

Marie-Astrid (left) was married a year after her brother, in February of 1982, and Margaretha (right) was married in March of 1982. Lovely though these two ladies are, I think the volume and ruffle-age on their gowns shows the pay off of the relative restraint of Maria Teresa's design over time.

I confess I didn't like this one at first, but it really has grown on me. Then again, Maria Teresa's also become one of my favorite royals, so I won't claim an unbiased viewpoint. I hope they have a very happy 30th wedding anniversary, and a quiet one as Henri is on the mend from his recent heart troubles.

What's your verdict: is this gown a win? And where do you stand on the fur-on-wedding-gown issue?

Week in Review: Princess Nikolaos, 30 January - 5 February

Here's what Princess Nikolaos wore the week of 30 January - 5 February:

1. Attending the British Fashion Council/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund cocktail reception in celebration of winner Christopher Kane at Almada Bar and Club, London, 2 February. Little belted cape-type coat, little bit of pink, I'm liking it.

Photos: Getty Images

Week in Review: Charlene Wittstock, 30 January - 5 February

Here's what Charlene Wittstock wore the week of 30 January - 5 February:

1.  Attending the French League One soccer match between Monaco and Marseilles, 30 January. Doesn't look like a very exciting match...though she is giving us a good example of another acceptable occasion for wearing an enormous scarf.

Photo: Daylife/Reuters

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 30 January - 5 February

Here's what Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore the week of 30 January - 5 February:

1. Visiting the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 31 January.
2. Attending a dinner at the Hotel D'Angleterre,31 January, a) with coat and b) without.
3. Visiting the UNAIDS building in Geneva, 1 February. 

Best and Worst of the Week

Number 2's the best, no question. The cardigan's kind of ruining the thing, but the coat makes up for it with that little touch of fur to class it up. Now, on the worst side, I'm torn. Neither 1 nor 3 are terrible. The texture on the skirt of 3 and the detailing on the jacket of 1 both add interest to what could be plain and boring outfits. Yet: the pink scarf is just too much extra and too unnecessary on 3. That's not as bad as this, though, from Outfit 1:

Seriously? Brown shoes? That suit, though it looks black, is in fact navy. But that still doesn't make this okay.  Also, peep toe shoes + tights = bad news, so I have my worst. What's yours?


Photos: Daylife/Reuters/Belga/DANAPRESS

Week in Review: Princess Máxima, 30 January - 5 February

Here's what Princess Máxima wore the week of 30 January - 5 February:

1. Starting a youth healthy weight program and visiting the Korzo theater in the Hague, 1 February, a) with a rather bathrobe-like coat and b) without, where the trousers could use a little more length.
2. a) and b) Visiting the Mytikas project, 3 February. Because there weren't many good pictures from this event, I present you with c) the last appearance of these trousers from 2009. Gorgeous reader Susan termed them "knickerbockers" when she emailed me about this travesty, and I couldn't agree more with that characterization. I'm filing this one under "things that should be worn on a Scottish golf course" and also "worst outfit of 2011 contenders". 

Best and Worst of the Week

Outfit 1 is not the sort of thing that I would name the best of the week under any other circumstances, but I can not abide by knickerbockers or shootie-looking things. Excuse me, I mean SHOOTIES. And KNICKERBOCKERS. Good grief. To be fair, if I were grading based on jewelry alone, I'd flip that verdict: 

I love those gold earrings, but spiders as jewelry just creep me out. We have officially reached the perimeters of my magpie love for shiny things.

Photos: PPE/ANP/RVD

Week in Review: Crown Princess Pavlos, 23-29 January

Here's what Crown Princess Pavlos wore the week of 23-29 January:

1. Attending the Christian Dior fashion show, 24 January.
2. At the Chanel show, 24 January.
3. At the Jean-Paul Gaultier show, 26 January, a) so you can see the jacket, and b) because you can't miss the scarf.

Leave it to the fashion shows to bring Marie-Chantal out of hiding! Safe, tame and elegant - a real couture lady - right up until the end, when she hits us with the scarf and flat leopard boot double whammy. Just...wow.


Photos: Profimedia/Pacificcoastnews.com/Getty Images/Pascal LeSegretain

Week in Review: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 23-29 January

Here's what Crown Princess Mette-Marit wore the week of 23-29 January:

1. Various appearances during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, 25-29 January. At least she carries a red handbag, right? (And a Prada one at that, I might add.)

Photos: Norwegian Royal Court/Profimedia

Flashback Friday: Máxima's Tiaras

Willem-Alexander and Máxima celebrated their wedding anniversary this week. (They were hitched on 02-02-2002 - that's one way to make sure you don't forget the date!) Since I've already sung the praises of Máxima's wedding dress, I thought I'd mark the occasion by singing the praises of my other favorite thing about Máxima: her bling.

Heaven knows I love a tiara, and among her peers, Máxima reigns supreme with the greatest variety of sparkly headgear. By my rough count, Máxima has worn 12 different tiaras. Twelve!! Let's put that in perspective, shall we? (I'm no expert, by the way. This is what's in my Swiss cheese memory, correct me in the comments.)

• Mathilde: Only 2 tiaras - and one she wore only on her wedding day, never since. 
• Mary: 3 tiaras - and the Midnight tiara is said not to be owned by her, or the royal family, but is rather available as a loan when she needs it. The other two of course are her ruby tiara and her tiny little wedding tiara.
• Camilla: Also 3. One (the gigantic Delhi Durbar) has only been worn once, and another (the Shand-Cubitt tiara) is her family's tiara. Before Camilla, Diana only had use of 2 tiaras - again, one belonging to her family, and only one from the Queen.
• Letizia: 3 tiaras worn so far, the Prussian (worn at her wedding), the shell, and the floral, with a fourth new one that hasn't been worn yet.
• Mette-Marit: 3, the diamond daisy tiara she wore on her wedding day, the amethyst necklace tiara, and the pearl and diamond tiara she wore to Victoria's wedding. Oh, and she did wear the Vifte tiara as a necklace, I guess.
• Victoria: Even a future Queen Regnant can't compete - V's sported a solid 8 tiaras, but most of the rest of the Swedish collection is used only by Queen Silvia. There's the Cameo (will she wear it again after the wedding day, or will it go back to the Queen only?), the 6- and 4-button tiaras, the amethyst necklace tiara, the Baden fringe, the steel cut tiara, the diamond necklace bandeau which is more like a hair ornament than a proper tiara, and her 18th birthday tiara (and that hardly counts, as it's mostly wire).

And now, here's Máxima:

1. Mellerio Ruby Tiara
2. Emerald Tiara, with pearls
3. Ruby Peacock Motif Tiara
4. Emerald Tiara
5. Mellerio Sapphire Tiara
6. Aquamarine Tiara
7. Diamond Bandeau Tiara
8. Diamond Festoon Tiara
9. Pearl Button Tiara topped with Queen Emma's Diamond Stars
10. Mellerio Sapphire Tiara, diamond setting
11. Antique Pearl Tiara, no pearls
12. Antique Pearl Tiara, with pearls

Plus, she wore a diamond haircomb at Victoria's pre-wedding celebration. (Did I miss any?)

Clearly, without being a Queen and having access to whatever you want, whenever you want it, Maxima's got the best deal around.  And the Netherlands has one of the best jewel collections - tons to pick from, and many of the pieces are convertible so you can switch it up. I can't wait to see what goodies she busts out for us this year!

Tell me: which one's your favorite? I'm partial to #5 and #12, myself.

Week in Review: Charlene Wittstock, 23-29 January

Here's what Charlene Wittstock wore the week of 23-29 January:

1.  At the circus, 25 January. Dress from Akris.
2. Sainte-Devote celebrations, 26 January.
3. At the cathedral for Sainte-Devote, 27 January.

What kind of dress codes are we working with here, kids? Is all this black truly necessary? I buy it at the cathedral, I might buy it for the other Sainte-Devote festivity, but at the circus too? Oh, for the love of some color.


Photos: PurePeople/Abaca/Getty/Zimbio

Week in Review: Princess Máxima, 16-22 January

Here's what Princess Máxima wore the week of 9-15 January:

1. Attending the Spots on Jobs fair, 19 January.

Oh, wow. I am so confused. Shockingly pink shirt with gray everything else. Except the accessories...

A brown purse? Sparkly pink disco earrings? And two tone shoes? So confused. Somebody needs to explain this to me.


Photos: Dutch Photo Press/PPE/vdWerf

Week in Review: Crown Princess Victoria, 16-22 January

Here's what Crown Princess Victoria wore the week of 16-22 January:

1.  Day 1 of her official visit to the UAE, 17 January. This is the outfit that prompted the royal court to issue a pregnancy denial (for whatever that's worth).  If you didn't want to encourage pregnancy talk, why would you wear your top like that? She knows people are watching, right? Hmm.
2. A reception on Day 1, 17 January. Love this jacket, and this is an interesting contrast to the bump-friendly day outfit.
3. Day 2, 18 January. This is clean and simple. I'll buy it.
4. Day 3, first outfit, 19 January. Well, this looks familiar. Day 2 is my preference; without the fresh white color these kind of suits can age a girl.
5. Day 3, second outfit, 19 January. Simple and casual for a visit to a national park.
6. Day 3, third outfit, 19 January. Love it!
7. a) Day 4, 20 January, and b) the coat from Armani. Fantastic coat, odd shoe pairing. Elegant jacquard and...reptile? 

Best and Worst of the Week

 I just love outfit #6! Great contrast between the cardigan, the texture of the skirt, and the shine of the shirt. Not a bad week, but this one shines the most for me. Outfit #1 also has some good contrast going on, but it's my worst of the week because of the Bump Factor. Don't get me wrong, I'm hoping the palace will have an announcement for us soon, I just don't see a bump elsewhere this week and wouldn't go stirring up speculation if I didn't need to. But that's just me. Where do you stand on the bump speculation situation?

On another note, check out the total lack of color this week! I think she looks good, but I'm getting a little worried about all these princesses and their neutrals. 2011 better get more colorful, and quick!

Photos: ANP/PPE/Svenskdam

Royal Trend Watch: SHOOTIES

There's a trend that's been brewing among royal ladies. I've been loathe to declare it as such, but after today...I think I have to. And I will do so while banging my head on my desk, because this trend is the new bane of my existence.

The SHOOTIE. I'm sorry to go all caps-locky on you, but I think it's warranted. A ridiculous word, a ridiculous look. Why, please tell me why, would you voluntarily cut your legs off? Can't we all unite in the pursuit of a nice long leg line?

Crown Princess Victoria's one and only appearance that came close to making my Top 10 Worst of 2010 list, and it's all because of the SHOOTIE.

Letizia's a fan. I have to say, if this was going to look good on anyone, it would probably be Letizia based on the wee size of her legs, but no. You will notice how she wears them with matching tights, thus negating the whole SHOOTIE effect in the first place, though that little trick still doesn't erase the mistake of that cherry red number.

I saw this today on Laurentien, and my concern increased. That's a distracting dress (I mean, what's going on around the shoulders?), but you still can't hide the SHOOTIES. You know how these Dutch princesses are. This is bound to be only the tip of the SHOOTIE iceberg.

But nothing, NOTHING, can possibly top this in terms of sheer SHOOTIE horror:

The Estonian state visit to Sweden has brought a whole host of interesting sartorial appearances, courtesy of the Estonian First Lady there. Wrestle your attention away from the headgear for a moment. I know, it's impossible (oh LORD is it ever impossible), but move your eyes in a downward direction. Before you have a heart attack, know that Queen Silvia's not pulling a Letizia here, that's just static cling wreaking havoc on her skirt. She saved her Letizia move for the feet.

A double SHOOTIE appearance. I'm still trying to recover from the horror. If this phenomenon has made it's way from wannabe fashionable princesses to the realm of queens, I'm afraid we have a real problem on our hands. I'm thinking of starting a petition. (I'm also thinking of starting a Worst of 2011 list for those accompanying royals based solely on the sartorial wonder that is the Estonian First Lady, but that's another story.) Who's with me?

Photos: Huffington Post/Daylife/PPE/vdWerf

Week in Review: Catherine Middleton, 1-8 January

Here's what Catherine Middleton wore the week of 1-8 January:

1. a. Attending the wedding of Sarah Stourton and Harry Aubrey-Fletcher, 8 January; b. the coat from Libelula; c. the dress as worn to the wedding of Peter and Autumn Phillips. I think the dress is Issa?

Well, now. See, here's the thing: she goes and wears a sheer dress that I have to think more suitable to a New Year's Eve party than to a wedding, and it's black (oh, so much black! Not another one with all the black, please!) - but then she goes and pairs a hot purple shoe with it and now my mouth is shut. Purple shoes are like my Kryptonite. She's crafty, this one.


Photos: Libuella/Hello

Things That Make You Go Hmm...: Princess Claire and the Royal Ruff

I know these pictures from the Belgian royal family's Christmas concert are a little bit old by now, but we need to talk about this.

Focus your eyes amongst the gray on the grayest of them all, Princess Claire.

What's going on here?? This is a serious question. Is that fringy thing a necklace, or a part of the dress? Are my eyes really spying a neck ruff here? Somebody please explain this to me.

There hasn't been this much action around a royal neck since the days of yore. And I do mean yore:

We don't guillotine people anymore, Claire. There's no need to carry neck protection to these extents.

Photos: Zimbio/Mark Renders/Getty Images Europe