British Fashion Minute: Royal Ascot 2012: The Fashion Hits and Misses

British Fashion Minute: Royal Ascot 2012: The Fashion Hits and Misses

Over The Top Hats, Colorful Ensembles, Kooky Costumes...no it's not RuPaul's Drag Race, it's Royal Ascot!

Team England: A Royal Ascot guest showing how much she loves sports, Royal Ascot, Ascot England

Every June, for five days, Great Britain celebrates Royal Ascot. Dating back to (wait for it) 1711 when it was founded by Queen Anne, the Royal Ascot is one of Europe's most famous race meetings. it has become a national institution all these years, THE centerpiece of the British social calendar. What people wear to the Royal Ascot has become almost more important than the races themselves. First, it's all about the HATS. Then the ensembles; the more colorful, the better. This is not the place to be a "wallflower", it about getting noticed and standing out.  Let's take a look...

British Music and "Hollywood" Royalty: (Left to right) Dame Shirley Bassey decided to don a coral-orange hat with left-and-right over-sized organza flowers. I wished her outfit was just a teeny bit more COUTURE though (to match the over-the-top hat!)--a short-sleeved macrame sweater/cardigan over a dress? Not so much. But...Miss Helen Mirren looked AMAZING in this dark blue and white ensemble and blue wide-brimmed hat. Très Elegant!



The Royals:

 

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II: Queen Elizabeth II LOVES her pastels, we know that. Take a look at this coat and dress ensemble in a pale pink color with matching hat she wore on Day Two of Royal Ascot. It looks "Queen"-appropriate enough--in terms of its non-fashion dowdiness. However, take a look at that sleeve--it's a sign of whimsy and yes, Elizabeth might still have some Fashionista in her!

Princess Anne and Princess Beatrice: On Day Three, Princess Anne, the Princess Royal and her niece Princess Beatrice, arrives via Royal Carriage (naturally). Both looked great in their contrasting color flower-printed ensembles. Beatrice has become quite a Royal Fashion Icon of sorts (lest we forget that infamous Philip Treacy hat and Valentino ensemble she wore at Kate and William's Wedding.

Red and Gray: (Left to right) Carole Middleton, mother of Catherine Duchess of Cambridge in a red suit and matching colored hat and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex (Prince Edward's wife) who chose a slate gray coat-dress and yes--a matching wide brimmed hat, of course.

Top Hat Chic: (Left to right) Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall arriving on Day One looking like the Picture Perfect Royal Ascot couple. Prince Charles made GQ's Best Dressed Men List for 2012 recently and he is living up to that title in his impeccable Morning Dress suit and black top hat. Camilla looks quite elegant in her vanilla coat-and-dress ensemble and hat. Recently hospitalized Prince Phillip--the Queen's husband of course--also could take "Best Dressed Man at Royal Ascot 2012" in his black Morning Dress suit with a grey top hat and waistcoat. Traditionally, the waistcoat is supposed to be matching the Morning Coat, but here, Prince Phillip dares to be a "Dandy" by bucking tradition and wearing a contrasting colored yellow-creme waistcoat.



The Hats:

Pearls and Lips: Royal Ascot racegoer shoes off her colorful over-the-top hat

Like I said in the beginning of the post, Royal Ascot is ALL about the HATS--here are some of the Standouts--in Themes:



Food:

Breakfast and Tea & Crumpets: I absolutely LOVE the racegoer with her "Breakfast is Served" hat consisting of a fried egg, sausages, beans...she definitely should get the "gays LOVES Brunch" prize! The ladies above went with the "Tea and Crumpets" food theme. very, very British.

A Blueberry Custard Pie: I also love this hat--why? Because I wanna EAT it. She gets a "YUMMY" Prize for sure!

UK Love:

Of course, it would not be Royal Ascot without some hats featuring a LOVE for Great Britain. Here are two good ones: A King's Crown with feathers and yes, the "Union Jack" flag over-sized bow-on-a-headband headdress. These should be the hats the British Airways Flight Attendants should wear--well--if I designed their next uniforms!



Ornithology Hat Chic:

Flamingo and Swan Ladies: I really hope none of these hats are "dropping" eggs! Here are two Royal Ascot racegoers giving you some "Bird Hat Style", Ascot England

At Royal Ascot, the dress code is strictly enforced. For women, only a
day dress with a hat is acceptable, with rules applying to the length
and style of the dress. In addition: strapless, off the shoulder, halter-style, spaghetti straps and dresses with straps that are less than 1" are NOT permitted in the Royal Ascot. There are even "Dress Code Assistants" walking around making sure that your ensemble is a "Royal Ascot Yes"; in other words, within their rules.



What do you guys think of these Royal Ascot looks: Yeay or Nay???

And here is a definite Royal Ascot DON'T:

UK Hoochie: Ladies, if you are planning to attend next year's Royal Ascot, look above for the ensembles you should NOT be wearing! These tacky, hoochie iridescent blue jumpsuits are courtesy of the Tantric Blue Strip Club Girls. Needless to say, they were NOT allowed into the Royal Ascot since well, they did not really meet the "Dress Requirements" so they remained outside the grounds and handed out promotional material for the club. Bless their Hearts. Their parents should be so proud. This is a definite Royal Ascot Fashion DON'T.

Royal Fashion Minute: The Jubilee Thanksgiving Mass--Who Is The Best Dressed: Camilla, Kate, Princess Michael of Kent?

Royal Fashion Minute: The Jubilee Thanksgiving Mass--Who Is The Best Dressed: Camilla, Kate, Princess Michael of Kent?

Battle of the British Royal Fashion Divas: 

Who's The Biggest Fashionista: Camilla Duchess of Cornwall (foreground, left), and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, Diamond Jubilee Thanksgiving Mass

The Finale of Britain's Diamond Jubilee celebrating the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen's ascension to the throne, occurred on Tuesday with a Thanksgiving Service at St. Paul's Cathedral, then a wondrous carriage procession through London...

H. M. The Queen Queen Elizabeth II: Sporting a smile, a slight wave, and an Angela Kelly-designed mint coat and Swarovski crystal embellished hat

The UK Royal A-List: (Left to right) Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, prince Charles, H. M. The Queen, Prince William, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry

And the de rigueur Balcony Appearance at Buckingham Palace--where H. M. The Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla as well as Prince William, his wife, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Henry (the spare) took part. This balcony appearance culminated in the spectacular Red Arrow's Formation Flyover:

Here in the US, BBC America began showing the entire day LIVE at 4 am--needless to say, I DVR'ed it and watched it later--at a more "civilized" hour, thank you very much. Thank goodness for BBC and the fact I get it as part of my cable channels. Now, let's get to the FASHIONS, since of course, that's what I am interested in. Who was the Biggest Fashion Diva, you may ask? Well, I'll let you be the judge...



Let's begin with H. M. The Queen, Elizabeth II:

Queen Elizabeth arrived at St. Paul's--with her Lady in Waiting, Diana Marion Lady Farnham, as her traveling companion, since her husband, Prince Phillip was in a hospital due to a bladder infection. Lady Farnham (in royal blue next to the Queen in above photo) is her Lady of the Bedchamber, which means she is the person holding the position as THE PERSONAL ATTENDANT to Her Majesty. She is the widow of the 12th Baron Farnham. Imagine having your life devoted to H. M. The Queen. Your ENTIRE LIFE! I wonder if she has a special cell phone to answer her calls when she needs her. And most important: who is paying her? The Queen? The taxpayers? England? Who? Is she part of H. M. The Queen's "staff"? Please tell me she gets a monthly paycheck for this???!!! Well, irregardless, she was there as a Comfort Stand-In on the ride to St. Paul's Cathedral Thanksgiving Service on Tuesday and I would like to think that they are actually friends and it was comforting to the Queen. Now, back to Her Majesty:

Queen Elizabeth wore a mint green princess seamed coat and dress ensemble by her favorite designer, Angela Kelly. It was embellished with silver thread, Swarovski crystals throughout and had an attached mint silk chiffon sash. She may not be up to date in terms of 21st Century Style, but as an 86 year old woman, she was "Giving Fashion"...maybe not Barbara Walters Oscar de la Renta/Carolina Herrera Ladies-Who-Lunch style, but Fashion for her!

Besides that hat with all those crystals, her most prominent accessory was that GORGEOUS--and HUGE--diamond brooch. It is named the "Cullinan III and IV Brooch" and it is made from two of the nine Cullinan diamonds, weighing 94.4 carats and 63.3 carats. In case you did not know, the Cullinan Diamond originally weighed 3,106 carats and it was first discovered in 1905 at a mine near Pretoria in South Africa. The story goes, that originally, it was thrown away (Mon Dieu!) as it was thought too big to be an actual diamond. Once recovered, it was presented to King Edward VII and cuts were used in the Crown Jewels, therefore this amazing brooch.

Queen Elizabeth II's Grandmother, Queen Mary (in photo above) can be seen wearing the diamonds as a brooch--the same brooch H. M. The Queen wore on Tuesday. I love that the Queen "served up" a MAJAH diamond for the Diamond Jubilee! If ever there was a time to break out this gem, it is NOW!

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall:

Printed Diva: Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall and wife to Prince Charles, future King of England, decided to go a bit "Directional" with a champagne and gold colored coat with a "basket-weave" print and dress from one of her favorite designers, Bruce Oldfield. The hat was Philip Treacy, naturally.

I was surprised to see her in such a bold printed ensemble, but at the same time, I realized, that she was making quite a statement and knew that this was an important moment for her and well, this was no time to be a Fashion Wallflower. PS: She rode next to Her Majesty in the carriage procession. Mon Dieu Part Deux!




Now, onto her Fashion Competitor of the Day, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge:

Catherine wore a design from Sarah Burton and the House of Alexander McQueen. It was a blush-colored lace applique fitted knee-length sheath dress design with a high bateau neck, very fitted sleeves and champagne/beige satin waistband.

Her chapeau was by Jane Taylor. The dress fit her ever-so-perfectly and accentuated her I-Do-Not-Eat-Tea Sandwiches figure. She looked "Church" appropriate and well, still gave the Fashionistas out there something to talk about.



The Princesses:

Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice of York: The two lovely daughters of Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah Duchess of York. Side Note: poor Sarah, by the way, she was not invited--since she is persona non grata--to any of these festivities; I really, really hope she was in a beach in Mykonos having her own Diamond Jubilee Festivities with a bunch of her best Gays! Anyhow...moving on. The two Princesses were in contrasting colored ensembles for the Jubilee Thanksgiving Mass: Princess Eugenie wore a lovely purple
dress by Suzannah. The bag was by Loro Piano. Her mushroom-colored
stilettos were also by Kurt Geiger. Princess Beatrice wore a periwinkle blue Kinder Aggugini coat dress with tan colored Kurt Geiger stilettos. Her bag was designed by Lemeresca.

Blue Blood: Sophie Countess of Wessex--wife of Prince Edward Earl of Wessex wore a navy silk ziberline suit with lace applique and gathered princess seamed peplum detail. The Princess Royal, Princess Anne (right) attended in a jeweled blue applique' coat and dress ensemble with popped collar, long fitted sleeves, nude heels, gloves and clutch; quite feminine for her, since well, she's usually looking rather--how shall I say this--BUTCH!

The Real Fashion Diva: But here's my Favorite Royal of the entire Diamond Jubilee Thanksgiving Service--Princess Michael of Kent. German/Czech Republic-born Baroness Marie Christine Anna Agnes Hedwig Ida von Reibnitz, Princess Michael of Kent attended the Diamond Jubilee Thanksgiving Services wearing this gunmetal violet silk shantung suit with notched collar, billowing iridescent silk organza sleeves and princess-seamed fitted knee-length pencil skirt with silk chiffon godet inset.

 

When I saw her on TV entering St. Paul's Cathedral , I thought "Who Is That Fashion Diva?" And yes, of course, it was Princess Michael of Kent. She is like Joan and Jackie Collins all wrapped up in one fabulous person. The Princess knows Fashion and knows Drama. Take a peek at her Wikipedia and you'll know what I mean. Because of this suit of hers above, I have to give it to her as the Winner of my Unofficial "Best Dressed at the Diamond Jubilee Thanksgiving Service". Catherine, take note...




Who Do You Guys Think Was The Best Dressed Royal Gal at Tuesday's Diamond Jubilee Thanksgiving Service/Festivities? Let me know...

Diamond Jubilee Concert: The Fashion Highlights...Kylie, Cheryl Cole, Grace Jones, Dame Shirley Bassey!!

Diamond Jubilee Concert: The Fashion Highlights...Kylie, Cheryl Cole, Grace Jones, Dame Shirley Bassey!!

Diamond Jubilee Music, Fireworks and Fashion...

Golden Queen: Queen Elizabeth II waves during the Diamond Jubilee Concert, London

London continued it's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations with a star-studded concert on Monday night in front of Buckingham Palace. Queen Elizabeth II smiled as she took her place.

The 86-year-old sovereign, wearing a black cape with gold buttons,
drew a huge cheer as she arrived for the second half of the concert.

She was escorted into the royal box by her son and heir Prince
Charles. Sadly, her husband and Prince Consort, the Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip was earlier taken to hospital as a
precautionary measure with a bladder infection so she was there without him.

Later she would come on stage--along with all the concert's stars as well as her son, Prince Charles. There, one could see the fabulous gold sequined scoop-neck dress with elaborate embellishment which was hiding beneath that black cape. And correct me if I'm wrong but the Queen is wearing gold colored gloves. I thought the Queen only wore White or Black Gloves? Is this a landmark glove moment?!...or maybe just something she does on the most special of occasions.

Robbie Williams Diamond Jubilee Concert, London

The concert, in warm evening sunshine, kicked off with fireworks and
an energetic performance from Robbie Williams that got the crowds
rocking. After a pyrotechnics opening and music from a military
band, resplendent in their scarlet tunics and bearskin hats, Williams
jumped out from behind to join them for a high-octane rendition of his
song "Let Me Entertain You" (as seen from above photo). The concert was being
watched by more than 10,000 lucky ticket holders in temporary stands,
and tens of thousands more on The Mall. The ceremonial route to the palace was a sea of Union Jack flags, with people enjoying the one-of-a-kind Diamond Jubilee Concert on giant screens.



Members of the royal family were in the stands naturally, including
Prince William, his wife Catherine the Duchess of Cambridge and brother Prince Harry. Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice (yes, she of THAT Hat!) were right next to them enjoying the concert as well. Prince William and Prince Harry were more relaxed with open collared shirts.



Now, let's get to some of the Concert's Fashionable Highlights:

Hula Hoop Diva: Jamaican-born Music and Fashion ICON, Grace Jones, 
performed "Slave to the Rhythm" in a red-and-black laminated strapless bodysuit and overskirt--and kept a
hula hoop going throughout. PS: she's SIXTY FOUR YEARS OLD!!! Her ensemble was very Thierry Mugler old-school.



Biker Chic Kylie: Australian singer Kylie Minogue took the stage and did a mini-medley of a couple of her hits. She wore all black in her fitted motorcycle jacket and shorts--all with gold-and-silver crystal accents. Love the hat as well. She's very "Gay Biker Bar" in that ensemble! And look at those silver -clad Gladiator Gals. Kylie really is a Gay Man's Fashion Wet Dream (or at least mine!).

Later on she changed into a stunning ivory silk jersey Grecian Goddess gown with an asymmetrical neckline and high side-slit a la Angelina Jolie. She is soooo "Miss USA Pageant" contestant in this...and in a GOOD WAY!!!!



Now Onto a Hall of Fame Diva:

Drama Queen: Welsh songstress Dame Shirley Bassey sang "Diamond Are Forever" (of course!) and well, she looked DIVINE in an ivory gown with chiffon capelet sleeves that flowed in the London wind and made for dramatic effect as she belted out one of her iconic songs. She looked AMAZING and the gown was a Lesson on How To Dress In Front of THOUSANDS of people!!! Go on Miss Shirley Bassey!

Mermaid Cheryl: For the Diamond Jubilee Concert, British singer Cheryl Cole wore a design from Eva (or Ewa) Minge Spring 2012 Haute Couture--Eva Minge is a Polish fashion designer who has shown in Paris Fashion week and this must have been a nice PR coup for her and her pr team. The gown was a strapless black Mermaid-shaped number with ombre-dyed bottom full-skirted section. Very dramatic and very right for such an event.

Tutankhamen Meets Buckingham: London-born singer Jessie J. rocked the Diamond Jubilee Concert wearing UK-based designers Falguni and Shane Peacock. They are originally from India and have dressed many a celebrity--such as Lady Gaga, Fergie and Britney Spears, to name a few (they have MAJAH PR money darlings!). The dress Jessie J. wore was from their Spring 2012 collection, It featured royal blue feathers, intricate "Tutankhamen"-inspired embellishment over a black see-through base. It was a very Stage-appropriate look especially if you want to get noticed beyond the tenth row of concert goers.

Even with all these Fashion Queens, the REAL Fashion Queen was the one and only Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in her gold silk lame and Swarovski crystal ensemble. Kisses, and God Save The Queen...



Click Below to Watch Dame Shirley Bassey's Performance of "Diamonds Are Forever" Diamond Jubilee Concert: