William and Catherine Royal Wedding: The Royal Family Red Carpet!

William and Catherine Royal Wedding: The Royal Family Red Carpet!

La Reina y everybody else...and THAT FABULOUS Hat Princess Beatrice wore!!!

Continuing with my "Royal Wedding Red Carpet Report", I couldn't leave out the Royal Family of course...Let's begin with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I expected her to be in a soft pastel but no, kids, she went ALL OUT COLOR, wearing a primrose wool crepe coat and dress from Royal Dresser Angela Kelly. Kelly has been The Queen's personal designer/stylist/wardrobe coordinator for about 17 years and in 2006 was recognized with the honor of becoming a Member of the Royal Victorian Order.

Primrose Queen: Queen Elizabeth II

The color was outstanding in that it made her presence known. And surely, NO ONE could miss her--even the kids watching from the farthest of bleachers! She has stated that she wears bright colors to these events with large audiences, so that everyone can spot her. She accessorized it with the stunning Queen Mary's True Lovers Knot brooch (how appropriate!) and also wore a matching hat, her ever-present pearls and of course, her handbag.

The Fashion Girls Have Arrived: Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice of York

The Younger Royals were well represented in terms of fashion with Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice of York, daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York. Both girls have become quite the Fashionistas and were expected to be "giving" fashion with a Capital "F". Eugenie (the younger of the two, on the left) wore a Vivienne Westwood fitted multi-colored jacket and poufy silk taffeta skirt and Jimmy Choo shoes. Beatrice, on the right, surprised a lot of fashion insiders by not wearing a British brand and in fact, choosing to wear...

Valentino Haute Couture Spring 2011. How a 23 year old university student can afford to buy Couture (that hand-made custom ordered coat-dress probably costs in the vicinity of $25,000. Not kidding) is questioned but then again, she is a Princess so I'm sure she's got a "Princess Checking Account". Incidentally, Beatrice is FIFTH in line of succession for the Royal Throne of SIXTEEN independent states: Hello!

Chapeau Divas: Princess Eugenie and Beatrice of York, in Philip Treacy

I thought Beatrice's Valentino Haute Couture coat-dress was elegant, timeless and appropriate for a Royal Wedding. And--more importantly--made a perfect canvas for THAT over-the-top Philip Treacy hat! I LOVED it! I'm sure there are "haters" who just "didn't get it" but huney, you've got me in your corner darling! Kudos to Philip Treacy and Kudos to her for having the inner-drag Queen Fabulousness, to wear it! Oh yeah, I liked Princess Eugenie's chapeau as well...

Their father, Prince Andrew, Duke of York looked great in uniform...

As well as their Uncle--and Father of the Groom--HRH Charles Prince of Wales and heir apparent.

Who Looked Best? Carole Middleton or HRH, the Duchess of Cornwall

Mother of the Bride, Carole Middleton was quietly elegant (maybe too quiet for my taste) in a pearly blue wool crepe coat and silk shantung day dress by Catherine Walker, a favorite designer of the late Princess Diana. The coat featured matching satin piping and braiding at the waist and sleeve hems. Her hat was created by milliner Jane Corbett. It was the perfect "Mother of The Bride", simple, serene. But part of me wanted just "a little more". Next to her, is HRH Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, who looked slightly more fabulous in a champagne-colored silk box-pleated coat and duck egg blue-and-champagne silk dress designed by Anna Valentine. Her hat was by Philip Treacy.

Princely Chic: Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex with his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex

Sophie, the Countess of Wessex had her ensemble custom made by British Designer Bruce Oldfield, and supposedly paid full price for it (estimated at approximately 6,000 pounds according to some sources), according to the UK tabloids--and good for her! (and Oldfield--no freebies darling!!). LOVED the sleeve embroidered detail and the horizontal seaming in the jacket at the torso-bust.

And last but not least, we have Princess Anne, only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and aunt to the groom, Prince William. Bless her heart--she wore a flower-printed lilac and lime green coat with large cuffs and a purple silk taffeta dress underneath. It was kinda too EIGHTIES/early NINETIES for my taste (those fold-up cuffs! Hello!). The hat and swooped-up hairstyle, dated--as well as aged-- her. On a positive note: Her figure under all that looks GREAT!

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: Diamond Jubilee Dinner for Foreign Sovereigns-Kings and Queens Red Carpet!

Royal Fashion Minute: Diamond Jubilee Dinner for Foreign Sovereigns-Kings and Queens Red Carpet!

Royal Red Carpet

Hosts With The Most: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall host  a Dinner For Foreign Sovereigns to Commemorate The Diamond Jubilee, London, England

As you may be aware--if you've been keeping up on all things royal-- The Diamond Jubilee is taking place this year--right now as we speak in fact, marking 60
years of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's reign. The Queen came to the throne on 6th
February 1952 and her Coronation took place on June 2, 1953, so naturally this weekend is the Central Weekend of The Diamond Jubilee.

 Coronation Day, June 2nd, 1953--Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip

Lots of events, parties and fabulous horse races have been taking place with a highlight being tomorrow's Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant which will celebrate her 60 year reign with a flotilla of 1,000 boats on the River Thames which will be televised live on various networks such as CNN and BBC of course.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Official Diamond Jubilee Portrait

A couple of weeks ago, on May 18th, as part of the celebrations, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall hosted a very VIP dinner at Buckingham Palace for Foreign Sovereigns to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee. It was a Who's Who of Kings, Queens, Princes, Emperors and one especially FABULOUS wife of an African Monarch. They socialized, had cocktails, gossiped about the latest multi-palace intrigues and dined on cheese souffle and sea bass. They also gave COUTURE darlings...so...let's check out the Royal Red Carpet...

Monaco Meet England: Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco say "hello" to the Dinner's Hosts, Prince Charles and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall--The Duchess wore a duck's egg blue shimmery gown designed by one of her favorite designers (as well as the late Princess Diana) Bruce Oldfield. The dress featured a delicate lace with a deep v-neck and three-quarter sleeves; all over a matching satin inner gown. She looked like a very, very elegant Mother-of-the-Bride, and I mean that in a good way! I LOVE her! I also love Prince Charles black tie patent leather slippers. I want a pair!

Peach Princess: Monaco's reigning royals, Prince Albert and his wife, Princess Charlene looked fresh and modern in their "Royal Red Carpet" looks. The statuesque Charlene wore a peach-colored silk crepe gown with a silk chiffon cowl-draped capelet from Christian Dior. The Princess always knows how to highlight those incredible swimmer's shoulders of hers and always chooses clean, elegant non-fussy styles, and it goes without saying, she always looks radiant in them.



 Elie Saab Grand Duchess:

The Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Maria Teresa attended the Dinner in Buckingham Palace with her husband of course, His Royal Highness Henri, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Maria Teresa LOVES fashion and especially ordering from all the top Haute Couture fashion houses. She's not a six foot tall size 2 but that doesn't stop the Cuban-born monarch from GIVING Fashion with a Capital F! For this dinner a couple of weeks back, she wore Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2012:

The blue-green colored gown is a hand-beaded silk chiffon dress featuring a satin waist-defining belt, three-quarter sleeves and flared shape with train. It's the SAME gown that Katy Perry wore to the 2012 Grammy Awards earlier this year. The difference is the Grand Duchess payed for hers (It's Haute Couture kids and probably cost a cool $100,000)...and there was another difference: when the Grand Duchess custom ordered this gown she had the neckline dropped and scooped. I think for her, this was a wise choice since it opened up her neckline and balanced her upper torso. Perfect gown Maria Teresa. Bellisima!



 More Euro Royals On The Buckingham Palace Red Carpet:

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden (top left): the Queen--who is of German and Brazilian descent--wore a silk taffeta navy blue high-necked ruffle Blouse/Jacket over an ivory gown skirt.  On the right are Queen Anne Marie and King Constantine II of Greece. They don't really have a country to rule since the monarchy was abolished in Greece in 1973 but they still retain their titles. They're also VERY related to the British monarchs and just about all the other Euro Royals so they get invited to just about everything! Queen Anne Marie of Greece (who's actually Danish) wore a very lady-like silk chiffon flower print gown with a rosette waist detail. I am not sure who the designer is but it's very Valentino. Old-school Valentino.

Queen Sonja of Norway (left) wore a deep red high necked gown with semi-mermaid skirt and a Royal-worthy matching wrap. This woman is exquisitely ROYAL from head to toe. No one in their right mind would confuse her for anything but being a QUEEN! Next to her is Queen Margrethe II of Denmark; I just LOVE her; she seems like a hoot--just look at that facial expression on her--complete opposite of Queen Sonja. Margarethe can't wait for her first cocktail at the dinner! In terms of fashion, Queen Margarethe usually favors the big ol' ball gowns--usually with oversized flower prints. It was a nice change to see her in a more modern and not too over-the-top fashion statement.



Middle East, North Africa and Asia...

Rome, Italy born Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco (left) is the first daughter and eldest child of the late King Hassan II of Morocco. She's always very elegant and stood out with her Moroccan traditional gown at the Dinner Festivities. On the right photo is the always stylish Queen Rania of Jordan. A Royal Style Icon, Rania wore a color-blocked peplum gown with three-quarter sleeves, contrast waistband and "Mermaid-lite" shape. She is so ON TREND with everything in that gown, she's BEYOND Trend!

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan attended the dinner. The Empress look rather chic in a black and white column silk crepe gown with asymmetrical neckline and waist detail. But it is the Emperor who stands out for me: Simply, the Best Dressed Man of the Night! He looked impeccable in a double breasted tuxedo with peaked lapels.

One of the wealthiest men in the World, the Sultan of Brunei Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darusasalam attended with Pengiran Anak Saleha, wife and Queen Consort of the Sultan (left top photo). On the right is Princess Srirasm of Thailand, wife and Princess Consort to the Crown Prince of Thailand, who attended with her husband, the Crown Prince of Thailand, of course. I love how both of these ladies wore traditional ensembles and highlight the elegance and beauty of each culture.




Finally, It's The Royal Consort of the Night:

Take a look at this lovely lady above ---She is (wait for  it!) Inkhosikati LaMbikiza, one of the THIRTEEN WIVES of King Mswati III of Swaziland. First off, I just want to know how she got so lucky--out of the 12 other wives--to be the one to come to London. Does the King of Swaziland have a gold, diamond and ruby bowl that all of the wives put their names in and the first one picked was the Winner? Can you imagine! This above is what she wore to the Dinner for Foreign Sovereigns to Commemorate the Diamond Jubilee.
It was a gold iridescent confection of a gown featuring gold lamé and
poly organza ruffles tiered into a frothy pouf-cake of a gown, the top
section was beaded and then, if that wasn't enough, in case she would be
cold, a white mink stole. 

The only thing I can think of is "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding":

I swear to the Fashion Gods that she must be using this KRAZEE show as her Fashion Inspiration. I give her lots of points for just going there and wearing this monstrosity of a dress. It isn't just tacky. It's BEYOND Tacky. Maybe this is a culture thing and in the great nation of Swaziland, this is what passes off as Red Carpet Glamour so maybe I'm just being culturally insensitive...

Whatever it is, it's still TACKY-licious to me! One of my favorite pictures from the night's dinner is the one above where the Footguard is standing there, as she enters the Dinner Party, and you can tell that his insides are about to BURST out as he's trying to hold a professional look on his face while on the inside he is SCREAMING and saying "OOOOOH GURLLLL!!!"



I'm just going to say it: I want to see more of Inkhosikati LaMbikiza! I really, really hope she will be attending the Thames River Diamond Jubilee festivities tomorrow, hopefully on her own boat--with TWENTY half-naked hot boys around her dancing!



Happy Diamond Jubilee!!!