Monday 9 July 2012

A Point of Interest: Kate's Wimbledon Necklaces Etc.

Blogger from "What Kate Wore", mentions that one of the necklaces Kate wore to Wimbledon was by UK designer Kristin Magnusson (the necklace with the charm).


Here is the necklace up close (below). It's interesting that this piece features an acorn, as the Middleton's family crest includes Oak trees and such. Also, Kate's personalized wedding earrings, a gift from her parents, also featured an acorn. I love it!



Also, Links of London - who supposedly made the other chain Kate was wearing (in the first picture above) - is reported to be having a big sale at the moment, so if you're interested check them out online.

My Summer Bag and Shoe Mission

I've been admiring lighter coloured (or tan coloured) bags recently - especially when someone (like Pippa Middleton) pairs tan shoes with them! It's very summery and I love the matched look, it's very polished looking.



However, it's already July 9th, and although summer has pretty much just begun, I wonder how long I can wear the combo mentioned above... Should I be investing in items that I won't be wearing for all that much longer (my mother's influence)? But then I realise, summer isn't even half over, and when spring and summer roll around again next year I'll be ready!

I guess half the battle is trying not over-spend but not compromise by buying items that I don't like. I was bidding on a Dooney and Bourke bag the other day, which was tan and cream coloured (only 10 dollars!) but I was out-bid by 50 cents in the last minute! That, and a cheaper pair of tan coloured sandals were going to be the answer to my summer mission, but now I'm back at square one, or sort of. Here are the bags that I am currently going to watch and possibly bid on:


Above: Dooney and Bourke

Above: Modalu "Pippa" bag in "Toffee"
Also, I'm opting for tan coloured sandals because the weather here (Toronto, Canada) is just too hot for closed shoes if you don't have to wear them, and they need to be multi-purpose, meaning that I need to be able to wear them to the grocery store, the cottage etc. I think that wearing tan wedges (which I do have) all of the time would be too much too. Especially since I wear shorts a lot in the summer, and I would feel a bit overdone if I was wearing wedges (tall wedges) and shorts that are above mid-thigh.

I guess I'll get back to trolling the internet (and ebay) for options.

Update: here are some sandals I found on ebay, and their size selection is amazing! The only thing I worry about, if I were to buy shoes on ebay, is if they will fit or not. I think I should stick to the stores that I can visit and try their shoes on.



Here are some options from Spring shoes, the only issue being that they aren't sandals. But, they would be cute for work or with pants/jeans.



Here is a pair of tan coloured sandals from GAP:



I like these a lot, but I guess I should wait until I get the Dooney and Bourke bag (or IF I get the Dooney and Bourke bag) to buy these sandals. I just hope the sizes don't run out. Also, I can always return these to the GAP store if they don't fit me properly.


The Middleton "Must-Haves"

This is a list of the "Middleton Must-Haves". These staple items will help you achieve the Middleton sister's look.


SHOES

Flats: The Middleton sisters (and their mother) love French Sole (or London Sole) flats. Especially the "Henrietta" flat. Check out places like Ebay to find deals on this particular brand (like the ones below), or find another option elsewhere. Finding more neutral flats will help you match them up with more outfits, they will be more versatile.

















Nude Patent Leather Pumps: Kate's version of this shoe, as we all know, is from LK Bennett. However, if you can't afford that shoe you can find another trendy option elsewhere for sure. Try Nine West, either their "Caress" shoe (pictured below) or their pair that has a slightly smaller heel but is virtually the same shoe "Applaud".

















Wedges: You don't have to buy brands like LK Bennett's "Greta" wedge to copy the Middleton sister's look. Just go elsewhere, like Old Navy, and find another kind - like the ones below. You don't need to have the exact shoe as the Middleton's, just something like them. Again, make sure the option is as neutral as possible so that you have a very versatile option


















Boots: For the chillier times of the year, make sure you have a pair of boots. Basic black is always a good option, unless you have money to spend on multiple pairs. The Middleton's don't seem to favour leather when it comes to their boots, they seem to prefer suede. However, if you can't find a good simple suede boot (simple boots seem hard to find at times), opt for a more matte black leather. Roots makes a really great streamlined boot, see the picture below.




















 

BAGS


Just a quick word on bags. The Middleton sisters don't really seem to have a specific bag "look". Also, to add to some of the vagueness, the Middleton sisters sometimes match their bags and their shoes based on colour, or they match their bags to their belts and not to their shoes, OR, they don't match anything. So it depends on how pulled together you want to look I guess and how you might be dressed for a certain occassion. However, keep in mind that the Middleton sisters do typically look fairly polished. So my suggestion would be to have a bag that matches at least one pair of shoes. For example, you should have at least one pair of black shoes and at least one black bag. You could then move into the realm of having a lighter coloured bag and pair of shoes for the summer months. It might also be a good idea, if you wear belts, to have a brown and black belt, in case you need or want to match those to your shoes and bags as well.

Notice how (above) Pippa matched her shoes and her bag, both are red in colour. However, this could get a wee bit expensive, the more you get into different coloured shoes and bags. So again, try to at least have a black bag and pair of shoes as a basic staple in your wardrobe.


In this picture (above) you'll see how Pippa has matched her brown bag to her belt, but her shoes are white in colour. So you can match different things, and not all things (bag, belt and shoes), but it still looks pulled together and chic and classic. Kate, on the other hand, seems to have a lighter pair of shoes on and a lighter bag - but I don't think the colours are perfectly matched. But, that's okay, they still look nice together and blend well.

Now lets move on to the bags that you should have, as a part of the "Middleton Must-Haves".

Clutches: We see Kate carrying clutches more so than Pippa these days, as she has little to take with her while out on her royal duties. Pippa on the other hand really only carries these nice little bags when attending weddings. Again, try to make sure you have at least one staple colour to match with shoes - like black or brown. Having multiple clutches could get expensive, especially as they don't get used as much as bigger bags probably do. Also, patterned, or different fabrics or textures might be more easily paired with other things. For instance, Kate wears her nude pumps with a straw LK Bennett clutch. In another scenario this clutch could probably be worn with wedges of a different colour or pumps or flats of another colour.
















Tote Bags: These bags are a sure staple. You need to have a larger bag for everyday use; to carry all of your various things. Again, make sure you have at least one bag that matches a pair of shoes or boots, this will help to round out and polish-off an outfit.























JEWELLRY

 
A quick word on Jewellry. The Middleton sisters always have jewellry on. This definitely includes earrings, but they also seem to like necklaces, bracelets and rings. Jewellry seems to be a part of their "Sloaney Style". A word of warning thought, don't ever over-do it. Kate and Pippa wear simple pieces and they never load on too much. Be aware of what you're wearing clothing wise, and adorn yourself carefully. For instance, don't wear a heavy necklace and dangly earrings. The Middleton's are simple, so keep it simple yourself. Studs and a necklace is always a good look. Or just earrings and multiple rings on your hands - which are also simple. When it comes to rings the sisters seem to like mixing metals, so gold with silver is doable.

Necklaces: The Middleton sisters will wear necklaces from time to time, but they are usually understated and simple. Look at Kate's two chains below (although it's rare to see her do this look).



































 
Earrings: Kate loves to match her earrings to her outfits, which is always a good thing to do. She also seems to prefer drop earrings. But studs, like basic pearls or a gold stud, are never a bad way to go either, especially for the "normal" everyday person.



















 

Rings: Like I mentioned before, Pippa (more so now than Kate) wears multiple rings on her fingers and hands. Kate, I suppose, is keeping it simple, now that she has her saphire ring.














 
Bracelets: Kate has her famous "C" bracelet, that Camilla is rumoured to have given her, but she and Pippa have other pieces that they have to wear. Again, they are usually delicate pieces.

















And there you have it, those are the "Middleton Must-Haves", or the pieces that I've noticed to be staples with the Middleton sisters.

There are other items, like clothing that the girls are known to wear and favour as well, and seem to be staples for them. I may post about those things, but the pieces that I mention above, to me, seem to be items that help to build around the clothing, or add a certain something to an outfit in a very "Middleton-esque" way.


Striking Off on a Different Path: Walking the Line Between Kate and Pippa

Over the last few months, after following Kate's style since mid-2011, I have come to realise something. Achieving Kate's "look" is not going to be as possible to do as it once was.

Before, when Kate was just dating Prince William, and even when they became engaged, her look was pretty easy to emulate. For instance, there would be pictures of her out in the streets of London in jeans, jackets, skirts and tops that could be copied, almost exactly or by finding something similar. Also, they were universally flattering looks - classic looks - and for the most part her clothing came from High Street shops that we all shopped in ourselves. This made being a "copy Kate" a snap, and it was easy to relate to her style.



However, once Kate became a duchess, the balance shifted. It was a slow shift that I didn't really notice at first, but it was quite evident as she became more comfortable with her new role, especially in 2012. Suddenly we were seeing her wear more outfits and gowns that a) where was I ever going to wear them? and b) how could I afford them if I wanted them and had a place to wear them? I think that the first question though is the the clincher. I am not a duchess and nor will I ever be. And as time marched on, and Kate donned more and more hats and outfits not really relevant to the normal everyday person, what was I to do? How was I to emulate someones look when it didn't fit my lifestyle?



This is when I started to seriously think, and just the other day the lightning bolt hit, and Pippa Middleton flashed before my eyes.



Pippa Middleton strikes a great balance between Kate and the "normal" person! Pippa herself is a "normal" person (although some may not agree). She may be sister to a duchess, and a royal one at that, but I almost feel like we might be in the same boat - looking on at a person that we aren't and will never be. I'm not saying that Pippa, or even I, envy Kate for being a duchess, but she is operating now in a circle and reality that hardly anyone is a party to. Where Kate goes and what she wears is not really relevant to Pippa or to me in most circumstances.



So now I am the one doing the shifting, and I will now be looking to both Kate and Pippa for my style inspiration. Kate will always be fun to watch, because I love her classic style and the fact that she is royal, and a lot of what she wears seems to belong to another time, and it does belong to another world; where one wears coat dresses and hats all of the time without batting an eye and that's just how it's done. But I could still copy some of her looks for weddings and other special occassions. Everyone needs to look nice for those, and some of Kate's choices could be very well emulated.


Pippa on the other hand is my "normal" option. Yes she does wear her fair share of designer brands, fancy outfits and she is sister to a duchess, but maybe now people will, like me, start turning to her for looks that we can copy more easily - and she's a tad more relatable too. Also, she and Kate seem to have similar style, although Pippa at times seems to experiment with less classic choices at times - like the printed dress she wore to Wimbledon with Kate. But, for the most part, I like what she wears and I like that she seems to carry the torch for Kate's old self - because even now I'll sometimes see Kate out shopping and wearing looks that I just wouldn't wear to the shops quite frankly (I'm thinking of her Mulberry skirt back in the winter).



Also, it's kind of nice having shifted to Pippa. I don't feel the need to curl my hair at the ends any more (not that I did it often and it wasn't that flattering a look on me either, and it took time and I don't think I did it quite right). As well I have struck a balance between what they both do makeup wise and what works for me (I promise I'm not a total freakazoid person here, trying to become them or something, I just really liked and like their looks).   :) And finally, Pippa and I are the same height apparently, 5' 8". This also helps me feel like the looks she wears will look similar on me. With Kate, who is 5' 10", I always felt like looks on her were falling flat on me, because was so much taller and carried them off differently.



So there it is. There's my little (or fairly big) revelation. I'm striking off on a different path now, and I some feel relief. Now I don't have to feel like I'm failing somehow, by not managing to copy Kate's look(s). They don't work for me anymore, but I can look to past-Kate looks, to Pippa now, and to myself for what works and what doesn't, for my new and ultimate style inspiration.



What's Up with Kate?

Maybe back a few months ago I started to feel like Kate was looking different.... I was seeing more pictures of her where I didn't like how she looked (which never happened back in 2011), or she didn't look like herself - or the person that I remembered from 2011/early 2012.

I've been trying to put my finger on what has changed about her since that time, because there certainly has been a change! But what is it???

Here are some pictures that I've gathered from various times in 2011, and then there will be pictures from 2012. See for yourself and try to help me out!





 Now here are some pictures from early 2012, when I start to see the change:



What is it??? Is it her hair colour? Is it her makeup? Maybe she's wearing more hats and her hairstyles are changing as a result, or the hats all of the time are making her look stuffy - or the kind of hats are having that effect?

To throw another wrench into the works, here are some pictures from 2012 that remind me of "the old Kate". So these are recent pictures that she her looking (to me anyways) more "Kate-like".








Maybe she isn't as done up in the pictures above... so her makeup (eye and face) is more reminiscent of how she used to do her makeup. There was a lot of criticism about how Kate did her eye makeup back in 2011, but really, compared to how she's been doing it recently it looked quite natural and it was quite simple and light looking. So maybe that's it...

But whatever it is, I just want the old Kate back!








Kate and Pippa at Wimbledon

Yesterday Kate and Pippa watched the match between Andy Murray and Roger Federer, and they looked like they had a fun time together. I wonder if Pippa was sitting in the seat that Wills gave up (he was surfing in Cornwall with Harry and friends)?


Both girls look happy and relaxed in each others company, and Kate looked quite nice in her outfit - and in general since her makeup was lighter and fresher looking, which I much prefer. She's been wearing too much eyeshadow lately that I think ages her.


I also notice that she was wearing sunglasses that look very similar to the ones that Pippa was wearing earlier in the week, by Givenchy. I wonder if Kate borrowed them? That would be kind of neat I think, it would show Kate to be very normal (although I think that she is pretty remarkably normal for how her life has changed) and it also shows that she must not at all be too proud to borrow from her sister. Check out the pictures below and decide for youself, are these the same glasses?






So over all I thought Kate looked nice, although I was a bit startled by the shape of the eye wear - we've seen Kate wearing sportier looks in the past I think, more rectangular and more streamlined. But that's just my opinion and how I remember it. But I think the look was nice on her, but maybe better on Pippa...


Pippa's outfit choice though did not look so great. I hated that panel of ruffles across the stomach area and I also wasn't a fan of the print. The sunglasses were also a miss, but if she wore them so her sister could wear the Givenchy's, then that wins her some points (but I'm sure she must have other better pairs to wear :)


It was great fun to see the sisters together, it showed more of their personalities I think, since they obviously had some laughs together and shared a number of jokes.