Who wouldn’t want to look like royalty on their wedding day? Kate Middleton, on her wedding to Prince William on April 29, 2011, truly succeeded in looking not only elegant and beautiful but also in ushering in a new era for stately and classic wedding gowns.
Kate Middleton’s wedding dress was the cause of a lot of speculation: what designer would she be wearing, how would the fashionable young woman combine style with the stateliness a royal wedding requires? Personally, I think her McQueen lace and gazar gown combines these two perfectly.
Kate used avant-garde designer- Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen- and yet incorporated so many classic elements into the gown, such as handmade lace, a long train and a high neckline. This shows how with a good design you can really have it all, high fashion fused with classic style. Kate’s gown will look just as gorgeous in 20 years as it did today.
Her gown expressed a high level of sophistication and modernity. Maintaining a balance of modernity and modesty is a challenge and Ms. Burton succeeded in this test. She left just enough to the imagination using the lace on her shoulders and sleeves which gave a delicate inherently sexy feeling. The fitted corset and full skirt highlighted Kate’s small waist. A high neckline kept the visual interest on her face, tiara, and veil, making her entire entrance truly fitting a royal.
The British Royal School of Needlework incorporated traditional British motifs into Kate’s gown. Sarah Burton likewise used these same motifs (thistles, shamrocks, English flowers) for lace on her shoes as well. Fashion is more than just clothes- it is a way of letting us express what we stand for and represent as an individual. Kate’s stately gown deomonstrated her national pride, fashion sensibility, and her respect for the traditions of her country’s heritage.
How can you emulate Kate? If you’re getting married anytime soon, congratulations, this royal wedding gives a lot of hope that we will soon be seeing more gorgeous designs that are sophisticated while leaving some things to the imagination.
Neutrals with a Pop: Daytime Fashion from Cannes
The Cannes Film Festival, which started May 11 in the French resort town of the same name, is one of the most influential film festivals in the world. Starting just days after the Chanel resort collection presented on the French Riviera, the fashions at Cannes were similarly chic and ladylike.
The best fashions were appropriate to the French Riviera venue: fresh, springy, and not overly complicated.
Angelina Jolie looks lovely in another great trend of the season: neutrals. We usually think of colors like khaki and tan as utilitarian work colors, but they make great unusual combinations for event wear, as seen here in this chiffon dress and leather belt from Salvatore Ferragamo.
White is still a big color for the season, as Rachel McAdams shows us here in a white dress with cream flowers from Maxime Simoens.
Uma Thurman looks easy-going in a Dolce & Gabanna white eyelet dress. The fitted style and the sleeve length keep the all white and eyelet details from being too sweet.
Host Melanie Laurent talks to reporters outside Cannes in a cream lace Dior cocktail dress. Lace sleeves: not just for the royal wedding any more!
And color makes a strong appearance with Léa Seydoux as she looks pretty in a geometric printed Prada dress. I love how the matching pumps give it a slightly 50’s edge.
Many trends represented here could easily be translated for any summer day. Whether you’re jet-setting to film festivals or just running errands, you can look good doing it, too!