Princess Catherine’s North American tour confirmed that the Duchess of Cambridge is the undisputable new global fashion icon.
More was said and written about what she wore than about what she did during her official visit at the other side of the Atlantic.
Through my recent experience of styling politicians and public figures among others, here is what I thought of Princess Catherine’s dress choices in Canada, from the view of an image maker and communications specialist.
Lace gives a boost of elegance and feminity at the same time. Princess Catherine arrives in Canada in a black and white lace dress accessorized with nude pumps. Four days later, she wears a blue lacey dress with the same pumps to attend a morning service onboard the HMCS Montreal at Champlain Harbour in Quebec.
Maple leaf, maple leaf, maple leaf. On a hat and as a brooch. Better yet when the outfit is red and white, you make a total Canadian flag outfit. The maple leaf brooch on the purple dress looks ok to me, it's respectful enough to the hosting country, but the two other red and red& white outfits are too much of a national statement, at least to my own taste. The Duchess still looks elegant in them, but I can't ignore the political context -which is not bad, just too flashy to a non-monarch's eyes like mine.
The Duchess of Cambridge shows us how to wear navy in two ways; ladylike and androgyny. For her visit to Prince Edward Island, she chose a flawless white dress with blue horizontal navy stripes and a hemline that ends in a foulard and matching navy blue pumps. For her visit to Slave Lake, an area devastated by wildfires some weeks ago, Princess Catherine chose a navy blue suit (vest and trousers) worn with a white ruffled shirt and accessorized with a pair of black espadrilles platforms (which unfortunately don't show in this picture)
Detail; the Duchess of Cambridge wears mocassins to meet with natives at Blachford Lake. Another politically correct styling move by Princess Catherine; this choice would help the process of indigenous people identifying with her Highness.
Princess Catherine wears a ladylike pale yellow dress with bold references to the 50s as she arrives to Calgary; puff sleeves, big collar and row of buttons. Simple, chic and fabulous.
