Royal Wedding through the Eyes

My heart has been brimming with delight the last few days because of this event. I truly haven't been able to sort out all of my thoughts, but they are settling into two distinct camps -- what delighted my eyes and what delighted my heart. More on the latter is to come. For now I will pour out what delighted my eyes . . .and what just plain made me laugh . . . or cringe.

There were so many things right about this event by way of beauty and adornment, that I experienced a bit of sensory overload. Usually (as with the Oscars) there are plenty of "misses" and only a handful of "hits." With the Royal Wedding, I found it to be reversed. But the misses were there, and they made me smile.

Top of my Missed the Mark list are the Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice. Sigh.

Holy Tornado, Batman.

Let me just say that I love hats. I wear them. I delight in them. I think that fascinators (small, usually clip-on hat/hairpieces) are beautiful and can be worn with great style (see Princess Kate, left), but bless these girls hearts, they just took a giant misstep into the land of the ugly stepsisters. Seriously, a canoe hat and a funnel cake hat? For the Royal Wedding? Yikes. And don't get me started on Princess Eugenie's dress. I'll just point out that this is the wrong silhouette for her frame. 'nuff said.

Another one to make my Missed the Mark list is Princess Anne. Possibly she was aiming for "light spring bouquet," but I think that she came off looking like a crazy mix of the Mad Hatter and the Wicked Witch of the West.

Truth be told, I love the colors, I love the coat, I love the hat, I love the shoes, but these things just didn't play well together, and with her up-do, they started an all-out war.

It is a sad Miss because it was within inches of being a Hit.

Next up is Tara Palmer-Tomkinson wearing an electric blue costume by Debra Miller. The dress is a beautiful design with the high collar, sweeping sleeves and form-fitting silhouette. The heels are gorgeous with their sling-backs and peep-toes. The hat is definitely a statement, but her figure is long and lean enough to carry it off.

The Miss came in with the color. I know that British fashion is different from American fashion -- a bit more zany and extravagant over the ocean, they are. But regardless of that, I really struggle with any woman who comes decked out to a wedding in such at way that it competes with the bride in an obvious way.

Ms. Palmer-Tomkinson did just that. Electric blue does not rejoice, "I celebrate with you!" It screams, "Has anyone noticed that I look like a Smurf from head to toe?!?!"

And last on my Missed the Mark list is the Prime Minister's wife -- Samantha Cameron, wearing a Burberry London dress. The dress is "Meh." It just doesn't do anything for her, and it looks more like a dress to be worn to the office and less like a dress for the Royal Wedding.

The real reason she so clearly misses the mark is that she is missing a very important piece of her ensemble. Who attends a wedding in London -- or anywhere in England, for that matter -- without a hat? And this was not just any wedding, but the Royal Wedding.

I'm fairly ignorant of British politics, but I sincerely hope that this was not a planned snub of the monarchy. There is a time for politics and for making statements, but weddings are not those times. The entire statement of the outfit is, "Oh, a wedding? We're going to a wedding? Eh, well, I guess this will do."

I will assume the best of her. This was not a snub of the monarchy. This was just a complete lack of fashion sense and decorum. Well, at least her shoes look good.




Enough of the Missed the Mark List. On to my favorites --

The woman whose hat captivated me is Sophie Winkleman. And it wasn't just her hat, but her entire ensemble (Giorgio Armani). Her hat (designed by the hat designer of Britain, Philip Treacy) is a perfectly balanced blend of decor and function. It breeds the ole' straw sun hat with art. By sliding the hat off-center and balancing it with a modern twist on a flower, Treacy makes a gorgeous statement.

Wisely, Ms. Winlkeman wore her hair up and allowed her beautiful pearl earrings to stand out against her dark coif and navy hat and dress. Nude-coral lipstick accents her full lips without making them compete with her hat for attention. I offer a hearty well-done for this look!

As to the royal family, I applaud the Queen for her daring foray into the land of yellow (not a traditional color for the Queen to wear). Her suit (designed by Angela Kelly) is sweetly modern for  her with its tucks around the neck, and her diamond brooch -- Queen Mary's True Lovers Knot -- is an endearing nod on her part to the young couple. I would have loved a bit more curve and sweep for her hat (it comes off looking a bit starched next to her modern-ish suit), but I think that overall it works well for her position and age. She's just so cute! Not sure I can say that about the Queen of England . . .





And then there is Princess Kate . . .

Much has been said about Princess Kate's dress. As soon as I saw it, my mind starting searching its archives for where I had seen its inspiration. While I don't know exactly where Alexander McQueen's designer Sarah Burton found her inspiration, I would like to think it was Princess Grace's dress. I've long loved Princess Grace, and now Princess Kate has worked her way into my heart with her choice of this dress. (Well, okay, she's also dear to my heart because of her endearing smile and general fashion savvy -- oh, and she's a brunette princess!)

While I love the high neck that Princess Grace wore, I like the v-neck that Princess Kate chose. The V of her dress elongates her neck and creates a very regal look for her. And I do love Princess Kate's dark hair being worn down -- a beautiful contrast to her veil and the white lace on her shoulders.

Confession:
I'm a bit ashamed to say that Pippa Middleton's gown kept distracting me from Princess Kate's. I love the wedding dress, but Pippa's gown was magnificent and she wore it elegantly. Her lithe frame is the perfect form upon which to drape this Alexander McQueen creation. From the loose, capped sleeves to the draped cowl, from the row of buttons down the back to the slight train, I am in love with the dress. Wow. And being white, I love it even more. Instead of being some sort of gaudy addendum to the brides' train, she was a soft completion of it as she carried and straightened it.

And my surprise-to-me favorite look from the Royal Wedding comes from a very unlikely source -- Princess Ameerah of Saudi wearing a custom-made Zuhair Murad. From the hat to the shoes, I love this look on her. The nude color is absolutely stunning against her dark skin and jet-black hair -- and she picked the right nude for her skin-tone with just a blush of pink to it. I love that she swept her hair over her shoulder like a luxurious mink stole. Her diamond earrings stand out against the palate of nudes with just the right sparkle. The fitted bodice of the dress flairs into a soft ruffle of lace a the bottom . . . gorgeous.

And can I just say that it's classic that her husband has a cell phone stuck to his ear at the Royal Wedding. Apparently men the world over are in love with their phones.

Side Note: Is the Princess of Saudi allowed to go into public "uncovered" like this?

There were a few more Misses (Posh Spice with stripper shoes) and Hits (Letizia, Princess of Asturias, in her simple and delicate blush-colored dress by Felipe Varela), but these were my very favorites. Sigh. Such a delight to my eyes! More to come on what delighted my heart . .