Alexander McQueen blush lace shift

Back in June of 2012 the Duchess donned a lace sheath for some final Jubilee festivities.

This one features nude/blush lace with a white underlay.  The long sleeved sheath is finished with a ribbon waist and KMidd accessorized with a Jane Taylor fascinator, Prada clutch, and her signature L.K. Bennett Sledge pumps in nude.

I mean the outfit is okay, its pretty, but its a snore.  The lace and the color is nice and the dress itself is modest.  

Credits: DM online.

I also happen to like Kate in fuller skirts because I feel it balances her long shoulder line and  straight hips better; if you're on the thin side like Kate a little optical illusion goes a long way in adding shape to your silhouette.  I also think high waists just further elongate her already long torso and think this might have worked better with no waist detail or something that sits just a bit lower.

I take issue again with the construction of this McQueen creation, namely that such such a slim pencil skirt as this has no slit or even a kick pleat to make walking easier.  Unless you are dealing with stretchy fabric that has some give, you have to compensate such a narrow skirt with some sort of slit to make walking easier; otherwise the wearer has to compensate in some way by either taking very short steps or angling the lower torso.  In the stair picture it looks like Kate had to compensate by angling her hip to be able to take a stair.  Miss Burton really ought to do better, both for Kate's ease of comfort and her own brand's sake.

I also take a bit of issue with that ribbon waist; if you look closely there is a part that was added to the back and I just think that's a bit messy.

I found was this Eliza J dress, very similar in that it has an almost identical neckline, silhouette, waist, and nude lace/white underlay construction.  The glaring difference is the sleeve length and of course the lace pattern - KMidd's has a bit of a scallop hem finish.

Boy Eliza J has really jumped on the Kate Replicas haven't they?

Credits: Eliza J via Macy's 3/4 length sleeve lace sheath, $199.

Another look-a-like is this Dorothy Perkins lace dress in pale pink.  This one is also similar in construction as Kate's with lace overlay and white lining and in a pencil silhouette; it also makes an effort of mimicking the original's scalloped hem.  This version also has 3/4 length sleeves.

Credits: Dorothy Perkins pink lace dress, $59.

White Eyelet Peplum Skirt Suit

Sept. 12, 2012 was day 2 of the Duke and Duchess' Asia tour.  Of particular interest to me was this white peplum number in broderie anglaise, which in American translation is eyelet.  The suit, from Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen* features a peplum top with Queen Anne neckline - that is, raised in the back of the neck and leading down to a v-neck - and a slightly full A-line skirt.  The top also has cuffed sleeves and is belted.

I'm taking the liberty of calling this a suit because well, in my opinion it is, but its a casual one both because of the fabric and silhouette.

* I don't know officially what to call the label since it was identified both as Alexander McQueen and as a custom Sarah Burton piece, so is it Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton for the Duchess, I dunno.

All picture credit: StyleBistro.

Overall I think this was a great look.  The peplum and skirt really work wonders add shape to her linear figure and she still looks slim just not straight.  Also the fabric looked airy and fresh for the climate.  The v-neck is a tad low especially in some angles but with her less endowed proportions she mostly gets away with it.

Things I did not like: I really wished she had worn her hair up in a fun pony since it did have that high collar and also because of the heat, and I wish she had chosen other shoes since the sky high wedges looked a bit clunky.  With a pony and with different shoes she could've looked a lot "fresher".

Also in some angles it appeared that only the front of the bodice was lined and her bra was visible from the back; I really would expect a) such a high end garment to be fully lined front and back or b) Kate's handlers to get on the ball and pack her a slip.

A bit of a time finding an exact repliKate - maybe when spring rolls around we'll see more eyelet - but I did manage to find a white peplum dress.  Bonus: it is belted and has sleeves.

Liz Claiborne via J.C. Penney - belted peplum dress in white.