Kate Inspired by... Yellow Shirt Dresses

Hello to anyone out there, just wanted to let you know progress here has been slow I know and I am sorry about that.  I don't have any intention just yet to let this blog go completely but I still am planning some changes.  In the mean time let's continue on to the fashion!

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The Duchess seems to like yellow shirt dresses for those famous worldwide traveling tours.  Yellow, according to Color Wheel Pro, is a color that promotes cheerfulness, energy, spontaneity, and attracts attention.  Fitting for Kate then as it seems she very much enjoys attention.

First was this pale yellow Jenny Packham for the Cambridge's Canada tour of 2011 with short sleeves, collar, high waist, and A-line silhouette.
My first post on it was here.  In a nutshell, I was not too big a fan of this dress.  I found it a bit boring, the color not very interesting, and the thin, silky skirt inappropriate for the windy setting since it provided various uncomfortable oops moments for Kate.  I think she would have preferred being able to concentrate on the day's events instead of constantly being worried about her skirt (and her hair) flying everywhere.

Via DM.

For the Asia tour of 2012 Kate wore this bright yellow dress by Jaeger with gathered cap sleeves, collar, drop waist pleated skirt, and self belt.  The material on this dress looks to be a fresh cotton or a cotton blend, which helps hold those stiff pleats and collar.
I was a big fan of this dress, both for the bolder color and the cut.  I also think Kate looks best in fuller silhouettes like this pleated skirt and the fabric and style was a good choice for the tropical Asia climate.  I think a pony tail might have kept her cooler but overall the modified shirt dress style was great for the setting.

Via StyleBistro. 

The first repliKate is this shirt dress by thie Limited with button placket, bodice pockets, and gathered skirt.  This is a little bit of the Jenny Packham dress shape with the bolder almost acid yellow of the Jaeger dress.

The Limited short sleeve shirt dress yellow.

This Eshakti dress is in poplin cotton with a shorter bodice and button line, cap sleeves, slightly high waist, and pleated skirt.  This is a good look-a-like of the Jaeger dress right down to the slightly similar pleated skirt and capped sleeves.

Eshakti retro poplin dress in yellow ochre.

Jenny Packham yellow dress

During the Canada tour of 2011 on a stop at Calgary, the Duchess wore this bright yellow Jenny Packham dress.  Its not quite a shirt dress but the bodice is definitely styled like one, with a button front placket, collar, and short sleeves, paired with a flowy A-line silhouette skirt.

Via DM.

Let me just say the dress is fine, but it isn't a very exciting or interesting dress and paired with the nude shoes the outfit itself is a bit boring.  The waistline here has a bit of awkward placing because it is a bit high, making the bodice fit short on Kate's long torso.  I think the combination of the high waistline paired with an above the knee hemline isn't very good on Kate since it makes her dresses look like the fit is too short for her.
But I like the good balance and proportion of Kate strong shoulder with a fuller skirt.  The fuller sleeves do help mask and soften that strong shoulder while the full skirt helps give a feminine shape.  I like when she mixes it up with fuller silhouettes since she does seem to favor the sheaths.
The only downside is that it was not as appropriate for the windy condition and as you can see in the photo she struggled to keep the hem wrangled  Maybe a slip would have helped or maybe dress weights, but for future reference this would be one occasion where her more structured sheath silhouettes would be better suited.

I didn't find a ready made repliKate but I did come across this interesting pattern set for any of you DIY-ers out there.  It features a pattern for a dress almost identical to Kate's.  It has the same button down bodice with collar and sleeves paired with a flowy fuller skirt.  It even appears to have similar dart placing at the bodice.
Its a bit of a coincidence that the yellow dress is featured so prominently in the envelope, so clearly it is meant to be an inspiration of Kate's original.  The other dress in the set is a long sleeved wrap style.

Simplicity brand pattern set # 1880.