Monday, December 23, 2024

Princess Catherine’s purple streak is a Wimbledon winner

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With her nude, box LK Bennett handbag and ‘Sabine’ hoop earrings from independent British jeweller By Pariah, Catherine offered attainable style but the custom block purple dress had been designed solely to fit a future queen.

2. Carole and Pippa Middleton

Catherine’s bold block colour choice was placed in sharp focus by the sea of prints surrounding her in the royal box. Princess Charlotte’s polka dots were a sweet contrast but Pippa Middleton’s whimsical floral dress from Beulah London enhanced her sister’s purple power play.

Like Queen Camilla, Pippa shopped her wardrobe for the event, having worn the caped dress to her brother James’s 2021 wedding to Alizée Thevenet.

On Day 10 at Wimbledon, Pippa’s mother Carole also turned to nature for inspiration, in a floral dress from Clare Hornby’s label Me+Em. This year Me+Em, with a price point resting in the yawning chasm between Zara and luxury labels such as Louis Vuitton, has become a favourite of public figures such as Barbie actor and producer Margot Robbie and Victoria Starmer, wife of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Earlier in the tournament Carole attended Wimbledon wearing a floral dress from Samantha Cameron’s label Ceffin, teamed with a white blazer.

3. Zara Tindall

With Catherine’s diminished profile, Princess Anne’s equestrian daughter, Zara Tindall, has been more prominent at royal gatherings. With the support of Australian stylist Annie Miall, Tindall’s style has also stepped up with dresses from Rebecca Vallance and Leo & Lin elevating her wardrobe.

For Wimbledon, Tindall joined the Me+Em pile-on in a berry print dress worn only hours earlier by Queen Mary at an official event in Denmark.

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Tindall put business over pleasure, watching the tennis from the Rolex box as an official brand ambassador, rather than the seats reserved for royalty.

4. Princess Beatrice

The last fashion splash Princess Beatrice made at Wimbledon was in 2022, wearing a dress from the Vampire’s Wife, founded by Susie Cave, the wife of musician Nick Cave.

With the label having ceased trading in May, Beatrice turned to bridal designer Monique Lhuillier’s floral shirt dress in silk, with a sash at the waist.

In 2022, Beatrice was happy to show her legs with the ruffled hem of her dress perched above the knee but the Lhuillier update taps into the current trend for a mature mid-length.

5. Queen Camilla

The royal penchant for wardrobe symbolism was ignored by Queen Camilla on day 10 of Wimbledon in a cream linen midi dress from Alana Valentine, embroidered with giraffe motifs on the skirt.

The animal print made an impact on Camilla’s visit to a Kenyan elephant park in November but missed the mark on the manicured lawns of Wimbledon. Bonus points for re-wearing an old outfit but as anyone who has worn a sarong beyond Bali knows, some holiday attire doesn’t travel well.

This piece could stay behind on Camilla’s upcoming trip to Australia. The Queen could follow in the path of Catherine, Zara and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, by embracing Australian labels such as Karen Gee, Zimmermann, Oroton and Scanlan Theodore.

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