Duchess Kate's latest purchases revealed, Kate becomes an ambassador for London 2012 and more

In my most recent post I wrote about Kate's fashion choices for Christmas day and her reported purchases. In exciting news some of Kate's latest buys have been revealed. (With thanks to the wonderful ladies at What Kate Wore) While looking through dresses at L.K. Bennett you may recall I included the Davina and noted it was my favourite. It seems the stunning dress caught Duchess Kate's eye and she bought it in teal.

The dress is part of the LK Bennett signature collection and is described as


"The Davina dress is luxuriously tailored in a luxurious crepe. Elegantly designed, it's chic, gentle ruching down one side adds to the already feminine silhouette. The asymmetrically cut neckline gives this dress a modern edge, while the capped sleeves are kept simple to ensure understated glamour. chic.".


The Davina is £195 and available in an array of colours. The perfect addition to anyone's winter wardrobe!

Duchess Kate also bought the Jude Jacket in black. The jacket is £295 and described as


"Femininity and unexpected detailing is key with the Jude jacket, the other half of the Jude suit set. Beautifully tailored with a nipped waist, this wool jacket features kick pleat detailing at the back and uses a soft wool feeling luxe to the touch".

The Jude also comes in teal. The detailing on this jacket is truly fabulous. I do hope we see Kate wearing it. (Both of these LK Bennett pieces were predicted by Susan from What Kate Wore, quite amazing :))

Duchess Kate was recently photographed shopping at Zara on the Kings road. The Duchess purchsed two cardigans. A cream Cashmere cardigan for £69.99 and a Long grey cashmere cardigan for the same price. Both look very comfortable and would look great with jeans or a pencil skirt. Both are available in a number of colours. Kate also purchased a cardigan from the White Company.

In other news, I was quite surprised that Kate did not attend the Henry Van Straubenzee carol service at St Luke's church in Chelsea. It was the third service held in aid of the fund. In previous years Kate was photographed arriving early to help with preparations. However Prince Harry and Carole Middleton were in attendance and shared a conversation outside the church.

The Henry Van Straubenzee memorial fund is quite a small charity which aims to life Ugandan children out of poverty through education. The fund is a member of the The Prince's Charities Forum. Despite limited funds the charity is currently helping 18,000 children across twenty five schools. If you would like to find out more about the work this charity does or donate please Click Here.

Duchess Kate attending the Carol service in 2009 and 2010.

It was officially announced William, Kate and Harry have become official Team Great Britain and Paralymics Great Britain ambassadors in the lad up to, and during the 2012 Olympic and Paralymic games. The Royals will join twenty seven of Britain's most accomplished Olympians from previous games s 2012 ambassadors. This is very exciting news, with London hosting the 2012 Olympics it seems a natural decision to have the young Royals on board. It is also a very important time for London and I expect Kate will excel in this role as a fan of sports and an athletic person. Their role as ambassadors will include promoting participation in Olympic and Paralympic sport and rallying around the athletes. 

Prince William said

"Catherine, Harry and I are honoured to be Ambassadors for Team GB and Paralympics GB. London hosting the Olympic and Paralympic games will inspire so many people - particularly the young - to be the best they can be. We are hugely looking forward to this incredible sporting competition, but are also looking beyond next summer's games to the springboard it will provide for future success and excellence".


This is Kate's first official role with a national organisation, hence we will be seeing plenty of the Duchess in the run up and during the games.

The Olympic site in Stratford is nearing completion.

Sources (Grazia, Daily Mail, What Kate Wore,)

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Kate at Gymnastics, Kaleidoscope Kate, Princes' Play Polo,

Duchess Kate watched the Olympic Gymnastics in the North Greenwich Arena today.

Reuters

The North Greenwich Arena hosts the Gymnastics, Trampoline Gymnastics, Basketball and Wheelchair Basketball competitions. It is located on the Greenwich peninsula on the banks of the River Thames. Originally built for the Millennium celebrations, the arena has been transformed into an entertainment destination featuring 20,000 seats.

London 2012

Kate wore her Team GB fleece and pearl drop earrings again today. She was accompanied by her private secretary Rebecca Deacon.

With many thanks to Grace

The Princes are noticeably absent at the Olympics today, as they are playing a charity polo match in Cirencester. The brothers raised money for several of their charities including Centrepoint.

Rebecca English Twitter

However they will join Kate tonight for the 100m finals. Before that we expect to see Kate watch Team GB handball.

Richard Palmer Twitter

As you all know Kate is a huge tennis fan and will no doubt be delighted to hear Andy Murray beat Roger Federer in the men's singles. Andy is the first British tennis player to win gold in over a hundred years. Wonderful to see Andy with a gold medal, he deserves it.

London 2012

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The Daily Mail has carried out a survey of outfits worn by Kate in the past two years and the results have dismissed claims Kate only chooses drab colours.

Daily Mail

Blue has been Kate's 'go to' colour over the past two years, making up 21% of her colour choices.

Daily Mail

Neutral tones are a trademark of Kate's with grey noticeably making up 16% of her choices.

Daily Mail

White is Kate's third most popular choice accounting for 10%.

Daily Mail

Brown and red also account for 10%. Personally I think red is very much Kate's colour and works wonderfully with her skin tone and colouring.

Daily Mail

Purple and Pink make up 12%. The lilac McQueen gown and the rose Jenny Packham look stunning side by side.

Daily Mail

What colours do you think work best for the Duchess? 

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'Kind' Duchess Kate promises to visit cancer patient's blog and pays a visit to the National Portrait Gallery + Reiss sale

I think we all agree William and Kate's visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital yesterday was a triumphant success. Meeting the Duchess was a little extra special for one patient. Nine year old Fabian Bate and his family were thrilled to meet the Cambridge's. William told him he is so brave and hey both seemed genuinely sad about his situation. Fabian went on to tell Kate about his blog. Kate instantly replied "I'll look that up and post a message". The Bate family hailed Kate as 'kind' and were taken aback at how interested she was. "She asked lots of questions. And sounded like she would post on the blog". A very touching gesture on behalf of Kate which obviously means so much to Fabian. I do think Kate connects with children so well. I will update as soon as Kate posts a message for Fabian.

Kate with Fabian Bate

Duchess Kate has been spotted out and about quite frequently this week.  Kate spent Wednesday afternoon touring the contemporary collection with curators in the National Portrait Gallery in London. Kate graduated with a degree in Art History from St. Andrews  so she wasn't afraid to ask lots of questions nor was she fazed by a more controversial piece, Marc Quinn's, 'Self' a self portrait cast of the artist's head made from his own blood then frozen. (Certainly doesn't sound like a typical afternoon for the Duchess :))

A source said

"She was dressed all in black. She must have been boiling because it was a really hot day in London - in knee length black boots, black tights and a slim fitting black dress. She had her hair up, completely pulled into a twist in the back".

While Kate was unfazed by Marc Quinn's blood head, I must say I was quite startled when I saw it first :) What do you think?

Moving on...........

Despite the excellent weather London has been enjoying over the past few days, Kate went shopping in Hobbs on Sloane Square for a winter coat earlier this week. The Duchess purchased the brown Unlimited Cleste Flared Coat for £369.

"Wrap up this Autumn in this stunning double crepe wool coat. In a sumptuous seasonal chestnut brown, this coat subtly flares from the hips. It's given an on trend toughened edge thanks to the leather stud fastening cuff straps and waisted belt"

Finally for those of you who love Kate's style, One of her favourite labels Reiss has a 10% off sale for today only. If you're interested Click Here!

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Duchess Kate redecorates Kensington Palace

William and Kate have been keeping a low profile over the past few days, probably due to moving in too Kensington Palace. Reportedly Kate didn't feel at ease initially and has decided to do some redecorating. The Duchess of Cambridge had an entire crate of candles and room sprays delivered to the 17th century palace in an effort to modernise the place. She felt there was a 'fuddy duddy smell'. Kate had £900 worth of 'Scent 1' fragrances delivered including lavender, sandalwood and moss based waxes. Along with cushions to give their apartment in the Palace a more relaxed feel. A friend of the couple said 'Kate had little say in her marital home. But the only time she's put her foot down was when it came to interior design. Kate has a keen eye for contemporary, effortlessly cool styling and was adamant she and William would make their home feel like a home not a formal residence. Whereas William is used to the the smell and feel of the palace, Kate is used to a more modern relaxed environment. She felt it had an overriding, musty, damp smell and ordered a six month supply of her favourite products. William was happy to go with the flow'.

It is understood Duchess Kate ordered fifteen £38 candles and six sprays. Since Princess Diana passed away Kensington Palace has been somewhat dormant, The only mention of it was in relation to Diana. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge seem very keen to feel as comfortable and homely as possible there. It is a world away from their relaxed life in Anglesey wales. The couple are moving into the four bedroom cottage within the grounds of the Palace in the coming weeks.

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What Will Kate Wear During The South-East Asia Tour?

Can you believe the tour is less than a week away? Are you all looking forward to it? I expect final preparations are being made at the moment for the couple's second tour with Kate focusing on her sartorial choices for upcoming engagements. It has been reported Kate will need upwards of thirty outfits which is quite a task for the Duchess who does not have a stylist. A number of factors would have come into consideration such as the humid climate, something which may see Kate choosing Spring/Summer pieces. Islam is the largest practiced religion in Malayisa and Kate will no doubt be conscious of that and opt for conservative, demure pieces. 

We can expect to see a mix of designer, high street and recycled pieces. Kate arrived in Canada last year wearing the beautiful Erdem Cecile dress. Erdem is a well known Montreal-born designer, so it is entirely possible the Duchess will choose to showcase pieces by Singaporean and Malaysian designers.

Canadian Heritage Flickr

Let's begin with a look at some of Singapore's most talented designers beginning with designer turned artist Benny Ong. Born in Singapore of Chinese descent, he moved to London to study fashion in 1968 where his charming, pretty designs became an instant hit. Mr. Ong designed uniforms for the British Airports Authourity, British Telecom and remodelled the clothes of security staff at leading hotels in Beijing ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games. The designer went onto to become a favourite designer of the late Princess Diana, creating many of her most stunning looks.

Diana wearing Benny Ong in 1983.

During an interview with Prestige Singapore Benny Ong was asked if he would like to dress Kate:

'Yes definitely. I would use Peranakan clothes. I think she would look lovely'.

I would love to see Kate wearing bespoke pieces by the incredibly talented designer. A look at traditional Peranakan clothing. Can you see Kate wearing something similar?

Todd and Diana

Singaporean born designer Ashley Isham combines contemporary and classic. The dresses Ashley creates possess a unique handwriting synonymous with the designer. Ashley was the official designer of the 2004 BAFTA's and his clients include style icons Keira Knightley and Angelina Jolie.

Below we look at pieces from the Spring/Summer RTW Collection.

Vogue/Ashley Isham

Jo Soh's Hansel is designed to cater to the modern woman and features original prints in all its collections. Named after her beloved Jack Russell terrier, the whimsical, sophisticated label is, in my opinion, quite wonderful.

Pieces from the 'Lily the Lady' collection at The Hansel shop.

The Hansel Blog

You can read Jo Soh's fabulous blog here.

The Hansel Blog

Another strong possibility is Singaporean born designer Pabal Gurung. A look at his Resort 2013 Collection.

Style.com

One of the couple's most exciting engagements during their visit to Malaysia will be an official dinner given by His Majesty The Agong at his stunning residence, the Istana Negara. Guests are said to include iconic Malaysian shoe designer Jimmy Choo. Kate is already a huge fan of the designer and could wear her favourite Vamp Sandals or Cosmic Pumps for the dinner which is likely to be held in the beautiful throne room.

The Blush

Another strong possibility is Malaysian born designer Bernard Chandran who is no stranger to dressing royalty including the royal families of Malaysia and Brunei. Due to this he has become known as the "King Of Fashion". 

Three elegant evening looks from the Spring/Summer 2012 Collection.

Vogue

A look at the Autumn/Winter 2012-2013 Collection.

Vogue

Renowned fashion designer Zang Toi has built a tradition of elegance for over twenty years and has dressed celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Sharon Stone, Meg Ryan and Eva Longoria. While much of his collection would not be typically Kate, tailored, feminine dresses and jackets from his Spring/Summer 2012 Collection would look amazing on the Duchess.

Zang Toi

Farah Khan has been described as the driving force of high-end fashion and its presence in Malaysia.

'Farah Khan personifies the fearless dynamic woman. Sophisticated and sexy, she celebrates life with what she wears'.

Actresses Nina Dobrev and Krysten Ritter in Farah Khan. The designs are quite glitzy and sparkling therefore not typical of Kate's demure style, however, as Farah is one of Malaysia's best loved designers, I wouldn't rule it out.

Farah Khan

Kate will also need casual, practical clothing especially during her visit to Danum Valley where Kate will explore the jungle and possible see orang utans. We will most likely see Kate wearing a lightweight blouse and trousers (similar to the outfit the Duchess wore when visiting Blachford Lake) as I expect it would be too hot for skinny jeans. Zara have stylish yet comfortable trousers in stock at the moment, a favourite brand of Kate's.

Canadian Heritage Flickr

Kate's 'go to' designer McQueen will most likely feature in her tour wardrobe.

McQueen

Other 'Kate designers' I would love to see include the aforementioned Erdem.

Erdem

The endlessly talented Collette Dinnigan.

Collette Dinnigan

And British designer Matthew Williamson.

Matthew Williamson

Other likely choices for Kate include, Jenny Packham, Temperly, Amanda Wakeley, Emilia Wickstead, Roskanda Ilincic and high street brands such as Reiss, LK Bennett, Hobbs and Whistles.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the designers featured in the post and what would you like to see Kate wear? I hope we see Kate inject a bit of colour into her wardrobe whilst remaining true to her classic style.

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Kate and William's unusual wedding gift!

What do you give the couple the couple that have everything? William and kate requested donations to their favourite charities in lieu of wedding gifts. The gift fund supported twenty six charities, incorporating the armed forces, the elderly and art. These were chosen specifically by the couple in the months building up to the wedding. St James's palace said in a statement 'Having been touched by the goodwill shown to them since the announcement of their engagement , Prince William and Catherine Middleton have asked that anyone who might wish to give them a wedding gift consider giving instead to a charitable fund' This website was set up for well wishers wishing to donate, The chosen charities are not well known and in need of any support possible however Chester Zoo decided to give the couple a rather unusual gift! A penguin chick from an endangered species. The penguin named 'Acorn' will not be living in Anglesey with the newlyweds instead it will remain in Chester Zoo with fifty penguins of the Humboldt species from which it belongs.  A spokesman for the zoo said 'We are honored to have William and Kate as adoptive parents, hopefully the happy couple will come and see Acorn playing in his pool very soon' Acorn was chosen as a gift by members of the public who voted through a social networking site. We shall keep an eye on Chester zoo for a sighing of the newlyweds! :)

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Duchess Kate visits Birmingham in McQueen military chic!

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have arrived at Birmingham's Summerfield Community Centre. The Centre is located at heart of the areas worst affected by the riots in Birmingham. Prince Harry visited too and was shocked and saddened at the violence and loss of lives. The Cambridges met with dignitaries and emergency services staff.  The centre is only a short distance from the scene where three men were struck by a car as they tried to protect businesses and their homes. During the visit a source said: 'Kate seemed genuinely interested in how hospitals in the city respond to disorder'.

I only commented yesterday on the lack of Kate photos. Well it was worth the wait. The Duchess looks stunning wearing the Alexander McQueen Military Silk Georgette Blouse. It's currently on sale for $259 from Net-A-Porter:

'Alexander McQueen's military-inspired silk georgette blouse exudes signature sophistication. Tuck this navy-trimmed piece into a structured skirt, adding your highest heels to salute the new season in style.'

Teamed with the McQueen Embellished Wool Crepe Skirt avaialble for $580. The skirt is described as:


'A hit of Alexander McQueen's covetable military aesthetic. In a nautical navy hue, this button-embellished wool crepe skirt is a versatile style. Directional front slits lend it an air of It girl cool - pair with the matching blouse for a head-to-toe look straight from the runway.'

This outfit is the epitome of effortless sophistication and elegance. It is reminiscent of the navy McQueen military coat we saw Kate wear earlier this year (she also wore with her navy pumps) to the Irish Guards Armed Forces day. I wonder is it a possibility this is the o
skirt she wore underneath the coat that day? The fitted structure of the skirt with the slit is typical McQueen genius. Teamed with her navy pumps and her hair worn loosely Kate looks incredible.

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William and Kate tour pirate islands on $70,000 a day honeymoon

William and Kate are a modern young couple who appear to be extremely down to earth. However, everyone is entitled to splurge every now and then. What better time to do this than your honeymoon. After months of wedding planning and intense media coverage, the couple are enjoying every second of their ten day getaway. The owner of the North Island in the Seychelles reported the couple are vacationing there. Farhad Vladi said, 'Yes, we rented the island to the British royal family. Prince William and Kate are spending their honeymoon there you'll understand that's all we can say for now.'

The couple are likely to be renting the entire island in order to ensure privacy. Their nightly tab for the eleven villas on North Island would be $70,000. The security detail costs and flights add up to another $100,000. If the couple are staying on another island the cost rises as villas are even more costly on neighbouring islands. A royal family source said security following the death of Osama Bin Laden was the main reason the Seychelles was chosen as the ideal destination. 'The principal reasons for Wills and Kate choosing the Seychelles is because of the level of security they can enjoy there following the Osama Bin Laden take down and unrest elsewhere in the world.' The couple are keen to explore the islands hiring a $3 million yacht for a treasure island tour of the Seychelles. They spent a day cruising former pirate hideouts,  Praslin and La Digue.

A source said 'The area is like something out of Pirates of the Carribean. There are tropical swamps and the most amazing wildlife you can imagine'.  The boat 'Sea Stream' can do top speeds of nearly 64 km/h and comes equpped with its own jet skis and scuba diving gear. The pair also enjoy swimming and are both physically fit. Whatever the newlyweds are doing, I hope they are enjoying themselves before returning to normality and commencing their royal duties!

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Kate Wears Zara Shopping in Tesco

Duchess Kate was photographed shopping in her local Tesco in Holyhead, North Wales today by fellow shopper Amy Abitt (With thanks to Amy for sharing her photo via Twitter) Kate was stocking up on supplies with her shopping list in hand, for the couple's home in Anglesey, where William works as an RAF Search and Rescue pilot. The couple are expected to remain there until the Paralympics commence in just over a week.

Amy Abitt Twitter

Amy described Kate as 'beautiful' in person.

Amy Abitt Twitter

Kate's local Tesco store in Holyhead.

The Duchess is regularly seen shopping there. Below we see Kate departing the store last August. 

Baeur Griffin

Kate wore the polka dot Zara top she was last seen wearing visiting Team GB house at the Olympics with a black and white cardigan, skinny jeans and wedges. The 30 year old wore her hair scraped back into a bun and accessorized with silver earrings. 

Reuters

It was an unexpected surprise to see a new snapshot of Kate. I have just finished 'Kate Loves Gowns Part 2' and plan to publish it tomorrow (I'll leave this post on top until then in case any of you miss it) Thank you for all your suggestions for the 'Kate Loves' posts, they are greatly appreciated :)

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