Monday Memory: September 12, 2013
The Tusk Conservation Awards in Jenny Packham...sort of.
Our Monday Memory takes us back to September 12, 2013—the Tusk Conservation Awards at the Royal Society in London. As you know, I use a random number generator to determine the month and year for these posts. September of 2013 was pretty sparse, because Kate was just starting to ease back from her maternity leave after having Prince George in July of that year. Getting an engagement from Kate at all, let alone a red carpet appearance, was a big deal!
For this event, the Duchess of Cambridge turned to her tried-and-true Jenny Packham…sort of. I remember all the kerfuffle over this piece at the time. The first assumption was that the dress was from Jenny Packham’s 2011 collection, but on closer inspection, fashion sleuths determined it was actually from Jenny Packham’s diffusion line at Debenhams.
Now that I have actually had a baby, this choice is so relatable. Kate was obviously still in a middle zone in terms of her sizing. She was not wearing maternity pieces anymore but she was not back to her pre-baby weight. She clearly did not want to spend over £1,000 for a dress in a size she was just passing through. How lucky for her that her favorite evening designer just happened to have a diffusion line at the time!
Kate wore Jimmy Choo’s “Vamp” platform sandals and, I believe, her “Art Deco” diamond earrings and matching bracelet, which we think she received from Charles as a wedding gift.
This has never been my favorite dress. I didn’t love the exposed panels or the stretchy style. But I remember I was ecstatic to see Kate after her long summer absence on maternity leave. The years have not changed my mind about the dress from a purely fashion perspective, but, as I say, there is a lot about this event that I love even more now as a recently new mom still between sizes and trying to live my life but not to replicate my wardrobe entirely.
When Kate accompanied William to these awards, we thought it would become a staple on her calendar, but the princess has only attended one other time in the almost dozen years since.
What did you think of this dress at the time? Do you like it more now?
I love sparkly dresses so that’s the first thing I liked about it. Now that you tell me how close she was to post natal, I think the choice of a looser fitting top was great with the long slim silhouette. She looks fuller in this dress in a good way—like she is now a mother but definitely not “mummy”.
I actually LOVE the look of the dress, minus the side panels. I don't find the material off-putting at all. And honestly I think she looks great at this "in between" weight.