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?
Our age and life experience certainly alter our view of royal outfits. Anyone who has worn a style in its previous incarnation decades before might not appreciate the current version; or, as here, we might not appreciate the choice if we haven’t been a mother. As I’m pretty sure Catherine would have breast fed George at least for the first weeks, this style that disguised her upper torso was an excellent choice! I’m not very enamoured of the side panels either, but still, off the peg it was great.
It’s not my favourite gown by any means. Like you, I dislike the stretchy side panels and the sparkly fabric seems coarse and heavy. And sequins are bits of synthetic material usually sewn onto more synthetic material and are essentially unsustainable. But there’s a little bit of Kate magic that comes into play. The dress’s shine adds to her new mum glow. She looks happy to be there and it makes me smile, despite all my reservations. The bracelet and earrings are beautiful.