Monday Memory: September 29, 2011
Royal Marsden Hospital
Today’s Monday Memory takes us all the way back to September 29, 2011—just five months after William and Kate’s wedding. The couple were at the Royal Marsden Hospital to open a new cancer unit for children and young people.
The newly minted Duchess of Cambridge chose a simple “sculpted felt” shift dress from Amanda Wakeley in a creamy “oatmeal” color and paired it with neutral accessories. I love the beautiful tailoring visible on the dress, especially in this photo of the back:
Kate carried her Natalie clutch from L.K. Bennett and wore her iconic Sledge pumps by the same brand. She completed the look with her Kiki McDonough Grace studs and a cross pendant many believe is a Tiffany piece.
Her voluminous blow out, which she made her trademark look for some years, deserves its own mention. Looking back on these photos, you really realize how much Kate has changed her style over time. She was also still in her heavy eyeliner era. A lot of people were relieved when she moved away from this, but I still love the look on her.
This simple dress—a style she repeated often in these years—was so elegant and understated, and I love the neutral theme. The Natalie clutch was my favorite from that time period, and I love the Grace studs so much that my husband gifted me my own on the morning of our wedding. To me, this ensemble (and the makeup!) is classic Kate Middleton, and as I scroll through the photos, perhaps it is still me favorite era of all.
I prefer a pop of color but the dress WAS simple, sleek and a win!
I adore this dress and wish she were still wearing ones like it. That type of structural seaming is elegant and timeless. If Kate doesn't want to emulate Anne and pull it out again decades after the first wearing, I hope it's preserved for Charlotte's future use.