Well, that didn’t take long. Two outfits in, and the Duchess of Cambridge has been declared a style genius.
Canadian observers may be a wee bit biased about the newlywed’s choice of ensembles so far. After all, Kate chose to wear two items with a Canadian pedigree. First up, there was the crisp, preppy blue blazer by Toronto-based label Smythe – a fashion-insider favourite – she wore to board her plane in London. (Anything above Lululemon sweats for flying gets full points from me.) It's already reportedly sold out at a number of international retailers and crashed the Smythe website.
Toronto blogger Daphne Gordon applauded the choice on a few levels:
“Kate’s choice of a navy blazer by Smythe is perfect for the occasion of flying on an official visit to Canada, Spring 2011. The elegance of the long blazer, with its single brass button, the nod to Canadian design, the fit, the price – less than $600. Everything about the symbolism of her wardrobe choice is so right on.
“She doesn’t go over the top. She hasn’t become something she wasn’t before she married the Prince. She never fades into the background behind her clothes. Her style conveys a strong knowledge of who she is, and a savvy awareness of the fact that all eyes are on her. She is, above all, a real person.”
Back home, The Telegraph has already pronounced Kate a “style star.”
“Middleton is a fantastically careful dresser. Her choices so far – and there have only been two on her first day of this tour – have been right on the mark, making the appropriate nods to Canadian designers, while not abandoning her British sense of style.”
She chose a perfect hybrid, observers say, in the navy blue lace Erdem dress she changed into for landing in Canada. Erdem is a London-based label by Montreal-born designer Erdem Moralioglu. Bingo.
The Telegraph also pointed out Kate’s penchant for navy thus far:
“We are sensing navy might be her favourite colour since it brings out the blue in her sapphire engagement ring, and is a timeless, classic choice.”
The Daily Mail chimed in with their own thumbs-up, saying the Duchess “hasn't set a foot wrong so far,” noting that Kate has opted for higher-end designers than she usually wears.
To cap off the night, Kate wore an Issa dress to a dinner celebrating Canadian youth. Issa may not be Canadian (it's a high-end British label), but we still love her just the same.
Fashion watchers out there: Are you watching Kate’s every outfit? Envious yet?
