Gold Star: Sheikha Mozah's Glamorous State Visit

You know, we've been seeing a lot less designer clothes lately. Royal families are trying to be a little more down to earth, I guess, not going around shoving the fact that they have money in the faces of those that are dealing with recession and unemployment. Buckingham Palace went out of it's way to point out that the Queen has an evening dress with detachable ornamentation for maximum reuse, and that it was made by her dresser. Victoria's been out and about in H&M, and then of course you have the Queen (or Princess, rather) of this: Letizia, and her wardrobe of high street staples.

Nothing wrong with that, quite sensible really. Sheikha Mozah, though...now she seems to belong more in the "you know I'm rich, I know I'm rich, let's not play games about it" camp. Her wardrobe from the recent state visit to England is pure couture: Armani Privé, Jean Paul Gaultier, Valentino, Chanel, Dior.

I love it. It's like eating a decadent dessert after a day of salad. And if there's a woman alive that can carry off those names without looking like she's trying to hard, it's the Sheikha.

It's not just the clothes, either. How about those jewels? Bestill my little magpie heart.

And while we're accessorizing...

Heh. The mind of Karl Lagerfeld at work. Couture is the highest form of fashion as art, which means sometimes you'll get it and sometimes you won't. I say if you're going to go couture, go all the way, fug or not.

Gold star: awarded for pure glamour.

Photos: Getty/AP/HuffPo

Hellooooo out there...

Is this thing still on? 

Things are still hectic in my land, but I just had to come back. Because we have some things to discuss, my fellow fashion critics, yes indeed, and I need a giggle something terrible.

Weekly updates will be abandoned for now (and maybe for good? I don't know), but I'll be backtracking and hitting the things that caught my attention while I was out over the next few days.

On the agenda, off the top of my head: icicle boots, another case of royal twins (and not the kind Mary's been baking), a gold star for Letizia, some Mette-Marit action, and so on.

And if there's anything that you're bursting to snark or rave about, drop me a comment or hit me up at orderofsplendors(at)hotmail(dot)com as always!

And...pause.

My lovelies, a wee heads up for you: posting will be sporadic and possibly nonexistent for a while.  Must indulge in some holiday time, along with other totally un-glamorous sorts of time.  Such is life!

Month in Review: Charlene Wittstock, September

Here's what Charlene Wittstock wore in September:

  1. At a picnic in Monaco, 3 September.  Somehow, this manages to be both too evening and too casual for me.  Hmm.  She should have gone all festive, like Al.  (Traditional Monegasque dress, is that what that is?  I could look it up, but I'm pretty lazy.)
    Photos: Nice Matin

    Month in Review: Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, September

    Here's what Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie wore in September:

    Princess Beatrice
    1.  Running the Windsor Half Marathon, 26 September.  Action princess!  Good for her for getting in shape, I say.
    Princess Eugenie
    1. Leaving Whiskey Mist night club, 7 September.  It's a dress that's not short!  I didn't know she owned any of these.
      Photos: Belga/Enigma/Daily Mail

      Week in Review: Princess Mathilde, 26 September - 2 October

      Here's what Princess Mathilde wore the week of 26 September - 2 October:
      1.  Attending a mass for Belgium's presidency of the EU, 29 September.
      2. Attending a gala night for the King Baudouin Foundation, 30 September.
      3. Inauguration of the new building at international arts campus De Singel, 1 October.
      Best and Worst of the Week
      Hmm.  I like the gray cape-ish thingy.  But neither #2 nor #3 is flipping my skirt.  What do you think?

      Photos: Belga

      Week in Review: Princess Mathilde, 19-25 September

      Here's what Princess Mathilde wore the week of 19-25 September:

      1. Visiting CKG, a help center for children and families, 24 September.   She looks good.
      Photo: Belga

      Flashback Friday: Queen Margrethe's Birthday Celebrations, Part 3

      And so we've arrived at the last of these fond memories of Queen Margrethe's 70th birthday celebrations.  The last event was a dinner with a black tie and tiara dress code...

      Best of the Satiny and Shiny
      L to R: Carina Axelsson, Queen Anne-Marie, Crown Princess Mary, Princess Nathalie
      Apart from that embellishment around Carina's waist, which I think cheapens the whole thing, not a bad category.  I had to give it to Mary's repeat dress - great color, great cut, and bonus points for being a great canvas on which to showcase that Midnight Tiara.

      Worst of the Chiffony and Floaty
      L to R: Princess Marie, Princess Benedikte, Princess Alexia
      For the record, I like Marie's dress, I just think it's more Hollywood starlet than tiara-sporting Princess. And as for Benedikte and Alexia...oh, no, dears.  Not flattering.  Benedikte isn't so bad, it's just the sleeves there, whereas Alexia's being choked by that forced empire waist.

      Best of the Hmm...
      L to R: Queen Margrethe, Crown Princess Victoria, Crown Princess Mette-Marit
      Interesting selections from these three ladies.  Margrethe's doing her usual Margrethe thing, but this one just seems excessively...wide.  Victoria's just busted out of jail in her BCBG Max Azria gown, though I will submit that she's rocking it as much as anyone can rock a prison uniform.  Mette-Marit's also gone the love-it-or-hate-it route with her flower-iffic ice blue and magenta combo.  I vote for 'love it' - something about the color combo with the hair and make up just works.

      Best of the Best
      L to R: Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Princess Máxima, Queen Silvia
      What we've got here are three women doing exactly what they're known to do, in exactly the right way: Maria Teresa is doing her floaty Elie Saab thing, but this time she's made a flattering silhouette out of it; Silvia's dignified in Jacques Zehnder as always but well-fit and well-colored; and Máxima's loud yet lovely.  Here's why Máxima's Carolina Herrera wins it for me: this is the perfect dress to wear for a black tie and tiara shindig.  It makes the most of her sapphire jewelry, but couldn't be worn to a full gala occasion since the print would mess with all the orders and what not she'd need to wear.  And I'm all for capitalizing on an opportunity.

      And Finally, the "Whoa!" Category
      L to R: Queen Sonja, Queen Beatrix
      Just thought we'd end on a humorous note.  That's all.

      So, my lovelies, there you have it.  Who wins your overall best dressed award for the whole celebration?

      Photos: bt.dk/zimbio