The Swedish royal family attended a gala dinner at the Royal Palace this evening in Stockholm pic.twitter.com/J0olUvZHvy
— Royaltyspeaking (@Royal_talk) November 18, 2014
Links for galleries: Aftonbladet, Svenskdam, Expressen.
Okay. So let's break it down, one royal lady at a time.
First up: Sofia Hellqvist, who sported a lined red lace gown by Tadashi Shoji. Colored lace is dubious to start, and - through no fault of her own - she's falling at the end of a long run of royal lace gowns. So this is not getting much love from me. She did not wear a tiara, which was to be expected since she's still in fiancée territory, but I was sad to see she didn't even get to practice tiara hair. You know I'm always on Team Updo to start with, but here I think it would have helped make up for the fact that she's the only one in the royal party without a little bling.
Next: Crown Princess Victoria. She repeated the long Escada gown she wore to the Dutch inauguration. It's definitely better with tiara and without the hat, and it probably sparkles something fierce, but it's a little blergh to stand on its own. She paired it with the Cut Steel Tiara, which is great and all - but I'm starting to miss the rest of the Swedish tiaras. It's been a long time since we've seen Victoria in anything but a cut steel piece. Wherefore art thou, Baden Fringe? Eh?
And finally, Queen Silvia, who took my best dressed for the night. Past outings of this dress include the Nobel Prize ceremony in 2010, where she masterfully paired this great green with the Leuchtenberg sapphires. I miss those luscious blues, even though the downsized Connaught Tiara is a more appropriate choice for the event.
Well, I did warn you about all the complaining. But I'll end on a hopeful note: Nobel festivities, less than a month away. Keep the fabulous tiara dreams alive.
Photos: Saks Fifth Avenue, Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images, Getty Images
Well, I did warn you about all the complaining. But I'll end on a hopeful note: Nobel festivities, less than a month away. Keep the fabulous tiara dreams alive.
Photos: Saks Fifth Avenue, Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images, Getty Images