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Kate Middleton Recycles From Her Own Chic Closet

Jan/11/2011 at 10:30 AM ET

Kate Middleton Recycles From Her Own Chic Closet
Flynet

Whether it’s for her own official engagement pictures or just another social event in her busy schedule, Kate Middleton doesn’t have to look far when it comes to finding the perfect outfit–she simply recycles something from her oh-so-chic closet, adds some new accessories and voila…a new princess-to-be look is born. It’s a very royal trend (Princess Diana was known to mix and match old and new pieces and Princess Anne is quite famous for her frugal approach to fashion), so it’s entirely fitting that Middleton, who will marry into the British royal family in just a few months, should adopt the recession-friendly trend herself. And we have to say, the 29-year-old does it very well. Accompanying her fiancé, Prince William, to a friend’s wedding in the UK on Saturday, she recycled one of her much-loved ISSA black dresses (from the label’s Spring/Summer 2007 collection no less), which she had previously worn to Prince William’s cousin, Peter Phillips’ wedding in 2008. Worn underneath a current season velvet dress coat from independent London label Libélula, the outfit was topped off with a structural feathered beret and a glowing smile. A smart choice, in more ways than one. –Monique Jessen

GET ALL THE WEDDING DETAILS IN WILLIAM AND KATE: A ROYAL ENGAGEMENT!

Prince Harry Beats Out Prince William on GQ’s Best-Dressed List

Jan/04/2011 at 06:00 PM ET

Prince William Prince Harry GQ Best Dressed List
Sipa

Newly engaged Prince William might be second in line for the British crown, but his younger brother, Harry, it seems, is the royal family’s leader when it comes to fashion. The ginger-haired prince earned himself a fifth-place spot on GQ UK’s annual Best-Dressed List, beating out his blond sibling, whom the magazine ranked as the 27th most stylish man. The royals share a love of classic English fashion, so what might have set the younger prince ahead of his brother? “He’s well dressed in the sense that he looks really good because he really doesn’t care,” an editorial expert says of Harry’s laid-back sartorial approach. The elder prince, however, has earned a style fan in fellow fop Pharrell Williams. “I like it when Prince William goes dandy,” the singer says. “He’s got all the proper wardrobe when they do the hunting thing. They kill that!” Which prince would you rate as more stylish, William or Harry?–Katherine Kluznik Rentmeester

GET ALL THE DETAILS ON PRINCE WILLIAM’S ENGAGEMENT TO KATE MIDDLETON!

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A Royal Affair: Princess Victoria’s Wedding Weekend Style

Jun/21/2010 at 04:00 PM ET

WireImage, Rex, JPI

While many girls dream about looking like royalty on their wedding day, Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria, who married her beau Daniel Westling in Stockholm on Saturday, embodied the fantasy, donning three equally stunning looks during the weekend-long celebration. The princess kicked off the wedding reception Friday with the first of two custom Elie Saab Couture looks–a high-necked, cap-sleeve pale-pink cocktail dress embellished with a spray of appliqué clusters, which she paired with flirty gold pumps. Later that evening at a concert gala, she literally dazzled in her second Elie Saab creation–a sweeping, hand-embroidered asymmetrical nude gown adorned with delicate pearls and floral appliqués. Finally, for her wedding at Stockholm Cathedral, the elegant brunette looked fittingly regal, dressed in a custom-made ivory silk off-the-shoulder gown by Swedish designer Par Engsheden, according to InStyle.com, and custom Roger Vivier silk satin pumps with rhinestone buckles. For a finishing touch, the princess topped off the elegant look with the ultimate fairy-tale princess accessory: A towering cameo-bedecked tiara worn by her mother to her 1976 wedding.–Marissa Patlingrao Cooley

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Princess Diana’s Dress Fetches More than $276,000 at Auction!

Jun/09/2010 at 12:30 PM ET

Anwar Hussein/WireImage

Princess Diana may be gone, but she’s certainly not forgotten. The daring black taffeta gown that she wore for her first public appearance as Prince Charles fiancée, fetched a whopping £192,000 (about $276,621) at Kerry Taylor Auctions in London yesterday. Bought by Chilean fashion museum Fundación Museo De La Moda, the dress–designed by Elizabeth Emanuel and David Emanuel–was sold along with an original copy of the invoice, fashion sketches, and photographs of Di wearing it. “As the weeks before her wedding progressed, Diana lost so much weight that she returned the gown to the Emanuels to have it taken in,” explained auctioneer Kerry Taylor at yesterday’s sale. “The alterations required were so drastic that they decided it would be easier to re-make a smaller version for her. They kept the original and forgot about it only re-discovering it quite recently.” A bold choice at the time for its color–which was reserved for funerals in royal circles–and its somewhat revealing nature, the strapless dress established Princess Diana as a budding fashion icon. Jorge Yarur, founder of the museum that bought the dress, said that upon his death, Princess Diana’s dress will be returned home, donated to Kensington Palace. –Marissa Patlingrao Cooley

Joel Saget/AFP/Getty

Princess Diana’s Daring Black Dress Up for Auction

Jun/08/2010 at 09:30 AM ET

Anwar Hussein/WireImage

It is the dress that launched the young blushing Lady Diana Spencer onto the world as not only Prince Charles’ fiancée, but also as a budding fashion icon who dared to break the royal rules by wearing black to a formal event other than a funeral. The black taffeta gown, worn by Diana in March 1981, also put the young design team of David and Elizabeth Emanuel on the map, beginning a partnership that culminated in the princess-to-be’s much-copied wedding dress. Today, the gown–and a prototype of the fairytale bridal dress–are being auctioned off in London and estimated to fetch up to $150,000. Posing with the black dress Monday, Elizabeth Emanuel reminisced to PEOPLE of the night that the 19-year-old Diana became a front-page star as she joined Prince Charles for her first official appearance with him. “This was really a shadow of what she was to become in terms of a fashion icon,” Emanuel says. “It was the first time that people had seen her looking like a princess. Like a movie star. And grown up.” Despite there being a big political story that day, the emerging Diana “took over all of the front pages,” Emanuel recalls. Soon, it became obvious that the palace would have to confirm what the Emanuels already knew — that they were to make Diana’s wedding dress. And, the history of that creation is included in the sale going live this morning, via London’s Kerry Taylor Auctions. –Simon Perry

Joel Saget/AFP/Getty

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Prince William: Clean-Shaven, Rested and Ready to Fly

Jan/07/2009 at 04:19 PM ET

Goff/INF

Call him The Fresh-Faced Prince of the Air as Prince William gets a new look while embarking on a new life training to pilot rescue helicopters. The prince, 26, arrived back in London after a romantic trip to the seclusion of the Scottish highlands with girlfriend Kate Middleton Tuesday, sparking a new round of impending engagement rumors. And gone was the beard that he grew before Christmas. The news of William’s clean-shaven return to London came as he and his brother, Prince Harry, 24, announced at the same time that they have now been given their own office by their granny, Queen Elizabeth II. William is set to be in London for some royal work and then starts training as a Royal Air Force search-and-rescue helicopter pilot later this month. This month also sees Harry beginning two-and-a-half years of training to fly British army helicopters.The princely pair’s training will even mean that they are stationed at the same base at some point in the year. Tell us: What do you think of Prince William’s shaving off his beard? Do you prefer him clean-shaven? — Simon Perry

 

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