Royal Wedding – what to wear

October 7, 2018October 14, 2018 ~ Alicia ~ 2 Comments

With Princess Eugenie’s wedding a couple of days away I’m rounding up my series of Instagram outfits that I would like to see some of the royal party wearing!

The Queen

I’m thinking pink for HM. It’s a colour she hasn’t previously worn at a royal wedding and one that would suit this time of year. Most likely to be by her milliner and couturier dream team Rachel Trevor Morgan and Stewart Parvin although she could choose something by her senior dresser, Angela Kelly, who designed the green hat she wore at the last royal wedding. One thing that’s easier to bet on is HM’s accessories – she may be known for dressing in a kaleidoscope of different colours for her formal events but her accessories rarely change: black patent shoes by Anello and Davide, black patent bag by Launer, classic pearl and diamond stud earrings – a wedding present from Queen Mary, a triple strand of pearls, and a diamond brooch. Her pearls are part of her regal uniform and I can’t imagine her not wearing them can you?!

Mother of the Bride – The Duchess of York

It will be a big day for the Duchess of York next Friday, welcomed back into the royal fold in her prominent role as Mother of the Bride. Fergie made two public appearances with the royals this year (at the Royal wedding in May and at Royal Ascot in June) wearing classic navy blue head to toe both times, but I’m expecting her to up the style stakes a little as MOTB. I think she might dress in Roland Mouret or Vivienne Westwood with hat by Philip Treacy and I’d love to see her in gold – she’d look great in a dress coat like this one by Claire Mischevani – classic still but with an edge of glam.

Hat: Rachel Trevor Morgan, clutch: bottarga Veneta; pearls: Annoushka; heels: Jimmy Choo; brooch: The Antique Jewellery Company.

Maid of Honour – Princess Beatrice

Princess Beatrice was spotted leaving Ralph & Russo in London earlier this week carrying what looked like a shoe box I like to think it might have inside these gorgeous Empire pink suede and rose gold pumps – they look right up Princess Bea’s street. The York Princesses are known for their lively sense of style – who could forget the infamous pretzel hat Beatrice wore at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge! Her style has got more elegant and classic in recent years but still with a quirky edge, like the white tweed boater hat she wore to Easter Sunday service this year or the teal headband for the last royal wedding. If she was picking up R&R accessories then that could be a big clue as to who has designed her Maid of Honour dress…and possibly Princess Eugenie’s wedding dress too. I’d love to see her in something like this divine vision in blush from Ralph & Russo – perhaps a bit glitzy for a Maid of Honour dress but I’m sure they could tone down the sequins a bit so as not to steal the scene from Eugenie too much! I’ve pictured the dress here with R&R accessories, morganite earrings Kiki McDonough and a ceramic rose headband by Fi Graham Millinery.

The Duchess of Cornwall

As with many of the female royals The Duchess of Cornwall has go to designers for formal events like weddings. She almost always wears Anna Valentine dresses/dress coats and Philip Treacy hats, so I think this will be the combination she will choose at next week’s royal wedding. You can always count on Camilla to wear a proper hat – she wore a fabulous wide brimmed pale pink feather trimmed hat by Treacy for the last royal wedding so I’m hoping he will have designed another spectacular hat for this occasion too! Wide brimmed hats don’t suit everyone but it’s great to see them still worn by those that can carry them off. The Duchess tends to wear pastel colours in formal daywear so I’m imagining her in silvery grey this time. Something similar to this stylish “Michaela” graphite silk dress coat by Lalage Beaumont perhaps, pictured here with a hat by William Chambers, clutch and shoes by Emmy London and vintage jewels by Susan Caplan.

(N.B. since I wrote this post it was confirmed the Duchess of Cornwall is not attending the wedding due to a prior work engagement.)

The Countess of Wessex

Sophie always rings the changes with the style of her event outfits – at the royal wedding in May she wore separates: an elegant short sleeve ice blue silk top and matching midi skirt by Suzannah, and at Royal Ascot this year she was the first royal to wear a jumpsuit in the royal enclosure. I love how she’s not afraid to take risks and try new things with her clothes. She’s worn dressy shirt dresses in the past and I think the style really suits her so I’d love to see her in something like this burgundy/blush belted midi dress by Luisa Beccaria – featuring a blush velvet collar, burgundy floral jacquard pattern and flared midi skirt. Elegant and formal but still a bit of a style statement. The Countess always wears hats by Jane Taylor (the one I’ve pictured is by Juliette Botterill and available to hire from The Cotswold Hat Club). Burgundy/blush is a great colour combination for autumn too – holding on to the blush from summer and dipping into some wintery burgundy! Other accessories: antique garnet earrings from The Antique Jewellery Company, velvet burgundy clutch by Jimmy Choo and blush velvet heels from Prada.

The Duchess of Cambridge

The Duchess of Cambridge doesn’t usually stray from her tried and tested style formula of a fit-and-flare dress coat with matching hat for formal events like weddings, usually from her ‘go to’ designers Alexander McQueen and Catherine Walker. She also usually prefers not to make too much of a style statement at weddings so as not to draw attention away from the bride. So I’m expecting either a repeat wear from Kate or something fairly neutral/classic. I really like this Catherine Walker beige tweed dress coat with peplum detail at the waist. I’ve accessorized it with a beautiful oyster silk pillbox hat by Juliette Botterill, pinky beige clutch by Loefflerr Randall, suede courts from Gianvito Rossi and morganite earrings by Kiki McDonough.

The Duchess of Sussex

The Duchess of Sussex has shown a preference for neutral colours in her working wardrobe as a member of the royal family. Her last appearance at a royal event in formal daywear was Prince Louis’ christening where she wore a khaki green dress and hat. I think she’d look great in this jewel green pleated silk dress by Gabriela Hearst. I’ve matched it here with an elegant saucer hat by Edwina Ibbotson, her black accessories by Givenchy and Aquazzura and diamond stud earrings from Birks.

Zara Phillips

Zara wore a teal dress coat by Claire Mischevani at the last royal wedding so I think this sapphire blue colour and cut by the same designer would also look good on her with a matching blue velvet headpiece by Juliette Botterill. Other accessories – heels by Manolo Blank, bag by Amanda Pearl and opal earrings from Annoushka.

Autumn Phillips

I’ve been studying the fashion form and Autumn tends to favour the fit and flare style of dress, similar to the Duchess of Cambridge. She wore an elegant ice blue coat by Suzannah Fashion with matching hat by Juliette Botterill for Easter Sunday in Windsor this year and for the last royal wedding she wore a beautiful turquoise dress coat by Hen House HQ with matching hat by Juliette Millinery, so she may well repeat this design duo next Friday. She isn’t afraid of wearing bright colours and often contrasts the colour of her hat with her dress so she may not go for a matchy-matchy look. I’ve picked out the Princess dress coat in flag red by Suzannah here and matched it with a silk bow headpiece by Juliette Botterill. Red is sometimes considered a bit of a taboo colour at weddings but I think it’s fine to wear it these days, especially in autumn/winter. The Duchess of Cambridge has worn red a couple of times to weddings. You can always tone down the look by adding nude accessories or a darker shade of red – like I’ve done here. The unwritten rules are that a guest should blend in as much as possible and not wear anything that detracts too much attention from the bride – red is often considered a bit of a scene stealing colour so I think that’s why many people steer clear of it at weddings. But if we’re talking about scene stealing then canary yellow a la Amal will do it just as much! As will any other brights. The only colours that are a no go are black and obviously white!

The Countess of Snowdon

The Countess of Snowdon doesn’t get much media coverage at royal events compared to the more senior royals, which is a shame because she’s one of the most stylish. Often opting for chic pill box hats all “Lady Lucan” style! I think Serena would look great in a floral headband like this one from Laura Cathcart Millinert teamed here with a navy Ballerina dress by Suzannah and jazzed up with some gold/navy brocade shoes by Rupert Sanderson.

What to wear – Royal Ascot

June 12, 2018June 13, 2018 ~ Alicia ~ Leave a comment

With a week to go until Royal Ascot gets underway, I thought I’d take a closer look at the dress codes for Royal Ascot. Many of my followers on Instagram are attending and have been planning their outfits well in advance, but there are still a few last-minute ladies looking for outfits this week! Hat hire is a great option if you’ve left it too late to get a bespoke hat made or if you want a quality hat at a lower cost that you’re only going to wear once. Many of the milliners in my hat directory have hat hire options, or you could consult your nearest hat shop – the advantage of these is that you have the pick of hats from lots of great milliners all in one place. In London, X Terrace/The Old Brompton Gallery have a Royal Ascot/Summer wedding pop up shop. The Cotswold Hat Club is a new hat hire company with some pieces from top milliners, including Emily London, Sarah Cant, Bundle Maclaren and Martha Lynn Millinery. They also offer a membership for unlimited hat hire for 12 months for a one-off fee, which is a great idea for summer-season social butterflies.

Ascot has actually relaxed its style rules in recent years to include trouser suits and jumpsuits within the royal enclosure. They are aware that fashion evolves and are keen to embrace current trends. But there are still strict rules in terms of straps on dresses and substantial headpieces. Some people may not like such rules, but I’m happy for them to stay as long as possible. It’s entirely possible to find a fun and stylish outfit within these rules so there’s no need to resort to night club apparel! Dress and tradition are part of the fun of Royal Ascot. And as I say with any event – dressing appropriately is a sign of respect to your host and in this case the history and tradition that make Royal Ascot so special. Formal daywear is not something that is regularly worn by most people these days, so I think this is why some people sometimes find it hard to know what to wear – dressing up doesn’t mean wearing a party dress – the outfit should be appropriate for daylight hours not cocktail hour.

On consulting the Royal Ascot website, you will see the dress codes that should be followed for each enclosure. The strictest dress code is for the Royal Enclosure, which is relaxed a little for the other enclosures; e.g. strappy dresses and fascinators (if you must) are permitted elsewhere.

Royal Enclosure

The dress code for the Royal Enclosure is basically “formal daywear”, which is defined as:

Skirt/dress to be knee-length or longer.
Straps on dresses should be at least 1 inch.
Trouser suits are allowed, but they should be of matching colour and material.
Jumpsuits are allowed. They should be full-length to the ankle, with sleeves matching the regulations for dresses.
Hats should be worn. Head pieces are acceptable as long as the base is 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter.

What NOT to wear:

Dresses of the strapless, spaghetti strap, halter-neck, or off-the-shoulder variety (including bardot style dresses).
Fascinators.

For the royal enclosure I would recommend tailored long sleeve dresses or skirt/jacket ensembles. For a really stylish elegant look, I prefer matchy-matchy ensembles, so stick to two colours. Black and white is such a classy colour combination for Royal Ascot. I think it’s good to get the balance right with the black/white ratio and patterns/details so that you come across more My Fair Lady rather than Cruella de Vil! I love this ivory wide brimmed hat with black sequin lace by Nerida Fraiman – a real statement number. Ascot is a great place to wear wide brimmed hats – the sort of hat you can’t wear seated unless you want everyone behind you to hate you! This hat is definitely one for wafting around the royal enclosure in style. I’ve matched it with a white cotton weave jacket with lace trim and asymmetric hem by Roland Mouret, and matching pencil skirt. Clutch by Aspinal of London, classic black suede courts from Boden and black/gold floral studs from Accessorize. A really chic, timeless and sophisticated look.

All white is another classic choice and a great summery look for Royal Ascot. It’s not a colour that you can wear at weddings without raising eyebrows! So Ascot is the perfect time to work those pristine stylish whites. Just be sure to protect your personal space at the Pimms bar – one drink spillage and it’s ruined. This beautiful lace dress is by Claire Mischevani. I’ve matched it with a rose & net sideswipe hat from Juliette Botterill, nude accessories from L.K. Bennett and pearl drop earrings by A. B. Davis. A perfect royal enclosure outfit fit for a Duchess.

Queen Anne Enclosure

Not as formal as the Royal Enclosure, but a hat, headpiece or fascinator should be worn at all times.
Strapless or sheer strap dresses and tops are not permitted.
Trouser suits and jumpsuits must be full-length and worn with a top that adheres to the guidelines above.
Midriffs must be covered.
Shorts are not permitted.

Another colour that’s a bit taboo to wear at weddings is red, so Royal Ascot is a great opportunity to go for bright colours and stand out from the crowd. This stunning silk rose headpiece by Rachel Trevor Morgan is a great match for the red/black floral dress from Hobbs, accessorized with clutch from Hobbs, courts from L.K. Bennett and stud earrings from Anne Sisteron.

If you’re more of a floaty-flirty lady when it comes to dresses, something like this summery green frock from Keepsake the Label would be ideal – sharpened up with my favourite emerald green volute headpiece by Camilla Rose Millinery. This summer frock could be worn at many other summer soirees too – evening as well as day time (bag: Zara; heels: Gianvito Rossi; earrings: Monet Jewellery).

Village Enclosure

Less formal than the Queen Anne Enclosure, but a hat, headpiece or fascinator should still be worn at all times.
Strapless or sheer strap dresses and tops are not permitted.
Trouser suits and jumpsuits must be full-length and worn with a top that adheres to the guidelines above.
Midriffs must be covered.
Shorts are not permitted.

I love summery boater-style hats – they will give your outfit the formal edge required but aren’t as dressy as the more flamboyant statement hats, so are perfect for the outdoor setting of the Village enclosure. This one is the Amherst straw boater with hand sculpted ice blue Lady Amherst feather by Louise Georgette Millinery. As the Village Enclosure is a largely outdoor area, a wedge shoe or block heel is advisable over a spiky stiletto. These sandals are by Oasis and the courts are Rupert Sanderson. Dresses by Goat Fashion and Alice & Olivia and clutch by Emmy London.

Another great floral frock from Hobbs that’s great for all sorts of summer events, including the races. Pictured here with an elegant shell pink feathered headpiece by Rachel Black Millinery, bag by Zara and Faber Novella block shoes. Headpieces like this are a great choice if you want something discreet and are in a crowded area. Infinitely better than fascinators.

Windsor Enclosure

No formal dress code is required but racegoers are encouraged to dress for the occasion, so it is recommended that ladies wear smart attire with a hat or fascinator.
Fancy dress, novelty and branded/promotional clothing are not allowed.

Again, a boater-style hat like this one from Eugenia Kim is an option for this less dressy enclosure. Or you could wear a discreet button headpiece like this one below from Vixen Millinery. Jumpsuit by Whistles, yellow dress by Top Shop; bags by Zara; shoes by Office and Dune.

For more daily race-ready outfits head over to my Instagram page: @theladysmaid where I’ll be styling more last-minute looks before Royal Ascot next week.

Royal Wedding Style

May 17, 2018 ~ Alicia ~ Leave a comment

The Royal Wedding is almost upon us! I thought I would have a bit of fun and match some of my favourite Instagram wedding looks that I have posted over the last few weeks to members of the royal party in anticipation of the big day!

Lets start with HM. The Queen is quite loyal to her favourite couturier and milliner so I think it’s safe to say we will see her in a dress and coat by Stuart Parvin with a hat by Rachel Trevor Morgan. She wore yellow at the last royal wedding so my bet’s on blue this time round. The hat I’ve pictured below is by Philip Treacy, with dress coat by Suzannah.

Mother of the Bride. It must be quite daunting for Meghan Markle’s mother, Doria, dressing for an occasion like this. I think she would look good in a nice peachy coral or maybe a lemon yellow with ivory hat. This is one of my favourite coat dresses by Claire Mischevani with hat by Philip Treacy.

The Duchess of Cornwall. Camilla usually wears really shimmery pastel colours – and quite large wide brimmed hats so she’ll probably stick to this formula with a hat by Philip Treacy.

The Duchess of Cambridge. Usually loyal to Catherine Walker or Alexander Mcqueen on occasions like this. A tricky one for the Duchess so soon after giving birth but she’s lucky enough to have the expert services of the best couturiers on call so her dress dilemma will be made a lot easier with a bespoke number. The Duchess doesn’t wear green much but it would really suit her so I would dress her in a bespoke version of this lovely mint green dress coat by Catharine Walker, with hat by Lock & Co.

The Countess of Wessex. Sophie wore a silvery Bruce Oldfield skirt suit at the last royal wedding. I’d like to see her in blush or rose pink for spring – with a hat by her usual milliner, Jane Taylor. I would dress her in this lovely pink dress by Oscar de la Renta pictured here with a hat by Philip Treacy.

Princess Beatrice. Beatrice’s hat was one of the more stand-out memories from the last royal wedding. The infamous Treacy pretzel hat was quite a statement! Her dressing has become more and more elegant lately so I’m expecting to see her in a stylish dress and jacket and a sophisticated head piece, like this unusual floral headband from Juliette Botterill Millinery.

Princess Eugenie. Eugenie loves a bit of colour so I’m not expecting this one to be too matchy matchy! I think she’d look good in this emerald green dress by Self Portrait with hat by Camilla Rose.

Enjoy the royal wedding!

Royal Ascot

May 21, 2017December 9, 2017 ~ Alicia ~ Leave a comment

The Lady’s Maid offers her advice on how to dress like a Royal at Royal Ascot this year.

In a fashion age where anything goes, the Lady’s Maid is relieved that there are still some occasions where one has to follow certain rules before getting dressed. Thankfully, Royal Ascot still adheres to strict dress codes for racegoers, at least within the Royal Enclosure. But from frequenting this most sartorial of race meetings herself, the Lady’s Maid has noticed how many young women do not know how to “dress up” for a day event. Often the dresses on display would be more suitable for a nightclub than broad daylight. There is a time and a place for body-con satin and open-toe stilettos, and it isn’t amongst horses.

On consulting the Royal Ascot website you will see the dress code that should be followed:

The dress code for the Royal Enclosure is basically “formal daywear”, which is defined as:

Skirt/dress to be knee-length or longer
Straps on dresses should be at least one inch
Trouser suits are allowed, but they should be of matching colour and material
Hats should be worn. Head pieces are acceptable as long as the base is 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter

What NOT to wear:

Dresses of the strapless, spaghetti strap, halterneck, or off-the-shoulder variety
Fascinators

The strictest code is for the Royal Enclosure, which is relaxed a little for the other enclosures; e.g. strappy dresses and fascinators are permitted elsewhere.

So, with this dress code in mind, the Lady’s Maid offers some tips and looks on what to wear for Ascot this year.

Top Tips for formal daywear dressing.

Stick to two colours – one for the outfit and hat and one for accessories.
Neutral accessories are great for formal dressing – nude/tan/black will go with many colour choices.
Avoid bright colours unless you accessorise neutrally – there is a reason the Royals are mainly seen in all shades of neutral – it may seem boring, but it is hard not to look elegant in oyster or champagne.
Avoid flimsy fascinators – The Lady’s Maid would rather see a hatless head than a few feathers stuck on to an Alice band – they add nothing to the style of an outfit.
If you have chosen a statement/flamboyant hat let the hat speak for itself and stick to a simple/unfussy dress and accessories.