The Art of Fashion

Duchess of Cambridge Tour of Canada Dresses on Days Three, Four and Five
We all knew that Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, was going to turn it out in a selection of suitable dresses for her tour of North America. What we didn't know for sure was that everyone was going to be a hit. But so far, as we start day five of their tour, we can say, so far so good. Which is not to say that I loved every single outfit (Canada Day costume, anyone?), but I think that they have all been on the up side of successful. Kate wore the Reiss Nanette dress that she wore in her engagement photos for the Canada Day parade. It's a great dress, no problems with it — even though she paired it with a maple leaf hat and red pointy courts that I thought were hideous. But I absolutely LOVED the Anya Hindmarch fan bag. Loved it, I say. The total look gets a 6/10 from me.
That evening, she donned another Issa dress — this time in a bright purple — and wore her hair up, which I always enjoy. The maple leaf brooch she borrowed from the Queen for the day, was still there. A good effort, and it wasn't blue. I say a 7/10 for this look.
The following day, Kate wore a herringbone Catherine Walker shift with a gorgeous cuff detail on the short sleeve and a deep v-neck at the back with a pointed collar. I like this for several reasons. First, it would have been Princess Diana's 50th birthday on the day, and Catherine Walker was one of her signature designers. Also, the shape really suits Kate and looks more fashionable than a shift with no collar — younger with a bit more punch. You could image Alexa wearing this a bit shorter. 8/10.
Later that day, after planting a tree in pointed lizard skin stilettos from LK Bennett, Kate donned a chef's jacket and showed some pretty adept knife skills in a cook-off.
The next morning, after a Sunday service on board the HMCS Montreal, Kate and William emerged, Kate wearing another blue Erdem dress, this one with lace detailing on the shoulders and a split in the front. She paired it with her favourite LK Bennett nude heels and bag which is a combination that really works. Nice, but nothing too fashion-forward. 7/10 for this look from me.
Finally, my favourite dress change of the weekend. Sticking with the light pink, flesh tones, Kate wore a Joseph dress (which was sold out in eight minutes after the first pictures appeared online), with a jacket to begin with, which she then removed as they dressed down for their events. I like the simplicity of the garment, beautiful fabrication and the fact that it is young and sleeveless. She looks cute and normal, not too trussed up, and I think that this is a style that really suits her, and them as a couple. I score this look at  a 9/10 for the whole thing. A winner.
A full weekend of looks, let's see what day five has to offer in terms of style. So far, I score Kate and  over-all 7/10 for her tour wardrobe. With an extra nod to the reuse of accessories.
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