Let’s digest: Five things you didn’t know about Kate’s wedding day outfit
Our minds, hearts and eyes were proverbially blown this morning by the dizzying spectacle that was the royal wedding. Cementing her place amongst fashion royalty as well as the real kind, Kate showed real foresight by choosing Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen to design her dress and sending the fashion folk along with the rest of 3 billion viewers worldwide into an equally spellbinding tizzy! Recalling a little Grace Kelly (hand-cut English lace and French Chantilly lace bodice) and a little Queen Elizabeth II (nipped waist, full skirt and train), Kate’s dress just radiated regal romanticism. Simply put, there was nothing negative you could possibly say about that dress! We’ll have more coverage a little later today direct from London, but in the meantime, lets digest some of the details surrounding Kate’s (or should we say Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge’s) wedding day outfit:
1. The dress was inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 1800s (think William Morris and maybe even a little Dante Gabriel Rossetti if I do say so myself), which valued tradition, craftsmanship and romance above all else.
2. The lace appliqué for the bodice and skirt was hand-made by the Royal School of Needlework. Each flower was individually cut, sewn and made to incorporate the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock. It was reported that workers were required to wash their hands every 30 minutes to ensure that all flowers were the same exact colours!
3. The train was almost 3 metres long.
4. Kate wore the ‘halo’ tiara made by Cartier in 1936. The tiara was originally given to the Queen Mum by King George VI and then presented to Queen Elizabeth for her 18th birthday.
5. Designed by London-based jewellers, Robinson Pelham, Kate’s diamond oak and pear shaped earrings were designed to match the tiara and given to her as a wedding gift from her parents.