The Royal Wedding – Fashion Roundup part 1

If I am writing with a British accent today, it’s because I am still totally immersed in the Royal Wedding.

My Fashion Round-up for the day:

HRH Princess Catherine emerged from her hotel under the tightest of the contract security guards today wearing a simple, elegant gown by Sarah Burton of the Alexander McQueen label.  It was everything we thought it would be and less. Less?  It was simple and very refined,  it mirrored the sentiments of the worldwide economy –  modest and unpretentious. Her gown reminded me very much of the gown worn by Princess Grace of Monaco in her 1956 wedding  which suggests that fashion and good taste are indeed timeless.  Even the veil was similar, edged in lace and draped smoothly (not poufy) over her face. In reality it draped a little too close and seemed to flatten her hair en route to the ceremony. The reason? Veiling is very light and lace can be heavy, particularly the re-embroidered kind that edged her fingertip veil.  No real damage done since after the veil was lifted from her face it settled over the back of her head and cascaded from the simple Cartier tiara borrowed from the queen.  In case you didn’t notice, the lace also edged the hem of her gown, and was added in the folds which gave some much needed detail to the train which her sister Pippa fluffed and arranged beautifully.  Her bouquet was equally simple and understated.  A bit on the small side, it incorporated the traditional Myrtle from Queen Victoria’s garden, Lilac, Hyacinth and Sweet William, a tribute to her husband.

Pippa Middleton, maid of honor was also dressed in Sarah Burton. Her slender, ivory mermaid gown with shoulder pads ( are they back?) and a deep V cowl neck, appeared to be a bias cut gown made of 4 ply silk crepe.  Bias cut  is extremely hard to wear unless you have a near perfect figure, which she does. At first it seemed a bit tricky for her to navigate the steps since it was very close fitting around the knees and at one point I was afraid she was going to have to hop up the stairs but, she shortened her step slightly and paused before each step. Very clever of her, and exactly the kind of move you need to anticipate if you plan to wear this type of gown.  I absolutely loved the flowers in her hair!

Carole Middleton was stunning in pale blue. When I heard pale blue I winced slightly thinking it would resemble a washed out Robin’s egg. This was more of a cornflower blue which worked out beautifully with her tanned skin. The cut and style of her entire ensemble was dynamic on her svelte figure.  Good news, it  looks like the  Dukan Diet works!

Camilla wore a two- tone, hand embroidered ensemble by Anna Valentine which was well suited to her frame. I am not sure I understand the color combination but, I was slightly distracted by the size of her hat. I really wish she would tone down her hair a bit since she is getting older and the bat-winged hairdo is a little dated.  Jimmy Choo shoes….. good choice!

Queen Elizabeth was dressed head to toe in yellow. The primrose dress, coat and hat were all designed by Angela Kelly. The hat was a bit square and I have seen her wear more flattering colors but she was all smiles and hardly seemed to be able contain her joy. Bonus: She was perfectly color-matched to the Dean of Westminster,  was that planned? My favorite QE moment was when she was escorting the bridesmaids (flower girls) onto the balcony. At that moment I hardly saw the Matriarch of  one of the most revered Monarchies, I saw a grandmother doting on her flock.

The bridesmaids’ dresses – ivory with ballerina length pleated skirts, puffed sleeves and gold sashes tied in a “sumptuous” bow – were created by bespoke childrenswear designer Nicki Macfarlane. Again, the term bridesmaids here is used to describe what we refer to as flowergirls. Bespoke is a term used to describe anything custom-made to the buyer’s specifications.
Prince William chose to wear his royal guard suit. Since he has trained in all branches of the military, he could have chosen to represent any of  those in the official military regalia with great pride. His choice was especially touching since the sole  job of  the Royal Guard is to protect members of the Royal Family.
Prince Harry not only looked truly handsome  donning full military regalia but, maintained his mischievous grin the entire time. Perhaps he was thinking of how he would ask Pippa to dance at the reception. Is it just me or would they make a cute couple?
For me, the best part of the day was when they came out onto the balcony for the  ‘kiss’  first made famous at their parents’ wedding 30 years ago. It was quick, of course.  PDA is out, and now (it seems) so is opulence. Simple is the new black and less is once again more!
Tomorrow Part 2:  Hats and Misses
-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

The Royal Wedding Workout – guilt free viewing!

The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton is less than 24 hours away! My alarm is set for 3 am and the DVR is set to BBC America for commercial free, uninterrupted, live coverage of the events. I have even designed a mini-workout so I won’t be tempted to doze off since 4 am is a little early for me,  I don’t want to miss a thing and I don’t want to turn into a couch potato! My phone will be charged and by my side in case I need to compare notes with a kindred spirit.

I am sharing my workout with you so we can all get our day started shaking things up and not gluing our butts to the sofa for the wedding marathon!

Items you will need:
Water (bottled or otherwise) … LOTS of it!

Sneakers or shoes suitable  for movement!

Lets get started!  When the coverage begins, or when you begin watching, you can start the workout right away. Find a comfy seat with lots of room around you and you are ready!


Every time the host  says ‘Prince William’ you must take a drink of water. It is important to stay hydrated so you can stay focused and not be tempted to curl up and doze off.

Every time they say ‘Catherine Middleton’ (or any variation of her name prior to the nuptials) you must stand up, bend over and touch your toes. This reminds you that you must bow before the queen. They will be saying this a lot BEFORE the wedding but, not much after since she will have been bestowed a title by the time the affair takes place.

Every time they mention the ‘late Princess Diana’, stand up. With your feet planted shoulder width, stretch your arms up into the air five times.

When the Queen arrives, stand up and do ten jumping jacks. If she is wearing purple, do 20 more jumping jacks. I am actually excited to see what she will wear. She is known for her love of weddings and extreme love for her grandchildren, so I would bet this is probably the happiest day of her life, so far. She may be an aging monarch but she is still  a woman so, I would be willing to bet she is pulling out all the stops. Jewelry? Yes, please …..and lots of it!

When the bride’s parents arrive,  stand and bring one knee at a time up to your chest. Do this five times for each leg.

When Prince Charles arrives, do five lunges. First on the left side and then the right.  This is just to remind us all not to rush into anything no matter how good of an idea it seems at the time.

When Camilla arrives, run in place until she is seated.

When Prince Harry is shown,  stand one one foot, balancing for five seconds and then do the same with the other foot. If you can do this without picturing him in that unfortunate NAZI Halloween costume, you get an extra slice of wedding cake.

When Catherine’s car arrives, stand up once again. You are now in the presence of a future queen. Remain standing until she is at the altar.

When William and Catherine emerge from the church, stand up again.  Run in place, stretch, jog or whatever you wish. After the couple enters the carriage and begin their journey to Buckingham Palace, you can sit down.

The wedding day will more than likely begin around 2:30 am Central Standard Time so any time after that when you join, you can start right away. You can also add your own touches. I just wanted a way to get energized that early in the am without killing myself! 

For me – there is really no place I would rather be than watching this lovely couple exchange vows ….. even at that ungodly hour and from thousands of miles away!!

Since television around the world will be fixed on this wedding , so I encourage everyone to raise their glass to toast the happy couple!

Cheers!  Mazel Tov! Slainte! Prost! Salute! Skaal! L’Chaim! Kampai! Sante’!

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

The Royal Wedding -gown speculation continues!

There are only four days left until the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton and I am giddy! I’ve said before that I am obsessed with  this wedding but, in reality I am really only obsessed with the details of the wedding itself, mostly her gown. I am so  super-excited about this wedding that I will watch the entire thing  on the DVR… probably more than once and also more than likely bore my husband to death with the details over and over – that’s what I do. He’ll nod and pretend to care while I talk – that’s what he does.

Not knowing either of them personally or having any interest in the future of the British Monarchy, I am still riveted to the tv whenever there is talk of the royal wedding. I was watching when Diana married Charles in July 1981. That was when there were no HDTV’s or DVR’s or even VCR’s. That’s when there were no 24 hour news channesl and the paparazzi actually had some limits. That was way back in the day when the princess was supposed to marry prince charming and  live happily ever after. I thought that was the way it was.  Diana’s future was not as simple as a fairy tale. But the wedding? It was something to behold.

I still get chills when I see the images of Diana coming out of that glass coach for the first time wearing Elizabeth Emmanuel’s silk tafetta creation, smoothing the skirt slightly as she stepped forward trying to manage  the 25 ft detachable train. Detachable trains became big in the 1980’s as a result of her decision to incorporate it into her gown. For her, it was the only plausible decision since it would be technically impossible to bustle 275 yards of any fabric  successfully! Two hundred seventy five yards of fabric. Mathematically that gown today would cost over twenty thousand dollars in material alone, not to mention the hundreds of hours of labor invlved in hand-sewing pearls and sequins onto lace.  The style of her gown became quickly known as meringue and similar gowns were immediatley copied around the globe, using every fabric imaginable.  That gown transformed Diana Spencer into Princes Diana and single handedly turned her into a fashion icon. The tight bodice, full skirt and puffed sleeves eventually fell out of fashion in the bridal industry as strapless took over. Honestly I can’t wait for this trend to take a break and I know I am not the only one.

Catherine is more mature and has an obviously independent spirit. She has been co-habitating with the future king for some time now…. something that was completely taboo in 1981. She has decided to arrive by car and not the glass coach, much to the chagrin of the public. The designer of her gown has been kept secret, an impossible feat to be sure. Her hairstyle, tiara choice and jewelry choices  are all top-secret. However, every  night there is another deisgner speculating on what she will wear and who is really designing it. Most agree that it will not be strapless. All agree it will be a British designer.
Someone I know ran into someone who  knew firsthand that the designer is absolutely Sarah Burton of the Alexander McQueen label. Hmmmm. But, just yesterday I read an article on the Huffington Post that states (matter of factly),  “I can reveal that Sophie Cranston of the Libélula label is designing Miss Middleton’s gown”.  Last month it was Bruce Oldfield, when Catherine’s mther and sister were spotted leaving his boutique  and then there were the  rumors of Stella McCartney. Today I read that Miss Middleton’s gown is of her own design. It’s all very confusing and if you have a scorecard, don’t even try to keep up.

Why all the speculation? Because believe it or not, this one gown will change the designer’s life and the entire fashion industry for many years to come. It will be something that history books, talk shows, news channels and people around the world will use to catapault into the next big thing. Can you imagine that kind of pressure? No wonder the designer wants to remain secret, they have work to do!

No matter what she wears, I have a feeling there will be bits of Diana incorporated into the style. Whether it is the sleeve, the train or the fabric, she will want the bond that began with her acceptance of Diana’s engagement ring  to remain intact.  I am waiting with anticiaption and hoping this princess gets the ‘Happily Ever After’ that everyone deserves.

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago