Best Day Dress of 2017
The day dress poll had one of the largest number of options this year, from bespoke tailored pieces to floral designs, the Duchess outdid herself with her choice of dresses. With over 7,000 votes, the winner with more than 20% of the vote is the beautiful Erdem Evita Dress in Black Lily Collage. Vibrant lilies in yellow, green and blue boldly punctuate a light weight, textured black matelassé background; intensely gathered around the waist, neckline and down the sleeves. Not only is the dress fabulous, but Kate's hair never looked better.
Kate's Best Coat of 2017
The Duchess loves her coats and has assembled a stunning collection over the years. In 2017, Kate added a number of stylish new additions but which one won your vote? The award for 'Best Coat of 2017' goes to the pale blue bespoke Emilia Wickstead coat worn in Luxembourg. The full-skirted garment was the ideal choice to take Kate through a number of engagements on the day in style.
Kate's Best Gown of 2017
The pink Marchesa gown Kate wore to the Spanish State banquet takes the award for Kate's Best Gown of 2017. The sparkling Jenny Packham worn for the Royal Variety Performance was an incredibly close second; pipped to the post by just 29 votes. The Marchesa gown was a departure from Kate's signature evening style with distinctive flared cuffs, a plunging neckline and a v-neckline at the back.
Kate's Best Evening Dress of 2017
The award for Kate's Best Evening Dress goes to the Marchesa Notte Embellished Tulle Dress the Duchess wore for the opening night of 42nd Street. The garment is detailed with tactile lattice and rosette motifs. Partially lined to create a sweetheart neckline, the fit-and-flare design has flexible boning and a defined bead and crystal-embellished waist.
Kate's Best Skirt Suit of 2017
The skirt suit category featured a nice selection of options. Last year, Kate debuted a number of stylish designer suits perfect for a variety of daytime engagements. The winner is Kate's smart red skirt suit by Armani Collezioni. Made in Italy, the $848 single-breasted suit features a dart-seam front zip jacket, round collar and pencil skirt. It's a classic Armani suit and very professional looking.
Kate's Best Hat of 2017
The hat poll was a particularly enjoyable one this year! Despite hefty competition, the winner is the exquisite pink Jane Taylor hat with swirling design Kate donned for Trooping the Colour.
Least Popular Pieces of 2017
The pieces which garnered the least number of votes in each category above are as follows: the GOAT Elodie dress, Hobbs London Celeste Coat, DVF Zarita Gown, Rebecca Taylor Sparkle Tweed Suit, Somerset by Alice Temperley Peony Dress and the Sylvia Fletcher for Lock & Co Salsa fascinator. With the exception of the GOAT Elodie and the Temperley dress, all items listed above are repeats which have been worn on several occasions.
Best Designer of 2017
And the award for Kate's Best Designer of 2017 goes to...Catherine Walker! With competition from signature designers Alexander McQueen and Jenny Packham, Catherine Walker takes the crown thanks to a variety of timeless, regal ensembles created for the Duchess to wear for royal events at home and abroad last year. From a gorgeous green coat on St Patrick's day to a royally stylish black velvet garment, to the perfect summer dress for Wimbledon and an elegant skirt suit, the brand is fast becoming one Kate is relying upon as she forges and refines her styles as her role increases. I suspect this fashion relationship shall continue to thrive. Looking forward to seeing Kate in another collection of Walker designs this year.
What do you think of the winners? Did your favourites come first? A big thank you as always; I very much enjoy activities with plenty of reader participation. The annual polls are always fun :)
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Also today, news of a new addition to Kate's Calendar. On Wednesday, 7 February, the Duchess will officially open a new treatment centre in Wickford. The centre opened its doors to clients in October 2017 and hosts a rolling cycle of nine week-long addiction recovery programmes. While at the centre the Duchess will learn more about the charity's community-based recovery programme.
William and Kate's four day Royal tour of Sweden and Noway kicks off on Tuesday. I'll be with you blogging each event with posts published as quickly as possible. Although it's a short tour, the itinerary is packed and involves very interesting engagements, opportunities to take in the sights, glamorous evening events, and a number of appearances with members of the Swedish and Norwegian royal families.
The Cambridges fly over on Monday with engagements commencing on Tuesday morning. Here's a look at the schedule for Tuesday. You can view a detailed itinerary on our Kate's Calendar page:
Tuesday, 30 January, Stockholm
- The tour will begin in Stockholm with a morning visit to a bandy hockey event at Vasaparken, an outdoor ice-skating venue in the centre of Stockholm. The Duke and Duchess will arrive at the rink from the Residence of the British Ambassador to Sweden, where they will have stayed the night before. The Duke and Duchess will meet a group of local bandy players on the ice, and learn more about the sport and its popularity in Sweden.
- Next, the Duke and Duchess will travel to the Royal Palace of Stockholm to attend a luncheon hosted by King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia to welcome William and Kate to Sweden. Approximately fifteen members of the Swedish Royal Court will attend the luncheon, including Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel.
- Following the luncheon, the Duke and Duchess, accompanied by Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, will walk through the picturesque cobbled streets of Stockholm from the Royal Palace to the Nobel Museum. During this walk, Their Royal Highnesses will have an opportunity to meet members of the Swedish public that will have assembled in Stortorget, the oldest square in Stockholm, and a charming public space outside the Nobel Museum. Once inside the Museum, Their Royal Highnesses will meet a number of Nobel Laureates, and will hear more from the Museum's curator about Science in Sweden and the Nobel Laureate system.
- From the Nobel Museum, the Duke and Duchess will travel to Ark Des, Sweden’s national centre for architecture and design. Here, Their Royal Highnesses will attend an event celebrating architectural collaboration and the best of Swedish design, from the most iconic and global furniture brands, to up-and-coming homeware designers with new takes on sustainable furnishings.
- That evening, the Duke and Duchess will attend a black tie dinner at the Residence of the British Ambassador, attended by members of the Swedish Royal Family, and representatives from government, and popular culture, including Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, and actors Stellan Skarsgård and Alicia Vikander.
Are you all looking forward to the tour? :)
