Fashion expert Emma Lloyd turns her attention to the Royal wedding; what worked, what didn't and how to get it right.

Fashion expert Emma Lloyd turns her attention to the Royal wedding; what worked, what didn’t and how to get it right.

Like millions around the country I thoroughly enjoyed watching the royal wedding, especially seeing the wonderful array of outfits worn by the wedding guests. Putting together a great outfit for a wedding can be a challenge at the best of times, let alone for one being watched by two billion people worldwide. Guests attending the royal wedding were reportedly given specific instructions regarding dress code which included ladies not being permitted to wear cream or white. So who got it right and whose outfit was a total disaster? Here is my take on the triumphs of the day together with a couple of high profile flops.

My favourite guest outfit belonged to Princess Maxima of the Netherlands. She wore a beautiful pale pink lace outfit giving a nod to this season’s lace fetish. The fabric was timeless and the nipped-in waist and cut were utterly modern - she could be a Hollywood star from a bygone era. I thought she looked simply stunning and her turban was quirky yet absolutely superb.

Next in the style stakes was Miriam Gonz�lez Dur�ntez (aka Mrs Nick Clegg) looking chic with a hint of Eva Per�n in her silver dress with black polka dot chiffon. Her use of accessories including elbow-length black gloves and (another) turban with a splash of red were formal enough for the grandness of the abbey without looking dreary. Dramatic, yet rather edgy, the wife of the deputy prime minister also appears to have stuck close to her Spanish roots.

But of course it wasn’t just the ladies who got it right. Regal military clothing including the uniform of a colonel of the Irish Guards for William was the headline look for the leading royal men. Along with his Royal Air Force “wings” and golden jubilee medal, William’s blue sash was a nice jolt across the jacket’s scarlet front. The red, which also ran down both William and Harry’s trousers, was a particular hit, especially as red is set to be the big accent shade for men next season.

Stylish David Beckham, who wore a Ralph Lauren tailor-made suit with black crocodile braces, looked coiffed to perfection despite having his OBE medal on the wrong side of his jacket to begin. He outplayed David Cameron and the like in his tails demonstrating that you don’t need Eton practice to master the art of posh suiting. He also had a Philip Treacy hat but cleverly chose to carry it rather than ruin his hair.

Conversely who could fail to spot the misses and unfortunately for the royal family, leading the fashion faux pas were Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Universal opinion seems to be these girls are lacking any real sense of style and are in need of help from a professional stylist. What a shame for the young princesses who chose bravely, but perhaps unwisely, judging by the response of royal fans.

Beatrice teamed a taupe Valentino dress with a matching coat which was undeniably elegant. However her headpiece, which was the wrong shape for her face, was a ludicrous addition which seemed to be perching on her head at a most peculiar angle.

As for her sister Princess Eugenie, who wore a Vivienne Westwood blue and green suit, the fit of her outfit was quite appalling. It appeared too tight around both her waist and bust and the voluminous taffeta skirt, that should have emphasised her feminine form, made her bottom half look enormous. Sadly her hat didn’t improve her outfit either with its mish-mash of colours and textures. What a shame for both the young princesses as I’m sure much time, thought and expense went into their outfits.

To avoid recreating Beatrice and Eugenie’s mistakes, my top tip when buying a wedding outfit is no different to when buying an outfit at any time - choose the correct colour, cut and cloth (those all important 3 C’s) for your body shape and colouring and you will rarely get it wrong.

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