#baftas 11

THE HOLY TRIFECTA OF REWEARS

The Alexander McQueen lilac chiffon gown - worn at the BAFTA Gala in LA (2011) and the Earthshot Prize in London (2021)

The Jenny Packham pink gown - worn at the Ark Gala in London (2011) and the EACH Gala in Norfolk (2016)

HRH The Duchess of Cambridge wearing flowing gowns at BAFTA events from 2011 to the present day

2011 - BAFTA Los Angeles Event, LA

2017 - BAFTA Film Ceremony, London

2018 - BAFTA Film Ceremony, London

2019 - BAFTA Film Ceremony, London

This is the big one, all you cool cats and kittens! Sit back and enjoy @claireofluxembourg @lizisbackbackagain @anna8910 @queensonjas​

15. Pale Blue Chiffon Jenny Packham Gown (2017) / Ice Blue Beaded Jenny Packham Gown (2017)

These are actually the same dress. Jk, they are clearly, like, 12% different. But they end up sharing a spot because my opinions towards them are the same. For the Spectre gown, I adore the back. I love it and it’s different for Kate. I love the jewelled belt and Kate should always wear chiffon skirts. Also, her hair choice is phenomenal. The bodice, however, is ugly af. As for the Paris dress, ths is what an Elsa moment should be, Kate, not that monstrosity you wore to the Royal Variety Performance. The more I look at it, the more it looks like an alien but I can accept that and so must you.

14. Black Velvet Alexander McQueen Dress (2019)

I do remember saying I hate velvet. It was a defining factor in many of my worst dressed looks. HOWEVER, this one... isn’t as bad. The black goes so well with the sash and the order (and makes such a good change from the white and off-white dresses the Queen and Camilla wear to fancy events). The neckline is unusual for Kate and help show off that necklace. The dress is interesting on it’s own and simple enough to let the jewels and orders shine through.

13. Patterned Alexander McQueen Gown (2017/2019)

I really love this dress. I know everyone hates it but I think it’s super cute and it suits Kate. It’s off the shoulder, which she doesn’t normally go for, and the tiered skirt is something only Kate could pull off. I definitely prefer it here to the adjusted version she wore to the 2019 Portrait Gala, where the sleeves lost some of the dress’s sparkle for me. With the big hair and big earrings, this is a winning look.

12. Beulah London Sarai Gown in Red (2011)

Kate has almost this exact gown and it’s on my worst dress list. Wild. This one is just better. Firetruck red is Kate’s colour and this was such a good look. The fact the dress is one block colour allows for the silhouette of the dress - which was lost on the version she wore in Bhutan - to shine through. Also, she doesn’t wear her hair down with gowns anywhere near enough any more.

11.  Barbara Casasola Tribal Dress (2016/2019)

You know I said she doesn’t wear off the shoulder gowns? I take it back. This is a wild card choice for Kate but it’s a good one. It’s fancy enough to wear to a gala event and also simple enough for a more low key engagement. I love the fact it’s a knit dress - the design wouldn’t work if it was a thinner fabric - and fluted silhouette in the skirt. (I also preferred the shoes she wore in 2016 to these but this is best gowns, not best shoes).

10. Marchesa Blush Pink Gown (2017)

One day, we’ll see this dress and HD and I’ll decide I hate it. Until then, it makes my top 10. It has the plungiest neckline Catherine Elizabeth is ever likely to wear. It looks like a bridal gown but in pink. The sleeves are weird but also old timey regal so I like them. I love the low back. It’s such a princess dress. This is a princess’s renaissance dress. If this was a movie, she’d ride away from palace raiders on a horse in this dress. Alas, it’s not.

9. Red Jenny Packham Sequinned Gown (2015/2016)

Sometimes I remember the fact we have good photos of Kate in this dress with the Lotus Flower tiara and I want to die of happiness. It’s such a simple dress but perfect for those occasions when she actually has to look like a princess. It’s got a chiffon skirt, a belted waistline, those super cute mini-sleeves... what’s not to love? Again, Kate should wear bright red more often.

8. Lilac Jenny Packham Gown (2011)

IT’S SO LOW. I was obsessed with this dress for years. When I imagined myself going to the BAFTAs, it was in this dress (or this dress but in yellow?). After her wedding, she wore so many ugly outfits and then turned up in LA, surrounded by the A List of A Listers, in this. It’s pastel, it’s chiffon, it’s perfect. I also think it would look better without the slightly dodgy tan Kate picked up.

7. Erdem Floral Gown (2015)

I LOVE THIS DRESS SO MUCH WHY DOES EVERYONE HATE IT? It has everything that Erdem normally does wrong. Print, ruffles, a tiered skirt. It’s big, it’s colourful. And yet, for once, it works. The colours complement each other and the tiered skirt starts at a reasonable place on the leg. The bottom ruffle isn’t too big or too small, and the whole effect gives the dress such a nice shape. Please wear this again.

6. Jenny Packham Cinderella Dress (2018)

Kate is at her best in pure princess style and this is a pure princess dress. It’s simple, it’s icy pale, there are sequins. The translucent netting sleeves are a lovely touch and elevate this dress from good to great. The overlay stands out from the fabric, despite being a similar shade. Her order looks good on it and the silhouette of the dress makes her look 8 feet tall.

5. Self-Portrait Crochet Gown (2017)

This was my favourite dress for a long time. I adore it. I love the crochet-style bodice. It makes a nice change from lace but it still in the same area. The skirt is flowing (my favourite type) and that leg slit actually killed me. Catherine Elizabeth has legs that go on for days and she needs to show them off more. Also, fight me, but I love the deep red accessories. They go well with the pure whiteness of the dress. If I ever get invited to a semi-formal event, watch me wear this dress.

4. Alexander McQueen Caped Gown (2018)

The fact this is only number 4 breaks my heart a bit. This dress is faultless. The sheer cape, the chiffon skirt, the embellishments around the neck... flawless. The arm candy that is King Harald V... cannot be improved. The fact she’s getting on for 7 months pregnant here... iconic. This was the look a goddess would wear when she came down from the heavens to survey the brutality of man. She straight up floated throughout Oslo wearing this dress. I will forever be bitter she’s not wearing a tiara.

3. Alexander McQueen Off-the-shoulder Gown (2017)

Does this even count as a gown? I don’t know and I don’t care because it’s possibly the best thing Kate’s ever worn. It’s off-the-shoulder (I guess she does wear off-the-shoulder gowns occasionally), there are ruffles (which, apparently, I do like), it’s red. Kate’s hair looks phenomenal here. I love that the dress cinches in at the waist. I love that the fabric looks so soft. I love that it’s ankle length and showing off those cute af shoes. The fact she wore this dress to Carole’s 60th means she loves it too and that makes me happy. I dream of this dress.

2. Jenny Packham Sequinned Blush Gown (2011/2016)

This dress is a sparkly masterpiece. It’s so delicate, it looks like it might break at the simplest touch. It makes Kate look like some kind of woodland elf. I loved in 2011 but I adored it in 2016. Her hair is a work of art and against the greenery of the grounds, she looks like an angel sent from heaven. I love the waist and how it gives the dress (which is essentially straight) a gentle, architectural silhouette. This is a Disney princess dress.

1. Alexander McQueen One-Shoulder Gown (2019)

The British Academy of Film and Television Awards

Duchess of Cambridge June 2019 Photo Challenge