The Duchess of Edinburgh is visiting the Channel Island to observe the Guernsey to Poole small ships race on Tuesday. The Duchess has visited Guernsey ahead of race. More than 130 young people will be taking part in a sailing race between Guernsey and Poole to commemorate the RNLI's 200th anniversary. The Duchess is the Royal Patron of the Association of Sail Training Organisations (ASTO), which offers young people the chance to learn both sailing and team-building skills.
Feel sorry for Princess Catherine.
ReplyDeleteWhy ?
DeleteThis is Sophie, not Catherine.
DeleteWhat do you mean by this comment???
DeleteShe has been wearing long dresses for a long time! So shorts are a shocker! nothing wrong with her legs, perfect for her age.
ReplyDeleteEven we could say, nothing wrong with her legs regardless of her age?! She looks fabulous and 20 years younger without makeup and heels and formality. Good on her!! - Grace ps as for her long hems on dresses, I think she enjoys wearing them.
DeleteAgree, but why always referring to somebody s age? Wear what you like at any age!
Delete@ Anon. 12/8 22:04
DeleteShe does wear make-up. If you click on the pictures you can see it clearly. There is make-up these days that enhance the beauty of a face, but is not changing the color of the eyebrows, the lips and the cheeks. It is called natural make-up. If you make a picture of someone with no make-up at all and you put it next to a picture with natural make-up one can see the difference. Without her long dresses she looks younger than her age. She didn't wore them in the first years of her marriage and I always found she had a good taste for clothing. I can't remember when she started to wear longer dresses ? The last years they became longer and longer and she looked older than her real age. The commenters here said it was the normal length for a British Lady according to British fashion rules. How come she didn't wore her dresses longer from the beginning ? Wasn't it the normal length for a British Lady in those days ?
@Anon 13:06 There aren't "British fashion rules", just as there aren't rules for any other country. Some countries are known to be more fashion forward, but that is not the same thing. There are religious rules in some countries that dictate a style of dress, or members of a particular faith adhere to these religious regulations where ever they may live. It may be a trend in some British circles to wear overly long dresses, but I cannot see the advantage. As a rule, clothes look their best when worn as they were designed to be worn. Since Sophie shops well-known designers, they might have mixed feelings seeing their dresses and brand shown to a disadvantage. If she were not a woman of means, I would think she couldn't afford to have her dresses tailored. I agree that these extra long dresses are aging to her. She has great legs, so it can't be a case of needing to hide them. I get the feeling she reached the age where she has decided to settle, and thinks women "of a certain age" should dress in a certain way. No matter the reason, it shows how much choosing the right clothes can change your appearance. She looks so youthful here. I really like seeing her in a different look.
DeleteHello Anon 19:37.
DeleteTwo points which could be of interest to the subject.
1/ climate and 2/ social standing.
I spent 9 winters in southern England and I can tell you that long dresses and coats are a necessity.
When standing they protect you from the cold winds and when sitting they are like a blanket protecting your legs from the cold.
“Social standing” I got the impression during my stay there that the long length of the dresses and coats is found amongst middle and upper class ladies.
But social status is a long and deep subject which I’ll let you go into if you’re interested.
Perhaps the subject should be, “ A British fashion characteristic”
Hi there deadeggs. Thanks for your perspective. I hadn't considered climate since Sophie wears her dresses so long year round, and when travelling abroad to warm climates. Personally, I would prefer to see her in shorter hems and boots or pants if the objective was to keep warm. They flatter her more.
DeleteI can see that social standing may be behind this style. I remember Sarah, Duchess of York being so well-known for her Sloane Ranger style of dress that was was associated with the upper-middle and upper classes. I would guess Sophie's style has more to do with social status than anything.
Hello Anon 22:31
DeleteThank you for reminding me of the Sloane Square (Ranger) fashion period. 1980's - 1990's
It was certainly related to British social standing.
More and more, I’m thinking that Duchess Sophie’s dresses/skirts are related to British social standing; upper-middle and upper classes.
She continues to wear the style in warmer climates and summer but the fabrics are much lighter and airy.
e.g. cotton, silk, seersucker, linel, lyocell etc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloane_Ranger
Sophie looks happy, engaged, and quite youthful. Blue is a great color for her.
ReplyDelete—Royal Watcher
Wonder if she thinks, OK let's get started. She looks happy to sail. Not used to seeing her in shorts. css
ReplyDeleteDuchess of Edinburgh looks lovely and years younger in this casual outfit. Such an improvement on the long dresses.
ReplyDeleteShe looks great in her casual gear.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful visit
She looks engaging and happy.
Long skirts/dresses on the ladies = British fashion........yawn.😔
ReplyDeleteQuelle grande et agréable surprise de la voir en short pour naviguer ; elle nous montre ses belles jambes !
ReplyDeleteLong dresses are fine at any age provided they are in proportion with their body type and shoes to enhance the look.
ReplyDeleteSophie looks fantastic;sailing is such a super sport(TARA)
ReplyDeleteMy goodness Sophie really does defy her age.These photos are stunning,as is she.
ReplyDeleteSophie has an envious figure!Great legs!I hope,she stops hiding them in folds of unnecessary fabric!
More of this young looking Sophie please.
Lowri.
This may sound odd but, in many ways I think this is best she's looked all year! The clothes suit her and actually make her look about five to ten years younger.
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