The Duchess is Gone! (end of Day 8 & Day 9)

Nine days goes so fast!  Will & Kate finished off their trip to Canada by opening up the Calgary Stampede.  They were gifted with white cowboy hats, which the sported at the parade on Thursday night.  I think they look really good in them actually.  I like how in this picture it looks like she's holding Wills back from jumping into the rodeo ring.

On their last morning in Canada, Kate sported another Catherine Walker design, this time a lovely red coatdress.  I really don't think there is a colour that she can't pull off.  Red looks great on her.

Goodbye Will & Kate! Come again soon!

The Duchess is Here - Day 8

Finally some colour again courtesy of Jenny Packham.  I love the yellow, but I'm really not sure if I like the dress overall.  It has a bit of a Mad Men era feel but she's almost too tall & slim to pull that whole look off, instead it looks a bit old for her.  I don't know maybe I'm being too picky but I don't love it yet...give me a few days to absorb it!

Katie's Got Her Style Groove Back...

Katie Holmes is one of those actresses in Hollywood that you wonder would be famous if she didn't marry an A-Lister (like her husband Tom Cruise).  My guess is no.  Before she met Tom, most people knew her from Dawson's Creek but not much else.   She did end up with Tom and now is in the spotlight with him wherever she goes.  Apparently she is great in her most recent role in the tv miniseries the Kennedys, but I haven't seen it yet.

Maybe this great new role is the reason Katie is getting her style groove back lately?  Her hair has grown out and she seems to exude a new confidence.  She seems comfortable in her own skin out in the spotlight, whereas before she disappeared behind her roles as mom to her daughter Suri and wife to Tom.  You can see in some of her latest looks below that she is confident in being just herself.  My favourite is the black halter dress - it's very sexy but also has a ladylike quality.  I also love the date night look with Tom (last picture).

The Duchess is Here - Day 7

Will and Kate left Northwest Territories to head south to Alberta today.  What I have loved most about their trip so far is the sincere emotion with which they greet people.  Looking at Kate accept flowers from this little boy on the runway before they took off on a flight to Slave Lake, you can see in her face that she really appreciates the love she is getting from Canadians everywhere.  

On the fashion front, their tour of Slave Lake was quite a sombre event, not to mention a bit messy as it is a recently wild-fire ravaged area, so understandably she kept it casual but still professional in jeans, wedge heels and a navy blazer.

Whatever Kate wore, it was all love from the residents of Slave Lake.  The royal visit was a much needed boost to the morale of the town.

Pippa Update...

While her now royal sister is on her first official visit as a Duchess, Pippa Middleton continues to march to the beat of her own drum back in Britain - attending Wimbledon, shopping and just generally looking stylish wherever she goes.  Her popularity is not waning with the press at all, as she recently just landed on the cover of UK magazine "Tatler".

Here's a breakdown of her latest, most notable looks:

Looking fabulously flirty in red at Wimbledon.  Hmm, might have to pick up something cute like this for my first visit to the US Open!

At Wimbledon again, this time in a knit black dress and a great pair of sunglasses.  

Pulling off the colour blocking trend incredibly well.  I love the pop of colour with the yellow purse.

The Duchess is Here - Day 6

Will and Kate's day in Yellowknife, was filled with education on the North, including watching ceremonial sports and dances, as well as receiving a gift of diamonds from one of the nearby diamond mines.  Lucky them!

They started the day with a floatplane ride, marking the first time we see Kate in jeans.  A very functional but still chic choice for the event.  

Later on she dropped the ball for a youth ball hockey game, but wasn't really dressed to take shots on the goal as Will did.  She wore a Marlene Birger cream linen dress, with sharp shoulders, again in a shade of cream.  Playing it safe is always great, but I hope that we see some more colour from her on the last stop of the tour in Calgary.  I'm getting a little bored of all the cream & navy!

Maybe she & Wills will sport their new team Canada jerseys to mix it up at little in the style department?

The Duchess is Here - Day 5

Day 5 saw Will & Kate in PEI, participating in a dragon boat race, against each other no less.  Whomever thought that up, was obviously thinking how great of a photo op that would be.  

PS:  Will's team did win, but he made sure he consoled his new bride after her loss.

Anyway, before the race, Kate stepped out in this nautical inspired Alexander McQueen by Sarah Burton dress.  It was quite adorable on her, but kind of made her look like a kid dressing up in her granny's old clothes.  Or in this case, maybe the Queen's?

Later on, the couple headed to Yellowknife, where they will spend the next few days, hopefully without too much rain.