Who Wore Chanel Better?

Who Wore it Better?

Chanel Dresses at the Royal Wedding



Chanel was the royal family's designer of choice at this weekend's wedding in Monaco. Two of Prince Albert's nieces wore Chanel dresses, which were both incidentally worn before by Hollywood celebrities. I find this quite strange, as these princesses-in-waiting have access to the world's best couture collections and the most exclusive designs. Why would they chose to wear outfits that were previously worn, and to Monaco's most anticipated event in the last 50 years?

 Charlotte Casiraghi, daughter of Princess Caroline, wore a Chanel Spring Couture 2011 dress to her uncle, Prince Albert's wedding this Saturday. The blush pink off-the-shoulder dress has a tiered skirt, pearl buttoned bodice and black bow on the hip. Actress Diane Kruger first wore the dress almost 6 months ago, to a gala in Paris. Both ladies paired the dress with black clutch bags and high black heels. Charlotte's sandals are by YSL and Diane's are Jimmy Choo. I think Diane looks more polished, as the dress fits her better.

Pauline Ducruet, daughter of Princess Stephanie attended the wedding in a dress from Chanel's Spring 2011 RTW line. The sky blue fringed tweed dress has a Lemarié feather trim skirt. Emma Roberts wore the dress first in March, during Paris Fashion Week. Both girls paired the dress with white clutch bags. Pauline wore strappy white sandals and a skinny belt, while Emma chose metallic silver Brian Atwood heels. Emma rocks this dress, she has the personality to pull it off.

Fashion at Monaco's Royal Wedding

Royal Wedding Guests

in Monaco



The fashion stakes were high at Monaco's Royal Wedding this Saturday. VIP guests were invited to two events celebrating the union of Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock. There was a Roman Catholic ceremony during the day and an extravagant dinner party and fireworks display last night. European royalty and celebs graced the occasion in elegant daywear and later in glamourous gowns.

Top: Prince Albert's niece, Charlotte Casiraghi wore an off-the-shoulder baby pink Chanel dress for the ceremony, which had a short, tiered skirt. Her hair was covered by a black netted fascinator. At the dinner, Charlotte chose a flowing light grey chiffon gown with long sheer cape.

Bottom: Naomi Campbell was somehow also invited for the nuptials. She wore Alexander McQueen for the ceremony. A peach floral fascinator complemented her floral frock. She then changed into a green bejeweled Givenchy gown. 

Top: Clotilde Courau, Princess of Venice & Piedmont, added a flash of coral to the wedding party, in a Giambattista Valli cocktail dress with side frilled bodice. She also wore a large black floral head piece. She was casual later in the evening, wearing a black brocade skirt with white 3/4 sleeve top.

Bottom: Asian actress Michelle Yeoh was accompanied by her husband Jean Todt, who is CEO of the FIA. Her chocolate brown day dress was by Azzedine Alaia. She accessorized with a cute pink hat, strings of pearls and unsuited shoes. She changed into a stunning emerald green gown later that night.

Top: Princess Mary and Prince Frederik of Denmark were also on the guest list. Princess Mary wore a turquoise satin dress with beige floral hat and beaded clutch bag. For the evening's event, she was striking in a cerise pink gown with matching sash.

Bottom: Duke of Anjou, Louis de Bourbon was accompanied by his wife, Maria Margarita. The Venezuelan heiress wore a chalky blue and grey paneled dress, with feathered hat. She kept to the same colour scheme that night, in a beautiful dove grey gown embellished with strings of gold.

Top: Above are my favourite fashionable royal family from Sweden. Princess Victoria wore a beaded sea blue dress with matching clutch and heels. Later, she changed into a peach and grey pleated chiffon gown. Love the colour combination. Her husband, Prince Daniel is pictured with her.

Bottom: Stately siblings, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine of Sweden. My royal crush, Prince Carl Philip wore military suits on both occasions; wish he'd lose the sailors hat. Princess Madeleine was elegant in a beige satin daydress with embellished waistband. For the royal dinner, she wore a textured ice grey gown, with silver clutch bag.

Monaco's Royal Wedding

The Royal Wedding of

Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock



South African Olympic swimmer, Charlene Wittstock got her fairytale ending, in a lavish wedding to Monaco's Prince Albert. The small French principality hosted two wedding ceremonies for the royal couple, costing an estimated $65 million. There was a live televised civil ceremony on Friday and a religious one held today at the Princes Palace. South African flags lined the streets, in support of the beautiful blonde bride. 

Princess Charlene wore an elegant off-the-shoulder gown made by Italian designer, Giorgio Armani. Although the gown may seem simple, it sparkled with 40 000 Swarovski crystals, 30 000 gold stones, 2000 pearl drops and platinum coated thread. The intricate beadwork formed a floral design along the front of the dress, with a sweeping train that followed. It was made of 88 yards of creamy white silk. I liked Charlene's hair, which was pulled back in a low bun and embellished with a diamond head piece and long veil. She looked poised and graceful.

The bridal couple changed for a 450-guest dinner after the ceremony. Charlene wore a sheer white beaded dress, with floaty tiered skirt, also by Armani Privé.

A Weekend Wedding in KZN

Close family weddings are always something to look forward to. They don't happen often, but when they do, it turns out to be a wondrous and unforgettable event. This weekend, I attended the wedding of my dearest cousin, (who is more like a brother to me), in sunny KZN. We were more than happy to leave the bitterly cold weather behind and travel across the country to the warm and welcoming coast.

The wheel of festivities starting spinning on Thursday, with an intimate luncheon for 60 people; and it didn't stop from there. We held function upon function, all remarkably organized by my Aunt Nas, who is an events co-ordinator extraordinaire. She could easily take over from Colin Cowie. On Thursday night, the guests were all surprised by a show and dance, led by the groomsmen. We were in stitches when they showed up in wigs, dresses, stockings and stilettos. I must admit they dance better in heels than I do. It ended with the usual fun tradition where everyone was caught in storm of talcum powder. 

Friday had us scurrying around, as we had two pre-wedding events to set up. A huge lunch and later that evening, a braai bash for 400. It took a small, dedicated army three hours to transform an empty hall into an exquisitely decorated venue. Amidst all the chaos, my cousin Ray and I still had to write the wedding speech. We used the Bed & Breakfast as a boardroom and with the help of a few family members, the speech was drafted into quite an epic one.

The anticipation finally culminated on Saturday at a grand wedding reception for a thousand people. We all love an excuse to get dressed up in custom made gowns and have our make-up and hair done. Although, my curls fell apart even before I reached the venue. I think the stylist used water spritzer as hairspray. The vintage styled decor came together elegantly with ivory lace over lavender tablecloths, antique gold frames and mirrors, crystal candelabras and pink and lilac roses. The bride was gorgeous in a fully beaded fishtail gown with lace veil, and the groom handsome in a black tux. The smitten couple were unfazed by the large crowd and constant flash photography.

In a short five hours the beautiful ceremony was over and our lives had to sadly go back to normal. In an attempt to extend the weekend, we decided to throw an 'after-party', which didn't work out according to plan, as we couldn't find a venue open after 12:30am. Eventually, the beachfront Elangeni Hotel lent the thirty of us their second floor lounge and room service menu. It took one and a half hours to get our order - toasted cheese and coffee has never tasted as good as it did at 3 in the morning.

With the whirlwind of a weekend over, we returned home and back to the cold yesterday. I woke up this morning with a massive hangover, aching feet, a terrible migraine and a bronchitis. But it was all worth it. I had a chance to bond with my awe-inspiring family, spend time with my adorable little cousins, pose for dozens of portraits, mint our own money, share tears after a heartfelt speech, laugh till our sides hurt, and create wonderful memories that we'll talk about when we're all old and grey. 

A Royal Wedding Gown

Prince William and Kate Middleton

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge



After months of speculation, the royal wedding gown was finally revealed at Westminster Abbey today. Kate Middleton was exquisite in an ivory and lace gown by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen.

The long-sleeved bodice with sweetheart neckline was beautifully adorned in French Chantilly lace. The skirt was hand-embroidered by the royal school of needlework at Hampton Court. The gazar satin train measured over 2 metres, adding to the wow-factor of the dress. It is simple yet stunning and thankfully not overelaborate. She wore her hair down with a short veil and a 1936 Cartier tiara. Prince William wore a traditional red military uniform, with gold buttons and blue garter sash, signifying his position as Colonel of the Irish Guards. 

The bride's sister Pippa Middleton (right) wore an ivory satin crepe cowl neck gown with lace trims, also designed by Sarah Burton. For the evening reception, Kate chose a white satin McQueen dress with beaded waistband and cropped mohair cardigan.

Kate looked like a true fairytale princess in her wedding gown. It was elegant and demure - an instant classic that we will see in photographs for years to come.

Wedding Season

Wedding Season...a time for dress-fittings, hair styling, gift buying, tantrum throwing, shop hopping, floral arranging, food tasting, table setting, crash dieting, disaster dodging and complete fits of mania. And that's just the guests. Can you imagine what the bride goes through? 



My weekends have been spent traveling around the country attending these fabulous little affairs. By little, I mean a 400-guest-event. A thousand people is usually considered a 'fair' amount. The most interesting element of beau monde weddings are the people. It's not the bride or groom; but the guests that really pull the whole show together. 



The venue, bridal couple and decor may be different at every wedding, but it's the guests' conduct that's always the same. As an observant wedding watcher, I am going to tell you a little about what goes on behind the traditional society wedding. 



When it comes to fashion, every woman will plan on what to wear for months prior to the function. Something that was just 'lying' in her cupboard simply won't do. She can't buy a dress off the rack; imagine the horror if someone else pitches up in the exact same outfit. So the next best thing is to fly over to Dubai and buy a gorgeous gown that she knows no one else in South Africa will have. If that's not possible, she will buy R3000-a-metre fabric and have one of SA's leading designers make her a customized gown. And it doesn't end there. There are matching shoes to be bought, clutch bags and jewellery. There are also all the pre-wedding parties to dress up for. Once the outfits are organized, hair appointments and make-up trials are set up for the week. One really has to look their best at someone else's wedding. It's like an episode of 'The Real Housewives of Elite South Africa'.



The wedding reception is a place to celebrate the blissful union with family and friends, and also to dissect every little thing in between. And I mean every thing. The wedding-guest-turned-critic will break down and analyze every tiny component of the reception - the serviette holders, the colour of the tablecloths, the welcome drinks, the height of the centerpiece and the future mother-in-law. Then there's the food. Every guest somehow turns into a judge from MasterChef, fastidiously tasting and reviewing each dish with their newly 'evolved' palette. It's a rare occasion when all parties are entirely satisfied with the meal.



Weddings are also the perfect hunting ground where doting mums search for prospective daughters-in-law (without their son's knowledge or permission). Having a creamy complexion, green eyes and brown hair will put you on top of the eligible bachelorette list. When approached, the first thing these young single ladies will ask, "Is he cute? What car does he drive?". Weddings *sigh*...the site upon which solid and sincere relationships are built.



Finally, there's the dreaded but amusing chitchat. It's funny how the exact same conversation loom arounds every wedding I attend. Gossip is the actual centerpiece of each table; shadowing it with an equal amount of flattering and disparaging remarks. There are standard questions and comments that spread through the voluble (female) crowd. 



If you don't speak wedding talk, this is what you can expect to hear:



^Did you see what she's wearing? It's lovely/hideous.

^Who designed her gown?

^The bride looks like such a sweet/sulky/ person.

^They make such a nice pair or 

^She's far too nice for him. Probably just married for the money.

^The food is so bland/delicious.

^Don't they have anything else to drink?

^What's for dessert? (Usually said right after a hearty 5 course meal)

^Have you seen any nice patterns?

^The decor is so old fashioned. Have they not heard of stretch draping?

Said to young pretty lasses:

^Are you single? Can I hook you up with my nephew/cousin/son/grandson?

^You're taken? When are you getting married?

^You're married? When do you plan on having kids? 



That's just the word exchange within the first fifteen minutes. I suggest you take some Aspirin along, you may need it after the 4-hour-affair. I have five more weddings to attend this season. Wish me luck!