One-Hit Wonder Wrapup Post

I am back with our final look at One-Hit Wonders worn by the Princess of Wales. We begin with a Jenny Packham design worn in October 2014 for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards. The event was at the Natural History Museum.

In some photos, the gown almost looks demure.

In other images, like this one of the Duchess presenting Michael Nichols with the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award, you get just a peek at the slit on the left side.

A Jenny Packham Instagram post described the dress as pale jade in color. It had a surplice neckline, elbow-length sleeves, gathers at the front waist, and a concealed back zipper.

Elements of the dress can be seen in this Jenny Packham design from the designer’s 2014 Cruise Collection. This style was described online as having a wrap front with a slim silhouette and a “gathered-into waist.”

The Duchess accessorized with a customized clutch by Alexander McQueen and her Agata Sandals by LK Bennett.

Her necklace and earrings were from the Riva Collection of jewelry by Monica Vinader. The Diamond Cluster Drop Earrings and Diamond Cluster Bib are done in rose gold vermeil atop sterling silver, with pavé set diamonds.

When I solicited input on looks that deserved another appearance, our next dress also received multiple mentions. The Duchess of Cambridge chose the Moraiah Dress by Temperley London when she attended Wimbledon with the Duke of Cambridge in June 2011.

The dress featured three layers of floaty pleats and a row of half-circles on the straps. At the time, Temperley London described the white cocktail dress as “a perennial, classic waist-nipped shape with a sexy, structured bodice, hand-embroidered straps and a tiered skirt.”

The Moraiah reminded me of a tennis dress. It was available in white and black.

This gives you a better view of the shoulder detailing with the overlapping petals suspended between straps.

The Duchess carried a chocolate brown jacket that has not been identified. She wore the charm bracelet, believed to be a gift from the then-Duchess of Cornwall, shown here as worn in Santa Barbara during the North American tour. One side of the charm features Kate’s cipher, the script “C,” and the ducal crown, while the other side has the Duchess of Cornwall’s cipher. She had on her Sledge pumps by LK Bennett and carried her Stuart Weitzman Muse Clutch.

Another design many of you would like to see again is the Roland Mouret cold-shoulder dress worn for a June 2016 Kensington Palace gala.

The function celebrated the organization’s 40th anniversary.

The ‘Nansen’ gown was from Roland Mouret’s Resort 2016 collection.

The design was made in a stretch crepe material and featured a deep vee neckline, flared skirt, and shoulder cutouts. The form-fitting dress also had the complex fabric inserts and darts Mr. Mouret is known for. In this montage, you can see the exposed zipper on the back.

Much of the chatter about the Duchess’s ensemble that evening revolved around the glittering Cartier earrings she wore, in rose, yellow, and white 18K gold covered in diamonds.

The earrings appear to be part of a Cartier set Kate owns, as they match the Cartier Trinity necklace first worn for a 2012 National Portrait Gallery exhibit featuring Olympic and Paralympic portraits and seen again during the New York City visit in 2014.

The gold sequin Jenny Packham design worn for the 2021 premiere of No Time to Die was cited as a style many of you would like to see again.

The gown’s metallic sequins and crystals sat atop a base layer of glittering tulle. The dress showcased strong, structured shoulders, a deep vee-neckline, and an attached cape.

The Duchess’s gown was similar to this style, part of a special Jenny Packham X 007 collection of eight gowns created to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of James Bond.

The Duchess’s hair was styled in an elaborate updo.

She wore the citrine cocktail ring we’ve seen over the years, a pair of O’Nitaa earrings first noted at a 2019 reception in Pakistan, and the Fenix Pump in gold by Aquazzura.

Another dress receiving multiple mentions: the Marchesa Notte design worn for the opening night of 42nd Street at London’s Drury Theatre.

The dress featured a motif described as “lattice and rosette,” with cap sleeves, an illusion neckline, hidden back zipper, and flexible boning. The hem was described as being “reinforced to hold its voluminous shape.”

The Duchess accessorized with her Bayswater Cutch by Mulberry and Gianvito Rossi 105 pumps in Bordeaux suede.

She also wore a pair of Kate Spade earrings, the Pretty Poms Tassel Statement Earrings.

Evening gowns were the most frequently mentioned category when you shared your suggestions for One-Hit Wonder looks. Three of the more popular designs were worn during the 2023 Caribbean tour. These include the green Jenny Packham worn to a formal dinner in Jamaica, the pink Vampire’s Wife design seen at a reception in Belize, and the icy blue Phillipa Lepley worn for a Bahamas reception.

Other styles suggested by several readers include the tartan Burberry dress worn in Boston and the blush Alexander McQueen dress worn for Pippa Middleton’s wedding in May 2017.

The houndstooth Emilia Wickstead worn in Boston was cited several times, as was the golden Jenny Packham design seen in Heidelberg, Germany, in July 2017.

And our two final looks feature floral designs some of you would like to see again: on the left, the Catherine Walker Fleurs Sauvages, or “Wildflowers” print worn to Wimbledon in July 2017, and the Erdem Evita dress seen at a January 2017 Heads Together engagement.

In summation, here are the dresses mentioned most frequently. A reminder: this is a completely non-scientific grouping of designs; the posts were all based on suggestions I received from you via comments on posts, comments on Facebook, and suggestions received via email and messages.