in Catherine Walker
People were very divided on this. I thought it was a smart beginning to the tour, serving as a bridge between her usual fashion and the local customs she'd be embracing while here -- kind of a soft entry, rather than leaping off the plane in anything people could write off as full cosplay. The colors sing for me -- she stands out -- and I quite like the crisp shoulders on it. And of course it wouldn't be Kate without the appearance of terrible beige shoes we wish were anything else. Some thought this was dowdy, but for me only the footwear put it there. Our full coverage of their arrival is here.
In Maheen Khan; shoes by Russell & Bromley
On Day 2, they went to a government-run school to "meet with pupils from kindergarten to sixth form, and hear more about how the students are benefiting from the ‘Teach for Pakistan’ programme, a fast-track teacher training programme modelled on the UK’s successful ‘Teach First’ scheme, which is focused on improving the quality of teaching in schools which serve families from disadvantaged backgrounds." The outfit is fantastic and I would love to have that much confidence.
in Catherine Walker (top), Maheen Khan (pants), and Bonanza (dupatta).
They then changed for a meeting with Pakistan's PM, Imran Khan, who hopefully mined his storied past for some cricketing tips for their upcoming appearances. I think tying the accessories and the dupatta together makes the addition of the darker green seem less random and more coordinated with the lighter shade of her top. It's successful for me, and a nod to the colors of the national flag.
in Jenny Packham, with Wills in Naushemian
AND THEN. Her gown is absolutely stunning, but William stole the day in his shewani (and with that HUGE grin; seriously, how often do we see him face-splittingly happy? Not because he's sullen but just because he's not usually cheesing this hard in photos. I love it). The color is great; he looks smashing. It's so fun to see the dudes lean into the soft diplomacy. Our full coverage of that jam-packed second day is here.
Here, informative caption reminds me, they visited "the Chiatibo glacier in the Hindu Kush mountain range in the Chitral District of Khyber-Pakhunkwa Province, Pakistan," where flooding wiped out a village. Pakistan apparently has more glaciers than anywhere in the world; I couldn't find a specific organization to link to, but I did find this article about the melting glaciers there.
Kate's brown outfit was not everyone's cup of tea, and I get that -- it was muddy -- but I think it was chosen with THIS exact moment in mind. They had to have known there would be ceremonial garments involved, and that they'd be white -- later, Kate got a colorful headdress, too -- and I think the outfit she chose was a) practical for walking around the dusty landscape, and b) put the focus on those garments rather than on her own. They pop. Those links also take you to the slideshow of our full coverage from Day Three.
in Gul Ahmed
Kate and William spent some time on this day either at SOS Villages Pakistan -- a home for kids who are either orphaned or unable to live with their parents -- or with SOS kids but at the National Cricket Academy (which they also visited). Regardless, they ended up at SOS for sure when the weather grounded them in Lehore; they opted to spend more time with those kids and at the facility because they wanted to give it more of their attention, which was classy and cool. They could've just slept in and chilled out in their hotel, but they didn't.
in Gul Ahmed
Proof of cricket. Which apparently they played AGAIN when she went back to SOS, but with a tennis ball.
in Maheen Khan
Here they were at Badshahi Mosque, which apparently has an extensive history of being used for military operations until 1947, when it was returned to its original purpose. It's stunning. As is Kate's outfit. It's so polished and pretty. In the same ensemble, she visited Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, and it was such a smart choice for both events. It's streamlined yet chic for the mosque, but also feels fancy for the kidlets so that they can get excited to be meeting a real princess. She toed that line beautifully. Our full coverage of Day 4 is here.
in Elan, J.Crew shoes, Smythson tote
On Day 5, it was back to Islamabad. She wore this on the plane, and to play with the kiddoes at SOS Village (which was only revealed after they'd already left). It is only a matter of time before Boden knocks this off, right?
in Beulah London
This was for a visit to the Army Canine Center, which doesn't have a website that I can find, which I suppose makes sense because it's a UK military facility that trains dogs to find bombs and the like. Our coverage of Day 5 is here. Kate looks good in this. If the Catherine Walker on day 1 was her fashion bridge into Pakistan, I think this was the bridge back out, if that makes any sense.
