The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are making a four-day official visit to Japan from September 19 to 22, 2025. On Friday, September 19, 2025, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako welcomed the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh for tea at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. On this occasion, the Duchess of Edinburgh wore the 'Maude' blue multi-printed pleated silk twill shirtdress by Gabriela Hearst.
Gabriela Hearst Maude Pleated Midi Shirtdress
I think I will simply skip her appearances ... such a lovely person but in my eyes, her sartorial choices are really poor. Shirt dress after shirt dress, which is nice for all those who love shirt dresses and nice for many occasions, but here it is too casual, not elegant enough. Same applies for: print after print ... inadequate for meeting the Imperial family.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree. Very inadequate.
DeleteMy guess is that the collar on a shirt dress balances out her figure. But yes, there are other options as well.
DeleteDear 18:53, I disagree that this dress is too casual. It’s a USD3000+ dress in silk with custom artwork on the lower part. It is silk and conservative which is apt for a Japanese visit, in a colour which is really fantastic for Sophie, and it is also in keeping with the wearer’s own fashion preferences which is a very important criteria for whatever we wear except when in regulated uniform. I find it wonderfully elegant and not at all casual.
DeleteDear @Anon 06:21, $$ does not bring the required level of elegance. Small additional details: The shirt dress has a collar. Look at the model, collar closed, look at Sophie, collar (casually) open. OK for this dress, but not for this occasion. Then, her beautiful blonde hair. I would prefer a clean bun and not an open style that is not even really "styled", just part of it drawn back. Which is completely OK for a casual occasion, but not for meeting Emperor and Empress of Japan. I can imagine that she has preferences, but it has not that much to do with the required level of formality. She should not skip formality because it is not her preference :-)
DeleteThat is a very deep curtsy from Duchess of Edinburgh. I'm not complaining though. And her dress is lovely - the flowers pair very nicely with the blue of he dress. I wish we had more details on the Empress' outfit, I particularly would have loved to see the interesting design of the sleeves of that jacket. She looks lovely too.
ReplyDeleteT
Curtsy for the Emperor but no curtsy for the Empress!
DeleteAnon 6:43 Just because there is a picture of her curtsy to the Emperor and not the Empress does not mean she didn't curtsy to both of them. I watched the video Anon 8:15 linked and Edward bowed to both. The video has been edited and does not show Sophie curtsy at all, but we know she did. It is also widely reported that she did curtsy to both.
DeleteBeautiful outfit on Empress Masako. The long coat is the best part.
ReplyDeleteSophie's dress is nice too. I like that shade of blue. The fabric print with the boughs and white blossoms looks fittingly Japanese.
- Anon 9:13
I agree, a lovely choice by the Duchess. MR
DeleteKaiserin Masako sieht so erfreut und jung aus, die Jacke ist einzigartig schön. Herzogin Sophie trifft mit diesem Kleid ein mal mehr den Punkt. Kostbare Seide eine Farbe die nicht schöner für sie sein könnte. Das Muster harmonisch und alles weitere machen sie mit Ausstrahlung und sicher freundlichen Gesprächen. Alles wunderbar ; ) - Dorothe -
ReplyDeleteSophie’s dress is a beautiful color,and the design is thoughtful. But the length takes away from that. It looks like an evening gown. I don’t think Sophie travels with a hairdresser,hence the muddled have up half down. Disappointing when she’s on the world stage representing the King and the UK!
ReplyDeleteEmpress Masako on the other hand,looks so well put together in comparison. Beautiful tailored coat suit. Her hair nicely styled . She really is such an elegant and graceful lady. Sophie could do with taking a few notes!
Lowri.
I don’t see what you see Lowri … I think her hair is very neat and there’s no problem with such a beautiful, warm person representing our country abroad! I love that she doesn’t spend the extra money on travelling with a hairdresser, which is a bit of a crazy idea really … paying for someone to travel overseas to brush your hair? … he he just bring your own hairbrush! Sophie dresses with thoughtfulness, and above all, turns up with genuine interest in her hosts and causes. We are very proud! I love this stunning blue silk painted dress!
Delete@ Anonymous 06:26
DeleteA professional hairdresser does more than brushing someone's hair : fist washing it with shampoo, treating it with a good product that nourishes your hair, rinsing it out and then drying it by doing the brushing and finally comb it and rearranging the original cut and shape. Using a bit of good quality hairspray is sometimes necessary according the circumstances to keep the hair in place.
If you never go to a hairdresser and your hair is not looked after very well, a professional hairdresser cannot do miracles.
Empress Masako very elegant as always. Dss Sophies dress is nice but not stylish enough for this occasion.
ReplyDeletecss
Sophie’s dress is a good color for her, and floral pattern reminds me of cherry blossoms.
ReplyDelete-Royal Watcher
The Empress looks beautiful in this longer style jacket, love this look. Her under dress looks equally good, great length. Sophie looks wonderful in this color blue. I love the sleeves of this dress, the skirt has nice movement. The Duke looks great. They are both marvelous representatives of the Monarchy. I am very much a fan of the work they both do, mostly under the radar with little to no fanfare. Edward reminds me so much of his father here. Sophie very respectful of the Empress, a graceful deep curtsy. This will be great to monitor and see what the royal couple do and visit.
ReplyDelete皇后陛下のシャンパンカラーの真珠のイヤリングが素敵です。
ReplyDeleteソフィー妃のパフスリーブはギャザーを使わずに立体的に仕立てられていますね。
花の模様からも日本的な雰囲気を感じます。
この懇談には愛子さまも加わったそうですが、彼女はどんなドレスだったのでしょうね。
Sophie's dress is lovely--the fabric brings to mind Japanese patterns. The color is beautiful too. Empress Masako looks so very elegant--what a beautiful suit. I would love to see greater details of Masako's outfit. The first picture is so touching--Masako looks so happy and excited to receive the Edinburghs. I recall how for years she suffered so greatly that she rarely left Japan or met other royals. It is so marvelous to see her blossom and regain her self-worth or confidence--becoming an admirable Empress of Japan.
ReplyDeleteJanet
I agree. Masako has really blossomed. I, too, remember how much she struggled. None of us can know the pressure she felt marrying into this family. When you aren't born into it, it must feel like going to another planet in many ways. I will always admire and respect then-Crown Prince Naruhito for his love and support for his wife during that time, especially when the Imperial Household and some in the public were not understanding. By all signs, he is a true gentleman.
DeleteDuchess Sophie's dress is made of a beautiful fabric in a beautiful color and print. However as usual it is too long and the sleeves should be replaced by thighter ones. Her hair should be done by a hairstylist. Too casual for a meeting with the emperor and empress. I think her shoes must be rather old. Slingback shoes are fashion, but they have another shape than those she is wearing here. The front part of the shoe is too long.
ReplyDeleteBei Schuhen, Handtaschen, diversen Accessoires, Uhren und Schmuckstücken gibt es kein "zu alt". Zeugt es auch davon, das hier mit Kleidungsstücken sorgsam umgegangen wird. Manchmal verbindet man ja auch damit besondere Erinnerungen und vielleicht begleiten sie hier in diesem Falle, kleine Geheimnisse. Wenn Prinzessinnen die Kleiderschränke ihrer Großmütter oder Mütter durchstöbern, sich aus den Massen der Kleidungsstücke bedienen, gibt es Hurras und lobenswerte Kommentare. Im Falle der Prinzessin Sophie hier, trägt sie ja keine Westernstiefel also vielleicht wissen wir auch nicht, ob sie längstens dem Trend voraus ist und diese Schuhmodelle im Sommer 2026 der Hit werden. - Dorothe -
Delete@ Dorothe
DeleteLately a lot of shoe models have the same shape as in the 80s : big block heels, sling back shoes, kitten heels, mary janes, ballerinas, but there are always more than one detail which shows us that the shoes are not new. The same happens with garments too. One can see quickly the difference between the older ones and the new ones.
Of course princesses are looking in their mother's dressing rooms (cfr. CP Elisabeth and CP Amalia), but what they find is always something extraordinary that still can be worn today. Handbags, clutches, jewelry, hats, head bands, etc... Shoes are much more difficult as one does not always have the same shoesize as our mother. Queen Mathilde, when she was a young princess and just married to King Philippe, was wearing often the same sling backs as Duchess Sophie is wearing today, but I have never seen Princess Elisabeth or her sister Princess Eléonore wearing old shoes of their mother.
Elongated, pointed toe shoes are still very on trend. I don't know how old Sophie's shoes are and I don't know that they coordinate with her dress that well, but the silhouette is not bad.
Deleteこれは日本のテレビ局の動画です。
ReplyDelete秋の虫の音が聞こえるでしょうか。東京は昨日からやっと涼しくなりました。
https://news.ntv.co.jp/category/society/66a5794b180144e99b7742a68c4ea030
Très élégante cette robe chemise turquoise aux motifs blancs dans l'esprit japonais , la partie avant des chaussures ou empeigne me semble trop pointue par rapport au petit talon !
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