Welcome to the Battle of the Dresses, a companion to our Battle of the Tiaras series. We at the Handbag are wary of comparing women against each other, but have no compunction at all about comparing them to themselves, particularly the best versions of themselves. When royals repeat their dresses, we enjoy debating which outing is more pleasing to the eyes.
The Facts
We are starting with Crown Princess Mary, who not only repeats a lot of her clothes, but often substantially reworks them as well. Today we are looking at this gorgeous silver/grey evening gown by Heartmade, first worn in 2008 and repeated in 2010, 2012, and 2013 in its original form. This is the 2013 outing, worn during the New Year’s levees.
In 2017, Mary stepped out at the New Year’s levee in a significantly remade version. The short, structured jacket is gone, replaced by a softly draping bodice.
The Opinions
The Handbag: I far prefer the original version. Structured and cohesive, it’s a great foil for all her orders and sashes. I love the accessory details, like how you can thread the sash under the jacket. Stylistically, it’s just pure Princess Mary. It’s a great winter gown for a winter gala.
LG: I like them both, while the original had a chic 60s vibe, the remake is a more romantic version of it. I approve of Mary Mary-ing this gown.
LiL: This is hard because I like the gown both ways. But if I have to choose a fave version it’s the original. It has such a classic vibe to it. Perfection. The waistband area on the remake however, comes up just a scooch too high for me to love it unreservedly. I do hope she breaks it out again soon though. She looks gorgeous either way.
OC: Suds and I are of the same thoughts on this piece. I don’t mind that she re-did the gown, but I really, really prefer the original version because of the structure. It really is a fantastic shade of gray.
The battle is thus waged. What do you think?