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At a wedding, it’s the bride that we should all be talking about. But that wasn’t the case at a certain royal wedding.
On the 29th of April 2011, Pippa Middleton caused quite the stir at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. She almost stole the show with that bridesmaid dress.
The slinky sheath style, the way it hugged her curves (*cough* bum), its likeness to an actual wedding dress. Yep, it was a real show-stopper.
Even now, we are STILL talking about it. And she was only the bridesmaid! At THE biggest royal wedding of the millenium (until Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding, that is). Now, that’s quite a dress.
Here’s everything you need to know about the famous bridesmaid dress, plus where you can get your hands on a look-alike version
Who designed Pippa Middleton’s bridesmaid dress?
Just like her sister (remember her, she was the bride!) Kate Middleton’s wedding dress, Pippa’s bridesmaid dress was designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.
What style of dress was it?
The ivory satin-based crepe bridesmaid dress featured a floor-length, figure-hugging silhouette, complete with the iconic cinched waist that Alexander McQueen is famous for. To match Kate’s bridal gown, it had 58 gazar and organza-covered buttons all the way down the back to the derriere.
A lace-trimmed cowl neck front and capped sleeves, along with the simple fabric gave the dress a classic elegance that balanced out that controversial custom-made fit that even Pippa admits was perhaps too close for comfort. At a dinner held by the Women in Advertising and Communications London group at the Savoy Hotel in 2014, Pippa said “in retrospect maybe it fitted a little too well”.
“As I have found out, recognition has its upside, its downside and — you may say — its backside.” Pippa Middleton
How much did it cost?
It certainly exceeded a traditional budget for a bridesmaid dress, which apparently is a staggering $926 on average in Australia (according to Wedded Wonderland’s 2019 survey). The exact cost of Pippa Middleton’s bridesmaid dress is unknown, but given an Alexander McQueen evening gown can cost anywhere from $5000 to $10,000 and beyond, we suspect it’s somewhere on the higher end of that scale. Considering the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress reportedly cost around AUD$600,000, we’d say Pippa got a lot of bang for her buck.
FUN FACT: Pippa Middleton wasn’t the first celebrity to wear this Alexander McQueen dress. Cameron Diaz wore a red version to the 2010 Golden Globes. And yes, it was every bit as tight on the Charlie’s Angel star!
Where can I buy a similar dress?
Got a big event coming up where you want to take centre stage? Or do you fancy a similar gown for your own wedding (it would make one hell of a wedding dress), then you’ll be happy to know there’s no shortage of look-alike Pippa Middleton bridesmaid dresses. And in even better news, you won’t have to fork out a cool $10k for them. Here are some similar styles, plus some near-perfect replicas:
Bariano Cowl Neck Dress with Mermaid Tail, $149.95
Shona Joy Bias Cowl Slip Dress in Porcelain, $280
Ghost Hollywood Sylvia Dress in Ivory, $432.50
Casablanca Bridal Gown 2070, approx. $1200
Safiyaa Crepe Gown, $2154.91
Pippa’s other most-talked-about dress
This isn’t the only time Pippa’s outfit has been a hot topic following a royal wedding. Pippa Middleton’s royal wedding dress of choice for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s nuptials on the 19th of May 2018, which she attended with husband James Matthews, earned her another moment in the spotlight. Perhaps for less ideal reasons. Social media were quick to compare the expectant mum’s floral mint The Fold Hepburn Dress to a can of AriZona Green Tea. And let’s be honest, they weren’t wrong.
Hey, you win some and you lose some, right Pippa?!
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