Fish scales? A 'naked' dress? Princess Charlene is a style icon, but some say these past looks don't pass the muster.
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00:00 Fish scales?
00:01 A naked dress?
00:03 Princess Charlene is a style icon, but some say these past looks don't pass the muster.
00:07 While Princess Charlene looks stunning in this beaded green gown, she's named this outfit
00:12 as one of her early fashion crimes.
00:14 Speaking with Vogue in 2011, just a few months before her royal wedding, the future princess
00:18 was open about how dressing for her first Red Cross gala was a stressful and ultimately
00:22 unsuccessful experience.
00:24 She told the publication,
00:25 "I was literally a fish out of water.
00:27 I thought it was all fun, fun, fun and didn't give my outfit any thought.
00:30 I'd been playing beach volleyball all day, painted my nails red, and threw on a green
00:34 dress.
00:35 I thought I looked great at the time, but looking back, I realized that my debut into
00:38 Monaco society should have been better executed."
00:41 Considering the fact that Monaco's Red Cross gala is one of the largest charity galas in
00:45 the world, it's no surprise that the dignitaries and nobles that surrounded Charlene that night
00:49 would have expected a bit more effort from their future leader.
00:52 At 2,999 pounds a head, the guest list is usually the who's who of European society.
00:57 With this said, Charlene's strappy emerald gown definitely flattered the former Olympian's
01:01 physique, but the skin-bearing dress was perhaps better suited to a glam Hollywood premiere
01:06 than a time-honored charity event.
01:08 What's in a curtsy?
01:09 Traditionally, a curtsy is reserved for women and girls when they are greeting someone of
01:13 higher social rank than themselves.
01:14 However, while the action itself is quite simple, remembering who you're supposed to
01:18 actually curtsy to can be quite the headache.
01:21 Just take it from Princess Charlene.
01:22 In the biography, Charlene in Search of a Princess, South African writer Arlene Prinsloo
01:27 quoted her as saying,
01:28 "I address royals incorrectly, or often curtsy to those I shouldn't be curtsying to, or I
01:32 forget to curtsy."
01:33 Even worse, Princess Charlene's outfits are often inappropriate for curtsying.
01:37 Choosing high-end gowns from only the best designers and with only the most flattering
01:41 silhouettes sounds hard enough, but imagine having to do squats in them, in front of the
01:45 world.
01:47 From modernizing your wedding vows to switching into some funky shoes for the dance floor,
01:50 brides have been implementing more non-traditional wedding ideas in recent years.
01:55 Princess Charlene sure made a splash when she donned her non-traditional suit jacket
01:58 and jumpsuit for her civil ceremony to Prince Albert II on July 1, 2011.
02:04 "Oi."
02:05 While the blonde beauty did eventually change into a stunning Armani gown for the couple's
02:09 Roman Catholic ceremony the next day, the blazer and pants combo certainly turned heads
02:13 when the newlyweds waved their well-wishers from the palace balcony.
02:16 What's more, the jumpsuit and blazer were different shades of pale blue, not white,
02:20 which only made the ensemble all the more unconventional.
02:23 Having previously had the privilege of having former movie star Grace Kelly as their princess,
02:27 one can imagine that the people of Monaco were not prepared for such an edgy look.
02:31 But hey, Charlene's no stranger to breaking royal protocol.
02:35 If you're a prospective princess and you think the media storm might die down after your
02:38 blockbuster royal wedding, think again.
02:41 Just ask Meghan Markle, who left the royal family altogether following incessant tabloid
02:45 harassment, among other issues.
02:47 "It's, um, hard.
02:48 You know, I don't think anybody can understand that."
02:52 While Princess Charlene wasn't tormented quite as badly as Prince Harry's bride, there was
02:56 a large amount of pressure put on her shoulders following her 2011 wedding.
02:59 For starters, there was the expectation that the principality's new princess would make
03:03 a name for herself in the fashion world.
03:05 However, the gown Princess Charlene wore to Princess Madeline of Sweden's wedding in 2013
03:10 left many royal watchers wanting.
03:11 As Madelena Mastroffano, an expert in European monarchy, told Express,
03:15 the brown dress and lack of jewels was a, quote, "bad PR move" and was not considered
03:20 appropriate by the people of Monaco.
03:22 She said,
03:23 "It was supposed to be tiaras and orders.
03:24 She arrived with a brown dress and that was it."
03:27 With Prince Albert a no-show, this was Princess Charlene's first solo engagement since her
03:30 marriage, and it was felt by the chic folk of Monaco that their lone representative should
03:35 have made a bigger fashion statement than this ruffled number.
03:37 While the sheer bolero jacket and peplum skirt piece were interesting pieces, the fit wasn't
03:42 as perfect as one would hope.
03:44 What's more, the dark brown color of the gown made her fade into the background of the crowds.
03:48 When Princess Charlene married Prince Albert, she wasn't just marrying a man.
03:52 She was also marrying a legacy.
03:54 For better or worse, a crucial part of that legacy is the timeless style and elegance
03:58 of Prince Albert's mother, Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco.
04:02 While the royal family operated under the radar for many decades, they were thrust into
04:06 the international spotlight when the American screen star retired from movies to marry Monaco's
04:11 Prince Rainier III.
04:12 Long before she even met Prince Rainier, Grace Kelly had already carved out a reputation
04:16 as being one of director Alfred Hitchcock's uber-polished icy blondes.
04:20 "Well, I haven't noticed a big demand for tickets."
04:23 "Ah, that's because I bought out the house."
04:26 With her classically feminine silhouettes and austere fashion taste, Grace Kelly was
04:31 a style icon.
04:32 While Princess Charlene resembles her late mother-in-law in her blondness and beauty,
04:36 it seems the new monogasque matriarch is lacking in the fashion department.
04:40 The gap between Kelly and Princess Charlene was on full display in 2010, when Prince Albert
04:44 and his then-fiancé attended a private viewing of an exhibition at London's Victoria and
04:48 Albert Museum titled "Grace Kelly Style Icon," cataloging Kelly's place as a paragon of 1950s
04:54 beauty.
04:55 However, disappointingly, Princess Charlene opted to wear a basic knee-length black dress
04:59 for this occasion.
05:00 While this would be a cute number for a cozy date night, it did not meet the mark for an
05:04 event celebrating Monaco's legendarily chic royal.
05:07 Red Cross Gala?
05:08 More like Lilac Skirt Gala.
05:11 Princess Charlene swung wide when she opted for this structural ombre gown that bled from
05:15 pale pink to a shocking iris color.
05:17 However, as beautiful as this floor-sweeping frock may be, there was one element of the
05:21 dress that put it just over the line of inappropriate.
05:24 See that keyhole neckline?
05:26 While this gap on the bodice surely kept Charlene cool in the monogasque heat, it also ensured
05:30 that all eyes were on her chest.
05:32 If we were to see this feature on our red carpet favorites like Rihanna or Margot Robbie,
05:37 it might be met with rounds of applause and fire emojis galore on social media.
05:41 However, from politicians to famous businessmen, the crowd in attendance of Monaco's largest
05:45 charity gala was a decidedly different, more conventional audience.
05:50 Considering the overall conservative nature of the gala, this cleavage-bearing gown was
05:53 just a little too sexy.
05:56 Becoming a royal means that your planner is almost always filled with events like ribbon
05:59 cuttings, state banquets, and garden parties.
06:02 "My wife and I are delighted to welcome you to Buckingham Palace this evening."
06:07 That is, unless you're Charlene, Princess of Monaco, the rebel royal made headlines
06:11 when she appeared at a fashion show for Milan Fashion Week in 2017.
06:15 For someone whose job it is to be a public servant, rocking out at such an avant-garde
06:19 event was an unexpected move.
06:21 However, if there's one thing Princess Charlene has proved good at, it's keeping the tabloids
06:25 on their toes.
06:26 With her blonde hair sheared into a short bob, Princess Charlene's spiky look announced
06:30 to the crowd and the cameras alike that she was altogether a new kind of princess.
06:34 No garden parties and floral dresses for her, her look consisted of a silver mini-dress
06:39 with skin-bearing cutouts along the bodice, strappy silver heels, and an oversized leather
06:43 jacket to complete the look.
06:45 While her mirrorball-inspired ensemble was the perfect choice for sitting front row at
06:49 a fashion show, it was a bit out of bounds for a member of European royalty.
06:53 With people around the world beginning to question the relevance of monarchy in our
06:56 modern world, refraining from glitz and glamour could be read as a smart way for members of
07:01 royalty to ingratiate themselves back into the public's good graces.
07:04 With this political noise in the background, Princess Charlene's seductive gown is less
07:08 of a style slay and more of a PR misstep.
07:11 What colors and patterns do you most associate with Christmas?
07:14 If you live in the western part of the world, you might think of red and white with candy
07:18 cane stripes.
07:19 "Merry Christmas!"
07:20 However, for Princess Charlene, it seems that neutral tones and muted, outdoorsy patterns
07:26 are more her speed.
07:27 While Charlene hasn't spoken publicly about this style choice, the outfit she wore to
07:31 the Monogask Palace's annual Christmas party in December of 2020 was a bold enough statement
07:36 in itself.
07:37 The princess arrived at the event wearing a long black turtleneck under a bronze-colored
07:40 caftan with leaf and butterfly designs.
07:43 She paired it with a sparkly gold face mask and, most surprising of all, a bold asymmetrical
07:48 haircut.
07:49 At the event, the princess shaved half of her head.
07:51 Experts told the Daily Mail that it seemed to be a deliberate attempt to rebel against
07:55 royal expectations.
07:56 While the look was very on-brand for Charlene, considering her past tomboy and punk rock-inspired
08:01 looks, it felt a bit out of place with the otherwise jubilant and colorful vibe of the
08:05 toy drive she was attending.
08:06 In press photos released after the event, Princess Charlene's outfit is clearly in disharmony
08:11 with the bright pinks, blues, and greens that make up the toy boxes on the shelves behind
08:15 her.
08:16 Prince Albert and Princess Charlene are a strange pairing at the best of times.
08:19 From the moment photos from their 2011 wedding were released showing Charlene wiping what
08:24 looked like unhappy tears at the altar, rumors of friction and separation have plagued the
08:28 royal couple.
08:29 Over the years, Prince Albert's complicated relationships with his love children and awkward
08:33 public moments with Princess Charlene have only added fuel to the tabloid fire.
08:37 One such awkward outing occurred when Princess Charlene attended the 2018 Red Cross Gala
08:42 in a gown completely uncoordinated with her husband's traditional ensemble.
08:46 While Prince Albert wore a white tuxedo suit paired with black trousers and a crimson bowtie,
08:51 his wife, who is 20 years his junior, wore an eye-catching metallic gown with a low-cut
08:55 neckline that looked as if it was made out of medieval chain mail, or maybe fish scales.
08:59 "I think the party starts now."
09:01 The dress smacks of something you might see on an experimental runway at New York Fashion
09:05 Week rather than in the entryway of Monaco's Red Cross Gala.
09:08 While it's undeniable that Princess Charlene looks stunning in the glittering gown, her
09:12 aesthetic was out of sync with her husband's, whose classic suit looked as if it could have
09:16 been taken right out of the 1940s.
09:18 With links of metal chains lining the v-neck cut of Charlene's gown, it's clear that this
09:23 hard rock number was not the best choice for the occasion.
09:26 The Roman Catholic Church is an old institution, with such a grandiose and storied history,
09:31 it's no surprise that those who travel to Vatican City to meet the pope must adhere
09:35 to a strict dress code.
09:36 And yes, that even means royals.
09:38 However, if you are a Catholic royal, you are able to wear white in your meet-and-greet
09:42 with the pope.
09:43 Princess Charlene happens to be one of the select few women on the planet who are allowed
09:46 to wear white when visiting the pope, and so when Charlene met Pope Francis in 2016,
09:51 she proudly donned an ivory dress with a cream-colored coat and a veil.
09:55 However, her knees were also peeking out from her dress, a big no-no when it comes to greeting
09:59 the head of the church.
10:00 Do you remember the naked dress trend?
10:03 This was a phenomenon that started around the early 2010s that saw everyone from Beyoncé
10:07 to Zoe Kravitz to Megan Fox walking the red carpet donning super sheer gowns that left
10:11 little to the imagination.
10:13 The trend has become so popular that some argue it has started to lose its shock factor.
10:17 However, when Princess Charlene donned what could be considered a nude illusion dress
10:21 at the 2013 Love Ball, she stood out from the other female attendees.
10:25 The event was held in honor of the Naked Heart Foundation.
10:28 While it's possible that the princess chose this gown in honor of the foundation's name,
10:32 the sultriness of her look eclipsed any sort of charitable celebration intended, with a
10:36 strapless bodice in a pale blush color and a sheer overlay skirt that fanned out at the
10:40 knees, there's no denying that this look matches the barely-there aesthetic of past nude illusion
10:45 dresses.
10:46 Depending on who you ask, it may be a bit too suggestive for a royal.
10:49 (music)
10:53 you