royally crushed

Charlotte Casiraghi has been on my list of girl crushes I need to write about for a while now. 25-year-old Charlotte is Princess Grace's granddaughter and a Monaco royal. She's insanely beautiful and her fashion icon status is solidified now that she is the new face of Gucci.

This shoot wasn't Gucci's first collaboration with the royal. They also made a customized riding uniform for her. The gorgeous ads pay homage to Charlotte's background as an equestrian. The brand's classic red and green stripe is seamlessly incorporated into the images, from the polished blazer to the painfully cool, but effortlessly chic headscarf, even the horse's blanket. Of course, Charlotte's striking beauty doesn't hurt either. She somehow looks exotic but very classic at the same time. Though her dark, glamorous features are more European than her grandmother's blonde, preppy look, she exudes the same old-Hollywood, American elegance as Princess Grace.

peace at the palace

Look at Kate Middleton! Throwing us a curveball. I'm liking it! Despite my love-hate relationship with Pippa, I usually find her the more adventurous of the sisters. However, I really admire Kate's high level of taste and, as I mentioned, enviable tailoring. So imagine my delight when I saw that Kate wore a dress that combined those things with a look that is actually age appropriate for a 20-something.

She wore this amazing green Mulberry dress to a media reception at Buckingham palace and it's my favorite thing I've seen her wear in a while. First of all, it's trendy without being tacky. It's a jewel-tone, pleated, midi, shirt dress, with a peter pan collar, all which make it totally runway ready. On top of that, it's jacquard, which is awesome. The icing on the cake is the understated peace sign pattern. If William and Kate are supposed to represent the modernization of the monarchy, this is absolutely the way the Duchess should be dressing. Bravo, Ms. Middleton!

pippa's new coat

I'm not sure where I stand on the whole Pippa Middleton thing. Yes, she looked amazing at the royal wedding, and I became obsessed like everyone else. However, as I've followed her style, sometimes I'm blown away, and other times I kind of find her look boring and uninspired. For example, I hate her taste in heels. She's got a mean collection of flats, but I've never seen her in a pair of pumps or wedges that I've liked. And I mean, sometimes, I feel like she should use Kate's royal seamstress (which you know she has, because Kate's so tiny and her clothes always fit impeccably) to hike up a hem or take in a waist.

The one thing I can't deny is Pippa's collection of coats and jackets. Maybe it's because London is cold the majority of the year, but she really nails outerwear. This coat just may be my favorite coat that I've seen Pippa wear. It will undoubtedly pop up all over the web within the next few hours and then be in high demand wherever it's retailing. There's a good chance it's Pippa's beloved Zara, although I couldn't find it on their website.

To top off the chic army green toggle coat, she has an adorable bag, which I've also never seen before. Kudos to Pippa for switching it up! I'm stumped at the leggings though. Maybe if the jacket was a few inches longer. And I still don't like the mid-length stacked heel booties.