Royal Fashion Awards: Máxima's 40th Birthday Concert

A gala concert was held yesterday in the Netherlands to celebrate Princess Máxima's 40th birthday. Though I personally feel that the most appropriate form of tribute to the greatest royal magpie on the block would have been a tiara 'do, the Dutch obviously disagreed with me. I'll work on getting over this tremendous letdown while you judge some fashion:

Best of the Sisters

Princess Irene

Left to Right: Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, Princess Irene of the Netherlands, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Princess Christina of the Netherlands

Which sister do you think happened on the top + skirt combo first and spread the word? Bea, I bet. They all have the same pros and cons for me, but I'll say Irene is my favorite here. I like a skirt with a kicky little print. (Rather than a kicky big print like Christina. Or maybe it's not that big, it's just orange.)

Best of the Psuedo Pregnancies

Princess Nikolaos

L to R: Princess Aimée of Orange-Nassau, Princess Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark, Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau

Whether you are or you are not pregnant, I think your dress goal is the same: to look as un-pregnant as possible. Unless you're one of these three ladies. Mabel isn't working the empire waist look, but that print is so dizzying she might as well be hiding quadruplets under there. That said: on a Mabel scale, this is pretty good. On the other hand, I find Tatiana's sheath a little underwhelming on a Tatiana scale, but compared to Aimée, it's a clear best. What is happening with Aimée's dress? Basket on top, nighty on bottom, and matching heels? In Army green and/or brown? No.

Best of the Questionable

Crown Princess Mary

L to R: Princess Anita of Orange-Nassau, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Princess Annette of Orange-Nassau, Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands

Looks like I was right: Isabella's tutu did inspire folks to get out their ballerina best and prance around! Well, Mary, at least. I don't understand the length happening here, but it's just pretty, so I like it anyways. Likewise, I like Anita's red dress, but I don't understand the bolero happening on there. I want to like Annette's, but I can't tell what's design and what's undergarment failure happening here. Same thing goes for Laurentien and her general chest-al area.

Best of the Worst

Crown Princess Pavlos

L to R: Princess Marilène of Orange-Nassau, Crown Princess Pavlos of Greece, Princess Annemarie of Bourbon-Parma

Look at this ravishing display of home decorating fabrics! We have Marilène in a lovely upholstered crushed velvet with a drapery top, Annemarie in the best that today's fancy occasion tablecloths have to offer, and Marie-Chantal in a deconstructed duvet cover topped by a shirt straight out of my granny's closet. Oh, M-C.

Best of the Best

Princess Mathilde

L to R: Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, Princess Rosario of Bulgaria, Princess Mathilde of Belgium, Princess Carolina of Bourbon-Parma, Princess Märtha Louise of Norway

Birthday girl time! Though I was initially underwhelmed by the color, the more it moved, the more I fell in love. It's dramatic, and that's exactly what our girl needs. Bonus points for sticking as many jewels on as she could manage, even though that brooch is a little awkward. Sadly, it wasn't enough to win my best for the night. Rosario (in her regular couture chic), Carolina (in a divine color and fit), and Märtha Louise (in something totally her, yet also normal, for a change) were also in the running, but didn't win the race. That prize goes to Mathilde. When I saw her in this goddess white gown, I said - out loud, to myself, like a crazy person - "Whoa, Mathilde!" And I don't think I've ever said that about a Mathilde outfit. Clearly grounds for the biggest prize of the night.

Who wins your best- and worst-dressed awards for the night?

Photos: PPE/Nieboer/v.d.Werf/Isopix/Action Press/volksrant.nl