It was a dress that divided the nation - a fairytale confection or a creased up parachute? Now Kate Middleton is being urged not to make the same dress mistake as Diana when she weds her prince next month.
Freesat has teamed up with the designers behind the HD showstoppers for Strictly Come Dancing to advise Kate how to avoid an HD howler. And they have issued new photographs to show just how creased/crumpled Diana’s dress would have looked in HD quality TV.
This time round millions of people will be watching Kate’s big entrance in high definition TV, meaning every detail of the dress will be up to five times clearer.
And according to TV experts that means Kate will have a host of dos and don’ts when it comes to wearing a dress that delights not disappoints.
According to top dress designers Chrisanne, the message is simple Kate - you can go as elaborate as you like as long as you avoid a fabric which creases easily and stick with ivory or white.
Designer Jo Irvine, who heads up a team at Strictly Come Dancing designers at the firm said:
"Every detail of Kate’s wedding dress will be shown in absolute clarity in HD. This is something she must bear in mind when choosing the style, cut, fabric and embellishment of her dress.
"When you recall Diana’s gown, one of the first things is that the skirt appeared to crease very easily - a downfall of the silk taffeta fabric. This is definitely a fabric that Kate should try and avoid - something like duchess satin which is a slightly heavier weight fabric would work better.
"One way to guarantee wedding dress success is for Kate to choose some elegant detailing, as this will be magnified for everyone to see on screen.
"The HD will highlight the delicate embellishment of fine intricate lace work, light ruching, or the luminous effect of crystals.
"We would recommend that Kate goes for a sleek, modern style dress with delicate detailing that will be picked up on camera."
The Top Tips from Chrisanne’s Head Designer Jo Irvine are:
Dear Kate DO
o Play it safe and wear a high neckline and long sleeves to cover the arms using delicate lace as Princess Grace Kelly did. Crystals will accent the pattern of the lace fabric for the extra wow factor in HD!
o Use Duchesse Satin for the skirt as it has a fantastic shine to the fabric and will show up well on HD TV to dramatic effect.
o Create a (2-4m long) bridal train using tulle fabric with lace embroidery as used in Princess Diana’s dress but instead crystallized with a new type crystals which have a greater number of facets so will sparkle a thousand times in HD.
o Create a feature under the bust using light catching crystal droppers for that ethereal chandelier effect. The feature will create an empire line effect that balances out a full skirt and creates a longer silhouette. The crystal droppers will create sparkle & movement on the screen in HD TV.
o Do heavily embellish the skirt with ivory ostrich feathers - in HD TV each individual feather will be caught on camera creating soft movement as Kate walks up the aisle of Westminster Abbey.
Dear Kate DON’T
o Wear a fabric that creases such as the silk taffeta used in Diana’s wedding dress. HD TV will emphasize any flaw in the fabric.
o Don’t pick a wedding dress colour that is at risk of looking yellow under the unforgiving eye of the HD lens. It’s safer to go with a crisp white colour or ivory fabric.
o Avoid the 'meringue' effect at all cost. A certain amount of tulle can be used cleverly to create a soft fairy tale skirt. This delicate fabric will work very well in HD.
o Don’t make your train ridiculously long. Long trains carry the risk of becoming incredibly crumpled in the carriage ride, leading to lots of creases in the fabric which Kate will want to avoid as she makes her grand entrance into the Abbey.
o Don’t wear anything even remotely transparent e.g. organza in revealing areas, as HD will reveal a multitude of sins to your adoring public.
Viewers will be able to watch the big day’s events unfold in all their glorious detail on the BBC HD channel and ITV1 HD, both available for free on the Freesat service.
Tagged in Princess Diana Kate Middleton