What Did You Think Of The Royal Dress

Royal bride Kate Middleton is getting a big thumbs up from fashionistas on her classic yet modern wedding dress.  Middleton arrived at Westminster Abbey in a gown designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen.  Middleton says she wanted her dress to combine tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterizes McQueen's work.  The ivory and white satin gazar gown includes long lace sleeves and a corset-style satin bodice with a cinched waist and padded hips in a nod to Victorian style.  The dress included white lace applique for the skirt using an Irish lacemaking technique that dates from the 1820s.  Individual flowers hand-cut from lace onto ivory silk tulle cover the dress.  The back of the gown is adorned with 58 buttons, all individually covered in organza and gazar.  The dress also included a nine-foot train.

In accessories, Middleton wore the halo tiara created for the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother by Cartier.  She also carried a bouquet of sweet William, lily of the valley, hyacinth and myrtle.

Designer Sarah Burton served as an assistant to McQueen for more than ten years before his suicide in 2010.  She has previously designed dresses for First Lady Michelle Obama, singer Lady Gaga and supermodel Naomi Campbell.