Pippa Middleton has revealed her top fashion tip for any Royal Ascot race-goers. "It is a busy day trying to fit in horse racing, betting, picnics and afternoon tea – oh, and avoiding sinking your heels into the grass," she says in a new column for Vanity Fair. "I recommend wedged shoes – there's often a lot of walking."
The advice comes after her sister the Duchess of Cambridge, née Kate Middleton, donned wedged heels to tread on the sand of Sydney's Manly beach during her royal tour Down Under.
Pippa recently opened up about the Alexander McQueen bridesmaid dress she wore to Kate's wedding to Prince William in 2011. The slinky gown instantly catapulted her to international fame, with much of the focus on her derriere. "As I have found out, recognition has its upside, its downside and – you may say – its backside," she joked during her first ever public speech, which she gave at a dinner held by Women in Advertising and Communications London group. She said of her bridesmaid dress that she was just "glad it fitted" at the time, but added: "In retrospect, it fitted a little too well!"
The brunette beauty also revealed that she was so nervous before her sister's wedding that she didn't sleep for two days. Around 400 people attended the dinner, which was held at London's Savoy Hotel. Many were surprised by Pippa's candor, particularly when she admitted feeling hurt by accusations she was cashing in on her royal connections by writing a book and magazine columns.
She also said that the negative response to her party planning book
Celebrate— which only sold 18,000 copies — had been "difficult". "It was the first time she's made a speech of this kind, but you wouldn't have known it, she was so relaxed," one guest told the
Mirror. "It was unbelievable how open she was — I don't think anyone was expecting that. "She talked about the royal wedding and her career since. She came across as really grateful for the opportunities but also talked about the pitfalls of her position."
