Rose Hanbury Outfits That Just Didn't Work
Even before becoming the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, Rose Hanbury's modeling career placed her firmly in the public eye. As a result, we've seen a ton of her style wins over the years. However, just like the best of us, she's had some not-so-great style moments, too.
First thing's first, a disclaimer: While Hanbury made a number of public appearances in the mid-aughts, we won't be delving into those looks. Reason being, it's simply not fair to judge the outfits according to today's standards. We're also on the cusp of a revival of that particular era's style, and we don't want to give questionable lewks a pass simply because they may be almost-retro.
Max Mumby/indigo/Getty
With that out of the way, we'll start off with a more recent look that could have been great, but simply fell short. We're talking about Hanbury's coat dress that she wore to the thanksgiving service for Prince Phillip, which took place a year after Philip's emotional funeral. Though the dress itself was beautiful, the fabric of the garment looked a little thin, with no rigidity to give it some polish. As a result, what could have looked incredible felt a touch underwhelming on camera. That said, it was a somber affair, and Hanbury likely wasn't anticipating her choice in mourning attire fabric to be zoomed in on, so we'll give this one some grace.
A dinner and dance outfit let Rose Hanbury down
Keeping with the theme of fabrics that let Rose Hanbury down, in 2011, she attended the Leon Max Winter Dinner and Dance at Claridges Hotel in London. As with the outfit she wore to the thanksgiving service held in Prince Philip's honor, Hanbury's dress for the event had a ton of potential. Unfortunately, there were some details in the garment that it took it from possibly fab to ultimately drab.
The color of the nude underdress immediately sticks out. There's a chance that in person, the disparity between the color and Hanbury's skin tone was less noticeable. On camera, it's fairly hard to miss, and what could have made for an elevated forerunner to the naked dress ended up feeling a little sloppy.
The underdress's crimes didn't stop there. The fabric was also crinkled around the hip and towards the feet, and because of the super sheer overdress, that mishap ended up sticking out like a sore thumb. In addition, the lighter fabric of the overdress also clung to the creases in a very obvious way, making that look pretty messy, too. Hanbury certainly gets snaps for what could have been a moment — but if ever there was a sign that the right materials make all the difference, this would be it.
Rose Hanbury learned that a rogue pussycat bow is not your friend
In 2019, Rose Hanbury was invited to the after party for the re-opening of Louis Vuitton's Bond Street store. For the occasion, she donned a black and blue striped pussybow dress. While we're not sure if the outfit was a Louis Vuitton piece, a quip from Countess Luann de Lesseps (via Bravo) comes to mind if it was: "Even Louis Vuitton makes mistakes."
In fairness, in some images from the event, Hanbury's dress didn't look quite so disheveled. In fact, from some angles, it seemed like it could have been a pretty stellar choice. However, everything seemed to fall apart in standalone pics taken during the step and repeat. For some reason, the pussycat bow is untied. And, with both parts of the bow spread out next to one another, it ends up looking like a longer-length baby bib. Adding insult to injury, the waist seems as though it's pulling down on one side.
Another thing that makes the dress fall flat? We're not entirely sure what's going on around the lower half. There's a possibility it was intended to give off a tulip silhouette. Instead, it feels more like, well, an upside-down, partially deflated balloon.
A Rose Hanbury church outfit was giving mob wife
A few months after Rose Hanbury attended the Louis Vuitton after party, she was snapped at a church service that was also attended by Hanbury's rumored foe and former best friend, Kate Middleton. To that point, in panned-out shots published by Daily Mail, Hanbury's body language looked tense as she stood near Kate's parents. Although it's possible that was because Hanbury was uncomfortable being photographed by the paparazzi.
Tension aside, for the most awk-spicious occasion, Hanbury donned a black coat (which looks to be the same one she wore a few months later for Prince Phillip's thanksgiving service), complete with a fur hat, scarf, drop earrings, tights, and black stilettos. While we didn't love the coat for the thanksgiving service, we have to say each item in this particular lewk is decidedly sleek and chic. So, what went wrong? It's simply a bit much, all at once.
Had Hanbury opted for a lighter tights and shoes combo, or gone for a lighter scarf, the overall effect might not have looked quite as dark and weighed down. The look certainly gives off mob wife vibes, so perhaps for this one, we'll say she was ahead of her time on the TikTok trend.
A sparkly number made Rose Hanbury look frumpy
In June 2022, Rose Hanbury was on the guest list for The National Gallery's party, The Alchemist's Feast. For the occasion, she opted for a bronze number, and there's a possibility that a truly horrid camera angle is what really did the model who transformed into the Marchioness of Cholmondeley wrong. Although the way this look is styled is what makes it come across as frumpy.
Here's the thing: with the right shoes, there's a possibility this outfit might have worked. In fact, we're of the mind that had she chosen an open-toed shoe, or even a nude pump rather than a black one, the overall vibe would have leaned more on the ethereal fairy princess side of the spectrum. The shoe choice feels like a random decision made on the way out, and one that didn't add much to the look in the way of cohesiveness.
Granted, it does seem as though the underdress may be black, so there's a chance Hanbury was hoping to tap into that. Again, that could have worked. If that was the case, swapping out the dress's belt with a black one, or foregoing the dainty jewelry in favor of something more edgy would been a better choice.
Rose Hanbury's coronation dress was a little messy
Finally, we have to talk about Rose Hanbury's outfit for King Charles' coronation, which we certainly wouldn't classify her as one of the worst-dressed guests at Charles' coronation. In fact, there is a sweetness to the outfit, and she gets credit for staying consistent with the bows on her shoes, dress, and fascinator. It's the other details that make this look slightly messy.
Despite being a simple black and white color scheme, there is a lot going on. The bow of the shirt, along with the sash of the skirt make it look as though she's coming undone. Had she kept the bow but opted for a skirt without a sash, the overall look might not have come across quite so precarious.
Of course, there's a chance Hanbury was going for something whimsical, with a touch of edginess. In which case, she's definitely nailed the look — though we still think the skirt's sash was a bit too much. Is it her worst look? Not by a long shot, and if anything, it drives the point home that Hanbury loves a dainty look.