Kate chooses red and white Alexander McQueen dress for visit to Vancouver, Canada

On day two of the 2016 Canada Tour, William and Kate travelled by float plane from Victoria to Vancouver’s Coal Harbour.

For people living outside of Canada, float planes are aircraft equipped to land on water (they’re sometimes called seaplanes).  They’re the quickest way to travel between Victoria and Vancouver, and they are important for connecting communities.  The Palace says they’re “one of the real symbols of this part of the world”.

Upon their arrival, the couple were greeted on the dock by the Premier of British Columbia, Christy Clark.

They were also greeted by First Nations representatives.

The first engagement of the day took place at Jack Poole Plaza, near the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre.

The plaza is named after the late Jack Poole, a key player behind the success of the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Paralympics, which were both held in Vancouver.

LonelyPlanet.com describes the plaza as a “handsome waterfront public space” it has great views of the mountain-backed Burrard Inlet and is the permanent home of the tripod-like Olympic Cauldron.  (The flame can be lit for special occasions, costing $5000 CAD).

Thousands of well-wishers gathered waiting to catch a glimpse of the royals.

Next, William and Kate travelled to the Downtown East Side of Vancouver. They met with representatives from the charity Sheway, which helps vulnerable mothers who are battling addiction.

William and Kate met with staff from the charity and mothers who use the service.  There were several cute babies in attendance too.

Before the charity’s inception in the 90s, mothers living in the area with substance use issues had their babies removed at birth. The babies were often premature and underweight.  With thanks to the charity’s help, today, 88% of babies are born full term and are of average birth weight.

A statement from the Palace highlights that Kate is keen to explore the link between addiction and family breakdown in her charitable work.

The couple heard from mothers about their experiences of overcoming addiction and listened to a number of courageous stories.

Speaking to a group of mothers, Kate said:

“What you’ve all been through and what you’re carrying as mothers is a huge, huge burden and just being able to come here and share your stories with us and each other is amazing … You’re giving your children an amazing chance by coming here and being able to talk about your stories.”

Next, the royal couple met up with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie.

The foursome visited the Immigration Services Society of British Columbia to speak with staff and volunteers.

The organisation supports over 25,000 migrants to Canada each year. A number of those migrants are fleeing war-torn Syria.

William and Kate spoke with people supported by the charity to learn how the service has helped them to settle in Canada.

During the visit, William and Kate ‘officially opened’ the Edith Lando playground at ISSofBC by unveiling a plaque:

After visiting ISSofBC, the VIP party made their way to Central Vancouver for a youth reception.

The reception took place in the Foyer of the Telus Garden Building in Downtown Vancouver.

William and Kate met with young leaders in Canadian arts, music, charity, sport, business and film.

The last engagement of the day took place at Kitsilano Coast Guard Station in Vanier Park.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prime Minister Trudeau and Mrs Trudeau spoke with first responders to learn about the round the clock operation to support people who come into trouble on the water that surrounds this coastal city.

They also met with other first responders who protect the safety and physical and mental health of people in the region, including police and fire services and social workers.

According to the Mirror, emergency service workers hailed former search and rescue pilot Prince William as “one of the guys”.

Finally, the Duke and Duchess departed the area by the Coast Guard’s hovercraft before flying back to Victoria for the evening.

Kate’s outfit:

Kate chose a white and red ensemble for today’s visit to Vancouver, likely inspired by the host country’s flag. 🇨🇦  The red and white dress is a custom piece designed by Alexander McQueen.

The dress is adapted from a piece in Alexander McQueen’s forthcoming Resort 2017 collection.

As you can see, Kate’s dress differed in a number of ways:

Namely, Kate’s version features slim fit sleeves with white cuffs and a longer skirt. However, the two dresses do have a number of similarities too: tiered layers, the button detailing and a mandarin style collar.

Here’s a look at the back of Kate’s dress too:

Here’s a little bit of information about the dress from the Telegraph Fashion –

The dress, which won’t be available to buy until later this year, comes in a mini length with dramatic voluminous layered sleeves and includes a delicate handpainted floral motif.

I’m loving the cute buttons:

On to Kate’s matching red accessories now.  She opted for this gorgeous red suede bag by Miu Miu. It features a chic bow on the front, which is embellished with a gold Miu Miu logo:

The bag is described on Net-A-Porter as being “ladylike” with “three spacious compartments”.  Here’s another view:

The bag can be carried as a clutch or worn on the shoulder, as it comes with a gilded silver chain strap.

At the time of writing (1st September 2017) the bag can still be purchased from Net-A-Porter.com in black.

Kate wore a pair of vibrant red suede shoes with the dress.  She’s never worn these (in public) before.

Update: Russell & Bromley have just confirmed Kate is wearing their Pinpoint style:

The PinPoint court shoe as worn by the Duchess of Cambridge… https://t.co/8hAtlC2P2m #russellandbromley #DuchessofCambridge pic.twitter.com/eP9WSjLpZ0

— Russell & Bromley (@randbofficial) September 26, 2016

The shoes have the same black toe reinforcement, as you can see below:

They also have leather symbols and size information on the sole:

Here’s a side-side-comparison of the shoes:

On to Kate’s jewellery now.  Her wristwatch will feel familiar to our regular readers. It’s the Cartier Ballon Bleu (33mm style). Kate’s owned it for years.  She regularly wears it.

Finally, Kate sported a new (to us) pair of earrings in Vancouver:

Update:  Reporters later confirmed that the earrings were on loan from the Queen:

The Duchess of Cambridge has borrowed The Queen's pearl and diamond earrings today for #royalvisitNL

— Victoria Murphy (@byQueenVic) October 11, 2016