Catherine's Wedding Dress: An Instant Classic

Catherine's top-secret wedding gown has finally been revealed, and the House of McQueen design is being met with glowing praise. INSIDE EDITION has the details.

The dress the world's been waiting for has finally been revealed!

After months of feverish speculation, Catherine revealed her romantic gown with a full skirt, meant to evoke an opening flower. The design was demure yet modern and even sexy, with a plunging neckline and stunning lace appliqué.

Catherine's dress evoked memories of Grace Kelly on her wedding day. The elegant gown was covered with exquisite hand-made lace made at the Royal School of Needlework using techniques that date back to the 1820s.

The designer of the wedding gown, an instant classic, is Sarah Burton of the House of McQueen. World reaction to the dress was glowing.

INSIDE EDITION spoke to top designers Carmen Marc Valvo and Marc Bouwer.  

"It was regal, but it was also womanly. There was a sensuality behind it. Also what was gorgeous I thought was the fact that she had the silk tulle veil, and she had that same lace appliquéd all along the edge. It was such a fine little detail and looked amazing with the tiara," said Valvo.

Added Bouwer, "I see when I look at that dress how exquisitely fitted it was. It was so tailored to her beautiful figure, so structured, the corset fit so tiny into her waist, it was so beautiful, so perfect, I thought I was watching a Disney movie."

Catherine's something old was the traditional fabrics and lacework of the gown. Her something new was her gorgeous diamond drop earrings, a gift from her parents. Her tiara was her something borrowed, on loan from Queen Elizabeth. As for her something blue, a ribbon was sewn into her dress.

The design of the dress was the most closely guarded secret of the royal wedding, but a photo taken yesterday nearly let the cat out of the bag. A mystery woman, her face obscured by a giant fur hood, was spotted dashing into The Goring hotel, where Catherine spent her last night as a single lady. Fashion insiders recognized that, like the hooded lady in the photo, Sarah Burton often wears a silver-studded belt.  

Burton, a protégée of the late legend Alexander McQueen, released this statement: "The last few months have been very exciting and an incredible experience for my team and I as we have worked closely with Catherine to create this dress under conditions of the strictest secrecy."

Avril Graham is the Executive Fashion and Beauty Editor of Britain's Harper's Bazaar.

"It was always my number one choice, the House of McQueen, it's the best of British design, so the second that I saw that dress come out it just sort of epitomized all the things that we wanted," said Graham.

And even before the wedding was over, there was already controversy: Had Pippa broken convention by wearing ivory to her sister's wedding?

TV personality Ali Wentworth weighed in on the debate. "In America, that would be comedic. You would see that in a comedy, that the maid of honor is also wearing white," she said.

"So that would have been a major faux pas?" asked McInerney.

"I think so, yeah. I mean I made sure my maid of honor was in dark brown!" joked Wentworth.

"Pippa, Pippa's the one [that made everyone do a double take]. A lot of us thought, 'Wow!' " said Good Morning America's Robin Roberts.

The Daily Mirror is even running a poll, "Who looked best? The bride or her maid of honor?" (Catherine is winning.)

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, the daughters of embattled Sarah Ferguson, who was not invited, wore the most outrageous toppers of the day.

But of course it was the bride whose gown became an instant classic when she stepped out of the car at Westminster Abbey.

"I think that she is a new breed of royal. I think she is of the modern age. That dress is going to be copied from here to the end of time," said Marc Valvo.