There are many people who believe that the Duchess of Sussex and Duchess of Cambridge are legitimately friendly and supportive of one another, and that there’s zero competition between them and that nothing is ever shady. Some people believe otherwise. Personally, I’ve come around to the idea that Kate is actually somewhat happy that Meghan is around, in general, because Meghan is the press’s shiny new toy and “the heat” is off Kate for the time being. That being said, I do feel like there are some very subtle shady things happening between the two duchesses. Here’s my evidence.
For as long as we’ve known Kate, she’s been into buttons. It’s HER thing. She’s obsessed with buttons. She has hundreds of bespoke coats and dresses and gowns and skirts and she’s added buttons to all of them. Chica LOVES a decorative button. While her button fetish once annoyed me, I’ve grown to love it. Once you see her button obsession, you can’t stop seeing it everywhere, practically every time she does an event. So what is this??? The Duchess of Sussex stepped out at the ANZAC Memorial service in Sydney and Meghan is totally hijacking Kate’s ONE THING. All Kate has ever wanted is to be known for her buttons, and here’s Miss Meggy New Buttons in a Emilia Wickstead dress with an ENTIRE ROW OF LARGE, DECORATIVE, NON-FUNCTIONAL BUTTONS DOWN THE FRONT.
Frankly, I am shook. One would imagine that Kate is shook as well. This dress is SO Kate, from the high neck to the full skirt, and did I mention the row of giant buttons? Is it possible that Kate’s duchess advice to Meghan was a slight tap of the nose and a stage-whispered “Buttons, darling.” Did Kate have a hand in this? Or did Meghan just choose this dress on her own? Is it shady that Meghan is trying to adopt Kate’s button obsession? What’s next, Meghan with tight sausage curls and a series of light, chintzy dresses that blow up in a slight breeze? WELL I NEVER.
THESE BUTTONS HAVE NO FUNCTION.
Photos courtesy of Getty, Backgrid.
Harry in uniform is so handsome
Absolutely so!
Lovely woman. Absolutely horrible dress!
Just not flattering for her, pregnant or not. The fit is weird. MM is short waisted and the full long skirt is too much for her petite figure.
Agree – super unflattering. For such a beautiful and fit woman, she sure knows how to dress herself in the most unflattering outfits. Girl needs a better stylist/seamstress.
Oy! Another dark blue/black dress to add to the dozens she already owns. I don’t like this at all. And the buttons!!! I never really understood why people were so obsessed with Kate’s buttons, I’ve been ambivalent about buttons … until now! These are horrible in every way! Little cheap buttons that look like they were bought in Walmart’s sewing supplies. Ugh.
Meghan is utterly beautiful, though. I’m beginning to warm to her hair, her deliberately-styled-to-look-messy chunky tendrils for these casual events. I just wish she’d stop fiddling with them constantly.
Not a good look.
She should leave the buttons to Kate. Kate’s buttony clothes don’t always look good either but at this point it’s what we expect from her.
The royals love buttons. They cannot over accessorize, in fact it’s all about a million dollar earrings and some bracelet worth more millions, but no chunky jewelery. Hence the buttons.
Let’s make peace with royal buttons, they aren’t going anywhere.
In that dress, does Meghan’s bust appear larger due to the pregnancy?
Nice dress, but not my style.
Yes, it’s odd that despite it being a black dress, she looks much larger than pictures earlier in the week. The dress would be okay it it had a different neckline. I looks like a mock turtle to me. Maybe a v-neck would be better?
Sorry, are they buttons or polka dots? I can’t even see the plastic of the button.
Me neither! She looks like a road, with the lane divider down her middle.
The function of the buttons is to freak out Celebitchy.
😂 Dying!
Yes.
Meghan is reading the comments on this site.
😁
She wears these long skirts/dresses to make herself seem taller when in fact it has the opposite effect!
I actually don’t mind these buttons as they aren’t oversized or cloth covered. They break up the head to toe black. (Says the person who dresses 90% head to toe black!)
I like these buttons for that reason, they give some interest. It’s the cut and style of the dress that don’t suit Meghan IMO.
ITA. Without these buttons the dress is so severe.
Agree in theory, but the most boring Royal dress EVER.
The buttons aren’t shiny gold or oversized. NBD to me.
Why is Harry carrying a stick that seem to be tied to his trousers and are these spurs on this heels? Looks hilarious! :):):)
That’s a sword in it’s cover, and Harry’s a Calvary officer, which rides horses, so that’s why the spurs.
@Elisa It’s called a scabbard. Spurs have always reflected mounted regiments, such as the Cavalry of which he is part. Part of British military tradition, and not at all hilarious. Perhaps look up the history of the Hussars.
Let’s be real, though – if Kate wore this dress it would also require puffed sleeves and a weirdly attached ruffle somewhere. Ms Buttons Come Lately has for sure ripped off Kate’s favourite detail, but the dress in its entirety is far too streamlined for her tastes. (Also, don’t love it. Megs is gorgeous and this dress ain’t)
This. It’s not dowdy enough for Kate. This doesn’t age Meghan at all. But I still don’t like it.
None of these outfits are bad-just taken as a whole for a royal tour (pregnant or not) just a total snooze. She needs to fire her BFF as her stylist and get someone who actually knows what they’re doing.
I’m starting to wonder if there is more to this – like she is deliberately dressing conservative/plain to make this tour not about the fashion. She is a known feminist.
Now YOU KNOW if this was Kate those buttons would be 3Xs their size and matching the dress. Slow yo roll! Also slingbacks. It’s a cute, conservative dress. Everybody has a few meh outfits. I look at it as she is now a distance runner no longer a sprinter.
And finally, Harry in the white uniform!! YAAASSS
LOL Maybe not about buttons. But IMO Kate is probably relieved at the choice of Meghan. There is a built in faction who will never like her because of racism, and as an American she won’t be an English rose. If it had been the previous girlfriend, I can’t remember her name but aristocratic I think Kate would have felt more threatened,cause of class difference, more at home in that social crowd,sister liked by William in the past, younger, and so on. But I do think she does do Some competition/ don’t forget about me. I think people men and women do that in the real world both work and personal lives. I see it at my workplace one colleague starts a new initiative then another feels they have to do something. It doesn’t change our jobs,we don’t get more but people compete.
The white buttons make the dress look cheap. Meghan’s wardrobe is inspired by Chico’s, not Carolyn Bessette.
#fireJessicaMulroney
On a positive note, Meghan as a person is doing really well on this tour. I’m just not a fan of some of her wardrobe choices.
I agree. I like the dress but those buttons look like little plastic game pieces or something. Tragic.
I’ve been liking most of what she’s been wearing but the sheer number of outfits is mind boggling. Seems like she’d need an entire shipping container just for her wardrobe.
I wish she had the wardrobe consultant from Suits.
@Natalie S – “#fireJessicaMulroney”
Holy Mary, +1 million!
I see Meghan isn’t holding a grudge against Emilia Wickstead for accusing her of wearing a wedding gown that was hijacked from one of HER designs.
This dress would be lovely on a taller woman. She’s having trouble knowing what dresses flatter her and which ones don’t. Long flowy skirts don’t work.
Unfortunately she’s had some hair problems. Too many loose straggling chunks of hair.
If she had a real stylist, they’d be able to help with the fit and style . . .
I’d like her to have about 6 inches cut off and ditch the center part, but that’s just me. I think she would look more chic.
She needs to be wearing her hair up. Long, flowing hair doesn’t look right with this hat or fascinator.
Somebody please help me out here with terminology.
I agree with ditching the center part. A side part is far more flattering on her (and many women).
[*Can’t figure out the overwhelming resistance to a side part…*]
She is using the flow tendrils and center part to conceal her “edges,” which show her natural hair texture. Any black person will recognize this. Unlike her mother, she does not – at least publicly – embrace her natural hair. Which is her choice and fine, that is why you never see her with a high bun fully pulled back, and when she has a ponytail they’re always pieces pulled out, and behind her ears. Is a styling technique to conceal the edges.
…I mean, she was appropriately dressed for this particular event (a memorial). Not gonna shade her for that.
Exactly. This is what I expect at a memorial. I prefer this to some bright color, it’s appropriate. Although I do find it a bit schoolmarm-ish lol
Most amusingly, Daily Wailers are going into extreme meltdown due to how well she’s doing in Australia – not quite Beatles level frenzy, but she’ll get there. They’re having to fall back and support Daddy Narc Markle’s latest Nauseating waffle (surely four or so thousand people couldn’t accept that sickly schmeer as anything other than manipulative nonsense??). I DO think she should have worn her hair up and sleek, though. No feeling on the buttons either way.
Would love lovd love the dress if the buttons looked like they served a purpose. But this just looks dumb in my opinion.
I don’t mind the dress and the look overall is lovely but the fit around the top half is a bit off – maybe due to Polo Baby.
I’m imagining Harry’s packing list:
white gloves—-check
sword—-check
spurs—-check
Not that he does his own packing, but still. The end result is worth the trouble. I love Harry in his uniform.
The hat/fascinator, the hair and the dress wasn’t flattering.
The hat/fascinator was just flopped on her head, the hair was messy, in a bad way, and the dress would look better on someone taller. I don’t mind the buttons!
She’s opening a war memorial, not appearing at a fashion show. I think the choice of dress was actually to blend in, rather than stand out. I thought the buttons down the center gave the dress a military uniform feeling to be paired with Harry in full white dress. As she often does she dressed in a way to signal partnership with Harry, while also not standing out at an event where she was in a supporting role.
Yes but the hat kills the outfit.
It makes the whole thing look very costume-y.
Agree, that’s why I didn’t mind the buttons, and I get that she wanted to blend in. But a simple, shorter black sheath dress that gave her tummy some room would have been better IMO. This dress accentuates her short waist.
I like the dress, but I think it’s a tad too matronly for her. Kate could get away with it since that’s her look, but I think a shorter hem would have been better deployed here…and maybe an open collar.
I didn’t notice her at first…Harry in uniform…phewww hot stuff🤣🤣
This is such an ugly look on a pretty girl. Just nope. The buttons look like a random afterthought.
I was guessing that the buttons were an echo of Harry’s jacket. I dislike the whole dress so much, that the buttons don’t make a difference.
They are so cute together.
Meagan doesn’t look as if she’s feeling well in these pics. I don’t mind buttons and she looks appropriate for the event. I can appreciate the difficulty in looking her best when she’s probably experiencing a bit of “hyperemesis gravidarium”. Seems Meg might be the type of woman who looks pregnant all over her body, not just in her stomach. Still beautiful from head to toe.
For what is worth, there’s a difference between morning sickness and hyperemesis gravidarium .
But no matter what, any pregnant woman deserves her time to rest when she feels tired, and to do things on her own time.
She looks like she’s ready to barf 🤢
“But no matter what, any pregnant woman deserves her time to rest when she feels tired, and to do things on her own time.”
Your nice thoughts aren’t echoed on theses Royal threads, though. Such cringeworthy comments from women when Kate had to cancel a few events during the beginning of her pregnancy.
You are twisting the facts again. The criticism related to KP confirming her attendance a few weeks before an engagement and then suddenly cancelling last minute when they would have known that Kate was already pregnant and experiencing symptoms again. It was about the professionalism of doing that and not about her having to take time to rest. This time KP was smart enough to put the pregnancy announcement out early enough for Meghan so that cancellations wouldn’t be made for mysterious reasons.
She really needs to stop with the strapless bras with outfits that dont require them, they make everything look funny on her.
Absolutely love the dress. Very classic style, and it fits pregnant Meg the way it would fit non-pregnant me, accentuating hips and belly, giving boobs a size up, but overall a flattering silhouette. It would be so much cuter paired with lace-up booties though.
Ha ha @Kaiser. This entire piece made me laugh. I kinda think the OG button queen is TQ. Granted Kate took up the shine and sparkle a bit.
She looks great in black!
[*Excellent colour choice for her.*]
I liked this at first glance but I could only see the top half. If this were a shirt dress then I could see the neck-to-ankle buttons. But considering they serve no function it’s way too much. Open the bodice up and put the buttons only there and I’m sold. As it is it just looks ridiculous. I think it’s a great silhouette on Meghan, though. One more case of juuuuuust missing the mark.
I really dislike this dress. In addition to the poor fit and ugly buttons the style is too “girlish”. It baffles me that both Meghan and Kate make such underwhelming fashion choices with all the wealth and opportunity they have at their disposal to get it right.
This article is hilarious, subtle button shade.
I think she looked beautiful and subdued for a memorial. They played Diana’s favorite hymn at this memorial, no?
I agree that she needs a real stylist Vs hiring a friend to accompany her on a tax payer funded trip. Though being preggers I’m sure she enjoys the company. Maybe she and Mulroney devise button plots together in between her morning sickness?
I love that whenever I see buttons I immediately think of Kaiser, lol.
I don’t love this dress but it seems perfectly appropriate for the occasion. I feel like I am saying that about everything she wears this tour – some stuff I like more than others, but everything is event-appropriate, and that goes a long way.
I am laughing because people who normally hate her style are like, THIS IS THE BEST SHE HAS EVER LOOKED and my reaction is – “you mean because she is dressing like Kate here.”
Not a big fan of the dress for all reasons mentioned. I doubt there’s any real competition between them. I suspect Kate is relieved for all of the reasons another poster mentioned above. Her face under that hat looks beautiful though.
i don’t think it much matters what she wears. she just seems to become more and more beautiful, it’s pretty impressive.