The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had their third costume change of the day on Tuesday when they attended a “youth reception” at the British High Commission in Cape Town. Remember, the Queen made Harry and Meghan the Commonwealth Youth Ambassadors, so their brand is all about communication with the youths around the world.
Meghan looked especially “styled” for this event, and I’m assuming she had a nice little break to spend some time with Archie and perhaps get some time with a glam squad. Her makeup looks PERFECT in these photos and her hair is the best we’ve seen on this trip so far. Meghan recycled yet another look from last year’s South Pacific tour – we saw her wear this Martin Grant maxi dress in Australia on one of the first days of that tour too. This is the second repeat from that tour, which… I don’t know, I have mixed feelings about it. I’m all for repeats and God knows, Meghan gets criticized for spending too much money on clothes. But two repeats in two days from the last big tour? Maybe she just associates these looks with “tour outfits.” That being said, I loved this dress the first time around and I’m happy to see it again. It’s super-flattering and basically has the perfect cut for a maxi dress.
It’s also being said that Meghan is purposefully trying to keep the focus OFF fashion during this trip. Harry and Meghan wanted to be “lowkey” and less formal, and I guess that means sack dresses and repeats of shirtdresses. I mean… I understand not wanting the focus to be on fashion and style, but also… there’s always going to be an interest in fashion and style and jewelry. That’s one of the big reasons why people like royals: we like to see what they’re wearing. It’s that simple. The lowkey style also means that she hasn’t been wearing her diamond engagement ring. She’s been wearing the gold wedding band, sometimes paired with a delicate-looking Jennifer Meyer turquoise ring. I always said that she seemed like a big Jennifer Meyer fan – Meg’s jewelry tastes remind me so much of Jennifer Aniston, another huge Meyer jewelry fan.
Last thing: we got an ID on the maxi dress from the visit to the mosque on Tuesday. The dress is by Staud (or STAUD) and it’s made from recycled tissue nylon. In these photos, it looks more like a muddy khaki rather than olive-khaki. Maybe it’s really dependent on the light.
I like this dress a lot; I liked it overall last year but I especially like how she styles it here, with the earrings and her hair down. She looks fantastic.
The reason I am surprised to see repeats is that we typically don’t see repeats of outfits from tours. Kate has a few tours under her belt at this point and there are so many outfits that we have just never seen again, some of which are really pretty and/or very typical Kate, so its surprising that we don’t see them after the tour. No clue if there’s an actual reason for that (I know some say the host country pays for the clothes, so the royals shouldn’t wear them again, but that doesn’t fully make sense to me.)
Anyway, like I said yesterday, the repeats make sense to me bc I’m sure they were bought a year ago with her changing body in mind, and now her body is still changing, so many of these outfits work in that regard.
I agree. She probably doesn’t want to waste money buying all new clothes that won’t fit if/when she gets back to her pre-baby size. Anyway, we all know that Meghan can never win. She will be criticized for new dresses that cost $13k and for repeating old dresses which costs nothing…
I agree that she is conscientious about money spent on new clothes. From my history readings I recall the well to do would alter clothes as styles changed and even royalty did so. In this day and age we do not do that. Easier to just buy, which is crazy.
I think she’s deliberately trolling the British tabs between the wedding and the tour, and I am HERE for it!
“Oh, so you want me to spend nothing on my work clothes? Fine. Watch me shine anyway.
PS – I will continue to wear whatever the f I please on my own dime and my own time.”
This dress accentuates the slight (and I mean slight) weight she has put on since having
Archie and I’m here for it. Her body is bangin in these photos.
The host country doesn’t pay for the clothes!
The host country covers most of the security/logistics.
They bring their own clothes. And closest personal security peeps.
Some of these rumors are pretty silly.
I just love that first dress on her. It compliments her so well. Not a fan of the second dress. And I am really enjoying watching the couple together. I wish them much happiness and to continue doing great things.
Do not like the STAUD dress on Meghan either. The dress itself I like very much but this was a bad style choice for Meghan but perfect & appropriate for the mosque event.
Agreed, the dress is very appropriate for the event but not so hot in her. Shows that she is more interested in the event and work she is doing than in herself. Kudos. She should give the BRF lessons.
Is it worth “kudos” though? There are plenty of ways to look appropriate for a visit to a mosque in something that also looks good. This dress, as appropriate as it may have been, was unfortunately a hard pass from me.
And anyone who thinks she’s wearing more “meh” fashion because most of her interest is in each event…come on. And that is absolutely not trying to say that she’s vain – all of us try to look good every day! Sometimes we fail (raises hand), but it seems a bit like over apologising for her to try to attribute some questionable clothing choices to her having too much interest in the event to care about what she’s wearing.
Same, the sundress fits nicely and is cute. The mosque dress is hideous, it swallows her up.
I love the striped dress! It looks even better now post baby.
It seems to me like pretty clearly a response and/or reprimand to everyone criticizing her. Ok you think I’m too Hollywood? I’ll wear regular or repeat clothes and see what you say about that. I think she looks beautiful and I’ve liked her clothes. I guess I don’t mind it, but I understand if you write about fashion it might be more boring.
Meghan can’t win. Repeats and the fashion people are unhappy. New outfits and the press and are all over her like wolves on a carcass. 😔
I agree. This isn’t a knock against this site at all, but it’s almost sorta feeding into the whole brit press narrative to comment on the clothes repeat 😔.
Exactly!
I guess I’m the minority in liking her overall looks from this tour. I think if you put them in slide-show at the end they will all make sense together in a kind of casual chic capsule collection way?
Also I will ALWAYS think Meg’s fashion is 1000% better than whatever Kate does at any given moment. I don’t need to want to wear the stuff myself to be able to appreciate the modern classic Meg is going for with everything she wears. None of her choices so far looked as dated or as age inaproppiate as Kate routinely looks.
She also seems to absolutely still be carrying some baby weight in the stomach and face actually. It looks lovely on her and I hope she continues to not feel pressured to do anything other than live her life.
You are not alone. I like what she has been wearing on this tour. I think some people expected her to wear 2 or 3 new outfits per day like she did for the Oceania tour. I’m enjoying this tour because the focus is more on the people and charities. Harry and Meghan are doing a wonderful job. You can tell that they’ve matured a lot over the past year.
I’m with you. I really like what she’s been wearing and appreciate that not only have there been repeats, but that there have been other considerations like price and alternative material.
You’re not the only one. I’ve liked what she’s worn too. She had some cute outfits in the Oceania tour. Why not recycle them? They fit. No sense in having an entire new wardrobe created for her body when those early pregnancy outfits work.
Haha – I’m the opposite. I like Kate’s outfits usually but Meghan’s are fine too. They will never wear the same types of clothing just as Sophie and Anne will never dress similar to each other. It’s all good.
Question – style-wise, what’s considered the “correct” length for maxi dresses? Meghan’s always seem too long to me. No one else has commented on this, so assume it’s the way they’re supposed to be worn. But I did noticed the hem of the STAUD dress on their website is several inches off the floor (though the model is wearing heels). Just curious; skirts this length don’t work for me, so don’t wear them, also hate things that sweep the floor! So I’m not sure what the style guideline is.
It depends on your hight. If you are short (like myself) and like to wear floor-length garments, you need to show at least the points of your shoes, otherwise it looks like you’re drowning in fabric or playing dress up.
For tall people I guess it’s fine if their clothes touch the ground. Personally, I hate when they do that, they are literally swiping the floor with their clothes!
I’ve liked everything too and I completely agree about her style vs Kate’s.
1. She’s still adjusting to her body after pregnancy, why waste money on clothes she may not fit into soon?
2. People made a huge fuss about her clothes/prices (which I never really got bc she was building her royal wardrobe) I see no issue with her repeating outfits, especially outfits she’s comfortable in as I’m sure dressing is a bit awkward right now.
3. Repeating also keeps the conversation off of what she’s wearing but why she’s there and the causes they’re to support which is the actual purpose of the tour in the first place.
I think she looks fabulous, repeat or not. I hope she isn’t too fussed about what the world says about her and gets to live her life, happily, with her growing family. There’s so much damn hate in the world. Let people live!
I think the low-key fashion is totally the right move. Tom and Lorenzo’s reading seems spot on as well – it reads as follow through on the stated aims of the tour to be low-key, focused on charities, Harry and Meg, etc.
Yes. Agreed.
I think she is playing it perfectly on the fashion front. You can feel the RR press roiling because they can’t criticize her wardrobe price tag.
I do hope, however, that she does one bang-up, knock-our-socks-off, glam formal night at the end of the tour.
Who in the f’n hell cares if she wore a dress twice??????????
How on the world does she have such beautiful hair postpartum? Mine was falling out like crazy.
I am not a huge fan of either dresses but she looks beautiful. Glowing. Motherhood looks lovely on her.
Why do I think everything looks better on her this time around? I mean, I liked this one and the blue dress last time, but they both seem to fit better or something this time, or maybe she seems less uncomfortable.
Meghan was gorgeous at that Youth meeting.
I completely understand why she’s re wearing clothes. The clothes are fine, and those British press bastards were ready to pile on with pricing her outfits on this tour, now they have nothing.
This approach puts the focus on the charities and causes Harry and Meghan want the focus on.
Neither dress is right for her proportions.
That panel below the waist on the striped dress is super unflattering.
The olive dress swallows her.
She would look good in an empire waist. Still have the flowy effect, but in an elongated way.
She looks beautiful and happy so she must feel good in these clothes…
I totally agree, both of the looks are not good on Meghan. Structure of the dresses does not do good to her frame.
I actually liked the green dress. I think it looked a lot better in motion than in photos. I would wear that green dress because it looked comfortable and although it seemed like a lot of material it was flattering to her waist and butt. That’s pretty much all I want in a dress. Something that is flattering to my waist and butt.
Exactly this. That is exactly the kind of dress I would wear. I don’t wear form-fitting clothes and I’m not small. This dress hits the notes I prefer.
I feel like Meghan can’t win. If she buys new, we crucify her. Now if she repeats outfits, we complain. I think what she’s worn so far has been great. I know we love princesses in all their pretty dresses and I am sure it makes for great content. Her job isn’t to look pretty for us though. The reason for this tour isn’t so she can play dress up for ten days. That’s what we have turned it into.
THIS.
+1.
Be interesting to see now what Kate wears on her tour of Pakistan… lots of repeats? Leaving her big blingy jewellery at home?
Oh she could wear a sack and still look beautiful and that’s because her beauty is shining from within. When you are happy in life it shows.
I am really pleased she is repeating while she is working to raise awareness about important issues. This is not the Emmys or BAFTA where there is some expectation of a wow piece being worn so I am glad she is setting precedent now that this is who she is.
Y’all. She’s trolling the royal reporters with these repeats. It’s not inadvertent and it’s not benign. She’s sending a message. You want to be petty? We can do petty. Let’s go. And I am here for it.
Well said. Let them slam her for not spending a ton of money on clothes for this trip. What would the OPTICS be if she was dressed to the nines on a ‘working trip’?
I’ve heard the Queen Mother’s quote that she always dressed her best when she visited the ‘common people’ because they would wear their best if they came to meet her. And I understand that feeling. But it’s a different world and Meghan and Harry are trying to show solidarity with the people they’re meeting and the great work they’re doing (as much solidarity as fabulously wealthy members of the royal family can show).
This is a repeat I like.
Even here on Celebitchy we don’t know what to want. On one hand we want repeats on the other we also like to gossip about outfits.
I do appreciate that the focus is where it should be.
To each their own, but I’ve hated everything she’s worn on this trip!
Then focus on the work they’re doing which is the point anyway.
Don’t love the dress but she looks beautiful- I love the loose side-parting on her.
I think she’s pregnant again, or about to be. She looks radiant, and I like the clothing. I agree with Kaiser that she definitely should have covered up all of her hair at the mosque.
And the baby! What an absolute cutie.
She just had a baby four months ago. That’s what a woman’s body looks like after having just given birth. Can we please stop dissecting her body and speculating about the status of her womb??
No.
I stated that I like her clothing, I stated that she looks radiant and you glom on to the status of her womb issue.
I think she is pregnant or about to be, and I think they’re happy about it, and I don’t think it’s wrong to speculate. Please don’t tell me what I can and cannot say in an innocuous manner on a gossip site.
Lol. No one is telling what you can or cant say hun. Hence why I said “can we please” with a question mark on the end. If you want to speculate in this invasive way that’s on you. I find it rather gross and inappropriate.
This x 1000.
Just stopping in to say she is so freaking gorgeous. I *love* her earrings here as well. She looks comfortable with herself – confident and radiant. Motherhood and her philanthropy suit her. She’s the cool and collected woman I want to be when I grow up.
That’s all I got.
She really can’t win. She gets dragged for wearing repeats because it’s “boring” and would be dragged if she wore new pieces for being too extravagant.
I saw the green dress in an Instagram video. I think it looked really pretty in motion. It’s not photographing as well though. But really – she has been gorgeous this entire trip.
I actually really like what she’s been wearing. I love shirt dresses and sack dresses- they are classic, professional, and chic. But i typically have the opposite opinion from Kaiser in terms of fashion. I hate “princess” fashion, and while I don’t dislike Kate as much as some, I cannot stand her wardrobe which to me epitomizes “princess” fashion. Reminds me of Melania/Ivanka and their playing at/pretending at being professional. The NYT had a really good piece on their (Melania/Ivanka) performative dressing.
She looks beautiful. Glowing and confident. I don’t mind the repeats. Let’s focus on her work.
I’m stumped by the disappointment at her wearing repeats when so many comments last year defended her for “building a wardrobe”. Well here it is. From a gossipy view of course it would be more fun to see new fashion. I also agree with the comments that it puts focus on the groups they are visiting. And the comments that she can’t win!
I think Meghan looks great in olive (I very much loved that linen dress she wore to the polo match) but am I the only one looking at the shirt dress who thinks that style looks a little “campy” for being in Africa? IMO it looks like a “more fashionable” version of something someone would wear on Safari when they’re out in the Bush and it is giving me MAJOR Troop Beverly Hills vibes (in all the best ways, that movie is a classic!). I also think that the fabric contributes to that Safari energy as well since there’s so much of it you could basically camp underneath the skirt. Love her, love her tour, but I do not love that olive shirt dress for her. Side note, I feel like her outfit repeats are in direct response to her outfit for Misha Nonoo’s wedding. It’s very much a middle finger to the haters who are adamant that she’s not allowed to wear anything defined as “too expensive” by them and she’s clearly pointing out a balance in the wardrobe budget. It’s very clear that she’s aware that she spent a good bit to feel beautiful and chic at her friends wedding and i think that’s one of the most relatable things about her. Who doesn’t want to look good at a friends wedding? LOTS of women prioritize special occasion wear in their wardrobe budgets and then make do with outfit repeats until the budget becomes balanced again.
Honestly…the only problem I see with her maxi-dresses are the lengths of them…they’re too long and swallow her up…but she looks GLORIOUS…so there’s that fact!
Heard some interesting takes on the rewearing outfits. First she was criticized a lot for new clothes, especially the high end designers. Why give them more fuel because that’s what the bitters want. Also, she didn’t have the wardrobe before for Royal duties, so lots of shopping then. She was pregnant on last tour, so needed a bunch of new clothes for that. Now she can wear clothes from her early pregnancy days because her mummy body is the same size, those are the clothes that fit her. She’s not pre baby weight yet do why spend money if she already had all those clothes. Weather in SA probably similar to Australia. Clothes on this trip hit or miss but she seems to be ramping up the style a bit more now. Plus she is so gorgeous that can keep the looks simple.
Meghan’s hair and makeup look amazing, I have to say I did wince slightly when I saw her thin stiletto heels on the grass. That just looks uncomfortable and annoying. I think a good solid heel would have anchored this dress nicely and been more comfortable overall.
Are you sure it’s the same dress and not just the same type of dress but in a different color? Because In these photos the colors are green & yellow & blue but in the South Pacific the colors were brown and white. Yes?
It’s the same dress, same colors.
Google it
You could have just answer with a simple “it’s the same dress”. Thanks.
I’m not upset that she’s repeating clothes in makes sense and she would be crazy to discard them after one wear. I just don’t like the style of the clothes she wears. Sack dresses and shirt dresses just aren’t my jam but It’s ok not to like everything .
I do love seeing her looking so happy and radiant giving the haters from the daily mail the middle finger.
She looks lovely in the maxi dress and IMO it’s awesome she is repeating dresses from the last tour.
The khaki tent dress is very unflattering, so I hope she won’t repeat that one.
Long time lurker, I just can’t tell you how much I love the way she’s re-using outfits, I think she looks great.
Also, it is almost impossible to dress 4-8 months post partum, it’s a weird time for your body because post-partum is an odd, long stage and she’s still in early months, and it’s even harder if you’ve actually if you’ve actually managed to breastfeed because you need to whip out your breasts every 1-2 hours. And NOTHING fits.
She looks elegant, professional, and gorgeous. I’m cheering for her.