The Duchess of Sussex has favored a series of daring looks while traveling in scorching temperatures during her tour of Nigeria alongside Prince Harry.
Unlike the Princess of Wales, who typically opts for more conservative looks when traveling abroad, Meghan Markle chose a very different wardrobe for the warm weather during her most recent visit.
From her £450 open-back blush silk maxi by Californian designer Heidi Merrick, sold as the ‘Windsor Dress’, to her £2,275 striped slit summer dress by Colombian designer Johanna Ortiz, Meghan hasn’t held back when it comes to dressing for the 95 Fahrenheit heat.
Meghan, 42, also chose a bright red midi dress with a ruffled hem and spaghetti straps for her appearance at a Women in Leadership event in Abuja.
Designed by Nigerian designer Oríré, the vibrant dress allowed the duchess to “fit in” with the country’s “incredible fashion,” she said.
Meghan, 42, wore a £450 open-back blush silk maxi dress by Californian designer Heidi Merrick, sold as the ‘Windsor Dress’, for her first engagement in Nigeria.
Meghan shared her thoughts while co-hosting the event with World Trade Organization Director-General Nigeria, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
She said: “It’s been a whirlwind 24 hours since we arrived, and very quickly I got the note that I need to wear more color, so I can fit in with all of you and your amazing fashion.”
While Kate Middleton tends to opt for more modest dresses – even when facing high temperatures – Meghan seems happy to show a little more skin.
For her arrival in Jamaica as part of the royal tour of the Caribbean, which the Prince and Princess of Wales completed in March 2022, Kate chose a high-necked, capped-sleeved yellow dress by Serbian designer Roksanda.
By contrast, the Duchess of Sussex wore a strapless white dress by Australian design studio St Agni to attend a reception with Nigerian defense chief Christopher Musa.
In fact, in public appearances since meeting Prince Harry (including on their wedding day, which was viewed by millions around the world), Meghan has opted for off-the-shoulder and boat-neck styles in both dresses and blouses. .
In particular, she caused a stir during her first Trooping the Color when her custom-made Carolina Herrera dress with a bardot neckline showed off her shoulders and arms, in a break from royal fashion tradition, but fans went wild for her look. anyway. .
Meanwhile, Kate, also 42, tends to accessorize her outfits to show less skin.
At Crown Prince Hussein’s lavish wedding to Rajwa Al-Saif in Jordan last year, the Princess of Wales wore a custom Elie Saab dress with long sleeves, a high ruffled neckline and intricate details on the bodice.
Kate chose a yellow high-neck, cap-sleeved dress by Serbian designer Roksanda for her arrival in Jamaica as part of a royal tour of the Caribbean in March 2022.
This £2,275 striped cut-out summer dress by Colombian designer Johanna Ortiz proves Meghan isn’t afraid to put her own stamp on royal attire.
The Duchess of Sussex wore a strapless white dress by Australian design studio St Agni to attend a reception with Nigerian defense chief Christopher Musa.
Megan chose a bright red midi dress with a ruffled hem and spaghetti straps for her appearance at a Women in Leadership event in Abuja.
Eagle-eyed fashion insiders may have noticed something in particular about her look: that it was yet another example of the way Kate’s dresses are adapted from the runway to make them more conservative.
When seen on the runway as part of the Lebanese fashion designer’s Fall 2017 Ready-to-Wear collection, the dress featured sheer panels on the skirt and top.
However, Kate’s has clearly been altered to remove these transparent elements.
The mother of three has developed a trick for making sure her ready-to-wear garments are tailored before wearing them, to eliminate revealing hems to suit her regal, elegant style.
While Kate looks fabulous wearing the works of the world’s top designers, the less modest clothes that turn heads on the runway rarely meet the standards of the royal dress code.
The British Royal Family is said to follow a very specific style guide that rules out inappropriately short skirts, day dresses that are too long, plunging necklines, slits that open when bending or sitting, and fabrics that wrinkle.
Since her marriage to Prince William in 2011, Kate has never failed to deliver her perfectly tailored pieces.
The Princess of Wales put on an elegant display in a soft pink Elie Saab dress as she joined Prince William for Crown Prince Hussein’s wedding to Rajwa Al-Saif in Jordan.
When seen on the runway as part of the Lebanese fashion designer’s Fall 2017 Ready-to-Wear collection (pictured), the dress featured revealing sheer panels. These did not appear on Kate’s version of the dress.
An example of Kate’s simple but effective changes was the princess’ spectacular No Time To Die premiere dress. British brand Jenny Packham dressed Kate in a dazzling gold dress for the film’s premiere at the Royal Albert Hall in 2021.
The £4,000 dress, which was originally thought to be a custom creation, featured one small change compared to its catwalk edition – an altered neckline to add a touch of modesty.
In December 2019, the mother of three transformed an Alessandra Rich dress before wearing it for the ‘A Berry Royal Christmas’ show.
Removing a waist-high opening and a By revealing a keyhole slit at the neckline and adding a wide bow to the neck of the dress, Kate and her stylists made the piece an outfit fit for royalty.