Duchess Meghan keeps buying frumpy, bespoke designer stuff & it’s a problem

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and HRH The Countess of Wessex attends the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph on Sunday 10 November 2019

It’s been confirmed that the Duchess of Sussex wore a £1,545 Stella McCartney coat to the Remembrance Sunday event at the Cenotaph in London. From what we could see of it, it’s fine. I’ve heard the criticism of Meghan’s coats though, and I halfway agree: when she belts her coats, they tend to give a “bathrobe” vibe. I’m not saying she’s breaking the blessed protocol or whatever, I’m just saying that I feel like… she has a belt problem, maybe? Or her coats are too big and it feels like she’s drowning in fabric and cinching a belt won’t help.

Speaking of drowning in fabric, people are still talking about the custom/bespoke Erdem ensemble she wore on Saturday, to the Festival of Remembrance concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Once again, all of the Remembrance events are supposed to be somber and it’s not about the fashion. Royal women are supposed to wear black and the point is NOT supposed to be “wow, she looks so chic!” But again, this look is SO frumpy and unflattering. And people can’t stop talking about how much money Meghan spends on her ensembles – in her first year as a royal, Meghan spent hundreds of thousands of dollars/pounds on custom ensembles and it was just too much.

We don’t know the cost of this Erdem look, but we do know it was based on a suit (in the same brocade fabric) from a 2019 collection. And just like her endless bespoke Givenchy pieces last year, I feel like Meghan should get a better handle on spending thousands of dollars for custom gear, especially when she’s paying for something this unflattering. I know the Sussex Squad will yell at me for that, but it’s such an obvious thing which needs correcting on Meghan’s part, and I can’t justify or explain why she keeps doing it.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail is going crazy for the tiny ruby-heart earrings she wore to the festival event. They claim the earrings are worth £25,700. For those tiny little earrings? I doubt it. I also wonder if she already owned them before she got married.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attends the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on November 09, 2019 in London, England.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on November 09, 2019 in London, England.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on November 09, 2019 in London, England.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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342 Responses to “Duchess Meghan keeps buying frumpy, bespoke designer stuff & it’s a problem”

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  1. Velvet Elvis says:

    I love the Duchess but her royal style is just dreadful imo. I wonder if she has stylists helping her. If so, they must hate her, judging from many of the fashion choices.

    • minx says:

      Yes. She also needs her clothes tailored properly. There’s no reason why this beautiful woman shouldn’t look great all the time—even if she is pregnant or postpartum.

      • Redgrl says:

        Agree. She spends too much on pieces that are either unattractive, ill fitting or indistinguishable from other pieces she already has. She needs a stylist and a tailor. Every now and then she comes up with something beautiful – but they’re too far and few between for the amount of money she’s shelling out. I also prefer her pre-duchess style…

      • Aliyah says:

        I like the second one and the cute Ruby earrings, but the first one is blah.

    • Moneypenny424 says:

      Yes. Someone obviously told her she needs belts to create a waist, but it does not work for her. Her belt problem is akin to Kate’s button problem.

      • Anners says:

        In that top photo she looks like a somber Carmen Sandiego. Not her best look. I prefer her pre-duchess style myself.

      • Meg says:

        I had a boyish figure like her and in order to create some visual of curves I would put belts on my clothes

      • minx says:

        I don’t think she has a boyish figure, she’s feminine and almost dainty. She just needs a decent stylist and tailor to accentuate her many positives and work with her figure. Sometimes she looks like a little girl playing dress up. Her Suits wardrobe was fantastic and fit her well. I’m not saying she needs to dress that way necessarily, but she needs advice.

      • Megan says:

        The belts are so unflattering to her figure.

    • (TheOG)@Jan90067 says:

      I kinda wish, for a Christmas present, we could all chip in and hire her Suits stylist to “consult” in her closet.

      Remember that show, with Trinny and Susanne (?? I think those were their names). They’d go into the person’s closet, make them try on stuff and toss 99% of it all? Then they’d go out shopping, and buy REALLY FLATTERING things for the woman to build her wardrobe on, teaching her what works and doesn’t work for her figure/lifestyle. THIS is what Meg needs.

    • LahdidahBaby says:

      Yes. Meghan hasn’t yet worked out the reality that we high-waisted women are done no favors by belts, especially wide belts…and even more so when the garment the belt is cinching is a voluminous coat or dress. As a fellow high-waisted woman, I find that wearing one color (as opposed to different hues for bottom and top of an outfit, avoiding wide belts (and any belt at all wherever possible), and going for clothing with a sleek A-line or fit-and-flare design creates a sleeker look and avoids the bunched-up, swimming-in-fabric look she has so often ended up with.

      She has the loveliest face and coloring, and I think she looks her most beautiful and elegant with a sleek up-do for formal occasions, but I love her hair down for casual affairs. I also love that she is down-playing jewelry recently, favoring small earrings and wearing small or no necklaces.

      • Chelle says:

        I think she buys what she likes or what’s on trend versus what actually looks good on her body type.

      • angry bird says:

        LOUDER PLEASE! You are so right.

      • YES! says:

        DING DING! Someone needs to tell Meghan this. I’m also high-waisted and can’t remember the last time I wore anything with a belt. Lie: I have a trenchcoat which I rarely wear but can’t bear to give away.

    • bonobochick says:

      My question is the whole “keeps buying frumpy bespoke stuff” statement cause I can’t recall the last bespoke supposedly frumpy gown, especially at a Black tie event, that I have seen on her.

      • Sondra says:

        HI

        Ok, non Brit here 🙂 what exactly does “Bespoke” mean? Also I just wanted to say how refreshing it is to see a comment section that is not filled with hateful comments about the DOS like on the DM. I’m going to sign up for this site. Have a wonderful day.

    • Ctgirl says:

      Meghan is very small boned and anything that isn’t tailored well or has heavy/excess fabric looks overwhelming on her frame. She also appears to be dressing based on what she, erroneously, thinks are looks that a duchess would wear. She needs to jump off from her pre-marriage style, which was flattering and appropriate, and let her clothing choices organically evolve from that starting point.

      • jessica says:

        Well said! I agree with your point about letting clothing choices organically evolve instead of choosing based on what you think a Duchess should look like.

    • February Pisces says:

      I’m starting to think she’s pregnant again. The last couple of appearances she has been concealing her waist in diffferent ways. If she is then she will be bigger this pregnancy than the last. When she fell pregnant with Archie she had lost loads of weight and was super skinny so she could hide it better in the first 3 months. But now if she is pregnant again, she is still carrying the weight from Archie, so she will most likely be heavier making it harder to conceal. We will have to wait and see,

    • Lisa says:

      Personally I think she’s preggo again! It happens!

    • noway says:

      I love how people say her stylist hates her. It’s just too funny, cause I get the sentiment. I think she has a few problems with her style. One her previous style was more sexy or she was relaxed Californian style and not the style she wants to convey now that she’s a Duchess. I think she is having problems transitioning, plus she was pregnant so her body has changed a bit too. This is why sometimes it’s good and other times not so much. Plus, if I was her I’d invest less in a stylist and more in a good tailor, as it often looks like her clothes don’t fit well.
      She does have a belt issue a lot, placement of the belt, type of belt it’s all over the board on bad belts.

      100% agree with Kaiser on the if you are going to spend tons of money on bespoke clothes please make them look better on you. This is for anyone, Kate I hope you are listening too, although a lot of her bespoke clothes have looked better on her lately. I don’t care how much she spends. In fact I think it is ridiculous that anyone harps on this. They are royal and going to be seen out, and they recycle wear them so who cares. Plus we know they aren’t paying sticker price and they are all personally well off just seems crazy to me. It’s just ashame to spend money or give publicity to not attractive clothes.

      • Zazu says:

        I looked back at that killer red leather pencil skirt and sweater she wore a week or two ago (she has the same in green). It created a very flattering silhouette and she looked great. Her silhouette in this dress is much less flattering…the poor tailoring or excess fabric adds a wideness to her waist that definitely didn’t exist in the red skirt/sweater outfit. I saw another pic of her in a gorgeous yellow sheath dress that contrasted in a similarly negative way with a bulky trench dress she wore shortly after.
        She has a great hourglass figure regardless of postpartum body changes but the clothes seem to hide that fact- such as the coat belting issue.
        I think you must be right that transitioning to “duchess” style is not going smoothly. I think she always looks more comfortable and confident in the pencil/sheath or pants and blazer shapes, and since she looks great in colours she could vary that endlessly. The trench dress is hit or miss on her, as is the flowy style, but it can work.
        She likes this look (from remembrance day) for her LBD (is it fit and flare or A-line?) – it’s sort of similar to what she wore for The Lion King premiere. I just don’t think it’s the best silhouette for her somehow.

      • Guest says:

        You might be looking at the wrong person. She has no waist and has a very short torso. That’s her natural build you can see in pictures from many many years ago. Why she adds more bulkiness to make her look wider in the mid section is beyond me.

    • Abena Asantewaa says:

      The first dress, maybe a bit big on her, however I liked her hair and makeup. I have no problem with the last coat on Remembrance day. It was a very cold day in London, and a perfect coat. I don’t know what you were expecting ftom a simple belted winter coat. The daily mail, always having fits over the cost of Meghan’s clothes and jewellery, for all you know Harry bought them for her, or she did with her own money, of which she has plenty Jewelleries are investments, a wise move. How come the mail only talk about Kate’s Clothes and jewells when they are cheap. Double standards.

  2. stepup says:

    Those earrings are EXPENSIVE! But my immediate thought was: Oprah probably sent them to her as a “keep your chin up” gift.

    • Eliza says:

      Oprahs taste in jewelry is on point. These aren’t from her.

    • BrijitJonce says:

      FWIW the settings are different. They are pretty generic looking. The same style is sold at Claire’s. They are pretty, just not necessarily the same exact earrings.

      High quality stones purchased from an upmarket jeweler with the £700 per carat luxury mark-up are likely to be this overpriced.

      • Lorelei says:

        Maybe Harry bought them for her as a gift? He loves her and wants her to have nice things. After all she’s been through I don’t have it in me to criticize her for a pair of earrings. Yes, they’re expensive, and they’re not my taste, but she clearly likes then and we have no idea who paid for them or when.

      • Amy Too says:

        Lorelei, they do look like something a man would buy the woman he loves because “they’re in the shape of a heart!” And I think most women don’t really like heart jewelry; we might think it’s twee or kind of tacky, but I’m sure there are quite a few of us on this blog who have received heart shaped jewelry from our sweet, kind partners who thought they were doing a good thing, and we wear the offending piece at least a couple of times to show that we appreciate the sentiment. When your husband is a prince though, and his budget for jewelry is “something around $25K,” you might end up with some very expensive heart shaped earrings.

      • Lorelei says:

        @AmyToo exactly!

  3. Kittycat says:

    I loved the ‘frumpy’ dress.

    • Bambam says:

      When I first saw this dress I immediately wanted it. I think its the cutest holiday party dress that is formal without being too glitzy. I would maybe want it it a different colour like a deep green or dark wine but the black also looks gorgeous and is totally appropriate for this event. I’m not 100 percent sure of the complaints. Like Meghan I am petite and very curvy, she still is from her pregnancy, this is what she looks like when heavy clothing is added to her frame. She still looks stunning imo and healthy!

      • Moneypenny424 says:

        I like the dress, just not on her. The belted midsection is not flattering on her. I wouldn’t call Meghan curvy, she is apple shaped. I wear this silhouette a lot as a tall, pear shaped woman. The neckline is beautiful to frame her stunning face though.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        “I like the dress, just not on her.”

        @Moneypenny424, I could not agree more. This may blow some minds but I thing this dress, in a true navy blue, would look really good on Cathy Cambridge.

    • Chaine says:

      Me too! It has a cute vintage look to it and I think she looks great in it.

      • (TheOG)@Jan90067 says:

        It really would look SO much better either UNbelted, or with a *thinner* belt, that wouldn’t add *so much* squareness to her midsection. But it’s a beautiful timeless shirtwaist.

    • DarlingDiana says:

      Meghan’s “frumpy” is aspirational! There is no reason that a woman with curves shouldn’t highlight them. I hope she helps popularize wearing whatever style you like even when you aren’t model thin or if you actually have hips.

      • Nahema says:

        I think the problem is that this isn’t highlighting them, it’s making her look shapeless and dumpy.

      • Amy Too says:

        I feel kind of gross reading comments that say they like the dress fine, just not on someone with a stomach. If you took out her stomach, and the aversion people seem to have to wearing things that don’t make one look thinner, then do you like the dress or not? People like the dress. They just don’t like the body in the dress. That’s pretty much what “unflattering” means. “Unflattering” = doesn’t hide her “flaws,” doesn’t make her look thinner, makes her look “fatter.” So what? What’s wrong with looking fatter/rounder? What’s wrong with looking dumpy or shapeless? Take it that one extra step and ask yourself the follow up question. This is unflattering. Why? Because it makes her look bigger than she is. Why is that a problem? Because then she looks fat. Why is that a problem? Because she would look better thinner. Why? Try to figure out what biases you have and why and if they really serve you well in life.

      • Some chick says:

        DarlingDiana and AmyToo, I could not agree more!

        Meghan is beautiful. It’s a beautiful dress, for a formal occasion. Most of us should be so lovely, even once.

        Some people just want to nitpick, and show they know better. Like Kate’s dark stockings. They were FINE.

        Yes, yes, I am aware that this is a gossip site. We give our opinions. This is mine.

      • Jane'sWastedTalent says:

        Amy Too, you seem to be putting pressure on yourself that shouldn’t be there- no one has a perfect body. Maybe a better way to look at it instead of being very sensitive about flaws even when described by neutral, accurate, language, could be to remind yourself that the flaw isn’t a big deal, that everyone has them, and that they don’t define anyone as a person.

        But ideally we should try to look nice, because we live in a society- and also because one feels at least a little bit better about themselves even if they’re very depressed (I’ve tried it, it works).

      • DarlingDiana says:

        @Nahema, the dress may not be highlighting her curves, in your opinion, but I think people actually want her to hide them. I’m glad Meghan doesn’t subscribe to that way of thinking.

      • Amy Too says:

        JanesWastedTalent, I’m trying to get people to think about why having a round stomach or being short waisted or looking bigger than one is is a “flaw” though. I agree that we live in a society and therefore we should look tidy and clean and dress appropriately for the event or venue. She looks tidy and clean and is dressed appropriately. You say we should look “nice” and that she somehow doesn’t look as nice as she could because she appears to have a large stomach in this dress. But why does appearing to have a large stomach mean that someone doesn’t look nice? She’s wearing an expensive dress, in a beautiful fabric, in a pretty color. The main thing that people have with it is that it’s not “flattering,” it makes her look bigger than she is. And I want to know why is that a bad thing? There seems to be this idea that women need to present the smallest version of themselves that they can muster by whatever tricks necessary. Whether it’s wearing clean lined clothing with no extra fabric, or not drawing attention with a belt or accessory to the widest part of themselves, or dressing in all one color so they’re not “cut off” in the middle. If people just examine their thinking a little bit, by following their thought to its logical conclusion, they might be surprised at what they’re actually saying. “This is pretty but it does her no favors, she looks wide.” Why is that wrong or bad though? The logical conclusion is it’s wrong/bad because being wide is not attractive or acceptable. Or it’s only acceptable to be wide if you use all the tricks to make yourself appear thinner, or at least not wider.

        And it’s not about me. No where in my comment did I mention myself or my body type. You sound like you’re patronizing and concern trolling me. My body type is somewhere in between Kate and Meghan. You’re making it sound like I’m some hysterical person who could only care about the way we discuss women’s bodies because I’m super uncomfortable with my own body, which must be large, because otherwise why would it bother me?

        And for what it’s worth, I don’t even like this dress! I think it’s dated and unfashionable. I think the collar, buttons, and belt are stupid. I would prefer it if she wore something else. But not because this isn’t “flattering.” It might not be “flattering” in the sense that it makes her appear as thin as possible, but I don’t think that should ever have to be a consideration when someone is getting dressed. And I just find it bizarre that there are people who actually LIKE the dress and think it’s stylish and beautiful, but think she shouldn’t have worn it simply because it makes her look wide.

      • Jane'sWastedTalent says:

        Believe it or not, I was sincere. I thought you were personally struggling with body image (not necessarily weight) because not only have you obviously put a lot of thought into the subject but are taking it to unique conclusions. And some of your comments seemed overly sensitive, which usually comes from a place of pain. (‘Unflattering’ doesn’t have to mean that you don’t like ‘the body in the dress’, just that that dress and body do not go together. In Meghan’s case her size has nothing to do with it- small torsos and empire waistlines don’t go together, that’s all.)

        It’s funny, I actually sat in front of the keyboard for several minutes debating whether to substitute the word ‘nice’ for the phrase I wanted to use,’our best.’ Eventually decided on nice because I was concerned that our best could be interpreted as demanding too much effort, and could be stressful for someone having a difficult time. Comical, isn’t it?

        Not sure if your questions were rhetorical, but if you want the answer to your questions about why we strive to be attractive, it’s probably because attractiveness confers a certain social status. And even in the simplest human societies people will always try to improve or maintain their status. I’m sure there are tons of secondary and tertiary reasons, some of them disgusting no doubt, but power/security will usually be the ultimate reason for things.

        As for your other questions about a small frame being (generally) preferred, it probably boils down to the appearance of youth and fertility- which you doubtless knew already.

        For the record, I don’t think Meghan has a weight problem, I think Meghan has a belt problem.

      • Millennial says:

        AmyToo, you are doing gods work. Keep going!

      • Jane'sWastedTalent says:

        ???

    • Beach Dreams says:

      Same! It had a nice vintage glamour to it imo. It somewhat reminded me of the Dior New Look aesthetic. I think it would’ve looked better with a thinner belt, but otherwise I thought it was a nice dress.

      • notasugarhere says:

        That’s what I thought. Very Lady Sarah Chatto who is 5’1″ like her late mum and always dressing in full, longer skirts a la Dior.

    • Aang says:

      Me too. Looks like something Betty Draper would have worn (more successfully) to a funeral.

    • Lorelei says:

      I did too, Kittycat.

    • Carol says:

      I like it too. And didn’t she just have a baby? Maybe her figure isn’t pre-baby yet and she chooses more loosely not waist-cinching clothes?

  4. Betsy says:

    I have to agree with you. It’s one thing to spend big bucks and look amazing. It’s another to spend big bucks and look shrunken. I mean during her pregnancy it kind of made sense; that’s a hard time to fit and between bloating and expanding boobs butt and gut somedays you wake up like a different person, but…

    Diana has definite fashion missteps but overall her clothes fit and I liked her suits.

    • Lorelei says:

      But what if Meghan does think she looks amazing? Harry seems to think she does. It’s all subjective.

      We can criticize the optics of both Meghan and Kate getting so many bespoke pieces, but the reason for the criticism shouldn’t be based on what we personally like. JMO of course.

      • Turtledove says:

        Good point Lorelei. If everyone thought she looked amazing, would the cost then be justified?

        I think she always looks beautiful. But often, she does look to be drowning in fabric. I think it has to do with how petite she is. She doesn’t have that defined of a waist, and with her midsection being the thickest part of her, she tends to have a lot of excess fabric. I like the styles she goes for, very glam and vintage. But the fuller skirts with her delicate legs can look like a LOT of fabric. In any case, she looks beautiful and is dressed appropriately for her station and the occasion.

    • MsIam says:

      Amazing is in the eye of the beholder. A lot of people think Kate always looks “amazing” regardless of whatever ruffled buttony thing she puts on. The word “perfection” is thrown around a lot. Perhaps both ladies should post their outfits on Insta first to see how many “amazings” they get.

      • Lorelei says:

        @Msiam I was looking at the comments on yesterday’s military getup on What Kate Wore last night, and at the time I read it, every single comment was praising it and saying she nailed it, perfection, etc. Maybe there are more comments now with more of a variety of reactions, but I was so surprised to see that even people who love her weren’t turned off by the chest tassels.

  5. Seraphina says:

    I get it, I tend to agree. But it may take a while for her to get the hang of it. I also tend to be more forgiving because there have been others (clearing throat) that have flashed us thighs, butt and chest. So it’s frumpiness we have to deal with from a hard working royal, so be it. I’m sure she will come into her own.

    Plus, right now I won’t comment on frumpiness. She has a baby at home. So that also gets her a pass from me right now.

  6. Jan says:

    I think she’s pregnant.

    • Velvet Elvis says:

      I also think she’s pregnant.

    • stepup says:

      She’s holding her belly again…

      • CooCoo Catchoo says:

        Yep!

      • Ravensdaughter says:

        Pregnant…

      • Slacker says:

        Yes exactly! Of course and isn’t ready to announce
        Totally looks pregnant

      • Nan says:

        Yes, that hand was always there during her pregnancy with Archie, and it’s hovering again!

      • FHMom says:

        My first thought also.

      • PlayItAgain says:

        Yep. She cupped her belly in every photo when she was pregnant. She’s either pregnant again, or she wants us to think she is.

      • MsIam says:

        Kate does the same thing and people make that same silly speculation. If they are expecting again, we will all know at the appropriate time when they announce. I think it is just a question of what do you do with your hands while you are standing there, since apparently royals are forbidden to put their hands in their pockets or god forbid, touch their hair. It’s like Harry with that crazy hand in jacket pose.

      • Sofia says:

        I found the constant belly holding bizarre. I’m now pregnant and am often pushing baby’s feet out of my ribs or rubbing tender spots. If that’s what she was doing, I completely understand it!!!

      • Kyra WEGMAN says:

        this was my immediate response. she’s pregnant.

      • noway says:

        If she’s not pregnant, and we will find out in a few months or more, can we all just agree a dress where everyone speculates that you are pregnant isn’t really a good dress for you?

    • DiegoInSF says:

      That’s what I thought too, for some reason I thought they had officially announced it but I must’ve dreamt it!

    • Kk2 says:

      JFC having a baby only gets her 6 months off from pregnancy speculation?!? She could possibly be pregnant again but it is unlikely, especially since she is breastfeeding. Again, not impossible but not likely. To be pregnant again enough to have a bump is pretty much impossible. That bump is courtesy of Archie. I do think they will have another relatively quickly though. More likely she is self conscious about the postpartum pooch and/or this unflattering dress.

      • JanetDR says:

        It is possible to be pregnant that quickly while breastfeeding, just less likely. I was in maternity clothing for my second before the blood test came back, because I needed it! I know I’m not alone in that 😀.

      • Nic919 says:

        Women are apparently not allowed to be thick they can only be pregnant I guess.

      • Melissa says:

        It’s not her figure that makes me think she’s pregnant. It’s her skin and how she’s carrying herself. If you watch the videos she’s clearly trying to remind herself not to touch her stomach every 4 seconds.

      • PixiePaperdoll says:

        My sister in law was still nursing the twins when she was pregnant with the 3rd kiddo. Not impossible.

      • M.A.F. says:

        Everything is possible because body is different.

      • Annie says:

        KK2: thank you for being the voice of reason. She has a baby 6 months ago and is breastfeeding! It is extremely unlikely she’s pregnant again, and certainly not to the point or visibly showing. She would have had to get pregnant less than 2 months after Archie, and her doctors would clearly advise against that. Social media is warping our sense of time and rushing things that don’t need to be rushed!

      • Jane'sWastedTalent says:

        Nic919- Only too true, especially if you’re in the public eye. Where you still rarely see statuesque ladies.

      • Sticks says:

        She could be pregnant. We don’t actually know if she is breastfeeding or not.

      • Sass says:

        Can we stop with the old wives tales about breastfeeding meaning you can’t possibly be pregnant? That’s not how reproduction works.

        Since we are giving anecdotal evidence here’s mine: my kids are four days shy of a year apart. They had the same due date a year apart. I was exclusively breastfeeding my three month old AND on the mini pill when I conceived my second.

        So shut it.

        Also as others have said, it’s the hand on the stomach that’s giving us that thought. It was Meghan’s natural posture when pregnant with Archie. It doesn’t mean she is, it just means it comes across that way, so calm down.

    • Lorelei says:

      I do too. But even if she isn’t, she still has the right to dress however she likes. (This comment isn’t directed at you, Jan, but at the entire post.)

    • vegasschmegas says:

      I get that vibe, too.

    • Thaisajs says:

      That was my first thought, too. But I also don’t want to be a bump-watcher because I know that triggers a lot of women with fertility issues. So, will just go with that dress probably wasn’t the best fit for a woman with her body shape right now. She’s been so thin for so long, tho, I don’t think she has a good handle on how to dress her body while she’s still losing baby weight (or gaining it). Her skin looked unbelievable, tho!

    • Sam Louise says:

      I really think so too! That glow is giving it away.

    • Tiffany says:

      Yep. I don’t like it when I speculate on a woman’s womb but, yeah I believe she is as well.

    • Anna says:

      I also think she is as well – however, this time they are trying to keep it a little more private and not announcing it straight away. That what I think anyway.

      • Lady D says:

        I think it would be great if they didn’t announce it at all. Plus, if they don’t know when she’s due, the rags can’t properly hound her.

      • Kristina says:

        @Anna she looks it to me, too. The only thing that makes me think not is that she announced last time so early, and was smaller In her “bump” than even here. So would she announce once small but one not until larger? Idk. Anyway, I was flat-tummied after my first, middle with my second, and with my third- permanent bump post party no matter how many sit ups I do! Lol. So I’m not judging.

      • dynastysurf says:

        I do think one of the only reasons they announced so early with Archie was due to the Australia/NZ tour – speculation would have been rampant anyway, so they might as well get ahead of it. Now, they’re heading into the royal “off season” so to speak, and so we’ll be seeing her – and the rest of the family – less. Makes it easier to keep it lowkey for longer.

      • Karen says:

        Waiting for another wedding to announce it?

      • notasugarhere says:

        Keep trying oh tumblr crowd. Mike Tindall admitted Meghan and Harry shared the news of their pregnancy on their family WhatsApp group, weeks before Eugenie’s wedding. People who hadn’t seen them since that went out were giving their congrats in person at the wedding reception.

        Given how her pregnancy was obvious the second she stepped off the plane in Australia three days later, there was no way to hide it any longer.

  7. HK9 says:

    Here’s the thing with bespoke, you don’t know the actual price. Kate does this all the time, with lots of pieces that are and not only bespoke but fug as well. I’ve come to accept that people won’t use their common sense and realize these ladies don’t and never will pay retail. If you don’t like the clothes that’s fine, but no one likes it when she does brands that cost less either so since they all re-wear tons of their clothes, she should just carry on.

    • Chelle says:

      I was going to make similar comments. People buy what they like. Both women aren’t likely paying full price for their clothing at this point.

      I won’t comment too much on Kate’s tastes in clothing versus Meghan’s. However, Kate’s clothing early on was very girlish and inappropriate. I thought that was a reflection of her overall lack of work experience and/or being exposed to a range of other women who worked across different industries. Meghan, on the other hand, tries too hard IMHO to be on trend. The trends end up wearing her. However, I’m going to reluctantly give Kate the win here. Why? Because her clothing, although inappropriate and too girly/immature, is always/usually immaculately tailored. That goes a long way in terms of looking and feeling good. Meghan should and arguably needs to go that route. Not only would she look better turned out but like Kate the price of her bespoke clothing would be more hidden and less transparent (maybe).

  8. Scal says:

    I like the dress *shrug*

  9. Kittycat says:

    Funny enough people complained Meghan didn’t dress well in South Africa because she wore older pieces.

    It’s almost like people will complain about something when Prince Charles is the one cutting Meghan the money for her clothes.

  10. S808 says:

    I think she’s wearing what she’s comfortable in. I personally love oversized coats cause I’m tiny and get cold easily. How much custom gear does she actually own? I could be wrong, but this is the first bespoke piece she’s worn in a while? Everyone always seems to have some sort of criticism so she should just wear what she wants *shrug*

    • Ladiabla says:

      This is what I was gonna say, she probably goes for a heavier, warmer coat cause she’s cold. I’d want one too if I was standing outside for however long. And I’m in Texas, not in England. And she’s not supposed to stand too near to her husband for warmth because protocol. I’d be out there looking like Ralphie’s little brother.

    • Valiantly Varnished says:

      This is exactly my thought. People will criticize no matter what she wears. So I think she should wear what she likes and ignore the rest of it. Sometimes you simply have to stop playing the game people want you to play and do what makes you happy and what you feel comfortable with. And I hope she continues to do that

  11. Becks1 says:

    So, I keep looking at the dress and going back and forth on it. I think one of the problems with it is that in these photos her waist is against a dark background, so you cant really see the waistline of the dress and it looks wider than it actually is. but I think if you took away the buttons and/or belt it would look a lot better. There’s a lot of fabric there, and then you add those other elements and even though its all one color, I think its a lot. But I think the silhouette is something nice and different for her and I like that neckline on her, a lot.

    Re: cost of her clothes – meh. She got a lot of heat for that last year, and it seemed to work out well for Kate, and then when Meghan does wear repeats or lower cost clothes she gets slammed for that as well.

    • Eliza says:

      Having a pleated skirt gathered under a belt in a heavy brocade fabric is going to give extra width. No matter your bodyshape. The collar is awful too, why does she have a raised height collar on her shoulders like a vampire, but then that tiny sad lapel on the front, they don’t belong on same neckline. Erdem just keeps adding details, they have no editing eye.

    • Nic919 says:

      All arguments about the cost of clothing are disingenuous at this point because the media doesn’t look at the cost of other royals and Kate’s bespoke outfits are treated like they are free. Do we really think her soldier Barbie coat was cheap?

      As for fit, I think a lot of the issue is that she doesn’t have a stick thin torso, especially since giving birth and so she is not wearing super fitted body con outfits like the other one. It’s not like she’s wearing Mumus out in public. There was nothing wrong with the coat she wore on Sunday either. I don’t know how much more fitted it could get. There are just insane expectations here and she seems to not be allowed to make fashion mistakes. It’s not like the other ones haven’t. There are tons of photos of Diana looking weird and the same with Kate. Expecting Meghan to look perfect to everyone’s taste all the time is just another insane expectation, especially when we have someone dealing with a changing body, living on another continent and dealing with a backstabbing family. Meghan’s outfits are the least of the issues going on in the British Royal Family.

      • Lorelei says:

        @Nic919, co-signed again. Also, you just took me out with “Soldier Barbie.”

        And you’re right that they’re going to attack her no matter what she does. They frequently list the prices of pieces that she owned YEARS before she even met Harry. She can’t win with the press so clearly she’s just dressing for herself and I love it.

      • Lorri says:

        They DO look at the cost of other royal women’s wardrobes. Those estimates are published every single year! Meghan got dinged for spending more than any royal woman in Europe last year.

      • MsIam says:

        @Lorri, if they don’t know the cost of bespoke outfits, then the cost estimates cannot be correct. They are shots in the dark at best. And the totals for Meghan included jewelry which was gifted to her.

      • Nic919 says:

        False. They used to post the cost of Kate’s wardrobe before Meghan got on the scene but then suddenly they stopped doing that. And they never assign a cost to the bespoke outfits Kate wears but they do for Meghan. They also included things like jewelry she owned prior to marriage clothing she owned prior to marriage and that dress in the engagement photo which was so obviously provided at discount.

        And frankly Kate shouldn’t be wearing anything new. She is the same size roughly for the last four years and she could get things altered if need be. Did she need another new black coat for Remembrance Day? No she didn’t. After almost nine years Kate should have her wardrobe complete. If she had changed sizes it might be different but she hasn’t.

      • L4frimaire says:

        Totally agree. Every article with Meghan led with the cost of her clothes, even things she’s owned for years. The only other cost mentioned was Kate’s cheap little headband. They were trying to price out Meghan’s earrings, while Kate was wearing the Queen’s earrings on that balcony with that obviously expensive military coat that apparently doesn’t cost anything. The anti- Meghan press frenzy is starting up again, and it’s over nothing. There is a certain anger and resentment about her beauty, the fact she puts herself out there with the work, and that she expressed her true feelings of the strain of the past year, and they are more angry about the support it garnered. Even Stella McCartney was hounded into taking down her little post of Meghan wearing her coat because people were trolling her big time, while some other designer was calling out the Queen wearing his clothes with barely a whisper. As for her body, what it takes to get really toned and thin to actress weight is grueling and hard for some people after pregnancy and ongoing stress and pressure. The haters should be pleased she’s not her usual size 2. Maybe in LA she can starve herself in peace while doing 6 hour CrossFit workouts to satisfy our standards of thinness, then come back to be accused of getting a tummy tuck and being vain. So over this.

      • noway says:

        Whose “they” cause I still see the cost of most of Kate’s outfit on the Daily Mail when I read it? If it’s bespoke they do things like it. It’s one of the nice things on the Daily Mail, really the only nice thing cause they also have a little section sometimes about where to buy it, and sometimes more affordable similar outfits. I know I’m still looking for an affordable option for Kate’s little house on prairie number she wore in the summer, just kidding. God that was awful. My opinion on their style is when Kate misses her misses are epically bad. When Meghan misses its just bad. Lately, with a few exceptions though I would say Kate has dramatically improved her style though.

        I don’t get why price is a thing for either of them to be honest. They are royal and rich to boot and no one is paying sticker price, plus they all recycle wear. I just hate that they give publicity to crappy pieces for the designers. Now I like Meghan’s Stella McCartney coat, even with the belt issues and Stella herself sent out a thanks on social media for this. So of course everyone looked to see how much it was.

    • Amy Too says:

      I don’t like the large, covered buttons and would like to see the dress without the belt, as well.

  12. emmy says:

    She was always dressed extremely well during Suits. Her red carpets were fantastic, so modern and flattering to her shape. Where is that stylist? They need to come back.

    • MsIam says:

      I can guarantee that if she dressed anything like her character on Suits then the criticism would be how she wasn’t being “royal” and was dressing like a Hollywood starlet. I would bet the word cheap would be thrown around liberally. And the consensus I have seen on other sites is that she and the dress looked beautiful.

      • emmy says:

        I said during, not on. She can’t dress like a paralegal in a non-existent sexy TV law firm. I’m not crazy. But her red carpet looks were lovely. I’m saying whoever dressed her knew what they were doing. Knew her shape. She’s worn some lovely stuff since she got married but whenever she wants to look especially conservative, this happens.

    • Originaltessa says:

      I think Meghan’s sense of style is a lot sexier and fashion forward than a royal wardrobe would ever allow her to be. She probably finds her choices boring and uninspiring so by default doesn’t care too much. If she were truly allowed to dress the way she wanted it’d be so much more interesting.

  13. Sunshine says:

    Once again Meghan can’t win. Sigh. A few months ago you were complaining about all the repeat clothes she was wearing, particularly in South Africa. Now you are complaining the clothes she is wearing is too expensive and too frumpy, noting she just had a baby 6 MONTHS ago and her body is transitioning.
    How many Erdem dresses have Sophie and Kate worn this year? Where are the articles on that?
    We have no idea who or where her earrings are from.
    Just leave the woman alone. Stop picking on her unless you are going to do the same analysis the others.

    • S808 says:

      +1000 her body is in a weird place right now. I guess people aren’t used to seeing a royal woman not drop weight almost immediately after giving birth? Everyone assumes she’s pregnant again but I think it’s just baby weight and bc she’s breast feeding.

      • Guest says:

        It’s been 6 months since Archie. It’s baby weight. If she could have lost the extra weight by now, she would have. She was fit and healthy through pregnancy and did/does yoga. I guess it’s the midsection and her hips/behind that have spread a lot because her arms and legs look like before pre baby. It happens. She has a new shape and she should embrace it and find outfits to flatter her figure. Covering up in these types of fabrics isn’t working. Don’t wear belts around the widest part of your body! That’s fashion 101! She needs to get her Suits stylist back.

      • Linda says:

        @S808
        There are thousands of women who have to return to work after having a baby and they manage to look good with less resources. Meghan just needs a stylist who understands her figure.

      • Wow says:

        I don’t think this is about her weight at all(she does NOT have a weight problem imo) this is about her clothes being fugly. Most of the time when I click on a Meghan fashion post it’s a let down for me. I agree with the comments about her style on Suits, I’m currently watching it after putting it on pause for a few years and I she looks AMAZING in that show. Whoever was styling her at the time was really really good at choosing beautiful clothes that fit her.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Why is she required to lose baby weight with X amount of time or never lose it according to some? One of the healthiest approaches is, it takes 9 months to put on, take at least 9 months to take it off. If they’re planning for Baby #2 soon, don’t bother. Zara took at least 9 months and was praised for it.

      • noway says:

        I’m saying this for all the women who have maybe a bit more weight than they want, you can still look wonderful. Just don’t wear things that aren’t meant for your body shape. This dress reminds me of Audrey Hepburn. Audrey was very thin and very tall. Meghan isn’t either so don’t wear that. Meghan has worn several outfits that make her look great after her pregnancy. This just isn’t one of them.

    • Enn says:

      Kaiser 100% keeps the same energy for Kate. Sophie’s fashion isn’t covered as much.

    • Guest says:

      lol The only reason she dressed down and wore cheap clothes in South Africa was because she kowtow to the high spending criticism. The cheap clothes trend you saw her wear in SA wasn’t going to last and I am not sure why people thought it would. It was PR and it worked. I saw so many people praising Meghan for wearing the same low priced brands they wear on the regular. The PR was nicely done with that.

      • Lorelei says:

        @Guest I think it had more to do with the fact that they visited some places where people are living in extreme poverty and she sensitively took that into consideration.

      • Guest says:

        If that was the case, they wouldn’t have talked about not surviving, not thriving or whatever, at the very same place where people LITERALLY have to survive every single day……. and cannot even imagine a thriving life. Beyond tone deaf. That isn’t sensitive from the Sussexes.

    • SIPNBUBBLY says:

      I may be wrong, I don’t think Meghan’s worn anything bespoke all year? So I don’t see the need to complain about her spending this year at all. She wore repeats for the tour and everyone complained but now she wears one bespoke dress and we’re back to ”Meghan spends too much money”.

      • Guest says:

        It was during the early part of the year before Archie where she was getting a ton of flack for her high spending outfits. She wore bespoke in Morocco and during the final engagements before taking her maternity leave. I remember the bespoke Gucci for the New Zealand tragedy signing the condolences book and the bespoke green coat for another event. I Don’t know that designer but it was reminiscent of Diana’s green pregnancy coat. I thought it was a nice nod.

    • Valiantly Varnished says:

      +1,000,000

    • Lorelei says:

      What bothers me is that the criticism about Kate seems fair. She’s criticized for wearing something inappropriate (military cosplay) or repetitive. She’ll spend god knows how much on a blue dress or dress coat when she already has like 200. The criticism of Meghan is just because people don’t like her personal taste.

    • Redgrl says:

      Kate has too many ugly coat dresses & Meghan has too many ill-fitting coats..
      @sunshine – are we reading the same site?! There is routine criticism of Kate’s wardrobe on here! @cidy & @minx downthread – exactly!

  14. Cidy says:

    I mean.. while I’m all #abolishthemonarchy… I get it??? If you’re going to spend that amount of money on clothes at least get them tailored? For the budget they are probably given on clothes Meg and Harry seem to need the most help, even William’s clothes are better tailored and fitter than Harry’s and that’s saying something. As much as Kate cosplays, her clothes at least fit.

    But this is where it gets tricky right? Because people dont want to hear bad word against the Sussexes because of the smear campaign even when it’s just about fashion, but we should be able to have these conversations without people coming out of the woodwork to say how perfect Meg is because of the absolute nightmare she has been through. She doesnt need anymore criticism, but shes in a position publically where she has married into criticism, especially about her fashion choices, Kate gets torn apart here constantly for her fashion choices, and it’s part of the whole royal purpose, “give people something to talk about to keep us relevant.” – just a thought.

    That having been said…. tailor your clothes.

    • minx says:

      Exactly. CB is a Meghan-friendly site, I think we are allowed to comment on her fashion.

      • Cidy says:

        Agreed. This is a Meg friendly place, so I feel like one of the best places to talk about some fashion misstep because it doesnt come from a bad negative place.

      • Chelle says:

        @Minx, if you go back to read old posts, while I don’t think it was ever “girlfriend come in and have some tea and don’t forget to bring your world famous chutney” on this site, I think it was the sausage curls, the hyena grins, the lace doily dresses, the wiglets and the skirts flying up that was so off-putting. However, the nail in the coffin, IMHO, was Jason over at KP putting it out how keen Kate was to do this and how keen she was to do that. And nothing happened. Kate kept the keen at home. Over and over and over and over.

    • bonobochick says:

      But Meghan also got torn apart by some for repeating lots of clothes and wearing off the rack dresses on tour. So it seems like she can’t win either way and the objective at hand is simply to nitpick her.

      Meanwhile, where is the rant about Kate’s latest bespoke soldier coat or any other royal family member’s bespoke garment?

      • Enn says:

        The rant about Kate’s soldier coat was yesterday.

      • minx says:

        Kate gets the criticism she deserves here. The soldier coat was jeered.

      • Marigold says:

        Her soldier coat got hacked to pieces on the story yesterday, and Kate gets criticism for every bespoke piece she wears here–especially if it looks just. like. every other dress she’s worn that quarter.

        This dress Meghan wore looked like a huge, heavy black brocade curtain. It did her no favors. The woman looks AMAZING in a blouse and trousers right now. It has nothing to do with her post-partum weight (she looks wonderful and truly fit and healthy right now to me). The problem is that the dress did not fit her and does not flatter her shape. She was swimming in it and it wore her.

    • Becks1 says:

      I dont mind the fashion criticism, but it does get tiresome to see multiple comments on every post about how she must be pregnant again because reasons, but if someone comments on Kate’s increasing skinniness we are accused of body shaming.

      I will say that even when I dont like what Meghan is actually wearing, I always look forward to seeing what she will wear bc I dont think she ever dresses boring.

      • Linda says:

        @Becks1
        You cannot compare comments saying that Meghan is pregnant to comments calling Kate a hanger, a pole, anorexic and accusing her of having an eating disorder. Anyway commenting on a woman’s body is wrong regardless.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Yes, the comments can be compared. Meghan is absolutely being body shamed constantly by Kate stans and/or Meghan haters (as they’re basically indistinguishable by now). Kate stans were obsessed and *thrilled* if she lost baby weight in two months. Considered it aspirational, just like pictures pictures of Kate pre-wedding were used as aspirational on pro-ana sites.

        If you’ve followed royals for any amount of time, you’d acknowledge Kate isn’t at a healthy weight for her body. Her pics from Uni make it obvious.

      • Cidy says:

        NOTASUGARHERE, Kate cant control if pro-ana sights are talking about her body. When the first one was born and she came out in that blue dress and the wind was blowing and she showed her still there belly a lot of people applauded her for coming out and presenting herself in her post partum body. She had a normal post partum body. And she has a normal body. We cant say whether shes at a normal weight by just looking at her, we dont know her muscle mass or her actual weight and no one looks the same as an adult as they do in college? So let’s not body shame.

        And also lets stop wildly speculating if Meg is pregnant because of her clothes or her torso! I look 6 months pregnant if I eat wheat so I’m not going to say that by her wearing baggy clothes or having an shorter torso she looks pregnant. Also SHE JUST HAD A BABY.

        All body shaming is wrong. We are better than that.

        My point about fashion criticism is that fashion is literally part of Kate and Meg’s job. In the very least Meg should hook up with a good tailor so she can get her comfort fit, loose style and not lose herself in fabric. If we we are going to buy bespoke let’s treat it like bespoke. I’ll never shame anyone for wearing repeats, and i wont applaud them either.

        We should be able to talk about her fashion.

      • notasugarhere says:

        No idea where my big post went.

        A woman on the street approached her pre-wedding, concerned about her weight loss. Google the pics of Kate in the black v-neck, which was hugely popular with pro-ana sites. Kate’s response was, ‘It is all part of the plan’. The Palace could have issued a statement regarding the pro-ana sites, could has issued statements to shut down Kate stan bullying of Meghan. They haven’t because W&K don’t want them to. But the did issue a statement denying her obvious weaves. SMDH

        Go read stan comments about Kate two months post-partum. All they could praise was her thinness.

        Kate has used weight loss for vanity and/or attention for years. Both are concerning. Losing weight to get boys to like her, losing weight to get William to like her, get his attention, or get his attention back after breakups. She’s had this track record for 20+ years.

      • Lady D says:

        @Cidy, it wasn’t the wind that showed her post-partum belly. She literally cupped her belly in her hands and stood there, just beaming. She looked so full of joy that day and beautiful, standing in front of all those cameras watching William hold George. I felt really happy for her, (it’s hard not to respond to that kind of joy) and impressed that she didn’t care in the least about her looks at that moment. It’s been really rare to see that kind of joy on her face since.
        I know she had the full blowout before stepping in front of the cameras, but her looks that day were more than just makeup and hair. I maintain it is the best she has ever looked in her life.
        (why am I sticking up for Kate, I don’t even like her)

      • Jane'sWastedTalent says:

        I’ve never seen comments here calling Kate a hanger or a pole, nor do I believe anyone made them. In fact, I rarely even see people outright calling her anorexic- more that her weight is worrisome. For the record, I agree.

      • PSYCHOBOT says:

        Becks1, nota: no you can’t compare. You only see Meghan’s supposed pregnancy when she’s wearing something like this, look at pics from events she wore that green dress + the red/ burgundy leather skirt. She looked fine, normal, not much of a gut but obvious that she just had a baby.

        Linda is right, I’ve seen comments about Kate’s weight from pro-Sussex twitter pages that gave me pause. These people are vile, and they’re no better than the ones body shaming Meghan. You can’t compare a 20 year old body vs mid 30s, and some people’s weight just fluxes depending on what’s going on, so I don’t know how you know for sure that she was losing weight for dudes and attention, but then again it’s you– you always know.

        Stans are just toxic from both ends.

      • notasugarhere says:

        Yes, we can as we are doing here. Kate’s weight has, for the past 20 years, fluctuated based on experiences in her life. Not having a child, but how fast she was determined to starve off the weight after each child. How she used weight loss to get liked by boys, including William, for 15 years. Her frame size hasn’t changed, but her extreme weight loss periods have made it more clear.

        That is different from the many new pro-Kate stans on this site who are attacking Meghan for her post-partum figure. Obvious when you look for it, and obvious when you’re deflecting.

      • CynicalCeleste says:

        Audrey Hepburn is often mentioned here as a praise-worthy style icon and many here say MM’s looks are reminiscent of AH. But if AH’s look is so aspirational, why then, are people so alarmed by KM’s figure, which is probably pretty close to the height and weight that AH actually was?

      • Andrea says:

        Kate definitely controls her weight. I am a size 10, been working with a personal trainer 2 years now and am 20 lbs heavier than when I was a size 14, but everything is toner etc. Muscle weighs more than fat. She heavily restricts ala Victoria Beckham and us not naturally thin or athletic.

      • Jane'sWastedTalent says:

        Cynical Celeste- It’s because Audrey Hepburn studied ballet. Once you study ballet, you have a free pass to be underweight for the rest of your life. Still true today and even more so back then.

      • Lorelei says:

        @CynicalCeleste/Jane: this is why. Audrey almost died of starvation during the war. Nothing to do with ballet.

        https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/audrey-hepburn-family-reveals-skinny-article-1.3416072

      • notasugarhere says:

        Audrey Hepburn’s style can be worn by women with a different frame. It was her style itself, not her size, that mattered.

        Audrey Hepburn didn’t choose to be waif-like.

        She nearly starved to death during WWII, when her family was forced to eat tulip bulbs and nettles to have something in their stomachs. That early malnutrition impacted her the rest of her life, including anemia for most of it. It likely made it difficult for her to carry pregnancies to term (several miscarriages), which is why she went on complete bed rest for her two full-term pregnancies.

      • Guest says:

        Linda is completely correct. You don’t have to believe it but you will see it with your own eyes in the Kate posts. I remember the hanger one and I know who it came from. The anorexic comments pop up all the time. Why is it that us skinny women are shamed? You wouldn’t tell an overweight person to hold the fries, so why is it okay to call us thin women anorexic & a bag of bones? I will never understand.

      • PSYCHOBOT1 says:

        Sigh. Why do we even bother anymore.

      • noway says:

        This conversation is kind of odd, cause it seems thin people think only they are criticized and body shamed and overweight or not thin people think only they are body shamed. Guess what it comes both ways, and pretty heavily with women, and both sides could be a health issue we should not body shame at all and try to watch your comments for a bit of sensitivity to it. However, I don’t see why we can’t comment on their clothes. Fashion can look beautiful on women of all sizes if done well.

      • notasugarhere says:

        For years it has been remarked that Kate changes her size at will, as seen with our own eyes. The fact that she does this as a response to wanting attention should not be praised, but is concerning. This is not Kate’s healthy or natural weight.

  15. Caity says:

    Is she pregnant? Is she buying clothes that she plans to wear over the next 1-2 years as she prepares to be pregnant and post-baby body?
    I mean her smart works collection was gorgeous. We know she can have excellent style.
    Is it that she’s trying to consider lines of attack from tabloid trash and planning outfits to minimise criticism? She can look gorgeous and do that, so why is she wearing clothes that are not flattering for her body? (Not shaming here, I am not a thin woman myself)

    • MsIam says:

      Meghan is about a size 6 or 8 at the most. How exactly is she supposed to look? Thinner? She looks beautiful in this dress. I think some people’s perspective is skewed from looking at other people for so long……

      • minx says:

        She’s not supposed to look thinner. She has the resources to have her clothing fit well to her body and they so often don’t.

      • Guest says:

        Meghan looks like a UK size 12. Pre pregnancy she looked like a UK size 6 or 4. She is in the public eye, it is what it is.

  16. Guest says:

    She isn’t paying for it though. All official Royal Family event outfits come from the Duchy of Cornwall aka money bags Charles. The same earrings with clear diamonds cost around the price you mentioned – so with rubies – the price is going to be higher. Rubies are valuable. This is a new collection, not something from years ago, so she couldn’t have had them from many years ago. I agree with the frumpiness tho. I don’t know what’s going on. Matronly and frumpy are usually in Kate’s wheelhouse. Meghan looks better and gorgeous in simple, designer sleek cuts. I loved her Suits wardrobe.

    • MsIam says:

      You know the earrings she wore to Misha’s wedding were thought to be “expensive diamonds”! Turns out they cost what, $10? So how do we know these aren’t the same, just because some trashy tabloid sees something similar?

      • Guest says:

        Because the Earrings with Meghan’s name are being advertised on The jewellers website. If you have a problem with that, take it up with Jessica herself. The fact they are being advertised shows a connection and that Meghan is fine with her name being mentioned. I get the earrings cost probably more than you earn in a year so you won’t believe the price but it isn’t false.

  17. Snowslow says:

    She’s either pregnant again or hasn’t lost the baby weight yet so I would give her a HUGE break. If I had had to do post-baby in the eye of the press I think I would have lost my marbles.
    Who cares if she doesn’t look anally put together like Kate? To each his/her/they own. As long as she does her charity work and other stuff… Put together or not, there will always be something wrong so she might as well be confortable.

    • Valiantly Varnished says:

      Exactly.

    • HK9 says:

      It took a loooooong time for Kate to have semi-reliable style. Kate spent years getting bespoke clothes with the wrong proportions, you only have to google to see it.

      • spookie says:

        @ HK9 yes, but Kate was younger then and hadn’t been an actress. I have no problem with Meghan per se, but I found that for someone who is petite she sometimes seems drowned in material which is emphasised by the fact that she has very slim legs.

        And unfortunately I think this particular dress, with the lower neckline was more suited to a cocktail party than this occasion.

    • Beach Dreams says:

      Agreed. Her body has been through a LOT of changes since she got engaged to Harry. The stress-based weight loss (it’s what I assume thanks to her father’s antics) in the weeks before the wedding, then getting pregnant a couple of months after the wedding, etc.. I think that makes the effort to have the sufficiently “duchess type” wardrobe challenging (and I think she’s mostly done well so far on that front).

    • notasugarhere says:

      Meghan’s last three outfits have all been on point and she’s looked glowing and appropriate to me. Field of Remembrance, Cenotaph, Festival of Remembrance. She’s less than two years in at this job, getting absolutely no breaks, showing up, and doing fine.

  18. JulieCarr says:

    She could maybe get away with the spending if it was on exclusively British designers and she looked so incredible every time that it was giving the industry a serious boost, but spending this kind of money on so many foreign fashion houses while looking like she’d have been better off picking up a £30 dress from Primark…it is a problem, and one I’m surprised she hasn’t corrected yet.

    She’s buying way too many high end bespoke outfits, and wearing them to events where it’s really not necessary. She really needs to switch to getting off the rack mid-range designer pieces tailored, and only buy the bespoke Givenchy or Erdem a couple of times a year when the occasion actually demands it.

  19. Enn says:

    The silhouette and fabric together were too much. A heavy damask like that needs slim lines on someone with Meghan’s height and build, or the silhouette needs a lighter fabric without a pattern.

    I just went through the jeweler’s site and I’ve been doing this job a long time – those earrings (as in, just about every pair on the site) are overpriced af.

  20. Kessa says:

    Meghan is stunning!! So soft and strong and just gorgeous! I had a dream about dressing her last night.

    • Harla says:

      Oh I’d love to hear what you dressed her in? Was it for a formal event? Casual? Was she wearing a tiara?? Please say she was wearing a tiara!!

    • notasugarhere says:

      If them buying it back wouldn’t cause a stir, I’d like to see her in Queen’s Mary’s amethyst tiara. That was one of the loveliest the BRF had. Put Meghan in a dark purple gown with that tiara? Perfect.

  21. Sam says:

    No way that earrings cost that much and she can wear whatever she wants and likes, bespoke or not.Complained when she was wearing a lot of repeats and now complaining about this also

    Also I don’t think the clothes look frumpy more like Meghan’s body shape can make a lot of the clothes look like they don’t fit or not just right,she just has to find someone that can dress her body shape properly

  22. 10KTurtle says:

    I think this dress is more “twee” than “frumpy” but I do like it and it looks better on her and fits her better than 90% of the stuff she chooses. I think it looks like something a young Princess Margaret would have worn.

    • Enn says:

      I love the 1950s vibe and get what she was going for. As far as fit, I’m in my 40s and a lot of women hold onto weight as we get older especially after giving birth. Hormones play a big part, and Meghan isn’t starving herself. Increased cortisol (from stress!) can contribute to weight retention too.

      I want her to be happy and comfortable and with a great stylist, she’d look phenomenal.

      • Le4Frimaire says:

        I think some of the difficultly snapping back is stress related. She’s generally very lean, even throughout the pregnancy, so not surprised if it’s related to stress, and the demands of a newborn, plus working on projects during maternity leave. This past weekend, the press put her on the front covers and lead the coverage with her, yet at the same time they seem pissed about it. Makes no sense.

      • A says:

        The ironic thing is that she’s still quite lean and slim, if you ask me. She doesn’t look heavy in any sense of the word at all. We have such skewed perspectives on women’s bodies, it’s depressing.

  23. Sofia says:

    I’ve said it before but I think she is definitely starting to nail her “regular” engagement style but her “traditional duchess” outfits are more misses than hits. One reason is that she doesn’t wear those types of clothes often therefore hasn’t had a chance to “practice. Another reason could be that she’s uncomfortable wearing them so she doesn’t make good choices about them. Or she gets someone else to pick them for her and they don’t pick well.

  24. Eliza says:

    Can I complain about every royal woman in Erdem? Epecially bespoke that look worse than ready-to-wear. It’s not Meghan, it’s all of them. Erdem just is fug 90% of the time. All the ladies should avoid.

    The earrings are overpriced and ugly. Again, I think both Kate and Meghan like jewels that are overpriced but look like their from Claires: between Kate’s Kikis and Meghan’s Jessica McCormack/Ecksand collections. They can buy better quality stones and substantial jewels for those price tags.

    • Belli says:

      I would also like to just veto Erdem. I don’t think I’ve ever liked a single one of their dresses. This fabric needed a note streamlined shape, or that shape needed a more delicate fabric.

      She looks amazing, but that’s in spite of the dress, not because of it.

  25. Lucylee says:

    I like the dress. And, at least the earrings were not pilfered from some far away land.
    It’s really hard to judge fabric, fit, etc from pictures. She has to do what she feels is best for her as she focuses on projects rather than fashion. The lack of jewelry on Sunday was a way to let the world know she really isn’t coveting gems from the royal vaults and doesn’t need them.

  26. Well-Wisher says:

    In the old days when the UK had colonies it was considered bad taste to comment about people’s attire. Now their tabloids lead the reporting about cost and style. Many of the expensive pieces that were purchased will be reworn on several occassions as the Sussexes adhere to sustainable living protocols.
    Those clothing will have to be traditional to seem timeless. Princess Anne wears clothes she had since the 60s and 70s and none bats an eye.
    I like her coats. They are familiar to many of us who can remember clothes before NAFTA.

  27. Valiantly Varnished says:

    If Kate can spend thousands on bespoke items than Meghan can too.

    • Sunshine says:

      @valiantly varnished. That’s all I’m saying. In keeping with Meghan’s comment from the documentary, no one expects it to be easy for her, but it should be fair. Price the clothing and jewellery of all of them.

      • Guest says:

        Erm the clothes and jewels have always been counted up for Kate. Take a look back
        at the tabloids archives, it’s all there. Sophie isn’t talked about much, so her expensive outfits aren’t talked about , but Kate’s have certainly been added up and discussed- especially on here.

      • CynicalCeleste says:

        When did anyone think royalty was fair? ? Peoples are losing perspective.

    • JayDee says:

      But Kate is much more important, so one would expect her to have a bigger wardrobe budget.

      • Sunshine says:

        @jaydee what about Sophie?

      • L4frimaire says:

        @JayDee I’m sure she does have a bigger budget, and she wears duplicates of the same expensive designers, but no one has a problem with it since Meghan showed up. We no longer hear about her spending, but she is not “ thrifty”in the normal, watch your budget sense.

    • bub244 says:

      I think neither Kate nor Meghan should be spending this much!!

    • Linda says:

      I don’t care how much she spends on her clothes, they all spend mega bucks on their clothes Charles included. Meghan needs a stylist who understands her figure. She can’t spend that much and come out looking this frumpy. It can’t be that difficult.

      • Wow says:

        @Linda…Exactly! Who cares how much she spends? They are ALL privileged over spenders. And the weight thing is a non-issue that isn’t worth discussing. The clothes and her general styling just don’t look good imo and that is the problem.

      • JayDee says:

        Kate always looks great though, Meghan really doesn’t. And it seems like more of a waste if you’re spending so much £££ and still not looking great.

        Personally I think Meghan’s possibly struggling to adapt to her altered figure after the pregnancy – a lot of women have this issue, and it’s not just the weight gain – your whole body shape can be subtly (or considerably!) different. And when those go-to pieces that always looked great before no longer work, you’re left experimenting with alternatives until you find things that suit the new shape.

      • DS9 says:

        I actually don’t think Kate “always” looks great. To my eye, she actually looks frumpy and mumsy even when well tailored. The length of her hems to me, isn’t flattering, especially when paired with the shoes she favors. Her makeup is harsh, the hair is bland, and she rarely wears anything stylish.

        BUT her clothing choices are appropriate to the venue/audience/occasion, she looks comfortable in them, and she seems to like them so I leave her be.

        Occasionally, I’ll comment that I liked something, especially when it suits her well to my eye anyway or if the comments seem to be dragging her unfairly.

      • bonobochick says:

        “Kate always looks great though,”

        lies, fallacies, and fairy tales

      • A says:

        Kate has the advantage of being at this job for eight years by this point, if not more. If you look back at pictures of her during her early years as duchess, she had the exact same issues with figuring out how to dress her body, especially in the time she was having children. Compare with every other royal lady in her age gap, and you’ll find the exact same issues. Maxima/Letizia/CP Victoria/Mary of Denmark, ALL of them struggled w/ figuring out how to dress. Stephanie of Luxembourg still looks frumpy and she’s been married almost six years now.

        Learning how to dress when you’re in this position is undoubtedly a difficult part of the job. It’s a skill, it takes time, so let’s give her that. The Queen had many many ugly decades before she found Angela Kelly. I’ve seen tons of pictures of her fugly ass flowered shower caps and the caked on make up. And she was the Queen.

    • notasugarhere says:

      Kate has spent years buying repetitive, near-identical bespoke coat dresses. Dozens of them. Near identical bespoke beaded gowns. Plenty of fugly, expensive bespoke outfits. For a pathetically low amount of work.

      Meghan’s still working out how to take Meghan style and make it Duchess of Sussex style, but personally I think she has far more hits than misses in only two years. Her fashion is always interesting, as Becks1 writes above. While accomplishing three major projects in that time to Kate’s keen nothingness.

      • A says:

        If I didn’t think it was a waste of time (or if I even had the time, which I don’t, since I’m procrastinating right now), I’d honestly sit down and make a tally of everything Meghan has worn since the South Africa tour, when she came back from maternity leave, and compare it to everything Kate, Camilla and the Queen has worn in the same time frame. And see just how many of them were bespoke designer items and how many weren’t. Acting like this overspending is somehow a consistent thing with Meghan when she consciously seems to have made an effort to tamp it down (while Kate just chugged along with her >$1000 outfits) is just incorrect, I feel. It’s one thing to not like Meghan’s fashion, or Kate’s, or anyone’s for that matter. It’s another to criticize someone for doing something they’ve demonstrated a conscious effort not to do in some time. If Meghan swings right back to the ill-fitting bespoke Givenchy’s in the coming years, then we’ll have a conversation about spending. Hopefully that conversation will happen in context of the RF spending tons of money on seemingly cookie cutter outfits. Setting aside Kate for a moment, exactly how many of those coats/hats/scarves is the Queen buying and having made for her? Why is there no conversation about an elderly woman with a nearly 80+ year career in public life no wearing any repeats at all? As someone pointed out on the fake fur article, would it not be cost effective to recycle her old pieces especially when so mANY of them look the exact same?

  28. Guest says:

    Meghan can look amazing. We’ve seen this with her pencil skirts. But lord I really wish she gets a stylist or a better stylist. Especially when it comes to her dresses.

    • Lucylee says:

      If she gets a stylist will he/she work for free? Because the next complaint will be she is spending money for something she could do herself since she used to be an actress from”Hollywood.”
      No win situation

    • Valiantly Varnished says:

      And if she gets a stylist then everyone will complain about her spending money on a stylist. Stylists don’t work for free. Just like they complain when she wears bespoke – oh and when she re-wears clothing – oh and when she wears affordable clothing.

  29. Loretta says:

    I like that dress and coats with belt are the fashion this year. BTW she’s glowing.

    • Qzie says:

      I totally agree, and I’m so surprised, I actually think that dress is beautiful. Yes, maybe not body flattering, but again, its a picture so added weight. I think the cut and design are gorg.

  30. Tuntmore says:

    She’s wearing fabric that’s too heavy for her frame. You have to be either rail-thin or “big and tall” to pull off that look, and Meghan is neither. As the immortal Tyra Banks would say, the clothes are wearing her, she’s not wearing the clothes.

    But I think she may be pregnant again. She’s touching and holding her belly in a way that screams “I just found out I’m expecting.” So the figure-swallowing clothes could be a purposeful attempt at camouflage.

    I love Meghan, and I don’t see anything wrong with talking about her fashion. She spends more money on clothes in a year than most people will see in their lifetime. It’s inherently wasteful and frivolous. We might as well talk about whether she’s getting her money’s worth.

  31. Flying fish says:

    Meghan’s needs a proper stylist and a tailor.

  32. Mabs A'Mabbin says:

    She feels preggers to me, the way she’s holding herself and plus she almost exudes I’m-keeping-this-to-myself-for-as-long-as-I-can vibe. And yeah, hand on the tummy is a dead giveaway. As for her look, I don’t mind it one bit. She’s fighting losing battles, and I feel for her. The public will turn her into Ursula regardless. So. She’s beautiful, and she’s a lovely mother and wife. And I’m super envious of above posters who can quickly nab a $1700 coat! I’m green from head to toe.

  33. JamieP says:

    Here we go again..attack attack attack just keep attacking this woman for everything…give her a rest. Focus on Kate and the others. Celebitchy looks like you’ve join the numerous publications that feel the need to attach Meghan for breathing. I’ll spend my time on other sites moving forward.

    • Wow says:

      OMG this is a EXTREMELY pro Meghan site and frankly the only one I know that is this pro Meghan. She is not being attacked, people who love her are just discussing her fashion and that is ok. Meghan is a human being not everything she does have to be praise worthy 24/7. If you are that sensitive maybe you shouldn’t be reading celebrity gossip. Perhaps you haven’t been reading this site for long but Kate has been heavily criticized here for her fashion over the years.

    • Beach Dreams says:

      As Wow said, this site has consistently been in Meghan’s corner…and it is one of the VERY few sites that doesn’t harangue her. Kaiser has also been pretty consistent in her critiques of Meghan’s wardrobe so this isn’t anything new. People will have different opinions on fashion, and royal fashion is a unique beast with all the expectations and limitations involved.

    • Marigold says:

      I come here to look at the clothes. I love clothes, but I’m short, middle-aged, middle-class, and my body was not made for floor-length gowns.

      So I come here for my fashion porn. The duchesses deliver. I absolutely LOVE looking at multiple photos of La Sussex and Cambridge on the daily. As someone who could not possibly care less about monarchy, its role, or its survival and someone who doesn’t view the questions of monarchy as being even remotely my business or concern….I’m here for the clothes.

      As an American, I want Meghan to succeed. I want her to be happy. I am HORRIFIED by the things she’s been subjected to in the press, and I am shocked by the amount of totally unveiled racism–not even an attempt to hide it–in the coverage of her in the British press.

      Having said that: I can criticize her dress (this one we’re discussing in this thread doesn’t fit her very well, it’s too heavy, and it absolutely swallows her whole) without being thought of as “attacking her.” I would never do that. I just don’t like her dress, and her dress is why I clicked on the article.

    • Sass says:

      Lol grow up

  34. RoyalBlue says:

    I love it. She is not here to give us a fashion show. She is wearing what she is comfortable in and she doesn’t care about pleasing the masses. Go duchess!

    And the more I see her in the dress the more I am growing used to her quirky style.

  35. Eyfalia says:

    You cannot judge her clothing style, since this woman did not have a normal time as a married woman. She got pregnant rather quickly and her body kept changing and still is changing. We are not accustomed seeing woman in such dresses, since nearly all woman in the spotlight are skinny and want to get superskinny again fast after a pregnancy. Meghan obviously is not like that and she enjoys this time of breast feeding and looking differently like she did before. She likes her new body and I bet she was quite surprised about liking these changes. I enjoy seeing her and NO, HER COATS DO NOT LOOK LIKE BATHROBES. Anybody who thinks so, clearly never had a bathrobe.

    • Harla says:

      Excellent point Eyfalia! Meghan is taking time to let her body heal and recover from creating, birthing and feeding a human being.

    • noway says:

      This is all very sweet, but did anybody see her in the red amazing sweater with the red leather skirt when she said Harry was crashing her meeting. She’s not that far from her pre pregnancy weight, and she looked amazing. She seems to only have a little bit extra in the middle. She’s hardly overweight. The dress just makes her look bigger than she is that’s all. Personally, looking bigger isn’t generally a goal for many women so I say the dress isn’t good for her shape now.

  36. Mego says:

    The only issue I have with this is the unflattering chest-wide v.

    Kate’s dress at this event fit well but whatever possessed her to don black stockings is beyond me. Who wears black hosiery any more??!! Also headband yuck.

    • aurora says:

      What is wrong with black stockings? Serious question.

      • Lorelei says:

        @Aurora they’re very dated. They remind me of ones my mom used to wear in the 80s.

      • Jane'sWastedTalent says:

        Nothing. They’re ubiquitous every winter here.

      • Marigold says:

        They haven’t been a fashion trend in the United States since the 90’s, and even then, we wore them with short skirts and Doc Marten boots. As an accompaniment to formal shoes and formal dress (or even professional dress), they haven’t been fashionable since the 1980’s.

        It’s very dated and very “old.” I didn’t like the black hosiery, either.

        When we lived in Ireland briefly between 2010 and 2012, it took me a moment to adjust to all the women wearing opaque black tights all the time. In the US, it isn’t done, and so to American people looking at the images, it seems like a very dated thing to wear. It’s a cultural difference in fashion preferences.

      • Wilma says:

        Team black stocking til l die. What else would I wear with dresses in winter? It’s opaque all the way in darker colours.

      • Tuntmore says:

        Wait, what? When did black hosiery go out of style in the US? I *live* in black hosiery during the fall/winter months, and I’m definitely not alone.

        Now, if you mean the translucent type black pantyhose, then yes, those are not so popular. But opaque black stockings, black fishnets, and black patterned lace stockings are fairly timeless staple pieces.

    • Megbot2000 says:

      Gosh practically all British women wear black tights in winter.

      • Marigold says:

        Exactly. This is a difference in “eye” for US vs. UK/RoI viewers. In the US, we don’t wear black hosiery anymore–pretty much ever. It’s just a difference in fashion preferences.

    • Mego says:

      Where I live hosiery seems to be over but black hosiery in particular has been over for a very long time. Also there is a big difference between tights and pantyhose and Kate isn’t wearing tights here.

      • Enn says:

        I believe our British and Irish friends call pantyhose “tights.” In the US, tights are thicker.

        I’m dating myself, but I personally think that very sheer black hose with a black cocktail dress and heels is still chic. I also wear nude hose in the winter to events because I’m fair, clumsy, and bruise easily knocking against display cases all day.

      • A says:

        @Enn, I saw a lady at Macy’s the other day who was wearing black hose with a chic pencil skirt and a blazer. I loved her outfit. I don’t understand why people say black hosiery has been over for a long time. I still wear it regularly actually. Maybe I’m just not very stylish.

  37. Sunshine says:

    A great opportunity to demonstrate fairness was missed by the media.
    4 royal women. Put them side by side and discuss the cost of each ones outfit and jewellery. But no. Pull out Meghan and bash.

  38. bonobochick says:

    If the issue is she KEEPS buying “frumpy” expensive bespoke stuff, when were the last few instances of her buying “frumpy” bespoke garments, esp for Black tie events?

    Cause I don’t recall any other “frumpy” bespoke outfit this year.

  39. Jennifer says:

    The only thing I could think about when reading this post was how come we never read anything about the royal men’s fashion and spending? I’m sure those suits aren’t cheap either! And some of them are boring and unflattering too.

    • Elisa says:

      Actually most of them are pretty boring and I guess that’s why they are not covered. Also, I don’t mind looking at actors like Hiddleston in a suit but Wills, Harry or Charles? I’ll pass… 🙂

      • Jane'sWastedTalent says:

        I would probably read about Charles’ clothes, since so much effort goes into their selection. It could even be fun to hear some of their reasoning.

  40. DS9 says:

    Meghan likes what she likes and I’d imagine on this occasion she wanted to be warm.

    But from my perspective, I think far too often flattering means to look as thin as their figure will allow at all times. I don’t buy that and clearly neither does Meghan.

    She is under no obligation to be a fashion icon and I wish people would give up that expectation of her.

    • HK9 says:

      You know, you’ve made me realize I do that have expectation of both her and Kate. Thanks for the realization because you know what, it’s neither right not fair.

    • Valiantly Varnished says:

      Yes to all of this The irony is that all the fashion blogs I read including the girls at GFY loved the dress.

      • DS9 says:

        I mean I’d be lying if I said I like everything she wears but I think when the criticism centers on her real body not conforming to a certain standard, I feel ways.

        “She looks short waisted…” okay, but she is.

        And then the too much fabric criticism when she’s standing out in the cold… Why do we expect women to sacrifice warmth for appearing thin? She’s already wearing heels and hose instead of pants and warm shoes. So what if her waist looks bulky?

    • Harla says:

      Thanks for bringing this up DS9! I know I got used to the Kate years when all we had was what she wore and how thin she is, somehow that became the norm instead of looking at what she’s doing to be of service to others.

      You are quite right, she is under no obligation to be a fashion icon nor I might add, is she actually the character she played on Suits. I have to say that I’m pretty tired of people wishing she’d dress more like Rachel Zane, Meghan is not Rachel (well she is but…). In fact Meghan has commented several times that Rachel’s style is not her style.

      • DS9 says:

        I also don’t think people realize how many tricks there are to making an outfit look flattering on screen regardless of fit, tricks that don’t work or aren’t reasonable on an outfit one wears all day.

        And tailoring only works if you’re committed to staying the same shape or if it’s tailored to one day’s wear.

      • Valiantly Varnished says:

        @DS9 yes on most shows clothes aren’t tailored at all. They are PINNED. Same goes for the clothes you see online on models. Kate gets her clothing tailored but Kate is also rail thin and clearly intends to stat that way. Tailoring is a waste of money if your body changes. And considering that Meghan just had a baby it would be dumb to tailor clothes to her current shape.

      • DS9 says:

        They are pinned, clipped with those big butterfly clips we use in the office, taped, folded up, tied, etc and then all that is hidden with blocking, camera shots, lighting, editing, etc.

        I also wonder if Meghan is just okay with weight fluctuations like pretty much every other woman. She’s no longer a working actress so there’s no reason for her to try to maintain specific measurements. After years of doing so, I wouldn’t want to either, and just enjoy seeing where my body naturally wants to be, childbirth and breastfeeding not withstanding.

        And I would imagine someone who likely wants to be pregnant again soon isn’t at all concerned with getting her body into a specific shape and have all that go out of the window once she is pregnant again.

      • A says:

        Even with Kate, while I don’t like certain aspects of her fashion, I can recognize it for what it is, which is that she’s taking the boring route because it’s working for her. She’s building an image as a future Queen consort. For better or for worse, that means she’s got to look the part, which means she’s not going to look like a fashion plate. She’s boring, and she likely sees it as a necessary thing for her. I know people compare her to other royal women, but she’s not them. She’s the future Queen consort of Britain. She’s very likely following in the image of the Queen, who with the help of Angela Kelly built up a very reliable, immediately recognizable silhouette for herself, which instantly distinguishes her from the crowd as the monarch. So the coat dresses serve a purpose, and it took her 8 long years of constant mishaps to get to a point where she’s at least got a workable thing going.

    • Wilma says:

      Yeah, pretty much done with criticism based on what’s flattering (eg. what makes someone look as thin as possible). Why do we need to wear flattering clothes?

  41. Audrey says:

    If Stella McCartney had a different last name, she wouldn’t be a famous designer. Her stuff is very poorly designed and the styles are so bland.

    I don’t like the dress on Meghan, but she’s still figuring out her post-baby body. I hope she was at least comfortable!

  42. Mignionette says:

    Thus far Meghan has been either extreme hit or miss.

    I feel like she doesn’t give British brands and in particular the UK high street enough attention and certainly does not know where to go to flatter her ‘hippy short waisted’ but beautiful figure.

    This is one of the areas where she could really shine being a naturally beautiful woman. I’ve said this before, but I suspect she needs a UK stylist with a background also in design who could teach her to dress for her shape and make adjustments to her clothes to make them fit properly/ have a more bespoke feel. She also needs to develop a ‘less formal engagement’ and ‘formal engagement wardrobe’.

    All the above aside, it is upsetting to see how much she is criticised (in a non constructive way) for everything. The woman has just had a child and her body is still adjusting. She is also adjusting to a new life under intense scrutiny, in a world famous family. I do not envy her.

    • A says:

      I’ve done a lot of royal gazing tbh, and from what I’ve seen, it takes time for any woman who marries into the family to settle down, fashion wise. No one comes out of the gate swinging. I still remember the days before Letizia became Queen of Spain, when her fashion was equal parts awful and ill-fitting, and she was criticized a lot for wearing “masculine” clothes and suits and looking like a news anchor (which was her previous job). Her clothing improved so much when she became Queen.

      You can find examples of all types of royal woman dressing poorly. Fit is an issue for everyone, because human bodies aren’t perfect. You can only do so much with your clothes but the rest of it just is. Could Meghan make more of an effort? Sure. But the hand wringing and the bemoaning I’ve seen from some quarters is just straight up melodramatic.

  43. Vera says:

    I also think the Duchess is pregnant…when Prince Harry spoke at an event and mentioned a time when “we knew we were expecting,but no one else knew” I thought at the time he was referencing a current pregnancy and not Archie.

    • Peg says:

      He was referencing Archie, he said when he and Meghan was there last year.
      That”s when he was giving her the back rubs.

    • notasugarhere says:

      At the military family event, he did ask what it was like having kids close together. I don’t think she’s expecting yet, but will have another by end of 2020.

  44. Laura says:

    I think this dress would have looked better on Kate. And I think Kate’s dress would have looked great on Megan.

  45. bitchy architect says:

    I like Meghan’s style. Could it be better tailored ? Yes. But she actually dresses like a professional adult unlike Kate who dresses like her mummy dresses her every day.

  46. Taryn says:

    I wish the flare of the skirt was a little less poofy, but everything else to me looks fabulous. Chris Jacksons pictures of her these past few days are wonderful and she looks timeless and elegant without overdoing it which I think is the style she’s going for. Are some of the fits and tailoring of her outfits and dresses off? Yeah I think so, BUT I’m also someone who loves the oversized “I just threw this on and cinched the waist” look and it’s unfair to compare her style to that of Kate’s which is heavily tailored and done so to purposefully emphasize how skinny she is. Plus, a lot of these things I can see her re wearing with tailoring after she’s done having kids whenever that may be. I think she’s slowly but surely figuring it out.

  47. simon says:

    some people just have to come to terms with the idea that she just may not be a style icon for them. i’m huge supporter, but it was clear to me early on that her fashion was the least admirable thing about her. luckily, she has dozens of other fantastic qualities that instill my support and once in a blue moon, i get to be surprised and love something she wears, rather than being frequently disappointed in every other instance. it’s all about perspective.

    • Peg says:

      Thank you for stating the obvious. If Meghan is happy with how her clothes fit, so be it.
      Her torso is short and if she want to wear thin, or broad belts, it’s her choice.

  48. Erin says:

    Speaking as a likewise short waisted woman, for people like us it’s kind of proportion dressing 101 not to wear belts at your waistline but to settle them just above the hip, visually lengthening the torso. I can’t figure out why she doesn’t know this. But then again, she’s human. We all have weird figure issues we can’t see. I don’t suppose being a duchess who’s photographed endlessly helps the struggle of any woman’s weird vision of her own body, most especially postpartum.

    • DS9 says:

      I’m built similarly to Meghan and belts never stay where I put them. They crawl up at every opportunity and then hide somewhere in my boobs. But if I wear things that don’t have a clearly defined waist, it’s not my best look either, especially if my tummy is being particularly fluffy.

      Some days I just decide to wear whatever and hope my legs, which look good regardless, can take attention from my thicker waist.

      • Marigold says:

        /quote: “and hope my legs, which look good regardless, can take attention from my thicker waist.”

        I promise you something. As a woman with a long waist and short, stumpy legs, I have always envied what Americans call “the apple shape.” No matter how puffy an apple’s tummy is, her long, slender, beautiful legs make her look graceful to me.

        I promise, Promise, PROMISE…your lovely legs DO draw attention. It’s so hard when we criticize ourselves so harshly to know whether or not we’re received/perceived as we hope we are, so as one woman who would kill for a long slender set of stems: keep working those legs, my friend. Trust me, they’re working for you.

      • DS9 says:

        Thank you!

        I know I’m biased towards Meghan because I know what it’s like to have had a smaller waist and then find yourself having to dress a thicker one. I had a tiny waist for years and now it’s gone.

  49. Savannah says:

    Yeah, how dare she not be pleasing to look at?! *gasp*

    • notasugarhere says:

      Meghan looks good here, really good. The size on her jeans doesn’t define her. That’s what has the Kate stans so upset, to the point they were bullying Chris Jackson online because of his many photos of Meghan. He chose to make her the most prominent in his pictures, because she looked wonderful.

      • Enn says:

        Why is anyone who doesn’t fawn over Meghan a Kate stan?

      • notasugarhere says:

        Go read his SM threads. Those Kate stans are bulling the man because he posted multiple pictures of Meghan. Unfortunately, many many Kate stans have proven themselves to be Meghan haters in the last two years.

  50. Cerys says:

    For such an attractive woman, she dresses very badly. I think she could really do with hiring a professional stylist for a while.

  51. Cosmo says:

    Duchess Meghan looks amazing. No matter what she wears she will be criticized. She is one beautiful woman. I think she is pregnant. She sure is glowing.

  52. amanda says:

    This is an unnecessary pile on.

  53. Bella DuPont says:

    What I find f-cking hilarious is people who come on this site to insist that Meghan is *never* criticized here……lmao

  54. MsIam says:

    Well, I like the dress! The skirt is very elegant, almost Old Hollywood like. Very glamorous. I like that silhouette with the full skirt. No complaints from me.

  55. Andrea says:

    Am I blind? I adore the coat and dress! I also think she is glowing skinwise and wins in the skin department compared to Kate.

    I dislike the weight is she pregnant comments. She is 5’5″, slightly taller than me at 5’3″ and is clearly curvier than far taller Kate. She clearly is not starving herself to lose the weight and get back to pre-pregnancy weight like so many celebrities seem to do.

  56. Steph says:

    Meghan has an odd figure. She’s tall, broad, skinny, has a short torso, and her boobs sit really low on her sternum. I think one piece ensembles are always going to be hard for her. The silhouettes are always designed for a more coca cola body. Whenever she wears two pieces she looks fabulous but that isn’t always appropriate

  57. Purplehazeforever says:

    I don’t understand any of this criticism. Again, maybe it’s because I don’t particularly care about fashion or don’t place much emphasis on it but I honestly think she looks fine. She had a baby six months ago & maybe she likes bigger coats to keep warm. Maybe she thinks she looks good. But I don’t see anything really too off with this ensemble. Looks okay to me.

    • notasugarhere says:

      I don’t get it either, because I think all three of her looks for these ceremonies were wonderful. Her looking so good and happy gets under certain people’s skins.

      • L4frimaire says:

        100% agree with this. That is what bothers them the most. Thought she really brought it for the occasions.

  58. Nanainwonderland says:

    I have a figure similar to Megan (as one commentator said, tall, on the skinny side, with short torso, etc. ) I received the wonderful advice of never cinching a bell at my waist but just above my hips – it works wonders (thanks mom!). That said, I think the coat would have worked wonders if it was a softer fabric, left unbuttoned with a black form fitting dress below. Would have looked great and still demure for the event. That combo works great on her from what I’ve seen from previous events.

  59. HeyThere! says:

    I have to say, I try to remind myself how young and new Archie is because it’s SO HARD to dress a new body you aren’t use to. Nothing fits right and you just want to look good. I give new moms all the slack. I think she should wear what she likes but maybe have an outside opinion other than her stylist because the too big-frumpy-belts everywhere isn’t working.

  60. Rapunzel says:

    I prefer Meg’s frumpy to Kate’s “Janet Jackson in the Rhythm Nation video” cosplay.

  61. Oliviajoy1995 says:

    The dress made her look like she was pregnant. Is she?

  62. Ceecu33 says:

    Is she pregnant again?!? I notice she walks with her hand in front of her belly like she did with Archie…

  63. kerwood says:

    I love the Duchess of Sussex and support her wholeheartedly. I do NOT like this dress. It’s not my taste at all.

    A lot of people criticize Meghan for wearing ill fitting clothes. If she’s spending the cash for bespoke clothing, then the blame goes to the designer. The designer is to blame if they send a woman out in a frock that doesn’t fit. ‘Bespoke’ clearly doesn’t mean what it used to.

    I don’t know if the Duchess is pregnant or not but she recently had a baby. Her body is in transition and that affects the way her clothes look. I don’t know what the Duchess of Sussex’ workout routine is but I do know she looks happy. The woman GLOWS! If you can look that good when you’re going through the hell the Duchess is going through, you’re doing something right. Harry also looks pretty damn good and Archie is gorgeous. So hats off to the Sussexes.

    The earrings were probably a gift so I don’t give a shit how much they cost.

    • A says:

      I’m not a fan of lot of her fashion, but I don’t say anything about it because I feel like my personal tastes shouldn’t be a consideration when it comes to any criticism of her spending. There are lots of things people spend money on that I think is a waste (ripped jeans being the biggest one), but, you can’t account for taste. It is what it is. She has kept it affordable thus far, just because I don’t like this dress doesn’t make her a spend thrift.

  64. Sarah I the first sarah says:

    I don’t know why people are upset about the cost of this ensemble; it’s obvious she borrowed it from her mom. But really, all her beltings have been high waisted, and we all know what a stomach clutching pregnant lady she is, and she isn’t clutching, but that hand is hovering protectively over her tummy. I’m just wondering.

  65. SharonK says:

    It’s interesting, because I remember seeing this interview with her and looked it up again apropos of this discussion. At the 5:20 point she specifically talks about the importance of tailoring, so I don’t think it’s because she’s unaware of the issue. Maybe she just feels that since she is no longer on the set of a legal drama, she can widen her idea of what tailoring means to her.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s5KxH6Ej1U

  66. Marie says:

    I really like her outfit and think she looks gorgeous.

  67. Rusted says:

    I think she’s still trying to figure out “duchess style,” which is out of her comfort, zone so of course there will be hits and misses. But with all the resources available to her, why are there still misses? It’s not as if her calendar has a note for Saturday: Mall shopping for Remembrance Day outfit. Take Macy’s coupons.

  68. Hello Kitty says:

    I’m currently pregnant and she is giving my pregnant vibes. It’s the dress, the fullness around her hips, the hands in front of the belly, and the sheen of her face (glow) just my two cents.

    • L4frimaire says:

      I get tired of the pregnant speculation. She was probably fitted with an IUD after giving birth, and if not, probably has one now ( or birth control of choice). Who’d want to have another baby immediately with the craziness surrounding her last pregnancy? The first one isn’t ’ t even walking , so who needs that stress? I don’t understand the urgency to knock her up again. Why?

  69. Mar says:

    She’s so beautiful . She has not lost all her baby weight- which is normal, yet she’s constantly in the spotlight and she probably knew how to dress her body better when she was pin thin.

  70. Le4Frimaire says:

    I don’t agree with a lot of these comments. She wore one expensive dress and coat and we’re back to overspending? She looked great for all events this weekend and performed her duties beautifully. She was enthusiastic, engaged and friendly and very respectful. Everything she wore was appropriate. The dress was very full skirted for my taste but pretty, and a lot of Royal women wear Erdem, so why go on about the cost that or of the coat, which is way less expensive than Kate’s$3800 McQueen coat that was considered thrifty because she wore it 4 times? A lot of the Royals wear expensive bespoke clothes, yet no other Royal woman’s clothing and jewelry cost was tallied up, and she is begrudged nice jewelry or a pretty dress. Meghan is again the only one criticized ifor what her clothes cost or, and most of her things fit her fine. She was given a clothing budget last year by the Duchy and don’t recall her exceeding it so I assume those number crunchers know what was needed. She has reworn a lot of things recently and a lot of affordable and pre- marriage pieces, and then criticized for not being glamorous enough. Maybe she’s not as svelte post baby as we’d like but she has also been put through the ringer, more than the other Royal women and the stress is real, and it affects ones physical well being, especially with constant speculation that she is pregnant, not perfectly slim waist etc. Even after the documentary drama, she shows up for work smiling and bringing it 100%. I don’t think anything she did or wore the past weekend merits this level of criticism.

    • Ina says:

      100% agree!

    • A says:

      Thank you!

    • JulieCarr says:

      All the royal women’s spending is tallied up. Meghan made the most headlines last time because she spent the most, by quite a bit, but before she joined the family it was Kate’s spending that made headlines every year.

      • L4frimaire says:

        Like has been mentioned, she was allotted a larger budget for her first year as a royal, because she needed clothing for her new role, all the appearances, tours, etc. It’s not the same as being fitted by the costume department on set. Also, the tally I’m referring to is the press. Look at this weekend’s coverage. No other women’s clothing and accessories were costed out, even her navy bouclé coat, which is from 2015. I don’t think any of them should spend freely like money is no object, but to say one dress and coat is part of a problematic pattern is a reach,IMO.

      • A says:

        We’re not talking about last year though? She was rightfully criticized for it, and she did the right thing when she came back from her maternity leave and reigned it in for the SA tour and the engagements since then. But acting like her spending money on a total of 3 outfits for a bunch of events that I would imagine necessitate that level of respect is a pattern of behaviour when she’s demonstrated a departure from that isn’t accurate.

  71. Lory says:

    Two things:
    1. I think she pregnant because of wheee all these belted clothes are fitting—the my are sitting very high on her waist. It would also fit as to why she and Harry are reportedly taking 6 weeks off. Maybe they want her out of the spotlight since the press turned especially nasty when she was expecting Archie.
    2. I read somewhere the earrings were Diana’s, not just her splashing outrageous amounts of money, as the press always like to claim. The DM were all over that Kate was wearing a $15 headband from HM, with no mention of her bespoke outfit which also cost thousands of dollars.

  72. Sarah45 says:

    Oh stop. You don’t like the dress this weekend fine, to each his own, but she doesn’t normally wear clothes like this. I’m a big fan of hers, I didn’t care for this dress but this is not the norm for her. Something you’ll notice is that when she’s with all the other royals she tones things down. When she’s alone or just her and Harry she’s more relaxed and wears more color, like the read outfit with the young leaders and everything in South Africa

  73. Sass says:

    She’s holding her belly again.

  74. Rachael says:

    Any time I see a famous woman wearing a frumpy dress, and check the designer, it is almost always Erdam, so the problem is Erdam designs – they are for the most part frumpy and matronly and badly cut and too floral. Yuk. I’m not sure why he is so popular/still in business.

    There I said it.

    • Banana says:

      Carey Mulligan at H&M’s wedding being a notable exception. I’m sure there are others, but you have to do Erdem selectively perhaps. Some really beautiful pieces from this Brit label.

      Actually just search-engined Kate in Erdem and she’s worn the brand very elegantly in the past, one example being the opening of the V&A Photography Centre at Victoria & Albert Museum.

  75. A says:

    “Keeps buying” expensive things? Really? I’m not trying to be critical of what’s being said here. But she did dress affordably for her South Africa tour, and she has kept it affordable since then, relying on clothes she already has and staying away from bespoke pieces all the while. And she got excoriated in these parts because people were mad about her fashion being ugly and not noteworthy enough to write about. So now she wears what, maybe one or two bespoke pieces for an engagement that is incredibly somber, which necessitates respect, where she’s appearing not in her capacity as her own person, but as a member of the RF, and people are angry about how much she’s spending?

    Look, I get it. Her style isn’t up to everyone’s tastes. It’s certainly not to my tastes at all, hence why I don’t comment on it. I don’t care for the slouchy boots and the overly long coats and the collared shirt dresses. There are lots of royal ladies in the public eye whose fashion I don’t particularly like. But if the criticism is that it’s not to your personal tastes, that’s on you. It’s not her job to dress according to how you want her to. Her job is to not waste tax payer money, and barring these last few days, she’s largely done that for the past couple months. But people are going to point to this incident and insist that it’s a pattern, when Miss Kate Middleton has stepped out in a bespoke a-line coat dress no 39052 from Catherine Walker for the millionth time this fall so far. Granted, people have generally been equal opportunity dissers of Kate’s style and the relative ease with which she spends her father-in-law’s money on buying multiples of the same dress in 80 different colours with added buttons and sh-t, and I’m glad that there are plenty of us who don’t care for this double standard and call it out as it exists. But acting like Meghan is exhibiting a pattern of behaviour with overspending is a bad take. You can disagree with what she spends her money on, certainly, and you can argue that her style is bad, yes, but she’s damned if she spends and damned if she doesn’t spend. So where does she get to win here on this particular issue?

  76. Grey says:

    Totally pregnant.

  77. cubby says:

    I feel like this lady has worked hard enough and been through enough so far that we should lay off a little with criticising how she looks? Absolutely pull them all up on spending frivolously, but otherwise… she’s got a good heart and has done some real good in her new community.

  78. Marie says:

    @A. Thank you. I totally agree. Meghan has repeated way more than Kate in the first year. Not everyone is going to like what she wears. If Meghan likes it and feels comfortable in it then that is what matters.

  79. Rogue says:

    Someone said above that fashion is Meghan’s job which isn’t true but I think that’s the problem- people are demanding that Diana’s sons wives be style icons like she was. I don’t see this kind of expectation on the other working royals.

    To be clear their jobs are to represent the Queen& to carry out public& charitable duties. As long as they are dressed appropriately to do this that’s what matters. If they serve lewks that many like- that’s a bonus. And as for fit Meghan has been pregnant or post partum majority of the time she’s been a royal. This haranguing seems a bit OTT given that and especially as style is so subjective.

  80. locamg says:

    I think she looks great! I have been enjoying her outfits. Her body clearly has changed from having a baby, so all of this “unflattering” stuff is really just commenting on how her body has changed….in a negative way. I feel like she looks wider – and I don’t mean that in a demeaning way, I mean it in a “her body widened to accommodate a baby” way. It happened to me. I felt it was a really hard truth that your body changes after a baby. Celebrities make it seem like it doesn’t happen, but but it does. PLUS, her baby isn’t even a year, right?? My baby is 15 months and I’m just starting to somewhat embrace (or at least accept?) my post-baby body that’s wider and and will never be a tight and toned as it once was. It’s hard to accept that when society tells us to “bounce back” and is so driven by the size 0 ideal. It’s really great to see someone so public who does look different but still fantastic.

  81. yinyang says:

    Get this woman a tailor. And an american professional wardrobe consultant, one more conservative for british taste, and Meghan stop letting your celebrity friends peer pressure you into what they think you should wear or do, hire a professional.

  82. Lana234 says:

    Her style is awful. I feel for her though because she is trying not to piss anyone off. I can believe she spends thousands of pounds on the stuff she wears.

  83. notasugarhere says:

    Lord this thread saw so many trolls.

  84. Shewolf789 says:

    Meghan is still a new royal trying to figure out things. She lost so much weight before wedding. Then she gained some weight then she got pregnant etc. Some clothes are not good for someone who has weight issues. Diana had some issues with clothes but she figured it as time went on.

  85. Dandabelle says:

    ‘Duchess Megan Buys Clothes She Likes’ a.k.a ‘A Person Has Intrinsic Value Regardless Of What They Choose To Wear’.

    There I fixed it for you.

    Critiques of women for their choice of clothing are so last century, thanks Boomers.