Megan Markle: elegant transformation from divorced actress to Duchess of Sussex

Before May 19, 2018, Meghan Markle can be defined by any word but ËLEGANT, either before or after she met Prince Harry.

2015 Nov. attending 12th annual CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund Awards at Spring Studios NEW YORK

Her choices of outfits, besides her very canadianized lululemon yogi styles while walking around the streets, could at times be overly sexy and daring or even vulgar, like her see-through turtle black blouse or the too shiny too low cut v neck grey long sleeve dress she wore for the Vogue Fashion Fund Awards.

After meeting with and dating Prince Harry, Meghan seemed toned down her sexy side or dress up to fit for her future royal image, but by doing so, she went to another extreme, becoming a power woman, which was particularly obvious in her choices of outwear like her coats: almost always with too wide or too sharp lapel, with strong military feel especially when they are double breasted, and at times too many details, like her famous Camel Christmas coat with ruched cuff and L shaped patch pockets,

But strangely enough, the handbags she chose to carry with were almost always mismatched, in style as well as in color: most of the time they were small and hard and angular shaped, with a school girlish look, even the way she carried them gave the feeling of a school girl playing with style, not yet finding one. So that when she almost looked good in the black tie coat designed by Stella McCartney, the mismatched little green handbag killed it, 

The only time she looked elegant was on the day of March 12, 20018, when she joined Prince Harry for the Commonwealth Day Services at Westminster Abbey, She was wearing a white standup collared calf-length coat designed by Amanda Wakeley, with a white beret from milliner Stephen Jones to match, and her v neck dress just over knee, the Manolo shoes and the Mulberry shoulder bag she used as a clutch for the first time all matched beautifully in color, style and texture.

This outfit gave one the impression that if she really wanted, Meghan did have the potential to look elegant, but nothing can prepare one´s shock about her total transformation when she stepped out of the bridal car, wearing the simple bateau necked wedding dress with 3 quarter sleeve, no lace, no any sparkling embellishment, just pure white European silk cady, soft, subtle, without any shine.

Meghan Markle wedding dress

The wedding dress was designed by Clare Waight Keller, a British designer and the current artistic director of French Couture brand Givenchy.

It was said the dress was inspired by a bateau necked long sleeve evening dress with front zipper worn by Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, Meghan´s fashion idol, because when asked about her favorite celebrity wedding dress in her interview with Glamour magazine, Meghan Markle responded “Carolyn Bessette Kennedy,” calling the Narciso Rodriguez slip dress worn by the latter “everything goals.”

But perhaps it´s inspired by Carolyn´s dress in spirit and neckline only, because in style and siluetee, Meghan´s dress looked more similar to that of Princess Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby of Norway when she wed Norway´s crown prince Haakon on August 25, 2001.

Both wedding gowns are obviously inspired by medieval gowns and look very conservative and chasty, with almost no body exposure, no second fabric, no embellishments. While Mette Marit gown designed by Ove Harder Finseth takes more direct reference from the middle age attaires, with square neck in front and scoop neck in back, and long fitting sleeves, Meghan Markle´s dress has a more French modern look with very Givenchy bateau neck and three quarter sleeve.

And what´s more, both dresses feature a much longer veil than their train: Mette Marit´s veil is 6 meter long covering the 2 metre train, and Meghan´s a little bit shorter at 5 meters, with hand-embroidered flora representing the 53 countries of the Commonwealth.

Even the tiaras worn by both brides, are surprisingly similar: simple, subtle, again with the feel of the middle ages. ​

There was a saying that the neckline of Meghan´s wedding dress was exposing too much of her shoulder, which is against royal etiquette, but it can´t be true. She definitely has done her homework, and has undoubtedly studied the previous royal bridal dresses with her designer Clare, and perhaps used the neckline of crown princess Mary of Denmark´s wedding dress when she married crown prince Federic in 2004 as reference point, as both necklines are almost identical at the point where the sleevehead touched the shoulders. Princess Mary´s neckline was even more daring, featuring a scoop neckline instead of straight bateau like that of Meghan´s.  

After the ceremony, Meghan changed into her second halter necked wedding dress designed by Stella McCartney or the reception, which was again simple elegance.

It was said that Mette Marit had chosen such a simple dress to let the Norway people forget about her troubled past so she can start anew with her prince, although Meghan felt no need to be ashamed of her past, in royal eyes, she does seem an unconventional candidate as future duchess: with divorced parents, herself a divorcee, an actress, and an American actress...So perhaps, subconsciously, Meghan too would like to bid farewell to her history and welcome her future.

Whatever the reason, she has made a wonderful satorial choice on the first day of her new life, and hopefully she would say goodbye to her pre-wedding dressing style as well.

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