PEOPLE has named Meghan Markle the Best Dressed Star of 2018. This is because whenever she wears anything, the items sell. Which is what happens with Princess Kate’s wardrobe too. Is that enough though? Like is that where we’re setting the criteria for who gets to be called the Best Dressed?
PEOPLE’s rationale behind their selection is obvious: Royal Meghan is popular, hers was the wedding of the year, she’s American, she’s a Hollywood actress-turned-princess-duchess. I understand the business behind giving her title. But on style alone…does Royal Meghan have good style?
She can look great, for sure. In certain suits, that are well cut, definitely. But that tuxedo dress she wore to Hamilton last week is an example of how she can, regularly, run into fit problems. And also amateur hour detailing problems. Like at Wimbledon, remember Wimbledon? That blue and white striped shirt over trousers? The outfit was a good idea on the hanger. But on the body, especially that day, it was sh-tty execution: the shirt kept riding up, wouldn’t lie flat. Because the look she was going for was editorial, not practical.
One of the most disappointing dresses we’ve seen from her this year was what she wore to the Queen’s Garden Party right after she and Prince Harry got married. It was their first appearance after the wedding. It was that heinous off-white shift dress with the sheer sleeves that looked sloppy and cheap, with the chalky tights.
Ultimately I’m not sure the style instincts to qualify for Best Dressed are there yet. A good example of this is when she wore that blazer over her shoulders on top of a black and white striped dress with large buttons and a cross-body bag. Too busy. Too much. Not polished.
None of that says style sophistication to me. Which is what, presumably, she’s after. That’s not to say it’s not coming – because, of course, she has access to any fashion house and any label she would want to wear, and any number of consultants who could advise on improvement – but right now, in my opinion at least, it’s not there yet. And the best example of this is that dress she wore in Ireland. While the looks I’ve listed above could be defended on preference, because we all have our own styles and vibes, this below is and example of when the basics aren’t working. Fit and size are basic. Shaping is basic. Not showing the line of your strapless bra is basic.
This is the one that made me crazy. It’s the one that would make any stylist crazy. You’d never see this in a magazine, in a photo shoot. Because it’s not a good reflection of the dress. So either it’s not a good dress because the material doesn’t allow for undergarments to be worn discreetly or it was the wrong size and all of that comes back to fundamentals.
To go back to PEOPLE’s choice though, and why this choice, what makes it even more interesting, is that the magazine, in the last couple of weeks, has broken a couple of Harry and Meghan exclusives. According to PEOPLE, their new dog is called Oz. They were the first, ahead of the British royal gossips, to get this news. We’re not yet sure if it’s true but that report made headlines around the world. They also claimed an exclusive, which I posted about yesterday, about what the Queen thinks of Meghan’s pantsuits. Two exclusives, followed by Meghan being Best Dressed on the cover…
Something to keep an eye on.
