Meghan Markle opts for covered shoulders during royal engagement with the Queen
AFTER being dubbed “inapproiate” for wearing bare shoulders at the Queen’s birthday parade, has the new Duchess finally been given the tap on the shoulder?
Fashion
Don't miss out on the headlines from Fashion. Followed categories will be added to My News.
MEGHAN Markle was all smiles — and covered shoulders — as she made her first solo appearance with Queen Elizabeth for the pair’s first joint engagement in Cheshire, England.
Overnight, the newly minted Duchess of Sussex stepped out after an overnight ride on the Royal Train with her 92-year-old grandmother-in-law looking demure in a cream-coloured, over-the-shoulder Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy sheath.
Meghan’s ensemble also included all-black accessories and a capelet-style top which kept her shoulders and upper arms thoroughly covered — a noticeably more modest look than the off-the-shoulder dress she wore to the Queen’s birthday parade Saturday, which was slammed on Twitter as “inappropriate.”
So has the newest royal finally been given the tap on the shoulder about her...shoulders?
On June 9, the Duchess of Sussex joined her husband, Prince Harry, and the entire royal family for the London festivities. The highly attended ceremony celebrates a 250-year-old British tradition where military troops show off their flags (or colours) and march throughout the Buckingham Palace square.
But it was her pink frock - a nod to Princess Diana - that raised eyebrows on social media, with some noting the bare shoulders had no place at the parade.
For the special event, the 36-year-old former actor wore a pale pink, bespoke Carolina Herrera dress with matching Philip Treacy hat, which she evidently recycled from her first royal engagement in her new role, just three days after her May 19 wedding.
Some detractors on social media felt that the look was “inappropriate” for the regal occasion.
“Off the shoulder is inappropriate day wear at the Trooping or any official engagement,” one critic clapped.
“I do feel her choice of an off the shoulder dress was pushing it for HRH Queen Elizabeth’s Birthday celebration. I have a feeling she’s going to push the limits a little too much?!” another agreed of the look another dubbed as “wholly inappropriate”.
It’s not the first time the Duchess has sported an off the shoulder look and caused a flap.
In perhaps the raciest look yet this year, Meghan stepped out in April and ignored the tradition of not wearing black at a Commonwealth event, showing off her shoulders and bare arms — something royals rarely do during public events.
While the royals have a strict set of protocols regarding how they dress, Meghan has opted to maintain her own sense of style including the famous “messy bun”, denim and hand-holding that has raised the eyebrows of royal etiquette experts.
In the days following, she was again criticised for her dress choice worn at a memorial service for Stephen Lawrence, an 18-year-old British black man murdered in a racially-charged attack 25 years ago.
#MeghanMarkle Confessions: "It´s a memorial service for a murder victim. In a church. Is it too much to ask of Rachel to cover up with a jacket, wear stockings, sort out that messy hair for once and stop the holding hands!"
— E (@gogogogadgets) April 23, 2018
The Duchess of Sussex sported a sleeveless, black, printed V-neck dress from Hugo Boss, cinched with a belt and paired with her signature bun, a clutch and nude pumps, which some social commentators deemed a “fashion faux pas”.
Surprised to see Meghan Markle had her shoulders uncovered at the #StephenLawrence memorial -seems a bit of a fashion faux pas to me?
— MissSeaPeaches (@MissSeaPeaches) April 23, 2018
“Someone needs a lesson in some decorum. Good grief,” another said of the “inappropriate” outfit.
Others, meanwhile, were more forgiving.
“Give her time, she is still learning. We know it should have been a suit or a dress with a collar and sleeves. She is a fashionista of the mod world,” a supporter defended.
— with Fox News.
Originally published as Meghan Markle opts for covered shoulders during royal engagement with the Queen
All torn up: Unexpected reaction to my sad fashion tragedy
When the messages are coming from as far afield as Germany, you know your latest social media effort has struck an odd chord, writes Tom Bowden.
Jodhi Meares’ new life: ‘I don’t get lonely’
After years in the spotlight, fashion designer Jodhi Meares explains why she left Sydney for Byron – and the reason she is ‘not really a party person’.