One of the weirdest parts of the Princess of Wales’s near-total disappearance this year has been the silence of all of the media royalists who love nothing more than barfing out 5,000-word thinkpieces on Kate’s jewelry or buttons. They briefly tried to talk about Queen Camilla’s fashion (lol) and they seem to think Duchess Sophie is a lost cause. But with the Duchess of Sussex’s tours of Nigeria and now Colombia, suddenly all of those royalists have opinions. They’ve been dying to write about royal fashion, even if they insist that Meghan is not “royal” per se. It’s a tricky proposition, really – some will acknowledge that Meghan doesn’t have to play by the same rules as QEII, and yet they still expect her to dress like she’s still a working royal? Maybe it’s the same as it’s ever been – they still think they “own” Meghan, therefore any conversation about Meghan “belongs” to them. Speaking of, here are some highlights from the Telegraph’s “How Meghan is dressing like she’s on a royal tour in Colombia.”

Diplomatic dressing: The Duchess of Sussex has switched through outfit changes that are loaded with messages to decipher. Wearing clothes and accessories by Colombian designers including Johanna Ortiz, and Aquazzura is considered “diplomatic dressing” – the polite act of nodding to your host nation. It’s a trick which the current Princess of Wales has been known to do on trips in locations from Canada to India.

Why Meghan is repeating some pieces: Meghan has also injected her Colombia wardrobe with other subtle tactics – repeating pieces that she’s worn in the past so as to not be criticised for wearing all-new clothes (something which the Princess of Wales is also conscious of), and wearing rich colours, like coffee brown, from top-to-toe to ensure she stands out in crowds.

LOL they want credit for teaching Meghan how to style herself: While there are signs that Meghan has continued to practise some of the style lessons gleaned during her time as a working royal, there have also been plenty of decidedly non-royal fashion choices made on this trip. From carrying large designer bags, to embracing kitten heels and thigh-split skirts, Meghan has also clearly enjoyed the freedom of not having to adhere to protocol. “Meghan very rarely adopts any of the traditional royal silhouettes when on tour,” adds Harte. “No coat dresses, no hats, no lace, and instead opts for sleeker, more stylish looks.”

It’s not a royal tour: “I don’t fully agree that Meghan is approaching this visit as if it were a royal tour,” says the founder of Royal Fashion Police, an Instagram account which diligently tracks the outfits of royal women from all over the world. “Her outfits in Colombia are much more casual than what one would expect from a British royal tour. The halter-style vest with crop pants, the high slit cut-out dress… they suggest a more relaxed approach.”

The Nigerian tour: In May this year, Harry and Meghan visited Nigeria on what was described at the time as another copycat royal tour. Meghan again ticked several “royal” fashion boxes – wearing symbolic jewellery that belonged to the late Princess Diana as well as donning Lagos-based labels. On that trip, there were signs that the Duchess had eschewed professional help – some of her hemlines puddled on the floor, while other pieces were creased. That would be considered a decidedly non-royal move – the late Queen, the current Queen, and the Princess of Wales have all been known to employ aides to assist with wardrobe planning and execution.

Meghan’s stylist: This time, though, those kinks seem to have been (literally) ironed out for the Duchess of Sussex. On a couple of occasions now the Sussex team has confirmed that Meghan has employed Jamie Mizrahi – a Montecito-based stylist who also works with Adele – and the level of polish displayed on this trip indicates that a professional stylist or tailor may have been consulted before take off. Of all the things she may have gleaned from her time as a working royal, this last point would perhaps have the biggest impact on her personal style. Looking immaculate, in clothes that are well-tailored, is something that anyone might seek to perfect in their style formula, especially if they are dressing for the public eye.

[From The Telegraph]

Here’s my thing about Meghan’s style… I thought that once she was free from the shackles of the lace-and-button-covered Protocol Police, she would wear fun patterns and brighter colors overall. Instead, we’ve seen that her default style – her style before her marriage, even – is very heavy on neutrals, mostly variations of sand and beige. If anything, she gets out of her comfort zone when she knows she’s going to be photographed on a Sussex tour. Anyway, I don’t think Meghan IS dressing like she’s on a royal tour, nor do I think she SHOULD dress that way. She should dress how she’s already dressing – fun pops of color here and there, combined with event-specific attire, especially in more professional settings. Would I have chosen differently if I was styling her? For sure, but also… she could teach me some stuff. I like the research she’s done about Colombian designers and the smaller details she’s embedded into her ensembles.

There are very few photos of this look – Meghan wore a blue Oscar de la Renta dress to a reception in Colombia. It looks like the blue version of the yellow Carolina Herrera dress she wore in Nigeria.

Meghan is so beautiful in blue #HarryAndMeghanEnColombia 🇨🇴💛🖤#WeLoveYouHarryAndMeghan ❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/4FIqNJ5l1D

— Rosie Valentin Brazen Hussey 🍋🍋🍓🍓 (@ValentinRosie) August 17, 2024

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.