Of all People Magazine’s special issues, it feels like the “Best Dressed Issue” has waned in importance. Which is too bad, because I remember People’s “Best Dressed Issue” in the olden days, when they really did highlight some interesting women and their “year of” fashion. The Best Dressed Issue has now been downgraded to the point where it doesn’t even get a full cover. Which is too bad, because People named Meghan Markle/the Duchess of Sussex as their Best Dressed Woman of 2018.
The Meghan Markle effect is real. Since the American-born actress turned Duchess of Sussex became engaged to Prince Harry, Meghan quickly became one of the most influential style icons in the world — and she’s proven time and time again that everything she wears turns to sold.
From a $328 Club Monaco dress that sold out within hours of wearing it to a wedding or a $740 Strathberry handbag that flew off shelves just 11 minutes after she was photographed carrying it, Meghan’s choices have instant influence. And it’s easy to understand why; both when she’s dressed up in designer dresses and when she’s more casual in jeans, Meghan is a master at looking both regal and relatable.
“Her clothes are beautifully cut. There’s nothing bold or brash or too extreme. They are really just beautiful clothes on a beautiful woman,” says Hilary Alexander, former fashion director of The Telegraph.
I mean… I agree with the choice, to a certain extent. It’s not like Meghan is lighting the fashion world on fire with her sartorial choices BUT whatever she wears will always make huge headlines. Even more so in the UK, where the British media’s new sport is clutching their pearls over everything Meghan does, says or wears.
Other women on People’s Best Dressed list: Lupita Nyong’o, Amal Clooney (hahaha), Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lopez (eh), Tracee Ellis Ross, Kim Kardashian (ORLY?), Sandra Bullock, Angela Bassett and Margot Robbie. You can see People’s slideshow here.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Backgrid, Avalon Red.
Honestly how can the list be taken seriously with Kim K in there!
How could it be taken seriously with her as best dressed?
Its not like anything realistic. It is simply list of popular people who wear clothes.
Meg is 50/50 for me. Far from best dressed. But then again Chuck got GQ award. So I guess the royals want to become more visible or something.
Right? Cringe worthy to be named with that.
How can it be taken seriously with Meghan and most of these women on it? It is just absurd. Meghan is hardly best dressed material: her clothes are mostly boring, don’t fit, and if she was still an actress, no one would even notice her, as she was mostly unknown for most of her career. Amal?? JLo?? Kim K?? Good Lord. The vacuousness of our society and the media makes me want to scream.
I nominate Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – that’s a fashion icon AND an accomplished professional.
@Rhys, I am going to look her up right now!! Thanks!
True!
Bland wedding dress. Clothes don’t fit. Black, beige, white boring.
@ PeopleMag
Seriously?
Chimamanda is not a fashion icon sorry to say. And I don’t know why you think Chimamanda is the accomplished professional but the above named women aren’t?? I mean I understand Kim Kardashian fame coming from a sex tape, but the other women on the list don’t have that in common with KimK, no?
Kim kardashian? This is why she believes she is so amazing and influential, she wins dumb awards like this and manages to stay in the news.
I mean, definitely yes to Meghan! She dresses beautifully.
Some misses for Meghan and it’s kind of early to give her this award since she is still finding her style. I do like 85 percent of what she wore so far though. I believe she has potential to be even better and wow us in the future.
Also, Kim? Really?
I think the main thing with People mag is that none of their lists are really accurate. “Sexiest” whatever, best dressed… they’re all based on who’s popular at the moment or who has an agent greasing the wheel. They might as well pick random names off of a list for the most part.
I’m with you on her looks for the most part. I’ve liked probably 75% – 80% of what she has worn. But none of it has been ground breaking – mainly classic. But the looks I didn’t like I REALLY didn’t like.
I liked her both of her wedding dress’s and the black suit that she wore but other than that, I haven’t liked any of her outfits. It really is a popularity thing. Besides, ‘Best Dressed’ or ‘Sexiest’ are all a matter of opinion and everyone has different ideas.
Yeah, I was kind of underwhelmed by the main wedding gown – but it sort of grew on me over time. I really liked the second dress though – and she looked phenomenal in the all black suiting. I loved the teal skirt she wore in Ireland. I know the engagement gown is ‘controversial’ and I’m not into super dramatic gowns that much – but god I loved that dress – more so the top half.
I think most of her looks are perfectly nice – like some nice work wear. Some of the pieces are exquisite, honestly, but it’s rare that I think the WHOLE look is a big hit. I’d also kill to have a version of her jackets. Some of those jackets are just so gorgeous, but the tailoring isn’t where I’d want it to be. I’m a sucker for jackets though.
Hahaha. All it takes to be named the “Best Dressed” person is to marry royalty or a major celebrity star. Why not call it “Best choice of a husband”? More true to reality.
It’s whoever will sell mag’s at any given time..its all about marketing, whether it be a good choice..and she was..or an outrageous one.
I’d give her most Beautiful person. Lovely, charming, but best dressed person? That’s a stretch. Some of her choices were not properly cut and unflattering. She’s coming into her own and will only get better over time. A little too early to call this.
Most fashion influential? Absolutely. Cannot deny the influence her fashion choices have on consumers. Everything she wears sells out!
True, but if selling out clothes made you make the list, then Kate M should have been on it too. I don’t like how she dresses, but her clothes always sell out. People are such sheep.
True. They both have huge consumer influence
Tracee Ellis Ross for best dressed person for me all the way…
Allegedly Kate M is “on” the list. The newspapers claimed for years that there were a “Kate effect” allegedly because each time Kate M would wear anything it would fly off the shelves. Completely sold-out. There were never any proves for this nor any numbers.
Kate M follows fashion at best but she certainly doesn’t inspire fashion trends.
apparently Meghan gets the same treatment now: “the Meghan effect”.
Not only has the list waned in value, but so has the mag. People used to be a reliable good read. Now it’s HGTV and weird Duggar type reality tv people and publicist puff pieces. Barf.
people’s become that magazine that you hear about but know to never trust so is Hollywood life.
She never got best dressed when she was an actress. People Mag I do not trust.
Exactly! And she had a pretty good personal style towards later years of her career. People mag didn’t care about Meghan Markle.
My vote would have gone to Lupita.
Exactly. Lupita is someone I follow specifically for fashion. Meghan? Very bland choices so far, which aren’t always tailored properly. Forget about Kim K, I don’t consider her any kind of fashion icon, unless showing your tits is now fashion.
Tracy Ellis Ross for me. I think she does interesting, “high” fashion like Cate Blanchett, but more successfully.
Best dressed? No. She’s gorgeous, but she has a habit of wearing boring, ill-fitting clothes, and like others have said, she was never chosen for this while she was an actress. I didn’t even know who she was until she started dating a prince
Hard to put much stock in a best dressed list with a Kardasian/Jenner on it but proud for my girl Meghan. Something positive after all that she endured from her wretched blood kin over the Summer. Sammy’s head must have exploded over this hehehe.
People is a joke.
Kim Kardashian, please.
Between People printing Kelly Rutherford’s lies, and their abominable coverage of the dying country singer Jody Feek, that magazine has become disgusting garbage. Hopefully, putting Kim on their best dressed list will be what finally tanks that magazine.
The only thing she’s worn that I’ve absolutely loved was that second wedding outfit by Stella McCartney. And maybe that pretty yellow sleeveless dress. I’m meh on everything else. I could do without pants that drag in the dirt and dresses that don’t fit properly and PLEASE no more dusty pink, it’s not her color!
I highly doubt the editors of People made this choice because of her fashion-forwardness. They want to sell magazines and she’s one good way to do it.
Putting Kim K. on that list is a joke and yet another way to sell more copies.
@other Renee – yes, I liked her wedding “party dress” and the yellow one too. I also actually liked the lampshade dress she wore for her outing with the Queen. But I agree – the too long pants and the squishboob and dusty pink have to go. She has some good ideas, but needs a better tailor.
Lol. Meghan wears basic clothes. Nothing outstanding. 50/100 score.
I love most of her outfits, and I enjoy her style, but I’m not sure she is “best dressed.” I think that should go to someone who pushes more boundaries and is a bit more fashion forward.
Best dressed royal – maybe.
I find Meghan’s style to be a straight cross between Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy (RIP) and Angelina Jolie, who both pretty much started the neutrals trend, the nude shoes trend and the ladylike long dresses trend (with a little menswear trend thrown in). Very classy. Congrats to the new style icon. However, I’m more hopeful to see what she can do for suffering humanity than for the fashion industry.
Meghan wears normal clothes that women wear to work everyday. Nothing outstanding. Suits are worn by millions of women who work on a daily basis. Most of her clothes are ill fitting, even the much hyped dress tuxedo. Like I said, it’s 50/100 for me. If I were Meghan, I will take any ‘award’ of best dressed, most beautiful, most popular, sexiest etc with a pinch of salt. If the awards never came when she was an actress, she should know that they are only looking her way cos she married a prince and not because of her talent or style. Many of these awards are corny.
Hard to take this list with the teeny tiniest amount of seriousness when Kim Kardashian is on it.
One could argue that the “best dressed woman” is married to “the worst dressed prince.” Ugh. Does he only own one blue suit (that needs alterations?) gaaah.
This is laughable. I would be mortified to be included.
I love Meghan but no. Not even close. Maybe when she hits her stride and finds a proper tailor but so far her fashion has been the equivalent of a newborn giraffe.
And Kim K made the list, so make that a Hell No.
Lainey gave an apt analysis of this award. She doesn’t believe Meghan can be described as stylish yet and based on the two royal exclusives that People magazine has gotten, she theorizes without spelling it out that this award may be a case of ‘scratch my back and I scratch yours’ between the magazine and the royals. Meghan may have been included in the best dressed list in exchange for the exclusive story about the name of Harry and Meghan’s dog. It’s just a theory that Lainey almost believes.
I loved both her wedding and reception dresses.
Yeah, these “awards” are pitched to publicists, and whoever pays, plays. People’s Sexiest Man, Beautiful Woman, etc., awards are always given to an actor with a major film to promote. And yes, I’m sure they have a similar financial deal with the devil, aka the molesting Duggars.
@phaedra – yes, and their other deal with the devil, $cientology for all their softball fishing interviews with cult members Travolta, Cruise, etc.
This is laughable! All of her clothes look like they came from Duchess Kate’s reject pile, in both style and fit. It’s also nowhere near the Anistonish California Casual style she sported before, which she should definitely go back to.
And Kim K.?!?! I have no words. She looks like silly putty most of the time. Beige misshapen clothes that are always WAY too tight.
Nice try, People. Joan Rivers is gonna haunt your office for eternity!
lol