Social media is abuzz with users critiquing the Duchess of Sussex’s wardrobe since she quit as a working royal – with countless videos on YouTube about her ‘fashion fails’.
While many still praise Meghan’s glamorous wardrobe, she was recently criticised over her red Carolina Herrera gown – with its plunging neckline, daring front slit and ill-fitting bodice – which she wore to the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles gala last month.
Fashion stylists dubbed the altered £4,730 poppy red dress one of her biggest ‘fashion faux pas’ and said it was inappropriate for the event, which started early at 5.30pm.
One TikTok user said: ‘The Carolina Herrera number she chose was so inappropriate for a children’s event that it can only be described as shockingly revealing.
‘We’re talking bare shoulders, arms and even a flash of leg that should have been reserved for a late-night adult dinner party, not a wholesome charity gathering for kids.
‘It’s almost comical that a dress that cost so much can end up looking so tacky. It might look better on somebody else but on Meghan it looks like it was made for a different body type with better posture.’
But Meghan is not the only royal who has struggled dressing for her body shape.
Here, former Dior model and personal stylist Emma Davison, who trained at the London College of Fashion, analyses some of the Firm’s biggest hits and flops – and how best to dress for their particular body type.
Meghan wears the plunging red Carolina Herrera dress to the children’s charity gala in October
Princess Beatrice – Body Shape: Hourglass
When Beatrice arrived in a carriage at Ascot on June 18, 2019, she colour coordinated her £189 Maje pale blue dress with her sister Eugenie’s teal Calvin Klein shift.
Princess Beatrice’s blue dress at Meghan and Harry’s wedding (right) was the showstopper of the day, while her Ascot dress (left) was ill-fitting
But the embroidered guipure lace did nothing to enhance her hourglass figure.
By contrast, the stunning £7,000 Roksanda Ilincic teal Viola dress she wore to Harry and Meghan’s wedding really plays to her strengths. The fit-and-flare design shows off her tiny waist, accentuated by the billowing sheer sleeves.
Now she has put fashion stylist Olivia Buckingham on the payroll, we are unlikely to see the first mistake again.
Certainly her wardrobe at this year’s Royal Ascot was widely admired and earned her top position on society magazine Tatler’s best-dressed list. ‘If you an hourglass, like Beatrice, fluid fabrics will always be more flattering,’ Emma says. ‘This pastel blue laced dress from Maje sits on top of her, rather than working with her curves. And I’m not a fan of the angular sleeves.
By contrast, the stunning Roksanda teal dress she wore to Harry and Meghan’s wedding really plays to her strengths. The fit-and-flare design shows off her tiny waist accentuated by the billowing sheer sleeves.’
Queen Camilla – Body Shape: Apple
It’s now 25 years since Charles and Camilla made their first public appearance at her sister Annabel’s 50th birthday party – but she is not immune from the odd fashion disaster.
The difference in Queen Camilla’s appearance is quite striking: just changing the shape of her gown to suit her shape makes her look so svelt and glamorous
While the red dress she wore to the Annual Royal Variety performance on December 6, 2016, did nothing for her figure, she looked perfectly elegant in a maroon Fiona Clare gown at the Buckingham Palace state banquet for the President and First Lady of Korea on November 21, 2023. Credit to her dresser Jacqui Meakin.
‘Camilla’s a bit lost in this lace dress,’ explains Emma. ‘It lacks structure which I feel Camilla needs.
‘I’m not keen on this wide, scooped neckline, something she frequently favours. It narrows the width of her shoulders and throws up shadows around her neck. We’ve also lost any kind of waist as the detail sits too low.
‘I much prefer a neat neckline on Camilla. The empire cut highlights the narrowest part of her which, along with the puffed sleeves, gives shape and balance to her frame. By far her best dress style.’
Princess Eugenie – Body Shape: Pear
Eugenie was literally swamped by the emerald green Fendi couture dress she wore to a Vogue World: London event on September 14, 2023 – her first public appearance since giving birth.
Eugenie looked stunning in the Cefinn dress (right), Samantha Cameron’s fashion label, as it accentuated her tiny waist
In contrast, the £440 Cefinn Mia forest green belted silk satin midi dress she wore to Ascot on June 20, 2019, suited her petite figure.
Certainly, her stylist Sarah Price has encouraged her to wear more fitted dresses.
‘While a stunning colour, I can’t understand why anyone thought this green Fendi gown was a good choice for Eugenie,’ says Emma. ‘It’s hard to see where she starts and the dress ends.
‘When you’re styling a pear shape, all the focus and detail should be on the top half of the body. All we’ve got here is a lot of ruching and Eugenie smothered in fabric.
‘The neckline and the cut of sleeves is awkward, giving the impression of sloping shoulders and no waist.
‘The forest green dress by Cefinn Mia does the exact opposite. The first thing we see is her tiny waist. Tick one. The capped sleeves provide more structure to the shoulders. Tick two. While the fluid skirt skips harmlessly over her, the widest part of her hips. Tick three. Love this dress.’
The Princess of Wales – Body Shape: Column
While Kate rarely puts a foot wrong in her fashion choices, the £2,400 Eponine London green shift dress she wore to a primary school in Wembley on February 5, 2019, does not define her tiny waist enough.
These two green dress shapes could not have been more different. It’s clear that the Emilia Wickstead number suited Kate’s ‘column’ shape and gave her the illusion of curves and a defined waist
However, the £1,380 Emilia Wickstead green Denver dress that she chose for the Wimbledon singles final on July 10, 2021, gives her the suggestion of an hourglass figure.
‘It’s frankly hard to find fault with anything Kate wears, being the fabulous clothes horse that she is,’ admits Emma, ‘but these are good before and after examples of how to dress a column shape.’
‘Columns don’t have natural curves, so you have to find a way to create them. The straight up and down Eponine shift dress isn’t terrible, but it does nothing to help to thwart the column look.
‘The dress she wore to Wimbledon this year, on the other hand, with its cap sleeves and generously full pleated skirt, provide the illusion of curves and a defined waist.’
The Duchess of Sussex – Body shape: Inverted triangle
As an inverted triangle, Meghan has broad shoulders and slim hips. But she does not always dress for her body shape.
These two white dresses show how important it is for Meghan to dress according to her body shape and the Karen Gee dress, right, flatters her svelte figure
While she looks boxy in the £4,265 ivory floral-embellished Valentino shift dress she wore to the Global Citizen Live Concert on September 25, 2021, the £523 Karen Gee pencil dress she wore to the Admiralty House reception in Sydney on October 16, 2018, flatters her shape.
‘This Valentino dress does Meghan absolutely no favours,’ says Emma. ‘She often wears short dresses, but the danger of this style is that it foreshortens her body.
‘She ends up looking quite square and shapeless. The Karen Gee shift dress on the other hand is one of her most flattering styles.
‘The clean lines elongate her frame giving her that ideal one to three ratio. The wide straps minimise the broadness of her shoulders, while the ruching gives her a waist. She should stick with this style more often.’
Zara Tindall – Body shape: Column
What a difference a decade – and a good stylist – makes. When Zara turned up at Royal Ascot on June 16, 2015, wearing a canary yellow Paul Costelloe dress, it did nothing for her figure, and even sparked rumours she was pregnant.
Zara’s style transformation from chrysalis to butterfly is down to her Australian stylist, Annie Miall who also styles TV host Natalie Pinkham, and is truly remarkable
In contrast, the £1,900 Laura Green Masai dress she teamed with Sarah Cant’s £900 Rosa Hat ticked all the boxes.
Zara credits her transformation from chrysalis to butterfly to Australian stylist Annie Miall, who also styles TV host Natalie Pinkham.
‘You can wear fitted or short but not both,’ says Emma. ‘This body con dress gives the impression that Zara is pregnant – she wasn’t.
‘It doesn’t speak Royal or formal.’ However, I love her in this soft apricot midi dress. It’s more grown-up but still feminine and appropriate for the occasion. She looks tall and willowy. The thin belt emphasises her waist while the puffed chiffon sleeves keep the dress youthful.’
Contact Emma on https://emma-davison.co.uk
