Meghan put together another polished look today, wearing a mix of brands for a visit to Birmingham with Prince Harry.
The couple was in Birmingham to mark International Women’s Day. Despite the cool temps and intermittent rain, a large crowd was waiting to greet them when they arrived.
They weren’t disappointed. Meghan and Harry waded right in to shake hands and say ‘hello.’
More from a story by Hannah Furness in The Telegraph.
Student Charlotte Highsmith, from Oxford, was overcome with excitement after meeting Meghan and said: “Oh my God, it was worth the wait – I’ve missed my lecture.”
The 20-year-old, who is studying criminology and policing at Birmingham City University, added: “Meghan just thanked us for waiting in the rain for her, but it wasn’t a problem.”
Prince Harry was welcomed by a friendly four-legged fan.
Thank you to everyone (dogs included!) for the warm welcome to Birmingham this morning. pic.twitter.com/f6E3gbGfiP
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) March 8, 2018
International Women’s Day, or IWD, “celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.”
While chatting with a ten-year-old named Sophia Richards Harry asked the young lady what she wants to be when she grows up. When she replied ‘an actress’ he took her by the hand over to Meghan. More from People’s story:
“Meghan told me that I can achieve whatever I want to achieve. And Meghan said she would like to see me on TV when I become an actress,” Richards says. “It was a dream come true. I will never forget this day.”
Meghan then gave her a hug before Harry took her back to her classmates.
The Sun’s Jack Royston shared a quick video from the walkabout.
Meghan Markle praises International Women’s Day on her Birmingham walkabout. pic.twitter.com/fUd9DUlToH
— Jack Royston (@Jack_Royston) March 8, 2018
Both Harry and Meghan seemed to enjoy themselves immensely.
Sky TV posted this video of the walkabout.
Children, dogs and selfies – the hallmarks of a Royal visit pic.twitter.com/y1NM1tcxoZ
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 8, 2018
The crowds were gathered outside Birmingham’s iconic Millenium Point building, where the first event of the day was held. The building is described by the Birmingham Mail as a location “…providing creative working and learning environments, workspace and studios to those with interests in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths).”
This isn’t the first royal visit to Millenium Point; the Queen officially opened the building in 2002.
Meghan and Harry attended a function hosted by the STEMettes, a group dedicated to inspiring and supporting young women in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fields. Chris Ship of ITV shared this picture from the event.
According to Kensington Palace, 90 girls were given the opportunity to learn HTML coding as well as how to build devices like iPads and create apps.
Today ninety girls were given the opportunity by @stemettes to learn HTML coding, as well as how to build apps and touchpads. pic.twitter.com/OUMrMgtHoi
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) March 8, 2018
More from Kensington Palace:
Many local businesses from the Birmingham area also provided information on work experience, apprenticeships, A-level choices, and university degrees in STEM for the young women taking part.
Meghan spent time with three young women and also tried out a virtual reality headset.
More from People:
Meghan then praised her three new companions for saying they aimed to be a “surgeon, doctor and doctor.”
“It’s cool that you’re so interested in tech,” she told another group of girls. “That’s really impressive.”
The second stop for the duo was the Nechells Wellbeing Centre in Birmingham for a visit with volunteers and staff from the Coach Core program.
Coach Core offers sports apprenticeships “that enable young people to learn employable skills and develop personally as well as professionally. 99% of apprentices go into full-time education or employment,” according to The Royal Foundation.
Meghan and Harry spoke with apprentices about some of the benefits they have received from the program.
They wrapped up the visit with a group photo.
Now to what Meghan wore for today’s engagements.
Her coat is by J Crew, the brand’s Two-tone Wool-blend Topcoat style in navy. The Topcoat is a basic for the brand, part of their collection every year since 2006.
The coat is made in Italy in a 70/30 wool and nylon blend. It features wrap styling in a fairly loose fit, closing with a concealed hook and eye and self-belt.Most recently it was offered at Net-a-Porter ($300) and at J. Crew, but it is now sold out.
Meghan’s sweater is from AllSaints, the Ridley style.
It is a wool/cashmere blend, with a ribbed texture,funnel neck and fitted sleeves. It remains available in navy and black. Thank you to Giulia for her ID of this item.
The trousers Meghan wore today are by Alexander Wang. Michelle of Perths Fashion believes they are the Cropped Trouser in a blend of viscose/elastane/acetate/spandex.
Meghan’s handbag is by Altuzarra, the Ghianda Top Handle Saddle Mini. Altuzurra tells us the style is from the designer’s 2017 pre-fall collection.
The bag is made of navy caribou leather with a top handle, and it also has a shoulder strap. Credit for this ID also goes to Michelle of Perths Fashion.
We saw the return of Meghan’s BB 105 Point Toe pumps from Manolo Blahnik.
Meghan wore two new bracelets today. The first bracelet is the Birks Horizontal Bar diamond bar bracelet from the brand’s Rosee Du Matin collection.
Below a closer look at the bracelet and Birks logo tag. The the 18k white gold diamond bar measures 25mm long according to our contact at Birks.
UPDATE: The second bracelet Meghan is wearing is a cross bracelet. It looks like it may also be a diamond cross set in white gold, similar in style to that of the horizontal bar bracelet. Birks could not confirm that the bracelet was one from their collection. We could not find any similar products from Birks that matched the style.
A similar cross is the Vanessa Tugendhaft cross, however, the cross appears much too small compared to that of the one that Meghan is wearing. The diameter of the cross is 1,1 cm.
It’s very possible that the bracelet may have been custom made. We will continue our research on this piece.
Many think the bracelet may have been a gift on the occasion of Meghan’s baptism, which took place Tuesday. More from Rebecca English in her exclusive Daily Mail story:
Meghan Markle has been baptised into the Church of England in a secret ceremony with Prince Harry at her side. The intimate 45-minute service was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury at the Chapel Royal on Tuesday evening.
Miss Markle did not need to become an Anglican in order to marry Harry in church, but at the time of their engagement last November she made clear she had chosen to be baptised and confirmed out of respect for the Queen’s role as the head of the Church of England.
Meghan wore earrings by Adina Reyter – the 3 Diamond Amigos.
The earrings are described as 14k yellow gold posts with diamonds and the curves measure 9mm. The total diamond carat weight is 0.15 Ct. Retail $498 USD.
We will see you on Monday for the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey. The service begins at 3:15pm locally, that is 11:15am EDT. (We will be on DST Monday, but the UK will not, so there is only a 4-hour time difference.)
LINKAGE:
- Read more about the STEMettes at the organization’s website here; follow the group on Facebook here, on Twitter here, and on Instagram here
- In the US there are multiple STEM-related entities; the Girls Who Code site is here; the National Girls Collaborative Project website is here
- Learn more about International Women’s Day by clicking here; visit the site’s Facebook page here; the Twitter account is here. Use the hashtag #IWD2018 on social media to see the latest on events and activities around the world. You can also follow things specific to the #PressforProgress by using that hashtag.
- Visit the Coach Core website here; the charity’s Twitter feed is here.
- The Daily Mail’s coverage is here
- People’s story on Meghan and IWD is here
Shannon says
I love the cream jumper it looks so cosy and comfortable for once i don’t mind the short cigarette pants i love the shoes so chic and i would love to have the coat the bag ties the look together neatly.
Jenny says
Her appearance would be improved if she lost the belted coats — all of them. I’ve never liked the style to begin with and it’s especially unattractive on Meghan. (The only exception was the Stella McCartney coat which only had a half belt, and was easy and neat to tie.) Her belted coats always look somewhat sloppy, and overwhelming on her body type. The fitted white coat she’s wearing today at Westminster is chic and fits her nicely. No messy belt and coat bulges.
LadyLeah says
Meghan looks fabulous!
This coat is crisp and bold, love this whole look from head to heels. (Those heels look downright dangerous!)
About her preference for slouchy, loose clothing – it does seem to be a fashion trend that we are not accustomed to. It was all the style in the 90’s, and now our eyes have adjusted to skin tight clothing, body-con dresses, and anything that drapes or wraps looks sloppy to some. I predict a shift in what we see in stores, workplaces, parties. I find it refreshing and glamorous to let clothes be not quite so tailored to the body.
mfm says
I believe Meghan is going to get there style wise. She does need a good hairdresser to help her with styles that would allow her to leave her hair alone. You never see Kate doing that. This isn’t a comparison. She doesn’t hasn’t reached the ‘royal’ level yet.
SR says
Navy and black are so chic together. I’m a major fan.Other than the stilettos, this look is a totally accessible and almost any woman would look great in it. Thumbs up!
Patty says
Navy & black, in my book is just a no. Never, no. That being said, I wish she would wear more fitted items. All of Meghan’s clothes appear to be swallowing her small frame. I think a good tailor would help her immensely
Faith p says
I agree. A hairdresser would be a good idea as well.
ATC says
I’m not sure why she chooses to wear belted coats all the time and Kate fitted coats. Why can’t they mix it up once in a while? I’m sure a fitted jacket would be more flattering and it doesn’t mean that they (Meghan and Kate) are competing..ugh…I think that bothers me the most. They are two beautiful individual women who married into the Family…that’s all…stop the comparisons!! I sincerely hope that their styles are truly their own and not dictated by anyone else (or as much as they are allowed to show their own style). Anyway, I’ll stop my rant now.
A.V. says
I am so excited for their wedding. I have a lot of negative feelings about weddings and monarchy in general, but all that goes out the window when I see two people happy, in love, and sharing that happiness and love with others. I have high hopes for these two and their ability to serve their community. I appreciate the efforts you take to curate and blog about this information. For better or worse, this *is* history-in-the-making, and I so enjoy witnessing it. I am about 14 hours behind London standard time, but even my fiance has said that he is planning (“absolutely!”) to stay up with me and watch it. I think that she is magnificent. I cannot imagine a person more suited for the role, and I think that so far she has toed the line between being political and being royal rather well. I am a massive fan of KM, and have nothing whatsoever bad to say about her or her fashion choices, but I will say that I LOVE that MM is wearing trousers. First of all, TRES CHIC! Second, it *does* send a message to people that times are changing. I think that these two define “power couple” and I hope that they continue to do broad-reaching charity work. I would love to see an entire generation of youth grow up focusing on nonprofit work and being concerned about the well-being of others. It’s time for a global change. It’s not enough simply to vote for someone – one must do the work themselves.
Lauri says
Love this look today! I frequently wear navy blue and black together so I might be a bit biased 🙂 I will admit to some serious purse envy today, Meghan has a fierce handbag game!!
I really like Meghan’s hair with the side part today, it seems to give it bit more volume. My only quibble would be that bit of bang that constantly falls into her face. I found it very distracting watching her at the Forum event flicking that piece of hair back but not tucking it behind her ears so that it just kept falling forward again and again.
Loving how Harry looked today, the tan and navy looked great together. I wonder if Meghan has been helping him style his look a bit? I wonder if she could help my husband ?!
Bonnie says
I do like this navy coat with the white trim, the white sweater and the stunning purse. I think the pants and stilettos are out of balance with the outfit. Why, oh why wouldn’t she wear navy pants and shoes? The black does not clash, but it is not harmonious as navy would have been. Also, I feel that the causal nature of the coat needs a longer pant that is somewhat wider. A shorter, thicker heeled, navy shoe would have completed the look. To me the top and bottom of the outfit are out of sync.
Ettennels says
I like this look very much. I adore navy and black together. It is a neutral combination and one of my very favorites; although, I understand that navy and black has at times been considered a faux pas and perhaps clashing combination in the past. I think it lends quite a bit of sophistication to any look. In general, I like Meghan’s ensemble today quite a lot, but the pants are hemmed one inch too short for my taste. Although I like a bit of ankle, I think a little less ankle would enhance the subtle sophistication of the ensemble as a whole. Lastly, her hair is lovely, even when it appears a little less voluminous than her engagement announcement – that was the best her hair looked since she officially entered the spotlight.
Jessica says
Oh, we’re absolutely buried in drifts in New England as well! Wishful thinking about spring on my part.
ElizaMo says
This has to be Meghan’s most polished royal look to date, it’s real stand-out-in-a-crowd stuff. She’s learning fast: it was only last time seeing her next to Kate that I began to wonder how she could fit in given how brilliantly Kate has been able to pull off a thoroughly royal look in contemporary style.
But the loud detailing on the J Crew is just right for working the crowd, louder than ordinary mortals might want, perfect for Meghan-spotting in a crowd. It’s also from a usefully transatlantic label. The navy-and-white combination is a classic and the dark background is typically Meghan-chic, along with the generous cowl-neck jumper.
The only drawback is that the tie-belt demonstrates its shortcoming of creating unnecessary bulk at her petite waist. I like cropped pants but I’m not so sure about those heels. They look too high for comfort and the stiletto too thin making Blahnik just seem too showy for royal duties. The bag is divine.
It even looks as if Meghan has also upped her hair-do game. Some ends look to have been trimmed and maybe some taming via soft ringlet curls, as Kate used to, before she eventually gave way to immaculate updo’s and finally a crop. Meghan might well be on a similar hair journey and I feel reassured about how she might turn out for next Monday’s big royal gathering at the Abbey.
Mk says
I agree about the tie belt. I think she looks much better in fitted coats that accentuate her waist. Always love her handbags!
Jessica says
I love this coat, and it looks fantastic with the cream-colored sweater. The varying rib pattern on the sweater is really nice. It’s a little blousy for my taste, but Meghan seems to like that oversized look. Navy and cream is such a sharp, professional, yet seasonal look for this time of year.
I don’t in general have a problem with navy and black together–I think it can be very effective–but here I feel like the early-spring feel of navy and cream on top is fighting a little with the all-black pants and shoes. I love how the coat looks with jeans in the model shot (though of course I understand Meghan could not have worn jeans for this appearance). Something camel-colored perhaps? Maybe next time!
At any rate, she looks beautiful, and I do covet that coat–AND the handbag!
ElizaMo says
Agree with you about how the coat looks with jeans, I thought that would have helped sell it to Meghan. I never even noticed the navy on black, I’m letting my concentration slip, though I don’t have a problem with it and it wouldn’t have worried me. But I like your point about the navy and cream being seasonal for spring, something else I missed, though that might be due to the fact that it’s freezing here and when I look out I can still see snow on nearby hills! Spring still seems a distant prospect 🙂
Julie says
The coat is really flattering from the back. The cream sweater looks warm and comfy. I don’t understand sky-high stilettos and bare ankles on a chilly, rainy day. I wonder sometimes if that’s why her posture is not as perfect as it usually is. Kate, too, often slouches in high heels.