Some of the Duchess of Sussex’s style staples were beautifully reflected on Inauguration Day
The fashion-forward coats! The monochromatic looks! Everywhere we looked at Wednesday’s Inauguration here in the U.S., we got glimpses of Meghan’s style from Vice President Kamala Harris, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, former First Lady Michelle Obama, First Daughter Ashley Biden, and more. See for yourself!
The night before the Inauguration, now Vice President Harris wore a camel coat – one of Meghan’s favorite shades to incorporate into her coat game – at a candlelight vigil at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to honor the more than 400,000 lives lost to COVID-19 in the U.S. alone. The coat was by Pyer Moss (pronounced Pierre), a New York label; as she would do throughout the celebrations, the Vice President wore Black designers, this one by Pyer Moss founder Kerby Jean-Raymond, the son of Haitian immigrants. Harper’s BAZAAR reports that he turned his studio into a PPE donation center and also provided emergency grants for women- and minority-owned small businesses affected by the pandemic.
Kamala in a Pyer Moss by Kerby Jean-Raymond coat and Manolo Blahnik boots, January 19, 2021, at the Reflection Pool, Washington, DC.
Below, Meghan in similar style coats to that of the Vice President. From Left to Right —The Duchess in a Reiss coat – the brand’s sabel wool blend overcoat in camel ($645) back in January 2020 when the couple visited Canada House in London. Wearing Givenchy for a visit to Smart Works, January 2019. She wore the MaxMara ‘Manuela’ wrap coat ($2950) in March 2015 while out with Olivia Palmero and signing autographs for Suits fans.
Photo credit: James Whatling / Splash News / Meghan Markle Instagram
Vice President Harris in Christopher John Rogers for Inauguration Day, January 20, 2021. The bright purple coat is symbolic of the U.S. suffrage movement as well as a nod to bipartisanship (red and blue).
Kamala’s coat and dress immediately reminded us of Meghan’s Aritzia’s Babaton ‘Maxwell’ dress in a beautiful shade of purple worn for One Young World, October 2019.
At her father’s swearing-in ceremony, Ashley Biden wore a look reminiscent of Meghan at her first royal engagement in Nottingham, UK. Ashley’s navy double-breasted Gabriela Hearst ‘Cantwell’ coat ($4900) was paired with coordinating leather gloves and the designer’s ‘Pat’ boot ($1450), a favorite of her mother, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden.
Meghan in the Mackage ‘Elodie’ navy coat ($890) for her first royal engagement in Nottingham, UK, December 2017. For Christmas in Sandringham, December 2018, she wore a Victoria Beckham navy wool coat.
credit: Kensington Palace / Stephen Lock i-Images
Vice President Harris’ stepdaughter Ella Emhoff – a textile design student at Parsons School of Design in New York City – wowed in a Meghan-loved label at the noontime ceremony yesterday. Ella wore a Miu Miu Shetland Pied De Poule bore a collar in the label’s signature style, with yellow and orange embellishments. Hidden under her embellished coat was a burgundy moiré dress by Batsheva. Her headband is by Loeffler Randall, the Bobby Sahara headband ($75). If Twitter is any indication, the daughter of the Second Gentleman (how cool is that to say) is a burgeoning fashion icon and will be one to watch.
Miu Miu is an Italian high fashion women’s clothing and accessory brand and a fully owned subsidiary of Prada. It is headed by Miuccia Prada and headquartered in Paris, France. Meghan has worn Miu Miu previously as seen below at the 2014 Miu Miu Women’s Tales 7th Edition event in New York.
Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman wore a Prada double-breasted wool coat (£2360) and red silk headband for her unforgettable poetry reading at the January 20, 2021 Inauguration.
Prada double-breasted wool coat (£2360)
The headband is also available in black silk ($360), Tabacco ($360) and red velvet ($240).
Amanda’s earrings and ring were a gift from Oprah Winfrey. The hoop earrings are by Nikos Koulis from the designer’s Energy Collection. The ring is by Of Rare Origin, the Aviary Classic Ring ($1,290), shaped like a caged bird as a tribute to Maya Angelou’s ionic poem, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
Nikos Koulis yellow gold hoops with diamonds and Of Rare Origin, the Aviary Classic Ring ($1,290)
Michelle in monochrome is a win for us! Mrs. Obama also chose to honor a Black designer yesterday, Sergio Hudson, in a burgundy coat and jumpsuit cinched with a gold belt. Hudson made his debut at New York Fashion Week less than a year ago in February 2020, and dressed not only the former First Lady but also the first female Vice President (see below). Burgundy monochromatic looks are a trend we’ve seen Meghan in before, looking stunning, just like Mrs. Obama.
Michelle Obama’s Sergio Hudson wool alpaca turtleneck, ($635) is available for pre-order on the site ($635).
The Duchess of Sussex’s many appearances in burgundy.
QCT Panel Discussion, October 2019 / Hubb Community Kitchen visit, November 2018 / SplashNews – at the Invictus Games Toronto, 2017
Later that evening, Madam Vice President (who wore Manolo Blahnik shoes with her Christopher John Rodgers outfit to the noontime events) stepped out in an all-black look from Sergio Hudson herself, a liquid sequin cocktail dress with a floor-length silk tuxedo overcoat that reminded us of Meghan’s Brandon Maxwell coat from Remembrance Day 2020. Of the first female Vice President, Hudson said “The way she’s broken barriers is a light for so many of us. She shines so we can all shine.”
Meghan with Harry in Los Angeles for Remembrance Day, November 2020 wearing Brandon Maxwell.
Finally, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden – clad in Gabriela Hearst – wore an ivory double-breasted cashmere coat, which she paired with a silk dress with embroidery on the neckline and hemline reflecting the flowers from every state and territory of the U.S. This touching gesture, of course, reminded us of Meghan’s veil at her 2018 wedding to Harry, where there was a flower representing each of the countries of the Commonwealth sewn in. Chills.
More on Dr. Jill Biden’s outfit from Gabriel Hearst’s Instagram —
Meghan’s wedding veil details, May 2018.
credit: Crown Copyright MOD 2018/Owen Cooban / Splash News
Meghan has also worn Gabriela Heart on a number of occasions, including at a reception in New Zealand, October 2018 and as her character, Rachel Zane on Suits.
credit: Pool/i-Images October 2018 in a Gabriela Heart dress / USA Network – Suits, Season 7 Episode 5 wearing Gabriela Hearst’s ‘Gunnersbury’ Cardigan.
Ashley Biden’s tuxedo look (reportedly designed by Ralph Lauren) for the family’s evening appearance is also reminiscent of Meghan’s style. She wore a pair of Chloe Gosselin ‘Nicole’ pumps ($745), a brand we recently saw Meghan wearing on an outing in LA.
credit: Twitter Jennifer Epstein / Instagram Chloe Gosselin
Chloe Gosselin ‘Nicole’ pumps ($640) available here and here.
Meghan in Alexander McQueen at the 2018 Endeavour Awards and in September 2018 at the Wellchild Awards.
Other notable looks from Inauguration Day were President Biden’s granddaughters. We are loving Natalie Biden (Beau Biden’s daughter) in a bright pink cashmere coat from Lafayette 148 New York, the Dawson’ coat, paired with high camel suede boots.
Lafayette 148 ‘The Dawson Coat’ in Pink Salt ($1,998)
Maisy Biden wore a pair of Nike Air Jordan 1 Mid “Sisterhood” sneakers with a navy Adam Lippes coat and trousers.
That evening, the Biden women were dressed to the nines. Naomi wore a purple midi dress with a statement bow and matching stilettos; Finnegan opted for a sequined Markarian gown with black satin straps; Maisy paired a statement gown from Rodarte with another pair of Nike Air Jordan 1 Mid “Sisterhood” sneakers; and Natalie also chose a sequined Markarian dress, hers in a light gold. Markarian was also the label behind Jill Biden’s dress and coat at the ceremony.
Howard Krein (Ashley’s husband), Natalie, Maisy, Ashley, President Biden, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Finnegan, Naomi and Robert “Hunter” Biden II.
Markarian Paoloma Gold Sequin Bias Corset Midi Dress and the Mars Iridescent Coral Sequin Bias Corset Dress / Rodarte FW20 Heart and Rose Printed Dress with Organza Collar (also available here)
We look forward to the fashion of all of the above women over the coming years! Brava, ladies.
We leave you with this verse from Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb” —
We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,
we must first put our differences aside“
LINKS:
- Read all about Vice President Kamala Harris’ style over on What Kamala Wore.
- Read more about Amanda Gorman on The Cut here.
- More inauguration photos and fashion can be found on Vox’s article here.
KM says
Dr Biden’s cream dress also reminds me so much of Megans’s dress at her first post-wedding engagement – the cream garden party dress!!
Izzy says
I loved Dr. Biden’s cream coat and dress. They I liked the color of the coat and dress she wore for the swearing in. However, the coat should have had some tailoring so that it didn’t wrinkle across her back. That kind of spoiled it for me. I really liked the Miu Miu coat and the yellow Prada coat was spectacular!! The fit and tailoring were perfect!
Thanks! This has been fun to read!
WhatMeghanWore says
Hi Izzy, I didn’t even notice that the coat was buckling in the back! We are so glad that you enjoyed the post. Thanks – Susan C.
Nathalie says
Totally? Love this. Miss her.
WhatMeghanWore says
Nathalie, We miss her too! Hoping we get to see her soon! With the virus being so bad in California, we may have to wait a little longer. Susan C.
Laura says
I think you are really stretching your imaginations to find something relevant to write about. This blog is “What Meghan Wore,” not what people at the inauguration wore. Michelle Obama and Meghan have both worn burgundy.. Other than the colour, Michelle is not reflecting Meghan’s style, as the blog heading suggests.. Nothing else about their outfits is similar. Ditto for Kamala Harris wearing a purple coat and Meghan once wearing a purple dress. I suppose there are similarities in Ashley Biden’s and Meghan’s black suits, but most women have this in their closets. A camel or navy coat are also classics. There are only so many colours out there and wearing the same colour can never be taken as wearing the same style.
This is an interesting well illustrated article, but you need to up your game, regarding “What Meghan Wore. “
WhatMeghanWore says
Hello Laura, With regards to your comment, we simply wanted to write about the beautiful fashion worn on Inauguration Day and how some pieces reminded us immediately of pieces Meghan wore. We weren’t the only ones who noticed similarities in style and fashion between Meghan and those in attendance at the inauguration. As a matter of fact, some comments on Twitter referenced “Big #MeghanMarkle energy”. One of those comments referred to the Gabriela Hearst dress Dr. Jill Biden wore as it had all of the state flowers embroidered on it. Much like Meghan did with her veil and the Commonwealth flowers embroidered on the edges.
We also want to give readers/followers the opportunity to “escape” everything going on right now with the pandemic and other issues. Most have welcomed this. It’s been some time now since we’ve actually had an opportunity to “see” Meghan what with everything happening currently and the recent lock-down in California. We’re hoping she and Harry are able to make appearances in some sort of capacity soon. In the meantime of course our main focus will be on Meghan’s fashion and the work she is doing, with an occasional post that may go off the beaten track a bit (see our “Tricks of the Trade: An Inside Look at How We ID The Duchess’ Fashion Items” post from January 19th.). Thanks, Susan and Rachel
Lauren says
I appreciated the WMW team’s post about elements of Meghan’s style that are reflected by many women at the Inauguration last month. It was a palate cleanser, to say the least, after an extremely difficult time that has lasted, for many of us, since 2015. I’ve gotta say that Michelle Obama’s burgundy/oxblood ensemble still resonates with me today!
I couldn’t help but think of “the Rainbow Queen” QEII when I saw the colorfully arrayed Biden women lined up in their pastels, walking up to the White House!
Keep up the awesome analyses, ladies! Indulge your creativity and flex those muscles whenever you see fit.<3 I love reading your perspectives!
Louise says
The veil with the Commonwealth flowers was actually based on the dress that Queen Elizabeth wore at her coronation.
So you could say that the inauguration had a Queen Elizabeth vibe. Queen Elizabeth has also worn beige dresses and yellow coats.
Brandi says
Ive always been a fan of the monochromatic outfits Meghan wore. All the ladies looked great on Inauguration Day!
Lacey says
Dr. Jill’s cream coat and dress from the evening celebration is one of my favorite outfits ever! I love the delicate floral embroidery and the coat’s tailoring. Just lovely.
And Michelle Obama’s inauguration outfit…FIRE!