For tonight’s 100 Days to Peace concert, Meghan chose a dress by Jason Wu.
The event marks the anniversary of the final 100 days of WWI. It is is presented by the Royal Armouries, the UK’s museum of arms and armor. This video from Omid Scobie shows Meghan and Harry as they arrive inside the building.
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan arriving at @CentralHall for the #100DaystoPeace concert earlier this evening, a @Royal_Armouries charity gala of music and reflection marking the centenary of the end of #WW1. pic.twitter.com/LrFrBCb56i
— Omid Scobie (@scobie) September 6, 2018
And this video from The Daily Mail’s Rebecca English shows the Duke and Duchess heading upstairs to the concert Hall.
A beautiful blue dress by Jason Wu for Meghan tonight pic.twitter.com/8NbSLiTp8g
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) September 6, 2018
The event is a fundraiser for organizations that help military veterans facing mental health issues, Help for Heroes, Combat Stress, and Heads Together. From a Royal Armouries news release about tonight’s fundraiser:
“Tragically, the First World War did not turn out to be ‘the war to end war’ but then, as now, by marking the centenary of the end of the war with this concert, we can hope and pray for a better future. Part of that better future is helping those who have been affected by war and conflict.
Here you see the couple entering the concert hall, walking to their seats and then singing the national anthem.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex – Meghan in @JasonWu – stand for a glorious national anthem at the 100 Days to Peace gala concert @heads_together @HelpforHeroes @CombatStress pic.twitter.com/hBBTucT3di
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) September 6, 2018
The Duke and Duchess during intermission.
One of the evening’s highlights: Sir Karl Jenkins conducting The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, performed by the Royal Choral Society and the Philharmonia Orchestra. Here is a sample of the music, recorded during a rehearsal for tonight’s performance.
#100DaystoPeace @Royal_Armouries a great rehearsal – so looking forward to singing tonight! pic.twitter.com/D9T6ara7VT
— Royal Choral Society (@royalchoral) September 6, 2018
Now to what Meghan wore for tonight’s gala, beginning with her Jason Wu dress.
The bespoke piece features a pleated and ruffled front, deep vee back and back slit. My guess is that the dress shoots poorly, especially in the dark, and looks much prettier in person. Thoughts about the frock in Bethan Holt’s Daily Telegraph column:
The duchess moved away from the coolly sophisticated tailoring she has chosen for her most recent two appearences and opted instead for the kind of executive-chic shift dress which populates the wardrobes of lawyers, businesswomen and politicians who mix comfortably in the 0.1%.
Model Karlie Kloss wore a gown with similar bodice pleating to the CFDA Awards in June, as seen on her Twitter feed and Jason Wu’s Instagram page. (Thanks to Laura for pointing out the CFDA dress.)
This rich blue color was used in the brand’s spring and fall collections. (The Jason Wu styles seen below are here, here, and here.)
Mr. Wu was born in Taiwan and raised in Canada; his label is based in New York. The Duchess wore a Jason Wu dress in February for the Royal Foundation forum, the Crepe Back Satin Belted Wrap Dress.
Meghan’s heels are the Portrait of a Lady pump by Aquazzura. They are a slingback style with a pointed toe and 4.3″ heel. The most distinctive element is the glittering crystal embellishment on the ankle strap and buckle. They are available in limited sizes at Farfetch ($950).Meghan carried her bespoke Dior clutch, first noted at the RAF anniversary service in July.
This evening the Duchess wore the Birk’s Snowstorm Diamond Earrings seen previously.
Meghan wore her hair down.
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We have 2 quick Retail Roundup tidbits, both about Strathberry bags.
- The Strathberry bag Meghan carried in Dublin, the Midi Tote in Tan Bridle Leather, is now available for pre-ordering online. The price has been increased from $675 to $725.
- Another Strathberry note: the company has launched its limited edition Moomin collection, featuring the characters created by Finnish author/artist Tove Jansson.Two more designs from the collection. Prices range from $125/$135 for charms and wallets to $885 for the bags.
- Also today, The Mother Denim ‘Runaway’ jeans in Not Guilty are back in stock at most retailers: they are available at Mother Denim ($196), as well as at Nordstrom ($205), and also at Revolve ($205).
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Editor’s Note: tonight’s dress is prompting an abundance of comments about Meghan possibly being pregnant. Per our comment policy, please do not speculate on the subject or we won’t be able to publish your comment.
Earlier this week People announced Meghan is their Best Dressed Star of 2018. Here is a brief video covering just a few of Meghan’s looks.
LINKAGE:
- The Help for Heroes website is here; the charity’s Facebook page is here; its Twitter feed is here and the group’s Instagram page is here
- The Combat Stress website is here; its Facebook page is here; the organization’s Instagram page is here; its Twitter feed is here
- The Heads Together website is here; the organization’s Facebook page is here; its Instagram page may be seen here; the group’s Twitter feed is here
- The Royal Armouries website is here; its Facebook page is here; the Twitter feed is here and Instagram page here
- The Daily Mail’s story on tonight’s concert is here; The Daily Mirror’s article is here
- The Telegraph’s fashion story may be seen here; People‘s story is here; the Fug Girls post is here
Anna says
Stunning color on the Duchess! The fit of the dress is off in the armscye/bust. The photos aren’t the best–I agree with others who think it was probably really lovely in person and the “flow” doesn’t translate.
Kiara says
Meaghan looked absolutely stunning. Hair, makeup, jewelry, shoes – all perfect, and the best part was how that striking blue complimented the golden, peachy undertones in her skin. I agree that the dress doesn’t photograph well, but it looked lovely in the video. I’m guessing that the material to die for in person.
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Rachel says
I loved the back of the dress & the color but the front not so much. Like many of Meghan’s clothes it hits the mark sorta, something is always off be it the fit, or shoes, or the color for the season. I thought she looked amazing in the Altuzarra Trouser Suit & it would have looked great with bright blouse since it was this was event centered around children. Meghan looks great in tailored trouser suits, they really flatter her figure but her dresses are off. Meghan is similar in build to Queen Letizia, who knows how to dress to flatter her figure, and has found her style when she transitioned from news anchor to queen. One day Meghan will find her royal style, just as Kate did.
Tessa says
Those shoes are perfection! Wish we could see the dress on her in person … the color is fabulous. She’s accessorized so perfectly tonight.
Fashiophile says
The shoes, colour and bag are lovely. The dress with its front ruffles do nothing to enhance her lovely figure – except put bulk on areas that you least want them to. This particular Jason Wu dress does not photograph well when the wearer is moving. That should have been considered,
ElizaMo says
I’m not sure it’s possible to predict how something is going to come out in photographs, there are an awful lot of variables many of which can’t be predicted. I would imagine it would come down to trial and error in the end.
Fashiophile says
When one puts on a dress, one always walks/sits in it in the trial phase. That’s what celebrities do. That’s when one can notice the front ruffles move forward adding bulk. And then because of that it does not photograph well because it’s a mil/sec click that catches it. For a celebrity being photographed with fast shutter speed this does matter.
ElizaMo says
I agree that it matters but I still think that the human eye will see things differently from the camera however hard one tries.
ElizaMo says
I agree it matters, but I don’t think looking at an outfit in the mirror can predict what might happen in photos. Variables of lighting esp flash plus frisky breezes &c all ultimately unpredictable imo
Louise says
On the positive side, this color is absolutely stunning on her! I also love the shoes and earrings, and it’s wonderful to see her hair looking so polished and pretty. I even love the back view of the dress. Sadly, the front is where it all goes awry for me. I like the idea of the ruffles, but the execution is just blatantly unflattering and adds the illusion of a lot of bulk to her figure.
For me, this is another “close, but not quite” look for Meghan, which is a shame given how beautiful she looks in that shade of blue.
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ElizaMo says
I’m not sure it’s possible to predict how a garment will photograph, especially given the blaze of flash lights that can greet a leading royal. I would imagine it was a case of learning by experience.
Ceci says
I love the shoes! So pretty and sparkly. The dress…eh. The color is beautiful, and the length is great, I even like the fabric. But there is something off with the design. If a thin person like Meghan can’t pull it off, no one can. The pleats just don’t work.
Ellis says
I wasn’t a fan of this at all when photos first started coming out yesterday, but the dress is growing on me and I’m finding that I like it more and more the more photos I see. While it definitely isn’t the most flattering in some of the side photos, it looks like it photographed much better at a 45-ish degree angle. The color is phenomenal on Meghan and I love the neckline and shoulders of the dress.
I’m probably in the minority in that I don’t like her shoes at all (which may be mainly personal preference, as I don’t really like slingbacks or colored satin shoes). The blue seems just a tad darker than the dress (but not dark enough to appear intentional), and I think the overall effect would have been better if the shoes and clutch had matched. It kind of looks to me like she just haphazardly threw a bunch of different shades of blue together. I would have loved to see this with silver accessories, but the same shoes in a navy blue that matched the clutch would have looked great too. I love the earrings and hair!
Barbara says
This look is absolutely stunning from the back. Her flowing hair, the flattering fit of the dress, the gorgeous color, and the blingy straps on her shoes are all amazing. Not a fan of the ruffled/pleated front of the dress although the Duchess wears it well and looks beautiful.
Lindsey says
Love everything about the overall look (hair, jewellery, shoes, bag and colour) except those ruffles on the front. The back of the dress is much better IMO. The colour is beautiful and those shoes are stunning – Brandi is totally right on them being the 2018 version of Carrie Bradshaws wonderful Manolos. Great to see her in some colour after the black of her last few appearances, and this is a lovely colour on her.
Christine Muehling says
I enjoyed seeing the Duchess in a jewel tone & something different from a sheath with a boat neck. Good for her! I am sure the ruffles were beautiful in person & the shoes were gorgeous. The earrings, clutch, & hair were lovely also. A huge win.
Charlotte says
A very oddly-fitting dress. Apart from the color, the outfit is a definite miss for me.
SG says
Perfection from head to toe! Not every woman could pull of front pleating, but Meghan has the figure for it. Plus her dark hair with those glossy curls looks gorgeous against the azure blue.
Janie says
Just fabulous, nothing much else to say.
Indie says
It’s a shame when something like pleats on a dress almost overshadows the event itself! I agree with most here – a beautiful dress in motion, but it definitely photographs oddly. Her hair is sooo pretty!
Becky says
I love the color of the dress. That shade of blue is gorgeous in general and looks great on Meghan. It also lightens the look (so the overall look is not as heavy as it would be if she were in all black.) I am one of those who do not think it photographs well, I think its hard to capture the movement of the ruffles. But the color does show up well in photographs and I love those shoes. the back of the dress is also simple and elegant but just a tad sexy with the V. And in video of her walking, the dress looks a lot better.
Re: the comments about looking a bit too professional, its hard to tell without seeing what the other women are wearing, but Harry is in a simple suit, not a tux (not even a dark suit), and the earrings and shoes elevate the look beyond “office wear,” so I think it is fine.
Judah says
Just a friendly correction regarding your note about the Moomin handbags: Tove Jansson was Finnish (but spoke/wrote Swedish).
WhatMeghanWore says
Thank you for letting me know, Judah! 🙂
Nonn says
I love the earrings and the sparkling details of the shoes! Meghan is so beautiful and youthful, she doesn’t seem to be 37. Classy woman. I love the dress too but I think the cut is not the best. Meghan is a huge inspiration to me. I love Kate too, but her Erdem-Reiss dresses, LK Bennett shoes and McQueen occasion coats are very-very boring to me. Meghan is so fresh and creative, she’s like fresh air in a stuffy room.
Bea Mc D says
Oh dear! I love the colour and I’m so grateful for it. Plus the shoes are great and give a hint of an element of evening glamour, but the commentator who says this is business chic is right. It looks like a dress a high ranking business woman might wear to a drinks do after a day in the office (she would change into the dress I guess). It is a non glamour style of power dressing that seems not quite to hit it. It was so, so close.
LadyLeah says
An absolutely exquisite look for Meghan. A bold color, dazzling shoes, and my favorite earrings!
It is interesting to me that the comments about ‘tricky to photograph’ is the element I particularly love. The Duchess has a confidence about her that is so understated and admirable. She is so stylish and confident and does not seem to fret about a ruffle possibly making her look ‘larger’. I love that her clothing is not skin tight. I find her stlye to be glamorous and elegant in an effortless, uncontrived way.
ElizaMo says
I agree with you wholeheartedly, I find the experimental aspect of this dress is what makes it interesting, and I really admire how Meghan has the courage and style to carry it off. I can imagine it might be heaven to be able to forgo the skin-tight creations of the budding actress and to develop that effortless elegance you so aptly describe.
Harriet Lavoie says
In the photos I really don’t like the front of the dress; it makes her bust look like it goes to her waist. I’m going to hope this is simply because the dress doesn’t photograph well and is much more flattering in person.
Love the shoes; the sparkle sling back strap really dresses up the shoe and outfit.
Christina O. says
From the tip of her Birk’s diamond earrings to the sparkle of her Aquazzura heels, Meghan graced the 100 Days to Peace event with dignity and respect for this monumental anniversary concert. The organizers of the event, charities represented, Sir Karl Jenkins and others on stage and behind the scenes must have been very pleased with the evenings success. The program had so many interesting parts, thank you for providing the video snippet of the orchestra and choir rehearsing, epic.
Jason Wu’s dress design, both demure and sophisticated, is a work of art. With the straight cut neckline, bodice pleating, and fold-like ruffle Meghan was wise to forego a necklace or any other dress accessory. Do you have an idea on what the fabric is?
Yes, congratulations to Meghan for taking People magazine’s Best Dressed Woman Star of 2018 and also announced yesterday, Meghan earned a place on Vanity Fair’s Best Dressed 2018 who noted her “classic polish.”
Betsey NYC says
While I’m not quite sure about the ruffles, I absolutely love this color on Meghan. What a gorgeous shade of blue!! She looks beautiful. I think Meghan should wear blues and other jewel tones more often.
K says
I wonder how odd it must be for DoS to sing the British anthem after years of hearing/singing the American Star Spangled Banner.
SG says
Particularly because the same melody is used for a patriotic American song with completely different lyrics:
“My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” is an American patriotic song, whose lyrics were written by Samuel Francis Smith. The melody used is the same as that of the national anthem of the United Kingdom, “God Save the Queen”, arranged by Thomas Arne.”
Christina says
I wish we could see a picture of her from the front.. they all seem to be side views. Also I wonder how Mr Wu is feeling seeing these pictures?!
Ülkü says
Exactly what I thought! I think when you are a successful designer, you should consider how a dress photographs too because chances are that they will be.
Christina O. says
Hi Christina, it’s Christina O. here!
You bring up some interesting thoughts regarding photos of fashion taken at these live events…we’re studying something taken in a harried split second unlike a contained and produced studio shoot! I, too, wonder what Mr. Wu thinks about these paparazzi shots.
Looking online at Town & Country and People magazine sites I noticed Chris Jackson, Getty photographer, is credited with many of last night’s outdoor arrival shots of Meghan and Harry at the 100 Days of Peace concert. Don’t know who all follows sister site WKW but there recently was a post regarding Natasha Archer, Kate’s PA (some say Stylist) who is married to photographer Chris Jackson. Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock was also outside of the concert hall taking photos as Tim’s photos are also posted online with photo credit given to him. Well, I guess we need a woman photographer to cover these events!
Poppy says
These are not paparazzi shots, it was a planed event with designated press photographers. The two men you mention are very good at their job and if even they couldn’t get a good shot the dress is a fail, imo.
Christina O. says
Hi Poppy – Thank you, I did not know only designated press photographers were allowed access to this event and independent photographers/paparazzi were not. Very interesting. That lines up with a story I read online by Daily Mail’s correspondent, Rebecca English, who noted Meghan and Harry arrived at Central Hall Westminster ten minutes late due to the crowd. Fans and paparazzi must have really slowed up their approach to the venue.
While I believe Chris Jackson and Tim Rooke are fine photojournalists (they wouldn’t be working for Getty and Shutterstock if they weren’t) these two men are also trusted by the Royals which is equally important. While skill and trust are needed to cover these events, I also believe photojournalism is subjective and the narrative easily skewed so for that reason I’d like to see more skilled and trusted women (like Rebecca English) behind the camera lenses.
To me the dress remains a work of art and was probably best captured not in stills but in Rebecca’s video as ELIZAMO noted below.
Rachel says
I am pleasantly surprised with this look! The colour is gorgeous, the shoes are amazing (nothing I could ever last 2 minutes in!), her hair looks lovely, and the earrings are perfect. I agree with the ruffles…a little difficult to fully appreciate them with the camera. I also think the dress is even better with the detail on the back. Well done this time.
Bonnie says
Meghan got everything right for this event. The colour of the dress is stunning and I very much like this length on her. As others have said, the photos are a bit confusing as to just how the ruffles should sit. The shoes have a huge wow factor and match the dress perfectly. Even the earrings are more prominent than Meghan sometimes wears. Personally I would have chosen the blue version of the clutch, but perhaps Meghan didn’t want everything too matchy. How beautiful her hair is when she wears it down. It look like an effort was made to style her hair, rather than whip it back into a messy bun. This entire look is a fabulous win!
Jackie says
I love the entire look. The dress is very form fitting from the back, in the front it emphasizes her bust attractively, and the ruffles add movement. The length of the dress adds formality befitting the occasion and then there is the shoes. Her choice of earrings compliments the shoes nicely. Love, love, love!
GwenP says
Beautiful in every way! It’s amazing how different the dress looks in the second versus the third photos of the triptych views, depending, it looks like, entirely on how the light catches the pleats. Every accessory works and I always love her lovely little earrings.
I keep being impressed by how easily she has segued from TV star fashion to royal fashion, usually looking as though she’d done it for years. Her misses have been very few and far between.
Carol says
She looked every bit a Duchess with her handsome Prince on her arm! This color, she should remember, looks stunning on her. Loved a bit more bling in her earring, as she usually is so plain with her jewelry and the shoes were…. shall we say, magnificant.
Would love to know if she wore hose at this event. Hard to tell from the pictures. If so, What is the brand? As with Kate the color match is so perfect with their skin colors. Woudl love to order some for myself. Thnk you for the lovely post!
WhatMeghanWore says
Thank you for commenting, Carol. I don’t think she wore hose tonight, not from what I could see in the photos. ?
Bella says
Love the overall look. The bag, the shoes, the gorgeous hair. Love dress color but not the dress. However from the front the dress with all the folds looks really cool and modern and the fit is perfect. Really torn on this one.
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TigerLilyPearl says
Stunning look, beautiful color, visually interesting dress.
Karen says
Absolutely stunning, how could anyone criticise this look, elwgant, stylish and soohisticated and just love the shoes. Sensational!!
ElizaMo says
I think this is a very pretty dress which has fallen foul of the photographs. A centre pleated panel is not an easy feature to incorporate and the designer has attempted to use the very lightest fabric to ease the problem of bulk.
Unfortunately that means the pleats stand proud of the main garment both when the wearer moves and when breezes stir. In the split second in which a camera shutter clicks the fabric is registered as solid rather than fluid. I found watching video clips of Meghan changed my view of the dress entirely as she stopped looking like she was carrying extra bulk and appeared as trim as ever in the soft folds.
The colour is fabulous on her, the length is great, and I love the uneven neckline. Her hair looks lovely with extra waves and showcases her earrings beautifully. Her shoes are to die for, I simply love the extra bling on the back strap and then all monochrome up to her earrings. It’s fun we have a recycle on both clutch and earrings amid the procession of new designer items in these early months. Overall a win from me.
Mary says
Your comment sums my thoughts up perfectly. I think the photos are not her friend tonight, but the style looks like it would be beautiful in person. I LOVE the color and the shoes are so fun. Her hair was also beautiful and makeup was spot on as usual. Also delighted to see her wearing larger earrings that really add the glamour without being obnoxious. If it photographed better, this look would be a perfect win for me.
Dale says
I hope we find out what the fabric is, and especially if it’s the same for the ruffles as well as the body of the dress. I thought it was sensational.
The commentator who referenced “executive-chic” nailed it. The first thing I thought when I saw this look was “Rachel Zane lives.”
ElizaMo says
I thought that when Meghan was walking the dress fabric assumed an almost rippling effect which struck me as an impressive design feat. I agree it would be interesting to know what the fabric was, it certainly behaved a lot like silk.
Stephanie says
I would like to see a better picture of this dress. I agree that it might be the lighting that is throwing it off a bit. But she looks flawless (as always!). Also I am not a fan of wearing heels personally, but I want those shoes. They are perfection.
Brandi says
Very pretty look! I agree the dress probably looks even better in person, we just see how the ruffles are swished when the camera snaps. And I feel like that blue shoe is the 2018 version of what Mr Big proposed to Carrie Bradshaw with. ?
Jessica says
This is all very beautiful and looks quite effortless. I like the dress a lot but I do agree that it must photograph strangely–a couple of those photos have her looking much larger than she obviously is, which must be a trick of the ruffles and the matte fabric.
The color is wonderful, and the (fantastic) shoes are a great match. The clutch is a different shade, obviously, but I think it works–I think it’s easier to mix blues than almost any other color. Her hair looks so glamorous and so very, very shiny..
Those Wu gowns in the same colorway–wouldn’t you like to see that evening gown in the center on a duchess sometime soon!
LadyLeah says
I had a feeling you’d love these shoes!
Aren’t they fabulous?
Jessica says
Yes, and I loved Brandi’s comment above about them being like Carrie’s memorable Manolos in Sex and the City! (I can’t seem to “like” comments for some reason.)