Meghan chose a maxi dress and headscarf for today’s second round of royal tour engagements.
The Duke and Duchess visited the Auwal Mosque, the oldest mosque in South Africa.
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More from The Daily Mail:
The couple were met by Imam Sheikh Ismail Londt and Muslim community leader, Mohamed Groenwald and a group of faith leaders, including a representative of the Church of England, the Chief Rabbi and Jewish, Christian and Muslim youth leaders, and students who participated in the London-Cape Town interfaith exchange.
Located in the Bo-Kaap area, the mosque was built in 1794.
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And from People’s story:
…the royal couple viewed the first known manuscript of the Qu’ran in South Africa, drafted by Tuan Guru (first Imam) from memory while he was imprisoned on Robben Island.
They then met members of different faith groups to learn about the work the mosque does to promote interfaith dialogue in Cape Town. The Auwul Mosque welcomes visitors of all denominations and hosts inter-faith dialogues to develop inter-communal and inter-faith understanding between South Africa’s varied communities.
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Another view.
The Bo-Kaap was formerly known as the Malay Quarter. A Cape Town Travel story reports “Its origins date back to the 1760s when numerous “huurhuisjes” (rental houses) were built and leased to slaves. To this day, the houses are a mix of Cape Dutch and Georgian architecture, in distinctive multi-coloured rows on steeply cobbled roads.”
It is Heritage Day in South Africa, a relatively recent public holiday created to recognize and celebrate the nation’s cultural wealth. Meghan and Harry did a walkabout and there were plenty of people eager to greet them as seen in this photo from CNN’s Max Foster.
Here is another view of the crowds via royal reporter Omid Scobie.
Meghan was given flowers and other gifts during the walkabout.
This picture of the couple shows the beauty of the neighborhood.
Below, Meghan arriving for the next event on the agenda, a tea at a private residence.
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Vanity Fair Royal Editor Katie Nicholl reports that “Meghan and Harry took tea with a former local teacher at her home in Bo-Kaap and devoured a tart and a cinnamon donut!”
Below, Ms. Nicholl’s picture shows the setting for this afternoon’s tea.
The couple spoke about how Archie is doing at the tea. Max Foster shared a video with more on that conversation.
Archie’s happy In Cape Town his parents tell Nazli Ebross Fakier who joined the couple for tea today. She was told he likes to sleep on his dad’s chest ? pic.twitter.com/ijNSd3PzBS
— Max Foster (@MaxFosterCNN) September 24, 2019
A video of the Duke and Duchess leaving after tea.
The duke and duchess of Sussex, leave Bo Kaap after meeting with religious leaders at the Auwal Mosque and breaking bread with a family in the community. #SussexRoyalTour @Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/9M9xZi38bA
— Athi Mtongana (@Artii_M) September 24, 2019
And this quick video via the Sussex Royal Instagram page.
Now for what Meghan wore.
Meghan’s dress is by Staud, a Los Angeles-based brand founded in 2015. The full-length Millie Dress ($325) is made of 100% recycled nylon.
It features a button front, flap pockets on the bodice, wide self-belt, and a full skirt. It was designed and manufactured in Los Angeles, like all of the company’s products. The dress is available for pre-ordering at Orchard Mile. Our thanks to Courtney Flores for the heads-up on this ID!
UPDATE: It looks like the Duchess wore a Cuyana scarf, the brand’s Lightweight Cashmere style in ‘nude’ ($190). The Duchess accessorized with a pair of flats that we believe to be by Sam Edelman, the Sally Pointed Toe style ($99.95). The style is available in most sizes at Sam Edelman, in most sizes at Zappos, and at Shopbop in limited sizing. (If looking for a way to match Meg’s style at a lower price, the Sam Edelman Rae is almost identical and just $69.97 at Nordstrom Rack.)
Meghan wore her Hamsa hand necklace again today. The piece is by jewelry designer Alemdara. It is the designer’s Altan necklace in yellow gold and diamonds, £450.00 ($553 USD – at today’s exchange rate).
The necklace is done in 18k gold and pave set diamonds and has a turquoise enamel and gold evil eye station bezel.
Meghan’s UFO (Unidentified Fashion Object) earrings from last night were also worn again this evening, and they’re no longer a mystery! With thanks to the UFO No More crew, they are by a South African designer, Nina Bosch.
The Flora Leaf Earrings (R 400, roughly $27 at today’s exchange rates) are made of porcelain and hand-painted with 18K gold luster. More about the jeweler from this story in Visi magazine.
Following in the footsteps of her father and late grandmother, and working from her family-owned studio in White River, Mpumalanga, Nina has transformed her passion into something of beauty, making one-of a-kind porcelain jewellery pieces.
If you missed our post on Meghan’s casual ensemble for this morning’s engagement, click here to read it.
We’ll leave you with this lovely image of Meghan.
Are you following us on Instagram?! Our latest What Meghan Wore Instagram posts are below:
Staud dress / Sam Edelman flats / Cuyana scarf / Jennifer Meyer ring / Alemdara necklace
VIDEOS:
South Africa’s eNCA has a 25-minute video of the full Mosque visit.
UPDATE: Some questions and comments have come up regarding the way Meghan is wearing her headscarf. We researched this online and could not find any information that stated it should or shouldn’t cover the head and hair completely. We did find the following information from an article, Visiting a mosque? Here are a few things to know, indicating what is appropriate to wear:
“It is most appropriate to wear modest, loose-fitting clothes. For men, it is better to wear long pants, and for women to wear pants or full-length skirts or dresses, with long sleeves. Muslim women typically wear a headscarf as well. Non-Muslim women are encouraged to wear a headscarf in the prayer hall. One can be provided upon request.”
Below are some photos of Princess Diana in a headscarf where you will see she does not have it completely covering her head and hair.
Here are additional articles on the various headscarves and wraps:
From the BBC: What’s the difference between a hijab, niqab and burka?
Huffington Post: Differentiating the Hijab From the Headscarf
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A Friendly Reminder
As we wrap up day 2 of Royal Tour South Africa, we would like to bring your attention to our recently UPDATED Comment Policy which can be found here.
We invite ALL those who are a part of the What Meghan Wore community to please review our latest policy version for any changes and additions.
Our Comment Policy is in place in order to ensure that a pleasant and respectful environment is maintained.
Remember – The “when in doubt leave it out adage” can be helpful if wondering whether or not a comment is appropriate.
Thank you, “The Susans”
LINKAGE:
- Learn more about the Auwal Mosque at its website here and/or visit the Mosque’s Facebook page here
- The Daily Mail’s story is here; IOL South Africa’s coverage is here; The Evening Standard’s story and gallery may be seen here
- A People piece is here; Hello’s story is here; The Mirror’s rolling live coverage is here
- Click here for Channel 24’s gallery of black and white photos;
A look ahead at tomorrow’s schedule:
Wondering says
You called her necklace a Hamas hand necklace. Don’t you mean a Hamsa hand necklace?
WhatMeghanWore says
Thanks Wondering – sometimes I type so fast, my fingers get ahead of the brain! I’ve correct it. 🙂 – SC
Stephanie says
Lovely and appropriate fashion for the day. The dress looks better in video than in photos – photos were taken mostly in bright sun, which I thought besides adding a sheen made the fabric colour look much warmer/yellow than it did in non-direct light and shade, and indoors. Perhaps I would have chosen a slightly cooler colorway to really make this look come together.
ElizaMo says
I’m glad you mentioned the dress looking better in video than photos. When I saw the first pics of it I’m afraid I reeled back and was lost for words! But I was surprised to find that the more photos I saw the less unfortunate the Staud dress seemed, and less overwhelming on Meghan. I decided I could see where the design was coming from. Even in the fourth photo down from the top of the post, where Meghan is standing next to sock-footed Harry, the look has improved compared with the look of the second photo where the much-commented-on effects of waist-bunching and hip -widening take their toll. The fabric is so fluid that it is much more flattering in movement than in still photographs, though I’m mystified how anyone could be comfortable in that much nylon. It must be an extra special quality version.
I love the little pointed toe flats and delighted we now have IDs for necklace and earrings. I would have been tempted by the latter had the delivery cost from SA not exceeded the price of the earrings themselves. I’m in agreement with those who dislike the loose hair with the shawl. It’s not because I think Meghan is being disrespectful, just that I find the effect messy rather than effortless casual. Meghan’s hair tends to separate into plain strands, where Diana’s hair was held firm by much hairspray and Jemima Khan’s hair simply had more natural body.
celine says
I don’t find this dress to be at all pretty on Meghan. The model is much thinner and taller. I think maxi dresses in general tend not to suit Meghan. A shame, but there were other nice outfits on this trip.
Sue says
So far Meghan has worn four items with tie belts: the only one that looked a halfway decent fit was the black/white Malawi dress, possibly helped by the vertical striped pattern effect. The others have done Meghan no favours and looked ill-fitting. Having a high waist/short torso I think that she needs to find other styles to wear. I find it amazing that more often than not her wardrobe still looks badly fitting; as others have said, it cannot be impossible to have items altered to fit properly. Also, her hair in the pony tail with the black/white dress was a good look, her hair with the scarf covering her head was a total mess, hanging all over her face and out of the scarf. Her hair toed back then would have been much more flattering. Back to the drawing board, I feel.
50 pence says
I would love to know more about Meghans makeup. When you see closeups of her, it looks so subtle – like a barely there look, almost like nothing at all, but also perfected. I wish I could pull that look off myself.
I love that very subtle pretty blush shade she has on recently, it looks maybe like a cream/gel blush very well blended in. Really stunning.
I like the colour dress on her.
I do not like how she has worn the hijab, it’s not done correctly – too loose, hanging everywhere and the hair coming completely out the bottom is not right. It’s not very respectful of the venue.
Note Admin Edit
WhatMeghanWore says
Hi – We have some posts on Meghan’s makeup if you do a search. I have been working on a step by step and all products she has used past and present (hope to have that up soon). She likes Chanel and Dior foundation.
I believe you may be confusing hijab and headscarf? Here is what we found on the differences. https://wikidiff.com/headscarf/hijab – “The difference between headscarf and hijab is that headscarf is a more or less square piece of material worn over the head by women, often to protect the hair, or for religious reasons while hijab is (uncountable|islam) the practice, among muslim women, of covering the body after the age of puberty in front of non-related adult males.”
We’ve also included some additional information on headscarves with some photos of Princess Diana wearing one on several trips in the post. It did not fully cover her head/hair.
Here are some articles on the differences in head coverings as well – https://www.huffpost.com/entry/reducing-hijab-to-the-hea_b_9075126 and https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/24118241
Hope that helps. Thanks, SC
Fliss says
I like this dress and the colour plus the eco-credentials and its a good choice for the event (although I agree with others who believe long sleeves would be preferable). My issue is that it just doesn’t fit Meghan properly. Its way too long and the top is out. Yesterday’s wedges would have worked better with it giving some height but I guess they would be difficult to tie so slip-ons are the sensible choice. I think Meghan needs to go through her wardrobe with someone like Angela Kelly who could arrange for a seamstress to do some proper fittings. Sweeping the floor is never a good thing.
Heather says
This dress is a miss for me both in color and style. Unfortunately, I don’t think the maxi length flatters Meghan very much. The few times we’ve seen Meghan in a maxi dress they’ve been too long and/or too baggy. Sophie, the Countess of Wessex went to a mosque in London with Prince Edward a few months back and she wore a long sleeved midi dress. I think something like that would have worked better on Meghan too.
Melissa Schroeder says
I love this dress! People who say it didn’t fit — she was buying clothes for this trip while she was still an odd size (for her) and still changing in size. Plus, it’s looks high fashion. The headscarf is meant to be a gesture and that is all that matters. I served as an officer in the Army in Afghanistan and was not expected to wear a headscarf in any certain way – just trying is fine. It looks pretty and respectful of a religion that is not her own.
Maryam says
Any potential ID on the headscarf?
WhatMeghanWore says
Hi Maryam – we haven’t heard anything on the headscarf or seen any specific markings that would indicate who it is made by. If we find out anything we’ll update the post. Thanks
WhatMeghanWore says
Hi, Maryam. We updated the post to include information that the scarf appears to a piece by Cuyana. 🙂
Lee says
Some very cute pics here — the one of Harry tying his shoes is my fave.
Dress is just a tad too long, though.
Ellen says
I can see that the dress is functional for the activity taking place. It’s roomy enough that she can sit on the floor, it’s long enough to be modest, the fabric would ensure that it doesn’t wrinkle… that said, I think the belt throws the dress off. Meghan likes to cinch belts tightly around her waist & I think the dress certainly would have lay better if the belt were looser. I wondered if she was doing it so she could blouse the top because it seems long on her? This dress probably would have been a miss for me in any case, I just don’t care for the nylon. But it was appropriate for the occasion. I couldn’t help but wonder though, what does a Duchess carry in a large tote?
Laura says
I’ll start with the positive- I love the nude flat shoes and the jewelry from a South African jeweler. Very diplomatic!
The negative- I really think the dress was unflattering, I’ll-fitting. The weird sheen of the nylon, the self-belt, the stiff, boxy skirt that didn’t flow or move well, the odd “green” color, the waist that bunched up…. I know I’m being really harsh. I really preferred her Brandon Maxwell dark green dress that she wore to a cocktail dinner in Australia, for something similar, or a maxi dress that flowed gracefully over her, was in a natural -looking fabric, and was in either a clean olive green, or warm jewel color, since she looks so good in those tones.
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ava says
Thank you for this blog! I look forward to seeing what Meghan wears, and try to purchase an item here and there also! It’s a lot of fun!!
She looked beautiful today—
Today I purchased her canvas tote! Thanks again!!
Carrie Mattingly says
I like the color and cut of the dress, but the fabric is unflattering. Also, it seems odd to wear a headscarf as a sign of respect but still have hair hanging out and chest area showing.
Sally Samsa says
Yes, the way she is wearing her headscarf is incorrect. If you wear it, you should conceal the bulk of your hair beneath it, not having it hanging out from beneath the scarf like that.
If it were you or I who had done that, we would’ve been corrected – butI guess they didn’t want to say anything to her.
The way the dress flows around the legs with the full skirt is good for the venue. Makes it easy to move around and sit on the floor without showing the bodyor too much skin which would be offensive in the location.
I actually really like the shape of the dress and wouldn’t mind one myself, though I would prefer a different color.
The pointed toe flats are cute peeking out from beneath the dress too.
I think for this venue she should’ve worn her hair in a bun, and placed the scarf loosely over so you could just see the peak of hair at the front and not all the hair cascading out the bottom.
WhatMeghanWore says
Ladies, We’ve updated the post with some information on headscarves as well as Princess Diana wearing several different headscarves showing her hair sticking out. On one occasion Jemima Goldsmith (former wife of Imran Kahn, the current Prime Minister of Pakistan) is shown with Diana and her long hair was hanging outside the headscarf. Here is another photo of Jemima with Diana where you can see Jemima’s hair hanging outside of the scarf — http://bit.ly/2lqUDyB.
We don’t believe Meghan was being disrespectful. At one point in a video clip while entering the mosque, it looked as though she was asking about her headscarf, then loosened it up a bit.
Thanks, SC
Vicky says
Good choice of dress in that the skirt’s length and fullness allowed Meghan to sit comfortably and modestly on the floor of the mosque. That said, the dress overwhelms Meghan, in part because it’s too long; it actually appears to be dragging on the ground during the walkabout. Hemming the dress and/or wearing a shoe with a low heel (as the model is wearing it) would have improved the look tremendously while still exhibiting respect for the house of worship and local community. And, yes, I too would love to have been a guest at that tea! Lovely!
Cersei says
While I like the dress on the model I find it sonewhat off on Meghan, I‘m not sure why. Maybe because it hits the floor, whereas in the model the feet are seen. Or maybe because the fabric over the belt doesn’t sit right, it bulks somewhat. It kind of let’s her torso appear stunted (for lack of a better word). I do like the color combination and au think the flats are a sensible choice (btw those would have been as easy to walk in as the wedges and a much better overall-impression with yesterday’s blue dress).
Concerning the headscarf I‘m sad to say that it doesn’t fulfill its purpose to cover her hair. It is a question of religious faith for muslim women to cover their hair and obviously covering her head when visiting a mosque was a nod towards that believe (also maybe a rule for female visitors of all religious backgrounds). Unfortunately when all her hair hangs out from under the scarf it is degraded to a mere fashion-object. She looks lovely, don’t get me wrong, but I think this is a situation where honoring the beliefs of the host should outdo the fashion choices.
Meghan does nice enough buns and updos that could easily be covered by a headscarf, so why not today?
Jessica says
Cersei, I’m definitely not an expert, but I’m not sure you are right about the headscarf having to cover all the hair. If you look at pictures of the Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Diana on similar visits, for instance, their hair is always showing. I think the scarf is a sign of respect, but there is not an expectation that non-Muslim women need to completely cover their hair. At any rate, I’m 100% sure that the Duchess of Sussex was coached on what was appropriate, and that she made every effort to be respectful.
WhatMeghanWore says
Did you ladies see the video clip of her and Harry arriving? Meghan had the scarf wrapped more snug and draped a bit more all around her head. It almost looked like she was asking if she was ok the way she had it wrapped because suddenly she loosened it up a bit or something. If I’m not mistaken, another woman inside with longer hair, also had some hanging through her headscarf – ? I’m overly exhausted though so I could be completely wrong. I thought perhaps a color that matched her dress more closely would’ve worked better. However, I did see quite a few stunning images of her in the scarf from some of the Royal Photographers we know and follow. Later on the purple flower in her hair with the green color of the dress made her face glow. Even the color of the buildings worked for her IMO. – SC
Jessica says
Yes, good point–in the photos from inside the mosque, most of the other women’s hair is showing as well.
Just-A-Thought says
I’m not opposed to this look, however, as is the case with a lot of her clothing I wish she would employ a tailor. With her style a fitted top and a fuller bottom might possibly be a better look. It might just be me but an overall sleeker look might be better.
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SuzyQ says
I’m not a fan for this outfit at all. The dress is too long and the skirt is very full which swamps her. I don’t like the breast pockets. I don’t like that look for any woman.
The scarf looks like a complete after thought. If you choose to honor the tradition of wearing a headscarf, than do it properly and actually cover your hair. The scarf just tossed on and hair everywhere was a sloppy look.
molly says
I am THRILLED to see her out of stilettos! So so nice to see her looking beautiful, healthy, and confident without the wince factor of the heels. The dress looks … shiny …. and possibly stain resistant? Water repelling? I dunno. I love Megan when she rocks it and I love her when she doesn’t. Her casual ensemble earlier today was adorable. I can’t wait to see what she wears next!
MuchLove says
The last photo of Meghan with the flower in her hair is just gorgeous.
Though this dress isn’t a favorite of mine, I admire Meghan’s focus on recycled, sustainable, and ethically produced clothing. In style, this seems similar to the blue shirt dress with rolled sleeves from yesterday, just a bit longer.
I do love these earrings, and while I’m not sure the flats were a great choice with this dress, it is nice to see them. (My feet ache just watching Meghan and Kate in heels sometimes!)
Bonnie says
The outfit for the mosque is not very flattering. It is more baggy than necessary, shiny and swamps Meghan. I am not certain that it is totally appropriate. Yes, Meghan’s head is covered, as are her legs, but her arms are exposed. I checked online and several different sites say that a woman should wear long sleeves to enter a mosque. There is no need to totally cover the legs, although longer skirts are proper. Given the excess fabric in her head scarf, the look would be neater if Meghan had her hair back and not flowing in competition with the scarf.
RACHEL says
Bonnie, I agree with you. Family member is an ESL educator and agrees with you..in her discussions with Muslim students, arms MUST be covered, trousers are also ok for women as are long full dresses. Similarly, the headscarf should cover most of the hair. Looking back on Kate’s visit to a muslim country she wore her hair pinned back. Princess Di had short hair so this wasn’t as much of an issue, but her scarf was rather ‘neat’… in my opinion, Meghan’s scarf is not worn properly as it looks a bit haphazardly put on. SuzyQ, you are absolutely right with your comments on the scarf looking like it was an afterthought. The dress does not fit properly at all. There is too much fabric and she seems lost in it. Most unfortunate, because the colour really does suit her. **sigh** I really wish I could find more to like about Meghan’s wardrobe choices. It is getting difficult lately.
Jessica says
The close-up pictures I’ve seen of her lovely face in that soft scarf are beautiful. The shoes were well chosen to match it, and slip-on flats were a sensible choice for the venue. I have…nothing to say about the dress.
The tea table looks like absolute heaven–the doily tablecloth, all the flower patterns, the beautiful treats. What a thrill that must have been for the hostess, and I’m sure the Duke and Duchess were honored to be guests in her home.
Bonnie says
The tea table was abundant with goodies. The hostess must have been baking all week.