George Boyle
Meghan Markle's wedding dress, designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy, sparked a range of reactions from fashion experts and commentators. The dress featured a bateau neckline, three-quarter sleeves, and six seams, with a sweeping 16-foot embroidered veil. While some praised its timelessness and simplicity, others questioned the fit, sparking a debate about the bride's comfort and freedom of movement. The dress also drew comparisons to other iconic wedding gowns, and its impact on fashion trends was significant, showcasing Meghan's influence as a fashion mentor and trendsetter. The choice of designer was also notable, with Meghan opting for a relatively unknown British designer, in a potential show of girl-power solidarity.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Designer | Clare Waight Keller |
| Design House | Givenchy |
| Fabric | Double bonded silk cady |
| Neckline | Bateau |
| Sleeves | Three-quarter |
| Seams | Six |
| Veil | Embroidered with flowers representing the countries of the Commonwealth, the California poppy, and wintersweet |
| Fit | Some experts questioned the fit, suggesting it needed one more fitting |
| Simplicity | Some experts praised the timelessness and simplicity of the dress, while others felt underwhelmed and uninspired |
| Impact | The dress is said to have sent a powerful message and provided a fashion mentor for women |
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What You'll Learn
Meghan Markle's choice of designer
Meghan Markle's wedding dress was designed by Clare Waight Keller, the first female artistic director of the French fashion house Givenchy. Markle chose Waight Keller because she wanted to highlight the success of a leading British talent who had served as the creative head of globally influential fashion houses. Markle admired Waight Keller's "elegant aesthetic" and "relaxed demeanour".
Waight Keller stated that the dress was designed with a timeless minimal elegance, featuring a bateau neckline, three-quarter sleeves, and just six seams. The dress was made in Paris by a small team of ateliers, with only five months to manufacture the dress and veil.
The choice of designer and the resulting dress sent a powerful message, with some interpreting it as a calculated girl-power move, reflecting Markle's self-proclaimed feminism. The dress was also compared to those worn by other royal brides, including Angela Brown, Mary Donaldson, and Audrey Hepburn.
The dress received mixed reviews, with some criticising the fit, while others praised its simplicity and elegance. Markle's style has been described as multidimensional, reflecting her personality and values. Despite the scrutiny, the Meghan Effect shows no signs of slowing down, with high street brands quickly producing replicas of her wedding dress.
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The dress's fit
Meghan Markle's wedding dress was designed by Clare Waight Keller, Givenchy's first female artistic director. The dress was widely praised for its timelessness and simplicity, with a focus on the graphic open bateau neckline, slender sculpted waist, and triple silk organza underskirt. However, some people questioned the fit of the dress, noting that it had a looser silhouette compared to traditional fitted wedding gowns.
The fabric of the dress, including the triple silk organza underskirt, was thick and stiff, which may have influenced the decision to choose a more relaxed cut. This allowed Markle to move and breathe comfortably, especially considering the constricting nature of the fabric. The dress's silhouette may have been a deliberate choice by both the designer and Markle to prioritize comfort and ease of movement on her wedding day.
Harper's Bazaar writer Mahalia Chang supported this idea, explaining that the cut allowed the bride to move around without being restricted by the stiff fabric. Additionally, the choice to work with a relaxed silhouette could be attributed to Markle's desire for a timeless and simple design. This intention is reflected in the official statement released by Kensington Palace, describing the dress as embodying "timeless minimal elegance."
While some critics, including Katy Perry, suggested that the dress could have benefited from an additional fitting, others admired the choice to prioritize comfort and ease. Markle's decision to work with a renowned designer like Waight Keller, known for her elegant aesthetic, also highlights the intention behind the dress's design and fit. Ultimately, the dress's fit aligned with Markle's overall style and influence, as fashion expert Tim Gunn noted, "I interact with women every day. And so many of them are in search of how they should be presenting themselves to the world. And Meghan Markle is a fabulous mentor, a fashion mentor."
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The dress's design and style
Meghan Markle's wedding dress, designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy, was a simple, structural, double-bonded silk cady haute couture gown. The dress featured a bateau neckline, three-quarter sleeves, and just six seams. The focus of the dress was the graphic open neckline, which gracefully framed the shoulders and emphasised the slender sculpted waist. The slim three-quarter sleeves added a note of refined modernity. The dress was made in Paris by a small team of ateliers.
Markle chose Waight Keller because she wanted to highlight the success of a leading British talent. She also appreciated the designer's elegant aesthetic and relaxed demeanour. The dress was designed in just five months, with Markle and Waight Keller working closely together and meeting for eight fittings.
The dress received mixed reviews, with some people loving its timelessness and simplicity, while others felt it was underwhelming and ill-fitting. Katy Perry, for example, commented that she "would've had one more fitting". However, Elizabeth Emanuel, co-designer of Princess Diana's wedding gown, thought that the gown made a "really solid fashion statement" and that Waight Keller "should be pleased because Meghan looked absolutely stunning and beautiful."
The dress was also compared to those worn by other royal brides, including Angela Brown, Mary Donaldson, and Catherine, Princess of Wales. It was also said to be similar to a dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in the 1957 film *Funny Face*.
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The veil's design and style
The veil Meghan Markle wore at her wedding to Prince Harry on 19 May 2018 was designed by Clare Waight Keller of Givenchy, who also designed Markle's wedding dress. The veil was made from silk tulle and featured hand-embroidered flowers, including the California poppy, wintersweet, and flowers representing the 53 countries of the Commonwealth. The veil was 16 feet long and swept the floor as Markle walked.
The choice of flowers on the veil had special significance for Markle and Prince Harry. The California poppy is the official flower of Markle's home state of California, and wintersweet grows outside Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace, where the couple lived. The flowers representing the Commonwealth reflected the couple's interest in the work of the Commonwealth.
The veil was widely praised by fashion experts and commentators. Harper’s Bazaar writer Mahalia Chang noted that the cut of the dress allowed Markle to move around comfortably, which may have been a factor in the decision to include the veil. The veil added a touch of drama and elegance to the simple, structural design of the dress.
The veil also drew comparisons to other royal wedding veils, particularly that of Princess Diana, who also chose to include flowers with special significance on her veil. Overall, the veil contributed to the timeless and simple style of Markle's wedding look, which was widely admired for its elegance and refinement.
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The dress's cost
The dress cost £387,000, which has been subject to scrutiny given the global scale of the event. With approximately two billion people worldwide tuning in to the live streaming of the wedding, the dress was always going to be the centre of attention.
The dress was designed by Clare Waight Keller, the first female artistic director of the French fashion house Givenchy. Markle chose Waight Keller because she wanted to highlight the success of a leading British talent. The designer's "elegant aesthetic" and "relaxed demeanour" also aligned with Markle's vision for a dress that showed "timeless minimal elegance".
Waight Keller and Markle worked closely together to design the dress, meeting for eight fittings. The dress was made in Paris by a small team of ateliers, who had only five months to manufacture it.
The dress featured a bateau neckline, three-quarter sleeves, and just six seams. It was made from double-bonded silk cady haute couture and had a sweeping 16-foot embroidered veil. The veil also included a piece of the blue dress Markle wore on her first date with Prince Harry.
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Frequently asked questions
Meghan Markle's wedding dress, designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy, received mixed reviews from fashion experts. Some praised the dress's "timeless minimal elegance", while others criticised the fit. Harper’s Bazaar writer Mahalia Chang explained that the cut of the dress allowed Markle to move around without being encumbered by the stiff and thick fabric.
Meghan Markle's wedding dress was designed by Clare Waight Keller, the first female artistic director of the French fashion house Givenchy. Markle chose Keller because she wanted to highlight the success of a leading British talent and because of her "elegant aesthetic" and "relaxed demeanour".
Meghan Markle's wedding dress was a simple, structural, double-bonded silk cady haute couture gown. It featured a bateau neckline, three-quarter sleeves, and just six seams. The dress was made in Paris by a small team of ateliers.
Approximately two billion people worldwide tuned in to the live streaming of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding. Notable attendees included Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, and Kate Middleton.
For the evening reception, Meghan Markle changed into a halter-neck Stella McCartney gown.
