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Meghan Markle's wedding dress has been a topic of discussion since her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018. Designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy, the dress was simple and elegant, made of white silk with an open boat neckline and a long veil embroidered with flowers. While some praised the dress for its timeless elegance, others criticised it for being too plain or for resembling other celebrity wedding dresses. The choice of designer was also seen as a bold statement, as Markle opted for a French fashion house instead of a British designer, breaking with royal tradition.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Designer | Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy |
| Fabric | White silk |
| Sleeves | Three-quarter length |
| Neckline | Boat/bateau |
| Train | 16-foot with built-in triple silk organza underskirt |
| Veil | 16-foot silk tulle with flower embroidery |
| Tiara | Art deco, loaned |
| Fittings | Eight |
| Production time | Five months |
| Symbolism | Flowers representing the 53 Commonwealth countries, California poppy, wintersweet, and a piece of the blue dress from Markle's first date with Prince Harry |
| Simplicity | Lack of embellishment, sparkle, or lace |
| Comparisons | Angela Brown, Mary Donaldson, Audrey Hepburn, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Grace Kelly, Kate Middleton |
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What You'll Learn
Meghan's wedding dress was an act of royal rebellion
Meghan Markle's wedding dress was an elegant, simple, white silk gown with an open boat neckline, a 16-foot silk train, and three-quarter-length sleeves. The dress was devoid of embellishment, featuring only six seams. It was designed by Clare Waight Keller, artistic director of the fashion house Givenchy, and made in Paris by a small team of ateliers.
The choice of designer for her wedding dress was an act of royal rebellion. Markle broke with tradition by choosing a non-British designer, instead opting for a French fashion house. This set a tone for her view that she wouldn't bend to every whim of the monarchy, tradition or not. The dress was also notably different from those worn by other royal brides, such as Kate Middleton and Grace Kelly, who chose lace and figure-hugging fits.
The dress was also symbolic in other ways. The veil was embroidered with flowers representing the countries of the Commonwealth, as well as the California poppy, in honour of Markle's home state, and wintersweet, a flower that grows at Kensington Palace. A piece of the blue dress from Markle's first date with Prince Harry was also stitched into the veil.
The wedding, which took place at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, was filled with symbolism. Markle chose to walk down the nave of the chapel alone, before being escorted the rest of the way to the altar by King Charles. The simple elegance of the dress, and its lack of sparkle, was criticised by some, but it is clear that Markle wanted to make a statement with her choice of gown.
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Meghan's dress was deemed 'off-the-rack' by some
Meghan Markle's wedding dress was designed by British fashion designer Clare Waight Keller, the artistic director of the fashion house Givenchy. The dress was made in Paris by a small team of ateliers. It was made of white silk with three-quarter-length sleeves, an open boat neckline, and a train with a built-in triple silk organza underskirt. The dress was also devoid of any lace or other embellishments.
The design of the dress was revealed only when Meghan entered St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for the wedding ceremony. The dress was met with mixed reactions, with some people criticising it for being too simple and "off-the-rack". One commentator even compared it to a gown from "The Handmaid's Tale". Some people took to Facebook to express their disappointment, with one person saying that the dress looked like something they would wear.
On the other hand, Elizabeth Emanuel, co-designer of Princess Diana's wedding gown, thought that the gown made a "solid fashion statement" and that Waight Keller should be pleased as Meghan looked "absolutely stunning and beautiful". Meghan's dress was also praised for its elegant simplicity and for being an act of royal rebellion, as she chose a French designer instead of following the tradition of commissioning a British one.
The veil, which was 5 metres (16 feet) long and 3 metres wide, was hand-embroidered with flowers representing the 53 countries of the Commonwealth, as well as the California poppy and wintersweet, a flower that grows at Kensington Palace. The veil took longer to create than the dress itself, with embroiderers spending 500 hours completing it.
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Meghan's dress was simple and classic
Meghan Markle's wedding dress was a stunning example of simplicity and classic elegance. The dress, designed by British fashion designer Clare Waight Keller, the artistic director of Givenchy, was a simple white silk gown with an open boat neckline and three-quarter-length sleeves. It featured a train with a built-in triple silk organza underskirt and was crafted with only six seams, showcasing precise seam work. The dress was unembellished, without any lace or other decorations, letting the beauty of the fabric and cut speak for itself.
The choice of designer and style was a bold one for Markle, setting a tone of rebellion and independence. Instead of following the tradition of commissioning a British designer, she chose a French fashion house, making a statement that she would not bend to every monarchy tradition. This choice caused months of speculation and debate, with some critics comparing the dress unfavourably to those of other royal brides, such as Catherine, Princess of Wales.
However, many others appreciated the classic and timeless design of Markle's dress. One woman commented, "It was so simple and classic. It’s like something I would wear." The dress also drew comparisons to iconic fashion moments, such as a Givenchy dress worn by Audrey Hepburn in the 1957 film *Funny Face* and the wedding gown of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, whom Markle had previously expressed admiration for.
The veil, which took longer to create than the dress itself, featured intricate hand-embroidered flowers representing the countries of the Commonwealth, as well as Markle's home state of California and wintersweet, a flower that grows at Kensington Palace. The veil was a stunning complement to the simple elegance of the dress, adding a touch of symbolism and sentimentality to the overall look.
Overall, Meghan Markle's wedding dress was a beautiful example of simplicity and classic style, making a statement that elegance and sophistication need not be overcomplicated.
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Meghan's dress was symbolic
Meghan Markle's wedding dress was symbolic in many ways. Firstly, it was designed by British fashion designer Clare Waight Keller, artistic director of the fashion house Givenchy, which set a tone of rebellion as she chose a designer from outside of the UK, unlike previous royal brides. This choice also highlighted the success of a leading British talent who had served as the creative head of globally influential fashion houses. The dress was simple and classic, made of white silk with an open boat neckline, three-quarter-length sleeves, and a train. It was devoid of embellishments, which some critics found underwhelming.
The veil was perhaps the most symbolic part of the outfit, as it was embroidered with flowers representing the 53 countries of the Commonwealth, as well as the California poppy, honouring Markle's home state, and wintersweet, a flower that grows at Kensington Palace. A piece of the blue dress she wore on her first date with Prince Harry was also stitched into the veil. The veil took longer to create than the dress itself, with embroiderers spending 500 hours on it and washing their hands every 30 minutes to ensure its immaculate state.
The dress's simplicity and lack of sparkle were criticised by some, who expected a more extravagant royal wedding dress. However, Markle's choice of a simple, elegant style may have been a deliberate message to the millions of young girls watching worldwide, or perhaps she simply wanted to be comfortable dancing. The dress has been compared to those worn by other royal brides, including Angela Brown, Mary Donaldson, and Audrey Hepburn, and has been the subject of much debate and interpretation.
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Meghan's dress was compared to Kate Middleton's
Meghan Markle's wedding dress sparked a lot of debate, with some people loving the simple and classic style and others expecting something more sparkly and princess-like. The dress was designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy. It featured a boat neckline, long sleeves, and no embellishment or lace.
Comparisons were drawn between Meghan's dress and that of her new sister-in-law, Kate Middleton. Kate's dress, designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, featured long lace sleeves, a V-neckline, and an epic train. It was hand-embroidered with individual lace roses, thistles, daffodils, and shamrocks. The lace on Kate's dress was "something old," and she also borrowed the Cartier Halo Tiara from the Queen, along with diamond drop earrings as her "something new."
While Kate's dress followed the classic British wedding tradition of including lace, Meghan's dress did not have any lace at all. However, both brides opted for classic styles for their big day. Meghan's dress was also compared to Grace Kelly's, which also featured lace and a figure-hugging fit.
The veil was where Meghan's outfit truly shone. The 5-metre veil train featured floral embroidery representing each of the 53 countries in the Commonwealth. Meghan also wore Queen Mary's diamond filigree tiara, loaned to her by the Queen, which featured a brooch from Queen Mary.
The symbolism of Meghan's outfit was also noted, with the choice of a simple dress perhaps reflecting her desire to send a message to the millions of little girls looking up to her. Her decision to walk down the nave of St. George's Chapel alone, before being escorted by Prince Charles, was also significant.
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Frequently asked questions
Opinions were mixed. Some people thought the dress was ["off-the-rack"] and too simple, comparing it to something a handmaiden would wear. Others thought it was elegant and beautiful. There was also discussion about the designer of the dress, with some seeing Meghan's choice of a non-British designer as a "royal rebellion".
Meghan's wedding dress was designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller, the artistic director of the fashion house Givenchy.
The dress was made of white silk with an open boat neckline and a long train. The veil was embroidered with flowers representing the 53 countries of the Commonwealth, as well as Meghan's home state of California and wintersweet, a flower that grows at Kensington Palace. The dress was also said to be an act of royal rebellion, as Meghan chose a non-British designer.
