Meghan Markle has made her biggest fashion faux pas during her four-day trip to Australia while accompanied by her husband, Prince Harry.
Most would agree that Markle knows how to dress, and she has a stream of stylists and beauty experts behind her every appearance — though she has occasionally admitted to doing her own hair and makeup.
For a trip “Down Under,” where the eyes of the world were on her, Markle certainly took the advice and suggestions of fashion experts, yet she managed a major failure.
The faux pas differs from other wardrobe blunders because it does not involve the outfit itself, but rather the “in-your-face” price tag when visiting charities and people in potentially sensitive situations.
With the Daily Mail and Page Six breaking down her most expensive attire during the trip, the numbers have left many stunned.
The Contrast Of Couture At A Homeless Shelter
For her first day of engagements in Melbourne, which included a visit to the Royal Children’s Hospital and McAuley Community Services for Women — a homeless shelter — the duchess donned a $900 “Priscilla” dress by Australian designer Karen Gee.
She was, of course, applauded for putting the spotlight on Aussie designers. However, it was the accessories that drew the most fire.
Critics were quick to point out the staggering contrast of wearing a Cartier Tank Française watch (a piece formerly belonging to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana) and a Cartier Love bracelet while serving lunch to the vulnerable.
According to the Daily Mail: “The Duchess of Sussex, 44, looked typically stylish in a $1,250 navy dress from local designer Karen Gee, which she paired with Dior’s $1,000 ‘Dioressence’ pointed-toe pumps. Adding a touch of glitz to her ensemble, Meghan sported yellow gold Puffy Heart earrings by Australian Real Fine Studio, priced at $1,118, and a Tiffany gold bracelet. She completed her dazzling look with a gold Cartier Tank Française watch… the timepiece sells for $48,000 new, though Meghan’s would likely be priceless.”
Critics Brand The Duchess “Royally Out Of Touch”
Meghan Markle was criticized for deliberately making a move that screamed out of touch. As the Sky News source revealed: “It is completely tone-deaf to wear a designer outfit that collectively was worth tens of thousands of dollars to a women’s homeless shelter… she used it as an excuse to flog the designer clothes she was wearing.”
This is not a great look. While it is one thing to be presentable, it is another to be flashing tens of thousands of dollars in jewelry and high-end designer labels when out doing humanitarian work. That move screams out of touch.
Another source revealed via Sky News senior reporter Caroline Marcus: “I do find it a little bit sick, not just that she wore such inappropriate clothes, but that she was profiting off it.”
The “Merching” Scandal: A Quasi-Royal Shop Window
As the Glam source revealed: “The more offensive part of the look was the price of the pieces she wore to serve lunch… These looks are in contention as two of Meghan Markle’s most inappropriate outfits we’ll never forget.”
Ultimately, the backlash highlights a complex situation: as the Sussexes attempt to build a global brand of empathy, the optics of wearing thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry to a homeless shelter suggest that Meghan Markle is in a particular unique and complex situation, where her appearance has to match the fact that she is a businesswoman while being at the service of the people.
But it seems she ended up a duchess who may at times appear out of touch with the realities of the people she aims to serve.
