05/20/2018
Meghan Markle took a decidedly "no fuss" approach to her ceremony wedding gown selection. As I stated yesterday on Twitter, this appears to be true to her personal style: clean lines, well-tailored, no fuss. And while you may or may not prefer her selection of gown (no debates over how stunning she looked though 😉), the newly minted Duchess of Sussex was not the first royal bride to steer toward clean lines and no fuss.
First was Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby who married Crown Prince Haakon of Norway in 2001. Another commoner, the Crown Princess selected an elegant yet stunning, almost ethereal gown designed by Ove Harder Finseth who was also a favourite of Queen Maud of Norway. At face value, the gown appears "plain," yet if you pay attention to the details, the gown is so much more! The minimalist style of the gown turned the commoner into a modern fairytale princes and remained true to her personal style as well as the popular minimalist style seen in various aspects of Scandinavian (Nordic) countries including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Mette-Marit also elected to go for minimalist make-up, same as Meghan, and topped it off with her diamond daisy tiara, a wedding gift from King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway.
Second is Charlene Wittstock. The former Olympic swimmer, native South African, and almost-runaway bride married Prince Albert of Monaco II, the son of the late Grace Kelly a.k.a. Princess Grace of Monaco, in 2011. For her religious ceremony gown, she selected an off-the-shoulder silk creation by Armani Privé for Armani that features subtle embellishments from 40,000 Swarovski crystals down the front of the gown and along the cathedral train length. In lieu of a tiara, HRH Charlene opted for a stunning floral head piece which is a breaking with monarchial traditions across Europe, although the principality of Monaco does seem to be a law unto themselves in more ways than one.
Finally, Meghan Markle, departing deeply from her on-screen Suits wedding gown created by Anne Barge for Kleinfeld (which is to be expected), selected a Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy design for her ceremony. (Weller was the first female Artistic Director for the historic fashion house.) Her ceremony gown is also distinctly different, although it has its similarities, from her Stella McCartney reception gown. It was announced that Keller was picked for her “timeless and elegant aesthetic, impeccable tailoring, and relaxed demeanour" which, I think we can agree, is decidedly Meghan. The gown sported a bateau neckline, sculpted waist, and "six meticulously placed seams." It was made of double bonded silk cady with a soft matte lustre developed just for the duchess. Her bridal look was topped off with Queen Mary's diamond bandeau tiara, a loan from the Queen to her new granddaughter-in-law, which was originally a gift from the Queens' father, the Duke of York and later, King George VI, to his wife, the Duchess of York, the late Queen Mother.
Truth be told, Meghan's pick is NOT your typical wedding gown. Then again, she will NOT be our typical princess/duchess. She's already made that abundantly clear. And while American bridal ideals were not the rule of the day, we often see brides depart from their everyday style for the big day. Perhaps Meghan just wanted to remain as true to her everyday elegance as possible. Perhaps she was just trying to stay comfortable in her own skin. Perhaps she was rejecting the subtle and not-so-subtle comparisons to Princess Diana, Duchess Kate, and other royal brides before her. Or perhaps she just chose what made her happy. One thing we know for sure, HRH Prince Harry ADORES her and made it abundantly clear when he whispered, "You look amazing! I'm so lucky to have you!" as she joined him at the altar.
It'll be interesting to watch Meghan's "stevolution" (style evolution) as she transitions from Hollywood actress to Duchess of Sussex and ultimately, Princess of Great Britain. All the best to the Duke and Duchess as they embark on their new journey together! 👑👑👑
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