When you’re a member of the Firm, even the slightest snafu can land you in the style slammer. A sleeveless dress worn by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, sent detractors wild in April 2018. To outsiders, the $1,197 cream and black pinstriped Altuzarra dress was modest and demure. Still, to those in the know, Meghan had committed a grave crime against royal rules, as showing shoulders and arms is deemed inappropriate.
Kensington Palace posted a photo on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing Meghan and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, mingling with young delegates from all over the Commonwealth. The armchair clothing critics were quick to attack. “Ok, I love Meghan, but someone needs to pull her aside and tell her that she needs to stop thumbing her nose at proper styling for events she attends,” a detractor wrote.
As The Standard notes, the royals have a suffocatingly long list of style no-nos and must-dos they have to follow. They include no colored nail polish, a 100% pantyhose-wearing rule, on or below-the-knee hemlines, dresses not pants, and bright colors. Still, rules are made for breaking — depending on who’s breaking them. Fashion experts were salivating when Catherine, Princess of Wales, wore a skin-tight, off-the-shoulder, bare-armed Roland Mouret dress to the “Top Gun: Maverick” premiere in May 2022. “The dress was extremely fitted, highlighting Kate’s enviable curves which looked nothing short of sensational, and the Bardot-esque off-the-shoulder neckline exposing her décolletage,” Celebrity stylist Miranda Holder told the Daily Mail.
