These outfits made me realise Meghan was going from Duchess to D-List

Clothes, of course, are a window to a woman’s soul.

So, one wonders, what on earth is Meghan trying to tell us with her new style direction?

A fortnight ago, the Duchess of Sussex turned up on the red carpet in an overly revealing Carolina Herrera U-neck – I prefer to call it a U-bend – split-hem dress that was truly surprising in its dishevelment and inappropriateness for a children’s charity gala event.

And it wasn’t just her ill-fitting dress: Meghan’s hair looked wet and tangled, and her toes were exposed in skimpy sandals.

It was such a turnaround from her old chic, together style – so determinedly ‘look-at-me’ – that even I, a staunch advocate ever since Meghan entered public life, could no longer sing her praises.

A children’s charity event hardly seemed the place to flash quite so much flesh.

A piece I then wrote in this newspaper saying as much received over 4,000 comments and started a Twitter storm.

So many readers agreed with me that Meghan’s look was a disappointing low.

When she was part of the Firm, don’t forget, we had sleek up-dos, discreet simplicity, couture and closed toes (toe cleavage is frowned upon in a cathedral, at any royal occasion or palace).

But she and Harry left the UK and their public duties in January 2020 and, it seems, as her royal life unravelled, so has her dress sense.

I strongly believe Meghan’s fashion choices reflect how she feels more accurately than any solemn interview or gobbledegook speech.

So, for a woman who said she was so keen to ‘find her voice’, what does this gaping, overly-revealing red dress tell us?

To my mind, it seems she’s trying to be sexy, instead of dignified or chic. She desperately needs a good stylist, and a stable of straight-talking designers who will rush to her aid. When Diana was making mistakes with sheer skirts, over-exposed décolletage and droopy polka dots, British Vogue’s Anna Harvey stepped up and helped transform her.

Now Meghan needs someone of the calibre of Anna Wintour, Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief, to guide her. Because I can only see the outfits getting worse if not. And that’s no good for her, for Harry or for the fashion industry. I hear several big brands are wary about lending her clothes.

Also – why the frequent red carpet public appearances? Perhaps she wants the British public to believe she’s busy, that her life has meaning. Sadly – and it is sad it has come to this – we are all thinking, ‘Oh no, not another red carpet, not another charity gala!’

I so wanted Meghan to be fulfilled – not this thin, haunted-looking woman, who’s doing teapot poses in front of yet more photographers.

She once seemed set to break the mould, but as the wheels have come off her post-Royal life – the failed commercial deals, the lost goodwill from those crowds of fans – these photographs charting Meghan’s fashion journey prove she’s no longer conveying that early promise. That upbeat, modern, empowered woman is, sadly, no longer to be seen.

Looking back at Meghan’s key fashion moments, you can see this slow, creeping metamorphosis from Duchess to D-List.

The innocent incomer look

The engagement, November 2017

Even in these early days, Meghan is choosing her clothes with care, with a white belted coat from Line The Label and pale Aquazzura shoes. This choice of white – signifying purity, innocence – was clearly a message to the British public, who she desperately hoped would approve of her. 

And, indeed, everyone was thrilled at the couple’s happiness in the garden at Kensington Palace, at how smitten Harry looked. 

Fitting in with the firm

Balmoral, December 2017

Understandably keen to fit in here – it was the first time a fiancée had been invited to Balmoral for Christmas – Meghan has dressed entirely for the part in a Sentaler coat, Chloe bag, Stuart Weitzman boots, Philip Treacy hat and M&S gloves. 

Her all-brown outfit was warm – Meghan was sweetly trying to stop her teeth chattering – and she stole regular looks at other members of the Royal Family for guidance. This, though, is definitely not a habit she would sustain. 

The second wedding dress 

Windsor, May 2018

I loved this Stella McCartney halterneck dress, worn to their wedding reception – it showed off Meghan’s Pilates honed shoulders, and the ivory worked so well against her exquisite skin tone. Her hair was up, and the scene was so glamorous, I felt proud to be British. 

She looks serene: the relief she had finally made it – even amid all the kerfuffle about her father’s non-attendance – must have been huge. Her confidence seems superhigh: the choice of this dress was unabashedly brave. It says, ‘I’m rising above it all. I deserve this.’

Relaxed perfection – for the last time

Commonwealth Youth Challenge, July 2018

This is perfect: a simple Brandon Maxwell shift in a sunny colour, closed Manolo shoes. Nothing screams, ‘Look at me!’ Hair is up, the dress just the right length. Meghan seems assured: not just because Harry gives her adoring looks, but the British public are discovering what a great asset she is. 

Harry is looking after her, pointing out things she should see. She isn’t yet clinging on for dear life or barging in front of him. You can’t imagine Kate pulling this off. Sadly, this is the last time we will see Meghan so relaxed.

I’m not ok – a first fashion misstep 

South Africa, October 2019

I can’t stand sleeveless trench dresses: they’re boxy and fussy. Meghan had worn the white version of this Nonie dress for her first official picture after Archie’s birth. Choosing this for her interview with Tom Bradby was a reminder, perhaps, of her vulnerability – Hey guys, remember I’m a mom, the scrutiny is so hard when you have a new baby.

Just as the dress hit a peculiar note, so did her plea for sympathy, speaking of the difficulties of her privileged life while feet away, African children were very much in need.

Out in a very ill-judged mini 

Global Citizen Live concert, New York, September 2021

No, no, no! You cannot wear a miniskirt! You are not Twiggy!

But Meghan seemed to love this Valentino embellished shift – certainly, the spangles got her noticed, but for all the wrong reasons. The silhouette is too boxy, and does little for her.

The dress marks the start of her ‘Look at me, I’m the star’ phase.

A mismatch at a worthy occasion

Invictus Games, Germany, September 2023

There’s nothing like a crumpled Zara romper suit while walking in front of injured hero servicemen and women, to tell you it’s game over. Where has the goddess in Stella McCartney gone? It cannot be the same person, surely? There’s little dignity in bearing so much leg at an occasion like this.

What was she trying to tell us? ‘Hi, I’m fun Meghan!’ The Royals must have rolled their eyes in dismay.

Pyjama time!

Online safety panel in Colombia, August 2024

She is wearing pyjamas. Satin ones. Yes, the bronze shirt is by Victoria Beckham and the pants by La Ligne, and she wants to appear laid-back yet sincere at what should be a thoughtful occasion. But she just looks sloppy.

Red alert

Children’s Hospital gala, Los Angeles, October 2024

At this point, Meghan is like a cornered cat, out in the rain, showing her claws. This Carolina Herrera frock is not, as some deluded fans say, a ‘revenge dress’. It clearly states: ‘Not just my hair is a mess. My life is, too…’