Welcome to the first instalment of our royal tour style recaps as The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visit Southern Africa. The tour got off to a great fashion start with a mix of sustainable, local and affordable pieces along with some designer re-wears. Let’s take a look at days one and two.
Day 1
The Sussexes arrived in South Africa on Monday, and for their first engagement at The Justice Desk in Nyanga township, Meghan chose a dress by ethical and sustainable clothing line Mayamiko. The brand makes clothing “designed for the global modern woman, while giving ode to their birthplace through the use of traditional African techniques and local printed fabrics, locally referred to as Chitenje.”
Embed from Getty ImagesThe black-and-white wrap dress (which almost immediately sold out) was sourced and made in Malawi by artisans at the Mayamiko workshop and also made from locally sourced 100 percent cotton. According to the brand’s website, they “strongly believe that ethical and sustainable production is the only acceptable way of producing, and feel that shopping ethically should not compromise the quality or design of the product but rather enhance and add value to it.”
The piece features a unique DNA print, cap sleeves, and a tie at the waist. Meghan often uses her clothing to support a cause or send a message, and in terms of the values the dress represents and the appropriateness for the event, this one knocked it out of the park.
The Duchess of Sussex paired her outfit with dainty turquoise jewellery from Jennifer Meyer and previously worn black wedges from Castañer, per What Meghan Wore.
Later that day, Meghan changed into a bright blue shirt dress for their visit to the District Six Museum. The dress, which might look familiar from last autumn’s tour, is the ‘Cary’ dress by designer Veronica Beard. The Duchess first wore it when she visited Tonga and repeating an outfit was a smart choice to keep the focus on the event at hand.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhilst Meghan kept the same wedges on, she added a different pair of earrings, choosing a black-and-gold ‘Flora Leaf’ style by Nina Bosch, as identified by UFO No More. Priced at just R400,00 (equivalent of about £21), the earrings are hand-folded in a leaf shape with a sterling silver post. I couldn’t resist snagging a pair for myself as these are the type of earring you can dress up or down for nearly any event.
Day 2
Meghan kicked off day two of the tour at Monwabisi Beach with an extremely relatable casual look featuring older pieces from her wardrobe, stepping out in a white button-front shirt, black jeans, and a denim jacket. Her $118 jacket, still available from Madewell, is their jean jacket in pinter wash, and she chose her ‘slim perfect shirt’ in Irish linen from J. Crew and black jeans from Mother Denim, per Meghan’s Mirror.
Embed from Getty Images/The Duchess added affordable accessories including a Madewell canvas medium transport tote, her previously-worn Le Specs Bandwagon sunglasses, and Brother Vellies Huaraches. This outfit is the type of weekend or casual Friday look many women have probably worn themselves, and the Duchess hit the right tone with accessible and down-to-earth pieces for the morning’s events.
For a visit to the Auwal mosque, the Duchess of Sussex changed into an olive green maxi dress from STAUD. The short-sleeve, shirtdress-style piece is made from recycled tissue nylon, bringing home the couple’s message of sustainability. She added a cream scarf to cover her head and tan Sam Edelman ‘Sally’ flats, per Meghan’s Mirror.
Embed from Getty ImagesLater in the afternoon, Meghan removed the scarf and added a bright flower behind her ear as the couple attended Heritage Day celebrations.
Embed from Getty ImagesWe saw another repeat from 2018 for the final event of day two. Whilst attending an evening reception at the British High Commissioner to South Africa’s residence, Meghan chose to re-wear the Martin Grant maxi dress previously seen on the Australian tour last year.
The long, striped dress was perfect for the occasion (an outdoor garden party) and she chose another repeat in terms of accessories, wearing the Nina Bosch earrings from day one of the tour, along with black heels.
Embed from Getty Images“We are not even remotely surprised that Meghan has been wearing repeats,” tweeted Meghan’s Mirror. “She has been building a ‘Royal Wardrobe’ and now has options to do so. We are loving seeing some favourites make new appearances.”
Here at Royal Central we agree and hope to see more repeats on the tour, along with local talents such as Nina Bosch and some more sustainable brands. Expect to also see some of the pieces from the Smart Set Meghan launched to support Smart Works; I’d put money on the Jigsaw trouser suit and the Misha Nonoo shirt making an appearance.
Stay tuned to Royal Central from now through 2nd October for more royal tour coverage and fashion recaps.
