As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex began their Australian tour, Meghan Markle's wardrobe selections did more than honor local designers; they quietly engaged with a century of lingerie-informed design philosophy. Her choice of a sculpted navy dress by Karen Gee for a hospital visit, with its defined waist and structured skirt, directly references the post-war New Look silhouette championed by Christian Dior - a revolution built upon the foundational garments of corsetry and structured slips. This is not mere fashion; it is wearing a tailored history.
Later, at the Veterans Arts Museum, her ensemble from Byron Bay label St. Agni presented a modern counterpoint. The cocoon bomber and column skirt speak to a contemporary ease, yet their monochromatic cohesion and fluid lines owe a debt to the 1970s dissolution of rigid understructures, when designers like Halston pioneered a sleek, unbroken silhouette that relied on the body itself. Markle's high-neck knit underneath continues this dialogue, suggesting a sophisticated layering that prioritizes form and comfort over overt constraint.
By selecting Cartier - a house whose Art Deco 'Tank' watch was famously worn by style subversives from Diana, Princess of Wales to Andy Warhol - and pairing it with these specific Australian designs, Markle's attire becomes editorial. It connects a narrative of modern, independent femininity to the foundational revolutions in undergarments that made such external expressions of power and ease possible.
Originally reported by WWD