Even to the naked eye, the Princess of Wales’ outfit choice to this week’s Commonwealth Day service would appear bold: A navy jacquard-print Erdem skirt suit, accompanied by a matching navy wide-brim Philip Treacy hat, navy Gianvito Rossi heels, and a pair of sapphire and diamond drop earrings that, per Vogue, were Princess Diana’s. According to the outlet, Kate “tends to veer away from more fashion-forward wardrobe choices for an occasion as formal as this,” tending to favor her old standbys like Alexander McQueen, Emilia Wickstead, and Catherine Walker. Kate has worn Erdem many times in the past, and, in seeming acknowledgement of the Princess’ close relationship with the fashion brand, the look she wore this week is pre-fall, not available to buy until at least August of this year.
But, if headlines are to be believed, the choice of Erdem for the Commonwealth Day service is even bolder than may first appear. “Was Kate’s Commonwealth Outfit a Subtle Swipe at Meghan?” The Daily Mail asks. “Kate Middleton Shades Meghan Markle By Wearing Designer Who Snubbed Duchess of Sussex,” OK proclaims. The Mirror’s headline on the matter read “Kate and Meghan’s Shared Love of Designer ‘Caused Tension As One Got Priority.’” Outlets are calling it no coincidence that Kate chose Erdem for the service at Westminster Abbey—the same service that, three years ago, was Meghan Markle’s last as a working member of the royal family—a sartorial dig, if you will, at her sister-in-law. In this writer’s opinion, it’s probably not that deep, but it is an interesting story to look into: How a British fashion brand somehow became, as The Daily Express put it, “a pawn in Princess Kate and Meghan’s ‘feud.’”
