The meaning behind the 11 outfits Meghan wore over four days in Colombia

Before Meghan and Harry had even landed in Colombia on Thursday, their trip was being billed in the media as a “DIY royal tour”. 

It’s a suggestion that implies a packed itinerary (check), some charitable endeavours (yes), and plenty of handshaking and ribbon-cutting opportunities (on the first day alone Harry and Meghan met with dozens of organisation heads, politicians and school children).

Less obviously, the visit has also warranted a take on a royal “tourdrobe”. The fashion choices that Meghan packed for the four-day programme of events seemed to have been as carefully selected as they would have been for any official, palace-set itinerary. 

The Duchess of Sussex switched through outfit changes loaded with messages to decipher. Wearing clothes and accessories by Colombian designers including Johanna Ortiz, Juan De Dios and Aquazzura is considered “diplomatic dressing” – the polite act of nodding to your host nation. It’s a trick which the current Princess of Wales has been known to do on trips in locations from Canada to India.

The inspiration stems from Queen Elizabeth II, who routinely wore colours, patterns and symbols associated with the places she was visiting, and which Princess Diana famously practised too. 

Meghan has also injected her Colombia wardrobe with other subtle styling tactics – repeating pieces that she’s worn in the past so as to not be criticised for wearing all-new clothes (something which the Princess of Wales is also conscious of), wearing rich colours such as coffee brown from top-to-toe to ensure she stands out in crowds and peppering in affordable high street items.

On Friday she added some royal jewellery into the mix, choosing to wear a pair of butterfly earrings that belonged to the late Princess Diana as she and Harry met with school children in Santa Fe. This is the second time we have seen Meghan wearing the earrings, which the princess last wore on a royal tour in Canada in May 1986 (Meghan previously wore them in Australia in 2018).

In the context of a trip to Colombia, they are given new meaning – butterflies symbolise beauty, transformation and hope in Latin American culture, and Colombia has amongst the highest numbers of butterfly species in the world. It’s a level of thought that the Duchess’s hosts may well have appreciated, as well as ensuring that the pictures of her honouring Diana’s sartorial legacy would have an impact globally. 

“There’s a lot that goes into dressing as a public figure that a typical celebrity doesn’t need to think about,” says Rosie Harte, author of The Royal Wardrobe: A Very Fashionable History of the Monarchy. “It’s so much more than creating a style identity with certain trendy brands or flattering silhouettes; rather it’s about knowing how to piece together looks that support a narrative. The fact that Meghan is embedding her messages below the surface level, and choosing designers who complement her own story is testament to the impact that royal life has had on her approach to styling.”

While there are signs that Meghan has continued to practise some of the style lessons gleaned during her time as a working royal, there have also been plenty of decidedly non-royal fashion choices made on this trip. From carrying large designer bags, to embracing kitten heels and thigh-split skirts, Meghan has also clearly enjoyed the freedom of not having to adhere to protocol.

Meghan very rarely adopts any of the traditional royal silhouettes when on tour,” adds Harte. “No coat dresses, no hats, no lace, and instead opts for sleeker, more stylish looks.”

“I don’t fully agree that Meghan is approaching this visit as if it were a royal tour,” says the founder of Royal Fashion Police, an Instagram account which diligently tracks the outfits of royal women from all over the world. “Her outfits in Colombia are much more casual than what one would expect from a British royal tour. The halter-style vest with crop pants, the high slit cut-out dress… they suggest a more relaxed approach.”

The 170,000 followers of the Royal Fashion Police account have been debating whether it was appropriate for the Duchess to wear a sleeveless Veronica Beard waistcoat to meet Colombia’s vice president, as well as whether the split on her Johanna Ortiz dress was too risqué.

“My followers have responded strongly to the first two looks,” comments the founder. “The Veronica Beard navy co-ord and the Johanna Ortiz dress, with some citing that the Veronica Beard vest’s bare arms are not appropriate for occasions like meeting the VP or a school visit. I think this may be an overreaction, especially since the first lady of Colombia herself wore an asymmetric one-shoulder outfit during her state visit to Spain. Many other royals have worn sleeveless dresses to meet heads of state, including the late Queen Elizabeth, who wore a sleeveless dress when meeting American president Richard Nixon at Buckingham Palace in 1969.”

“Regarding the Johanna Ortiz dress, the criticism focuses on the cut-out and high slit,” she continues. “I [saw] similar reactions when Queen Letizia of Spain wore a cut-out dress in 2022, with people arguing that such a style isn’t appropriate for a formal engagement. However, Meghan is not a working royal and is not representing the British royal family in any capacity. So why should a formal royal dress code apply to her?”

In May this year, Harry and Meghan visited Nigeria on what was described at the time as another copycat royal tour. Meghan again ticked several “royal” fashion boxes – wearing symbolic jewellery that belonged to the late Princess Diana as well as donning Lagos-based labels. On that trip, there were signs that the Duchess had eschewed professional help – some of her hemlines puddled on the floor, while other pieces were creased. That would be considered a decidedly non-royal move – the late Queen, the current Queen, and the Princess of Wales have all been known to employ aides to assist with wardrobe planning and execution.

This time, though, those kinks seem to have been (literally) ironed out for the Duchess of Sussex. On a couple of occasions now the Sussex team has confirmed that Meghan has employed Jamie Mizrahi – a Montecito-based stylist who also works with Adele – and the level of polish displayed on this trip indicates that a professional stylist or tailor may have been consulted before take off.

Of all the things she may have gleaned from her time as a working royal, this last point would perhaps have the biggest impact on her personal style. Looking immaculate, in clothes that are well-tailored, is something that anyone might seek to perfect in their style formula, especially if they are dressing for the public eye. 

Look one: The arrival tailoring

The arrival outfit on any royal tour will usually set the tone for the trip. Meghan and Harry did this in tailoring on Thursday – but with a casual twist. Harry opened the collar of his Brioni shirt, while Meghan’s suit comprised a halterneck vest and trousers by Veronica Beard. Her £3,775 bag by Loro Piana was notably a larger one than most royal women would carry on tour. What was inside? She wisely ditched it before the official photographs with Colombia’s vice president were taken.

Look two: The diplomatic dress

Wearing a dress by Colombian designer Johanna Ortiz on the first day of the tour was another statement of fashion diplomacy. Meghan in fact owns this style in three different fabrications – the latest purchase being this “Navajo” textile. Some on social media criticised the thigh-high split and the midriff cut-out detail as being “inappropriate” for a royal tour – this dress served as a reminder that the Sussexes have no such protocol to follow.

Look three: The rich colour

The final outfit from the first day of the tour was this brown silk shirt by Victoria Beckham, paired with satin trousers by New York label La Ligne. The choice to wear a rich colour from head-to-toe ensures that the Duchess stands out, and looks well put together in photographs. Her shoes are also noteworthy – Aquazzura is a shoe brand that the Duchess has worn for many years, but this new pair of low block heel sandals feels appropriately timed because the label’s founder Edgardo Osorio is Colombian. 

Look four: The royal jewellery

Diana’s earrings were the talking point in this outfit – the style was last seen on the Princess in public in May 1986. Notably, the anniversary of her death will be marked later this month. Meghan wore the statement jewellery with a relaxed yet smart outfit –  a tobacco-coloured linen blazer from Loro Piana, a white shirt and black cropped trousers, finished with Chanel slingback shoes. Meghan and Harry visited a school in Santa Fe. 

Look five: The ‘husband’ shirt

On day two of the tour, the couple also paid a visit to an Invictus Games training session. Meghan chose a shirt style from the brand Giuliva Heritage which was called “the husband shirt”. It was an apt choice, perhaps, given that she was there to support her husband’s initiative, and on previous occasions she has also selected clothing with meaningful style names – a ‘Windsor’ dress earlier this year, and another ‘Husband shirt’ by Misha Nonoo when she first started dating Prince Harry. Meghan’s skirt here is by another Colombian designer, Juan De Dios.

Look six:  The ‘Colombia blue’ gown

For a private lunch on the second day of the tour, Meghan deployed a classic royal fashion trick – flag dressing. She chose a long, floor-sweeping maxi dress by Oscar de la Renta in a blue hue similar to that seen on Colombia’s flag, representing the sky above the country, as well as its rivers and seas. In photos shown on social media, Meghan is standing in front of a Colombian flag to really emphasise the point. 

Look seven: Diplomatic tribute, take two

Onto Cartagena, and Meghan opted for a relaxed co-ord for a morning at a drumming school. She leaned into her love of neutral hues but ensured her look was eye-catching with its bold rope pattern. This was the Duchess’s second outfit of the tour by Johanna Ortiz – it’s quite convenient when you visit the country of a designer whose clothes you love. 

Look eight: The all white

For the next stop of the day, Meghan switched sartorial mood, going from statement prints to an all-white ‘quiet luxury’ ensemble imbued with subtle messages.

Her white tank top was by Argent, a label founded by a former tech and finance executive which promises to create “a movement that’s all about self expression in and out of the workplace, versatility as a power move, and radical equality when it comes to paychecks, pockets, and everything in between” – all touchpoints which the Duchess has previously said she wants to champion. Her white skirt, meanwhile, was by Australian brand Posse, a label which says it is ‘a celebration of womanhood’.

The Duchess paid tribute to her hosts again, this time wearing a hat by Hanna Char and earrings by Maria Esquivia, both Colombian designers. 

Look nine: The high street shirt 

The Duchess of Sussex is rarely seen wearing high-street pieces now (she probably feels under less pressure to be seen wearing accessible items now that she’s not a working royal) but she opted for a sleeveless white shirt from Mango for a ‘Afro women and power’ forum on Sunday. This affordable piece was offset by an intricately sequined skirt from Colombian designer Silvia Tcherassi which the Duchess paired with magenta Manolo Blahnik heels. 

Look ten: The high-low mix 

Thinking Meghan looks the same but different at this engagement at a youth organisation, details of which were published on the Sussexes’ own website? You would be correct. This ensemble feels like a combination of the previous two outfits of the tour (don’t forget we’re 10 outfits in here, after four days) – her white t-shirt is a more casual version of the white shirt and tank tops worn for her previous engagements while in less than 24 hours, she’s managed to make this column skirt silhouette feel like a new signature – this hand-embroidered cream version, by Colombian sustainable luxury label Juan E Dios, is like the Posse and Silvia Tcherassi styles she’d previously worn combined. 

Look 11: The finale

Seven Colombian designers in four days – Meghan’s diplomatic dressing strategy on this tour was unmistakable and she ended her fashion mission with her boldest look yet, a green patterned maxi dress by Andrés Otalora, who aims to “empower women through bold, feminine and sophisticated ready to wear Colombian designs”. This particular print is, according to Moda Operandi, inspired by the “lush, green landscapes” of Colombia’s “tropical paradise”. 

Certainly, Colombians and fashion watchers around the world couldn’t have come away with any impression other than that the Duchess of Sussex had developed a serious passion for the country’s fashion scene as part of her visit.