Meghan Brings Out Two More Waist-Ties On Her Final Day in South Africa

Today was a busy one for Hazza and Megs. They visited “a township near Johannesburg where they will meet with inspiring local youth entrepreneurs and view skills initiatives addressing the rising unemployment challenge faced by youth in South Africa”; attended a reception at the British High Commissioner’s digs; met Graça Machel, widow of the late Nelson Mandela (whom Harry has met before); and popped in on the current president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, and First Lady Dr Tshepo Motsepe.

The Machel meeting seems to have dictated one of the dresses Meghan wore: The blush House of Nonie trench dress (that’s a Canadian brand; it’s about $830 U.S., but there is one on Poshmark for $700, if that discount is your jam) was first deployed in 2018 for a visit to the Nelson Mandela Centenary Exhibition, so Team Sussex must have decided to go with synergy and bring it out again for a chat with his widow. Perhaps Mandela was a noted lover of a trench dress. If that was a must-repeat for her, and it seems to have been, then it really makes me wonder about the choice of yesterday’s very very similar khaki trench from Banana Republic. Knowing this dress was on the docket, why not bring out something visually different for the other event? It has the unfortunate effect of making this one seem less special, and honestly, casual observers might be like, “Oh, didn’t she just wear that yesterday?” I believe she even paired it with the same Stuart Weitzman shoe.

For her earlier event, Meghan picked the Tencel shirt dress from Hannah Lavery, a South African brand that, per Emily Nash at Hello!, made the dress out of leftover fabric to minimize waste. If my conversion is correct, it costs less than $100. It also looks… a bit like a nightgown, like she’s a sleeping cap and a candle in a brass holder away from having Jacob Marley wake her up in the middle of the night. I think it’s great that she’s trying to keep it comfortable and sustainable and lower-priced, but I wish this pick hadn’t compromised crispness.

Both Meghan and Harry spoke at the event. Sussex Royal’s Instagram has Harry’s:

View this post on Instagram

On the final day of their tour of Africa, The Duke and Duchess visited Tembisa, a township in Johannesburg, to meet young entrepreneurs at a hub that helps create opportunity, and is a hive for creativity and social enterprise. Discover more of the visit in our stories. The Duke said: • “It’s moments like today and meeting all of you, that inspires us. Whether supporting young entrepreneurs, empowering women and girls, or challenging the issue of gender-based violence; whether it’s been planting trees, clearing landmines, or protecting the most beautiful creatures and places on the planet, these experiences have affirmed our love of Africa, and the issues that are so important to us. We will firmly stand up for what we believe. We are fortunate enough to have a position that gives us amazing opportunities, and we want to do all we can to play our part in building a better world. We will always seek to challenge injustice and to speak out for those who may feel unheard. So no matter your background, your nationality, your age or gender, your sexuality, your physical ability, no matter your circumstance or colour or of your skin – we believe in you, and we intend to spend our entire lives making sure you have the opportunity to succeed – and to change the world.” • #RoyalVisitSouthAfrica

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Oct 2, 2019 at 2:10am PDT

And here’s Meghan’s, from Twitter:

Meghan made a speech without notes, saying she’d enjoyed her time in South Africa. pic.twitter.com/jsSuyFiZdq

— Emily Andrews (@byEmilyAndrews) October 2, 2019

Meghan gave a second speech today as well — someone please get her some throat drops for the trip home — and that’s on Sussex Royal as well:

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In her final speech of #RoyalVisitSouthAfrica, The Duchess of Sussex had an important message to young people around the world (swipe ➡️ to see full): • “I remember being a young girl watching TV and seeing what was happening in the world, and frankly, often feeling despair. When you constantly see and hear negativity, it can be overwhelming; you can feel powerless, and lost, you can feel different, confused, or like you just don’t belong. And I’m sure there is a young girl or boy watching this and thinking the exact same thing. So, this is for you. In a world that that can seem so aggressive, confrontational, and dangerous, you should know that you have the power to change it. Because whether you’re here in South Africa, at home in the UK, the US or around the world, you actually have the power within you to change things, and that begins with how you connect to others. I have learned from the people I’ve met here, that whether it’s about society’s expectations of masculinity or femininity, or how we divide ourselves by race or faith or class or status- everyone has value, and everyone deserves to be heard and respected. And if you live your life in thatway, your generation will start to value each other in ways the rest of us have not yet been able to do so.” • Video ©️ SussexRoyal

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Oct 2, 2019 at 6:36am PDT

This part in particular seems pointed given yesterday’s lawsuit news: “In a world that that can seem so aggressive, confrontational, and dangerous, you should know that you have the power to change it. […] I have learned from the people I’ve met here, that whether it’s about society’s expectations of masculinity or femininity, or how we divide ourselves by race or faith or class or status- everyone has value, and everyone deserves to be heard and respected. And if you live your life in that way, your generation will start to value each other in ways the rest of us have not yet been able to do so.”

All righty, let’s talk clothes.