It is (sometimes, unfortunately) the most outré outfits that tend to be rewarded online. But in a sea of attention-seeking looks–all rib-crunching corsets, rhinestone embellishments, catwalk-fresh feathers, and fringe–sometimes, all it takes is a well-made LBD to reset the imagination. Meghan Markle, who has been upping her presence on red carpets, understands this: the power of elegant understatement.
To wit: the Duchess of Sussex was last night photographed at The Paley Honors Gala in Beverly Hills–an annual do celebrating those who have made significant contributions to the media–wearing a strapless Oscar de La Renta dress with an attenuated Logan Hollowell tennis necklace, a single Cartier bracelet, and Stuart Weitzman sandals. Nothing elaborate. Nothing daring. Nothing too “fashion.” See also: the black Khaite pantsuit she last month wore to the launch of Highbrow Hippie.
Markle was deployed on yesterday’s red carpet as a representative of the Paley Foundation’s committee, which had decided to name Tyler Perry–the actor, writer, and producer who gave the Sussexes the keys to his Beverly Hills mansion when they first moved to the United States in June 2020–as its 2024 honoree. The black dress was therefore the correct choice: formal, sophisticated, a backdrop to an event that is about so much more than pulling a look.
