The Kit has this sleek design as one idea

Lace, silk and and an illusion bodice and sleeves – and please, not too many flourishes that could drown petite Meghan

What will Meghan’s wedding gown look like? Just about everyone in the fashion press and media in general has been pitching in with their ideas with the consensus settling on a full skirt, a puddle train and a princess line shape with illusion sleeves and either a high neck line plus a lace fringed bodice in white or cream.

Sydney Garrett looked to Meghan’s African America heritage for her knee length design

It would be great to see something a little more unusual such as the ideas floated by the fashion students of Kingston University’s Kingston School of Art and the University of East London in a nice piece on the BBC website. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/a_dress_fit_for_meghan) Here creativity was to the fore with some designs in black and red with a fedora hat instead of a tiara in one look, a knee length wedding gown similar to a frothy Gospel Sunday best dress and even a trouser bodice combination – very stylish.

Perhaps the one gown that would catch Meghan’s heritage best was the one put forward by Hannah, who is half Portuguese. The BBC reported: “She [Hannah] relates to the notion of ‘split cultures’ and heritage, like Meghan, who is mixed race. She may be dressing royalty, but this dress wouldn’t have a princely price tag. The underskirt is made from curtain material.” It also features a swathe of colours – something long overdue in the stilted world of wedding fashion. Royal brides used silver in centuries gone or pastel colours before the Industrial Revolution, the cotton industry and Queen Victoria created the demand for white as the colour of choice. Asian fusion gowns which are increasingly an influence on British fashion are known for their colour and intricate decoration so why not introduce a splash of colour?

Hannah was keen to see colour incorporated in the gown

Unfortunately the Royal Family or ‘The Firm’ as some call them are not known for their imagination and creativity. Formality and tradition is their stock in trade so one suspects the gown will be white and have a so-called ‘fairy tale Princess’ look – not too different from Kate Middleton’s gown with its sleek lace bodice and full skirt. The backless strapless gown has been the mainstay of the bridal gown fashion world for two decades so hopefully an illusion bodice and poet sleeves, a handkerchief hem of layered silk and lace without bows and too many flourishes (which could drown the petite Meghan) will be the choice.

Harry Mottram

*Harry Mottram was previously the editor of Beautiful Brides magazine for ten years and a bridal fashion feature writer for various magazines and newspapers.

https://harrymottram.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/the-kit-has-this-sleek-design-as-one.html