Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to think Kate and Meghan could look just as good at half the price

93 replies

MeganRapinoe · 30/06/2019 13:12

This is neither a Kate nor a Meghan bashing thread.

I'm just wondering if they need to spend quite so much money on clothes or, as they are both gorgeous, could they spend much less and still look fab.

The dress Meghan wore to meet the baseball players is said to have cost £800 and it didn't seem all that to me - couldn't she have got something for, say, £250.

And before anyone asks, yes - I do have more important things to worry about but i just fancy a chat.

OP posts:
AnnaMagnani · 30/06/2019 16:26

@beanaseireann Please don't make me think of that Erdem Kate wore in Sweden. I'll need the brain bleach again.

It was a bad bad look.

No wonder she sticks to coat dresses in every colour now.

WalnutCabinet · 30/06/2019 16:42

I love the newspaper comment about recycling an item- ie wearing it more than once.

Princess Anne has outfits form ten 1970s that she still wears that have been repurposed. The queen uses outfits multiple times.

Meghan started well with neutral clothes but totally lost it on the overseas tour.

It is obscene. If they want to be Barbie- the go ahead but don't expect us to listen to your "views' on anything serious.

Jon65 · 30/06/2019 16:43

Having established the taxpayer does not fund their wardrobe why is it anyone's business what they wear? Why is this bitching vibe always directed at these two women?

MarieIVanArkleStinks · 30/06/2019 16:47

Go ahead. Bash away. It's not forbidden to criticize these people - we live in a country masquerading as democratic after all - which is why the effort to close down debate by people who support this institution is less than surprising, coming from those who oppose a view for their own Head of State.

The Windsors are UK national and international diplomats yet not one citizen of these islands has ever voted for them.

They are supported, in terms of large security costs and the expensive maintenance of their huge portfolio of grace-and-favour homes, by the UK public/electorate, who don't have recourse to a vote if they don't feel their performance is up to par.

It's not only the Head of State who receives these privileges but the whole of her huge, extended, bloated family (her cousin lived in Kensington Palace for years practically rent-free).

Nobody knows what they pay in (voluntary) taxation - paid at a rate they think they will, and purely because of public disapproval at the time. That's because the establishment doesn't want you to know. The Windsors are the only people in this country who are exempt from the Freedom of Information act.

Dubious stories about their doings are quickly rugswept and conveniently disappear from a media over which they hold far too much control (cf. certain proclivities of the Queen's second son).

They profess to hold no power. Yet the unelected Head of State holds regular meetings with the elected Prime Minster, the contents of which you are not allowed to know.

They're extremely powerful. They're very censorious. They're nepotistic. They're undemocratic and anti-meritocratic. Their cost is only one - and not the most important - problem with the very existence of these people in the positions they hold.

Bash away, OP. Bash away.

WalnutCabinet · 30/06/2019 16:48

Having established the taxpayer does not fund their wardrobe why is it anyone's business what they wear? Why is this bitching vibe always directed at these two women?

The taxpayer funds other areas of their lives including their extensive and unnecessary helicopter travel, If they spent less on clothes they could contribute more to self funding to other areas of their lives.

CassianAndor · 30/06/2019 16:54

The problem with the York princesses wearing British is that they nearly always look awful in their choice of clothes

That is rubbish. I suggest you have a look at the Royal Style thread. Bea and Eug often look fantastic and are less conservative than Kate and Meghan - which means that yes, they sometimes don't get it right. But they often do.

Ihopeyourcakeisshit · 30/06/2019 17:00

Didn't Queen Letizia? Of Spain wear something from the Zara sale a few weeks ago at £11.
She always manages to look amazing.

Bluerussian · 30/06/2019 17:05

They probably could, you can buy really good quality clothes at more reasonable prices but they do buy off the peg stuff for everyday wear. The really expensive stuff is for when they're on show.

I must admit I never look at news items concerning the price of their clothes and don't think I believe them. The press do make things up.

Jon65 · 30/06/2019 17:05

@MarieIVanArkleStinks yes we could have a President, um, like Trump, lets leave decisions of who to have as the Head of State to the people, after all don't they know best? Hence the mess my country is in . . ..

itwaseverthus · 30/06/2019 17:05

I'm pretty sure if I was Royal I'd wear the best clothes money could buy. Just don't think that black dress Meghan has on is the best! Very drab. I know black is slimming and she may feel a bit self conscious after giving birth but she has such lovely skin and hair tone, she would look lovely in brighter colours.

AravisQueenOfArchenland · 30/06/2019 17:06

I remember a few years ago, one of the papers had a two page spread on outfits Kate had worn twice or more, paired with different shoes or accessories, some of which she'd mixed and matched with other outfits at other times. It was very positively written/approving of her outfit recycling. I thought the fact she does this was great, it really warmed me to her.

I agree they're two stunning women who could get away with wearing black bags, and they don't need to spend tons of money to look great, although at least they have taste, so when they spend a lot of money on something, it'll be flattering at least and worth the money. I think you could put them in any shop, even primark, and they could put together something smart and flattering (they both dressed well before they became royals?).

Eugenie and Beatrice are also gorgeous, but seem to prove that money can't buy taste..?

Jon65 · 30/06/2019 17:07

@MarieIVanArkleStinks and please address the point about the bashing invariably be about Catherine and Meghan. You just don't get the misogyny do you?

MeganRapinoe · 30/06/2019 17:14

I'm not bashing anyone. Kate and Meghan are the only ones with the star power to attract my interest.

OP posts:
Benjispruce · 30/06/2019 17:15

Yeah she could have got that in Boden.Kate used to wear High St but has gone all designer.

AravisQueenOfArchenland · 30/06/2019 17:24

Athough tbf the more think about it, it's not so much Eugenie and Beatrice's clothes that are the problem, it's the accessories? Imo they have awful taste in hats, a hat should pull an outfit together, not distract from the rest of what you're wearing?

WalnutCabinet · 30/06/2019 17:39

I remember a few years ago, one of the papers had a two page spread on outfits Kate had worn twice or more, paired with different shoes or accessories, some of which she'd mixed and matched with other outfits at other times. It was very positively written/approving of her outfit recycling. I thought the fact she does this was great, it really warmed me to her.

FFS- she wore an outfit twice, yes twice. Wow how environmentally friendly.

Basketofkittens · 30/06/2019 17:42

Kate used to wear a lot of Hobbs and L.K Bennet but seems to have gone full designer now.

The royals do dress differently to normal people. Always in hats. Does anybody else wear hats? Nude tights and beige heels.

If I’m going formal, it would be a Hobbs dress, nearly black tights and some low black court shoes.

Day to day, I pretty much live in White Stuff!

Nanny0gg · 30/06/2019 17:51

Meghan is very good at styling though. When she and Harry met the Red Sox they both wore black and the photos look very good.

And whether we like it or not, they can afford better than higher-end High St.

Kate is never going to go to a state banquet wearing Monsoon.

I know Princess Anne should be applauded for her thriftiness, but in all honesty, how many of us still wear 30+ year-old outfits? (although I wish they'd still fit me!) and do we really think we'd look good in them?

WalnutCabinet · 30/06/2019 18:10

I know Princess Anne should be applauded for her thriftiness, but in all honesty, how many of us still wear 30+ year-old outfits? (although I wish they'd still fit me!) and do we really think we'd look good in them?

Maybe she wants to be valued as a person and not as a clothes horse?

MeganRapinoe · 30/06/2019 18:19

Meghan Markle was earning about 500k a year prior to her marriage

$500k before taxes wouldn't make her independently wealthy - presumably she didn't invest the whole lot. Certainly not the kind of income that can afford Givenchy.

OP posts:
ElspethFlashman · 30/06/2019 18:29

MM had a few mill. No more. Her tiny wee gold ring 'n bracelet collection has already set her back at least £50,000 in the last year alone and that's not remotely including the heirloom items. That's just including the fashion jewellery.

She has expensive taste and fair enough, she's married to a multi millionaire with inheritances galore in his future, but I suspect in 10 years time people are still gonna be claiming her Suits money is miraculously still paying for her wardrobe! 😂

MarieIVanArkleStinks · 30/06/2019 18:40

OP said: I'm not bashing anyone. Kate and Meghan are the only ones with the star power to attract my interest

True, and I think it's a shame. But as a committed and lifelong republican, I'll willingly and unrepentantly bash the whole lot of them :)

Jon65 said: yes we could have a President, um, like Trump, lets leave decisions of who to have as the Head of State to the people, after all don't they know best?

If the discrepancy between these two systems isn't transparently clear, I'm not sure it's even worth my while explaining it. But here goes. I'm no Trump fan either - I despise the man, TBH - but he was placed there by the will of the electorate. I.e. - and this is the important bit - the same means by which he can also be ousted if he proves ineffective, corrupt or otherwise unsuitable for office. He's fully electorally accountable.

To whom are the Windsors held accountable? (I'm particularly concerned here with the measure of the UK judiciary). The difference between this form of constitution and a fully accountable system is so glaringly obvious it shouldn't even need pointing out.

Jon 65 also said: @MarieIVanArkleStinks and please address the point about the bashing invariably be about Catherine and Meghan. You just don't get the misogyny do you?

No. Because why are you asking me to justify a point I never made? (Unless, of course, it's to undermine the objections I did state by a digression into a topic that has no relevance to any of them. Why not refute those specific issues? I'd be interested to hear those arguments).

If you want an answer to this one then the best I can offer is to RTFP. Again. You'll see every one of those stated objections was political. The reason you're asking this question of me completely escapes me.

Crunchymum · 30/06/2019 18:47

They will both get slated by the haters, whatever they wear? Especially MM

Iamthewombat · 30/06/2019 19:51

The OP isn’t a ‘hater’ though. She simply put forward an opinion: that the royal family spend a disproportionate amount on clothes, which is inappropriate in a country where many people are struggling financially.

As Mariel says: bash away. It doesn’t mean that the OP has a personal dislike of the two women.

IncandescentShadow · 30/06/2019 20:00

I think probably they could. Its perfectly possible to buy decently cut clothes at a smaller budget and still look expensively dressed, for daytime at least. Many of us have no choice other than to manage to do so. I find Ted Baker very good for work/business wear and for daytime social/evening wear. You get some amazing dresses from there for £150 or so and they often have 40% off sales. I think Kate more so than Meghan, obviously we are never meant to say anything negative about the woman on here, but anyway, imho she is a bit of a block shape with no waist who is hard to dress.

MM seems to have some sort of deal with Givenchy, which isn't really doing Givenchy a lot of favours but I would suspect she gets outfits free or very cheap from them. There is some website called Meghan's Mirror which has a lot of detailed information on her outfits, sometimes before she wears them! If you're into that sort of thing...

I really find the royal family an utterly outdated concept. I have difficulty understanding why they still exist, when there are so many more talented, beautiful, qualified and kind hard working people around to whom they don't compare particularly well. I'm trying to think of anyone who has a comparable clothing budget and failing. Perhaps they should have invested in setting up some sort of in-house tailor specialising in producing coat dresses and similar to ward off allegations of wasting obscene amounts of money, while still promoting the British fashion industry with evening wear or outfits for tours abroad.