All eyes were on the Duchess of Sussex as she stepped out in Santa Barbara, exuding her signature California glamour — though her choice of outfit quickly divided opinion.
On September 20, 2025, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attended the One805Live! benefit concert for first responders, hosted at actor Kevin Costner’s exclusive polo field. While the evening centered on honoring local heroes, it was Meghan’s look that dominated the conversation online.
The Duchess wore a fitted Carolina Herrera halterneck dress made of stretch-cotton sateen, complete with faux tortoiseshell buttons, front hip pockets, and a waist-cinching sash. The designer piece, listed at $2,490, hugged her frame as she walked alongside Harry, who kept things understated in dark jeans, a black shirt, and a matching jacket.
Praise and Pushback
Social media lit up almost immediately. Admirers praised her elegance, with one fan writing on Instagram: “She still look beautiful nice dress too [sic].”
But critics were far less forgiving. “A gap looking [sic] dress for $2500 is insane,” one user wrote, a sentiment echoed across X as images of Meghan circulated.
Others took aim at the fit and fabric. “It doesn’t even fit right,” one person remarked, while another suggested: “It’s unbuttoned down past her breast, and was meant to be worn buttoned… it might of elongated her torso [sic].”
Several claimed the cut simply didn’t flatter her. “This style of dress doesn’t suit her body type. She needs to wear a dress with sleeves. She is very wide in her shoulder area,” one comment read. Another added: “The dress doesn’t even fit her well. It’s wrinkled. The area near her breasts is too big.”
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Some went further still, calling the look aging. “I don’t like this type of dress. Besides making the person look older, the dress doesn’t suit their body,” another critic argued.
Comparisons to Melania Trump
The fashion debate even spilled into royal-adjacent comparisons. One user contrasted Meghan with former First Lady Melania Trump, writing: “Meghan’s dress was ill fitting [sic] and wrinkled. Melania looked impeccably beautiful, as always.”
The comment referenced Melania’s appearance at a UK state banquet, where she wore a striking Carolina Herrera gown — floor-length, yellow, with long sleeves and a pale pink belt — during her Windsor Castle visit with then-President Donald Trump at a dinner hosted by King Charles III.