Meghan's red rebellion - the dress that said so much

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If Meghan Markle's pillar-box red Safiyaa dress had come with a message, it would have been one of defiance.

Undoubtedly the traffic-stopping creation the Duchess wore to attend the Mountbatten Music Festival on Saturday was statement dressing in the most literal sense.

"I'm still here", "you won't intimidate me" and most definitely "I won't apologise for my existence" were among the sentiments that silently echoed a wardrobe choice as searingly bold as it was stunning.

In fashion terms, this look was something of a curveball. While the recently completely round of catwalk shows have suggested terracotta and brick are ripe for revival, red in its purest, London-bus-inspired form is rarely a first choice among fashion players—  particularly when worn head to toe. It is also something of a deviation for the Duchess, who enjoys the neutrality of tonal ivory and the sanctity of black.

(POOL/AFP via Getty Images) The gown, which was a perfect match for Prince Harry's Captain General of the Marines jacket, allowed the couple to present a united front in a way that would not cause offense to the royal family: no words were spoken and no there was no public display of emotions. For Meghan, who is a firm believer in a woman's right to dictate her own terms, this was also a reclamation of the colour red — a peaceful protest, if you will. Certainly, a quiet act of rebellion: she was playing with the notion of the "scarlet woman" — and having a dig at her critics in the process. This was a reminder that red in all its loud, proud glory isn't a shade to shy away from. Try a pillar-box red blazer for a difficult meeting you've been dreading at work or a long awaited "catch-up" with an ex and you too can feel the power of the fashion world's most unapologetic shade. We chart the fashion history of the outgoing Duchess of Sussex During a weekend in which the soon-to-be-departed royal power duo succeeded in reminding the UK what it would be missing once they decamp for Canada for good, the Duchess's wardrobe choices have rarely felt more thought-through or loaded with political intent. The aqua Victoria Beckham dress, worn to the Endeavour Awards on Thursday, and the tourmaline Emilia Wickstead dress worn for the duo's last high-profile trip to church yesterday, confirm a determination to stand out, not disappear, among the flash bulbs. With designers from little-known Safiyaa to Beckham playing key roles in her wardrobe, there's also a sense that the Duchess is pledging an allegiance to the British fashion industry and making a promise to stand by it. A perfectly chosen outfit is worth a thousand words. Meghan knows this only too well. Our loss is Canada's gain. More about: | Meghan Markle | Duchess of Sussex

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