Royal Style Twins of the Day: Meghan and Letizia's Tuxedo Dresses

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended a gala performance of Hamilton in London last night, benefiting Sentebale.

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The Sussexes returned to the scene with a rare royal engagement that I would actually volunteer for: a special Hamilton performance! (Harry even got the crowd going by singing a bit of King George III's part in his speech after the show.)

Judith & Charles Digital dress

It was a tuxedo dress from Canadian label Judith & Charles for Meghan. That's a classic choice but an overall look that was missing some sort of finishing touch for me. (Don't ask me what finishing touch, I'm not a helpful person. Just...something? Yeah. That's clear.)

Never fear, though, we have another royal stab at the tuxedo dress just waiting in the archives for this comparison opportunity:

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Back in 2013, still in her Princess of Asturias days, Queen Letizia donned a dress much the same, which is no surprise at all since a tuxedo dress is an idea that's been done a million times. Letizia added some earring and shoe shine - maybe that's the elusive finishing touch - to pick up the shinier lapel of her Felipe Varela version.

What's interesting to me is that both designers used a similar length. I suppose Meghan's look will cause a bit of pearl-clutching for finishing above the knee, but I have to agree with the designers: this look really does need a shorter length. I'm no big fan of these dresses to start with because they give me late 80s/early 90s flashbacks (and, yes, Diana comparisons), so the shortness is key to keeping it fresh.