Meghan's Oprah Interview Outfit Means Way More Than You Think

Meghan Markle's Oprah Winfrey interview outfit has been making headlines ever since a preview of the upcoming event was posted online. Meghan, who recently announced that she is pregnant with her second child, chose to wear a black Armani wrap dress for her first televised interview since leaving the UK. This was no $30 piece, like the Velvet Torch dress she wore when James Corden and Prince Harry face-timed her. And while the $3,500 Oscar de la Renta dress that she wore during her first public appearance since announcing her second pregnancy impressed E!, Meghan's Oprah outfit takes the cake. According to Page Six, Meghan's frock goes for $4,700, and features a "belted waist and foliage embroidery." As Today noted, she "wore her hair in a sleek updo" and accessorized the look with some special pieces of jewelry. Page Six reported that she sported a Cartier Love bracelet as well as a bracelet that is reportedly "a Cartier heirloom once owned by Princess Diana." The nod to Lady Di is a very sweet touch that hasn't gone unnoticed, of course. Meghan's spokesperson told Today that the duchess wore the bracelet "to have (Harry's) mother there with them during the interview." People will tell you that the bracelet is actually a two-pronged love story. Stones from that very Cartier heirloom went into Meghan's engagement ring. Moreover, there was some really strong symbolism present in Meghan's outfit that goes far beyond a pricey dress. The Duchess of Sussex is no stranger to finding symbolism in nature. Her wedding bouquet contained peonies, white garden roses, and white foxgloves -- flowers that are said to symbolize honor, healing, and confidence. The floral displays at St. George's Chapel, where Meghan and Harry were married, were also reportedly locally sourced, in order to reflect the couple's commitment to sustainability. It's hard to avoid the feeling that Markle, who once gave InStyle readers the advice to always have a power piece in their wardrobes, didn't pull out a power piece of her own for her Oprah interview. In fact, the foliage embroidery featured on the dress Meghan Markle wore on Oprah may symbolize much more than you realize. As Town & Country points out, the flower on the gown's side is a lotus, a symbol that's been associated with rebirth and spiritual enlightenment. The flower has deep roots within various Eastern religions, including Buddhism. Binghamton University notes that lotus flowers are regarded "as a symbol of purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration and rebirth." According to a guide from the university's Institute for Asia and Asian Diasporas, "Its characteristics are a perfect analogy for the human condition: even when its roots are in the dirtiest waters, the Lotus produces the most beautiful flower." Given all of the significant recent changes that have happened in Meghan and Harry's life, it feels fitting that she chose to wear a garment that featured a lotus to signify her personal rebirth. If you think we've all gone a bit overboard analyzing Meghan's Oprah interview outfit, rest assured: we're not just making this stuff up. Royal blogger Christine Ross told Town and Country in 2019: "Any time a royal re-wears something, there's usually a reason. They want to redirect the conversation, and it shifts that conversation from fashion to substance." This time, Meghan is wearing something remarkably new. So perhaps we're doing exactly what she expects us to do in noticing it. Meghan's wardrobe choices are likely to be as painstakingly thought-out as her friend Michelle Obama's were when she was First Lady. As Obama wrote in her memoir, her time being thrust into the international spotlight made her realize, quote, "my clothes mattered more to people than anything I had to say." It's possible that no one in the world has felt the truth of that more than Meghan Markle. Markle's wardrobe choices have been endlessly scrutinized, whether she's wearing flats instead of flip-flops during a trip to the beach or donning the same dress as one of Prince Harry's exes, Jenna Coleman. In fact, Fashionista once dedicated an entire column to the Duchess of Sussex's fashion choices, aptly named "Meghan Markle Wore A Thing." In other words, you can be absolutely, 100 percent confident that Meghan knows we'll all be dissecting her Oprah interview outfit. So when details about her fashion choices look meaningful, it's probably because they are. Meghan and Harry's interview with Oprah will air on Sunday, March 7, 2021, at 8 p.m. EST on CBS. #MeghanMarkle #Interview #Royals