The headlines out of 2019 were, in a word, wild. They’re the kind that you remember and can recall exactly where you were when you heard them first, they’re stories you’ll probably tell your grandchildren one day. And though there’s no comparing impeachment proceedings and climate strikes to runway shows, within fashion there’s been a number of moments that have earned worldwide attention this year and possibly, for better or worse, shifted the industry.
The one conclusion you can be sure of: The biggest fashion news of this past year is an indication of what to look out for 2020. For example, while Chanel continues to transition to a new era following the loss of Karl Lagerfeld, Rihanna (also known as the World’s Richest Female Musician) is less than a year into building her own fashion empire. Plus, the most glamorous style moments of 2019 proved that the red carpet is a place to challenge norms. And occasionally, the strongest political power flex doesn’t happen while wear a tailored suit, but rather a traditional thobe or moccasins. In the upcoming election year, expect plenty more examples of fashion-as-communication to emerge.
Ahead revisit 10 of the most memorable fashion headlines of 2019.
I think we’ve hit rock-bottom with the Meghan Markle pregnancy coverage, thanks to a new story that suggests the Duchess of Sussex’s “bendy thumbs” indicate she could go into early labor. There’s science behind this, apparently, but does that even matter? We now live in a world where the shape of Markle’s fingers are headline-worthy.
And here I thought it was weird that everyone saw Princess Charlotte’s face in her knee. (Remember that one? The media doesn’t discriminate when talking about Meghan Markle’s limbs, it seems.)
There are even more strange pregnancy stories where this came from. Let these five serve as a reminder to (1) stop talking about women’s bodies and (2) let Meghan Markle smile and wave and look iconic in peace. It’s what’s right.
People are really out here measuring how high up Markle’s bump is on her stomach. Think of all the things they could be doing instead. A non-exhaustive list: watching You on Netflix, baking blueberry muffins, looking into ways to cure the global water crisis. That brain power is better served elsewhere.
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The word frenzy is only appropriate on two occasions, in my opinion: If Beyoncé announces she’s running for president, and if and when Olive Garden starts a drive-through service.
If you watch the video in question for yourself, you’ll see that Markle just breathes. She literally took a breath, and people acted like her baby did a dramatic reading of Stassi Schroeder’s book Next Level Basic from inside the womb.
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Who knew Meghan Markle’s trolls were also geometry experts?
Groundbreaking news: Pregnant women can wear high heels! And they can work too. We really need to stop freaking out whenever moms-to-be exert physical energy.
Christopher Rosa is the entertainment writer at Glamour.
Every day this year Meghan Markle was in the news for something. Most of the time, it was a pleasant story about her and Prince Harry being cute or one of her philanthropic projects or fashion moments. Every now and then, though, a report would make its way into the zeitgeist that was just…bizarre. From sister-in-law quarreling to breaking royal protocol, the rumors about Markle in 2018 were so out there you honestly have to laugh. Below, check out 11 stories from the past year that I still can’t shake.
1. The rumor about her making Kate Middleton cry.Peopleclaims that this went down at a bridesmaid dress fitting for Princess Charlotte right before Markle’s wedding. I find it hard to believe these two really argued over a three-year-old’s dress, and the palace has publicly denied any discord between the duchesses.
2. Every time she broke “royal protocol.” I swear to God, every time she wore a bateau neckline the tectonic plates on Earth shifted.
3. When she shut a car door on her own, and the whole world freaked out. Literally, all she did was shut her door. Like, that was it. My head is spinning.
4. How she reportedly exhausts her staff by sending them emails. Receiving emails from your boss? The nerve!
5. And that she’s “difficult” because she wakes up early. Her “up and at ‘em west coast energy” supposedly baffled the royal staff on more than one occasion. It’s good to know the palace workers are nocturnal?
6. Or because her assistant quit. Just because she left her post doesn’t mean there’s any beef. Uh, most people leave their jobs on amicable terms.
7. Everything Thomas Markle said or did. From the “will he or won’t he attend the royal wedding” drama to every claim he makes about texting Meghan or pleading with the queen to see her, Thomas was more extra this year than Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ social media strategy. And that’s saying something.
8. Oh, and her half-sister too. The amount of times Samantha Markle popped up in the tabloids this year for no reason is astounding. Now she’s throwing shade at Meghan and Prince Harry’s Christmas card. Just get off Twitter, girl!
9. Straight hair meant she was pregnant. Of course, Kensington Palace would go on to announce Markle is expecting her first child, but the straight hair had nothing to do with it. It was a red herring (or hair-ing, you could say).
PHOTO: Getty Images
10. Air fresheners for the church during the royal wedding. Markle reportedly didn’t like the “musty” smell of St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Who knows if this is true, but a little Febreze never hurt anyone.
After spending the last two months convincing us to add suits to our fall wardrobes, Blake Lively has gone and ditched her new signature look for—wait for it—a skirt.
Lively was photographed leaving the Christian Dior offices in Paris this week wearing a printed A-line skirt designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri, an act that would have been fairly uneventful in months past. Blake Lively, a celebrity known for her heightened sense of style, wears a designer’s look…to that designer’s offices? OK!
PHOTO: Philippe Blet/REX/Shutterstock
Now, though, this skirt is considered so newsworthy that it caused a flurry of headlines and tweets in its wake. “Blake Lively Wears a Skirt for the First Time in Months!” the Page Six declared. It’s “a big deal for fans of her fashion,” People magazine noted.
To be fair, this is the first time Lively has been seen publicly wearing something other than a suit in months. It’s a testament to her commitment toward A Simple Favor, her new movie with Anna Kendrick in which her character wears almost exclusively suits. So, throughout the film’s press tour, Lively has shown up on red carpets in all sorts of different takes on the style—velvet suits! neon suits! plaid suits! I guess now that A Simple Favor is officially in theaters, Lively can mix up her look a little more?
PHOTO: James Devaney
PHOTO: Mike Marsland
But even though her seemingly endless supply of suits is maybe-probably about promoting her movie, Lively was still quick to call out those who criticized her for them. After an Instagram commenter made a joke about “suit number 1,356,” Lively responded, “Would you note a man wearing lots of suits during a promo tour? So why can’t a woman? Just sayinnnn. No double standard ladies.” The commenter apologized, and Lively replied, “Nothing but love. I don’t expect everyone to like it. Fashion that creates a difference of opinions is the fun part. I totally understand the missed humor. I do the same thing sometimes. Just lookin’ to encourage woman to do what men do without being teased for it. Yes, even in a space as material as fashion. It all starts somewhere…and everyone’s voice counts.”
And if you think Lively is totally done with suits now that she’s added a skirt into the mix, hold up: The same day she wore the Dior skirt, she was back to business as usual:
