Meghan Markle’s outfit of choice in Indianapolis had a subtle but poignant message attached. Page Six pointed out that Meghan wearing a green Giorgio Armani midi dress with purple heels during her speaking engagement, The Power of Women: An Evening with Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, was a way for her to also share her support of the feminist movement. The outlet noted that green and purple are the social cause’s colors, per the International Women’s Day website. White is also a color.
“Green symbolizes hope,” according to a statement on the International Women’s Day site. “White represents purity, albeit a controversial concept. The colors originated from the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in the UK in 1908.”
During the event, Meghan spoke with Indiana Rabbi Sandy Sasso. The Huffington Post’s Carly Ledbetter reported that the two discussed women’s empowerment and supporting young girls. No audio from the event has been released yet.
Meghan just wrapped the first season of her Archetypes podcast, and at the end of the most recent episode, she reflected on the conversations she’s had about the negative labels placed on women.
“I don’t know what I’d been expecting, but what’s come out of it for me has been illuminating,” she said. “And also ironic. Because while this format is only audio and each week I use my voice, you can hear my thoughts without any visual; I feel seen. I had never considered that in using my voice, that I would feel seen. But I do. And so much of the feedback throughout the season from women is that they feel seen as well. As we heard today, that men see our experience differently now, too. They see us. They see us more clearly.”
“The guests I’ve had join me have been so generous with their time and vulnerable in sharing their stories,” she continued. “And I found that in listening, really listening, I learned so much—about them, of course. But also about myself. Finding common ground and discovering that people that come from different worlds and have different life experiences still share so many of the same feelings. I learned how much more similar we are than different. So, for example, I’m not Asian, but my goodness, did I connect to what I heard on the Dragon Lady episode. And I don’t identify as ever wanting to dumb myself down. But in talking to Paris Hilton about the label “bimbo,” I learned that she didn’t either. Mariah taught me about her definition of being a diva. We celebrated the choice to be single with Mindy, and we talked about business and the B-word, how our mental health is weaponized against us, the pressures we feel to be a wife and a mom. The loaded misconception that often comes with being a woman of color and the courage that it takes to step out and speak up, even when it puts everything on the line. I learned so much. And I loved it.”
You can listen to the series on Spotify here.
Senior News and Strategy Editor
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.