However the gown has been given an obvious shape update, a clear bid to display a more sustainable, and perhaps affordable, approach to fashion for special events.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, previously donned the plunging red silk-faille Carolina Herrera dress at a 2021 gala in New York City to celebrate the military on the eve of Veterans Day in the US and Armistice Day in Britain.
Stepping out solo for the new surprise appearance at the LA Children’s Hospital gala, Markle turned heads in the bold red choice.
In her previous outing in the dress, it featured a voluminous sweeping train attached at the waist. In the new appearance, the mother-of-two chose a more slimline silhouette, wearing it without the train. The change modernised the look, allowing the low neckline and high leg split to take the attention but still felt fitting for the formal event.
The move to ‘upcycle’ or re-wear outfits with slight changes, is something previously associated with the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, who is known to regularly be seen in garments at a number of occasions, though Markle has re-worn outfits in the past also.
The event paid tribute to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles’s patients, hospital pediatric workers’ and philanthropists supporting their work.
“Oh my goodness, the work they do at Children’s Hospital L.A. is otherworldly, the Duchess said in a red carpet interview at the event. “I think from my standpoint as a mother, no one wants to be in a position where you need to go to a place like this, but if you have to, the best place in the world you could go would be Children’s Hospital L.A.,” she said.