Overview

• At the Sept. 17 state banquet at Windsor Castle, the first lady wore a sunflower-yellow, off-the-shoulder Carolina Herrera column gown with a satin-covered belt seen by some as lilac and by others as pink.
• WWD reported an unnamed source calling the wide faille belt “bright lilac,” while the label offered no public clarification in the cited coverage.
• Pantone’s Leatrice Eiseman and other specialists pointed to metamerism, lighting conditions and camera flash as reasons a single fabric can register as different colors to different observers.
• Etiquette expert Jo Hayes said the floor-length look met current banquet norms but suggested a higher neckline would better suit royal expectations, as stylist Samantha Brown questioned the gown’s seasonality.
• Coverage also examined the visit’s broader fashion narrative, from a headline-making hat to a Ralph Lauren suede jacket likened by Hello! to a style worn by Duchess Sophie.