Meghan Markle Wears an Oscar de la Renta Trench and Hatch Black Dress for Her First Visit to Smart Works as Its Patron

From ELLE

Just hours after Kensington Palace announced Meghan Markle's first four patronages as Duchess of Sussex, Meghan has arrived at one of the four charities, Smart Works. For her appearance, Meghan stuck to strictly business causal attire: an Oscar de la Renta tan trench coat and a Hatch black dress. Meghan wore her hair up in a bun.

Smart Works, as the Palace tweeted this morning, helps unemployed and vulnerable women return to employment. As Kensington Palace wrote of Meghan's choice to be patron of Smart Works, "The Duchess has met with many women who have benefited from the charity’s support. Smart Works helps long term unemployed and vulnerable women regain the skills, confidence and tools to succeed at job interviews, return to employment and transform their lives."

At Meghan's Smart Works appearance today, Meghan spoke to women there about the power of donating clothes to help others. "It's not just donating your clothes and seeing where they land," she said. "It’s really being part of each other's success stories as women, right?"

"It's not just hand me downs, it's saying 'okay, this is the blazer that I wore that helped me win that interview and I want this to be the piece that helps this woman have that part of her story,'" Meghan continued. The Duchess of Sussex also played stylist at the event, helping other women pick out outfits.

Meghan's appearance at Smart Works today marks her first of four to the four organizations of which she is now patron. Meghan will also visit the National Theatre, Mayhew, and the Association of Commonwealth Universities in the next weeks.

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