This is apparently why Meghan Markle's wedding dress didn't fit

With every iconic royal wedding dress there naturally comes a lot of scrutiny and critique. You can't please everyone, and some will have opinions, such as Princess Diana's wedding dress being too wrinkled, or too big.

And while Meghan Markle's Givenchy wedding dress was widely loved for its timelessness and simplicity, there was one question a lot of people seemed to ask on the internet: 'why didn't Meghan Markle's dress fit?'.

The reason they were asking is that the dress, rather than being completely fitted at the waist and sleeves like say, Kate Middleton's wedding dress, there was a little wriggle room. Even Katy Perry waded in on the debate, saying 'I would've had one more fitting.')

Well the explanation might be way simpler, and logical than you'd think.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Harper’s Bazaar writer Mahalia Chang explained in an article that Givenchy designer Claire Waight Keller and bride Meghan Markle chose a cut that would allow the bride to move around without being encumbered by the stiff fabric of the dress.

She wrote that the 'fabric, as well as the triple silk organza used to make the underskirt, is extremely thick, stiff and does not allow for much stretch. If one were to hazard a guess, you would say that Keller and Markle purposefully chose a more conservative cut along the bodice and sleeves to let the bride move and breathe in the dress more comfortably.'

'If the cut had been skin-tight—as some are suggesting it should have been—then there's a chance that Meghan would not have been able to sit (in the car, or during the service) or freely move her arms, due to the constricting nature of such a thick material being cut so tight,' she added.

Well there you have it, why would a bride want to be uncomfortable on her wedding day?

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.