Sophie Grégoire Trudeau's Borderline Inappropriate Outfit Will Always Haunt Her

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau's best fashion moments showed that Canada's former first lady knew how to dress for a special occasion. But that only makes one of her biggest style blunders all the more baffling, considering she was breaking tradition. She and her ex-husband, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, met with the late Pope Francis in May 2017 to touch on several topics affecting the world. Sophie seemed to come out of the meeting in high spirits, writing a glowing review of her time with His Holiness. "What an enriching experience it was to meet with Pope Francis. I cherish our common belief that people of all faiths and backgrounds must stand united for peace," she posted on her Facebook. 

Judging by her words, it seemed that Pope Francis was very gracious about Sophie's unconventional style choice during their interaction. On the surface, the long black gown she sported for the event didn't look outrageous or disrespectful at all. She seemed as professionally dressed as Justin was, who was wearing a regular suit and a plum purple tie. However, Sophie's ensemble was lacking when stepping on sacred grounds, which the pope could have seen as disrespect.

When meeting Pope Francis, there was a specific dress code women were supposed to follow. "Per Vatican protocol, women who have an audience with the Pope are required to wear long sleeves, formal black clothing, and a veil to cover the head," communications director Stephanie Grisham once told CNN. However, Sophie either forgot about this little memo or partially ignored it. She wore an elbow-length black dress accompanied by a matching-colored pillbox hat for the meeting. However, her veil was nowhere to be found. It was one of several awkward Sophie moments that were captured by millions. 

Incidentally, Ivanka Trump and First Lady Melania Trump both visited Francis with their father, President Donald Trump, that same month. Both Ivanka and Melania honored the church's protocol by wearing veils, making Sophie's slip-up stand out even more. Although it's possible she was embarrassed, and still is, by the wardrobe mistake, Sophie isn't the only one who's defied the Vatican's dress code. There have been several women over the years who've also ignored the fashion rules when visiting the church, so the "Closer Together" author is in good, or bad, company.

At the same time, however, Sophie's post-divorce digs at her ex Justin Trudeau show how good she is at throwing sneaky shade at things she doesn't like. With that in mind, it wouldn't be too surprising if her missing veil was an intentional statement against the dress code all along.