We track the Duchess of Sussex’ style revolution from engagement to pregnancy…
Since getting engaged to Prince Harry, ex-Suits star and lifestyle blogger Meghan Markle hasn’t put a foot wrong. Naturally, she will have had a little bit of help along the way. Most likely from the Palace team that turned home counties gal Kate Middleton into the Duchess of Cambridge. Not to mention her best friend Jessica Mulroney who travels with the now Duchess of Sussex to make sure she is permanently prepared to be papped.
Meghan’s aesthetic is pretty safe, most of the time… Midi skirts and dresses form the basis of most of her looks for public engagements but she’s not afraid to ditch Royal protocol once in a while and reveal the odd bit of shoulder or leg.
Her black tuxedo mini dress when she joined Prince Harry for a charity performance of the hit West End show Hamilton is a perfect example of Meghan letting her old identity as a Hollywood actress merge with her new one as a fledgling Royal wife.
But for the most part, Meghan has left her own identity behind. Her first Buckingham Palace Garden Party after marrying Prince Harry set the tone for the kind of look Meghan has since made her own. She chose a custom-made version of the Flavia dress from London label Goat, in a nod to her British Prince, in a safe cream with veiled shoulders and even kept the accessories British with pumps from ex Jimmy Choo boss Tamara Mellon.
Other classics regularly sported by Meghan on Royal engagements include her navy blue Club Monaco midi a-line number which she rocked to perfection on the Royal Tour in Melbourne – it then sold out in hours. Not to mention the Roksanda two-tone blue colour block number she wore on a trip to a girls’ school in Sydney, which again flew off the shelves despite the considerably heftier price tag. But she doesnt always play it quite so safe.
The Brandon Maxwell canary yellow shift she wore again in Oz, was a bold move for Meghan but seemed to represent her relief at being able to announce her pregnancy and most likely allow herself to stop breathing in for the first time in months. And then came the most un-Meghan dress of the year, the Moda Operandi floral maxi number with pom poms. Very un-Meghan but perfect for someone in the early stages of pregnancy on a hot day as she greeted locals in Fiji.
Sadly for us, it is a bit cold in Blighty to emulate many of these looks but don’t despair. For a touch of Markle sparkle over the winter think Ralph Lauren’s classic cashmere crew neck jumpers, or similar high street copies, black or navy suede pumps with coordinating cigarette pants, basic beige trenches and single breasted overcoats. Great for all shapes and sizes. Then all you need is to find your prince!
