Written by Naomi May
Since stepping back as a full-time working member of the royal family, Meghan Markle ensured that as few eyes as possible were focused on her style – and that’s precisely her power, says Naomi May.
Earlier this year, as the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Meghan Markle made her return to the fore after her and Prince Harry stepped back as full-time members of the royal family. And it was the return that stylistically speaking has defined Markle’s time in the public eye.
Markle, who did not feature on the balcony alongside the other royal family, was first pictured by photographers at the major general’s office overlooking the Whitehall parade grounds in an off-the-shoulder dress and a navy and white wide-brim hat by Stephen Jones Millinery. Eagle-eyed fans noted how the ensemble referenced a Catherine Walker outfit that Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, wore in 1993.
On day two of the festivities, the couple joined the royal family for a service of thanksgiving in the Queen’s honour at St Paul’s Cathedral – their first public event alongside the royal family since they stepped back from their positions as working royals two years ago. For the occasion, Markle sported a crisp white Dior Haute Couture coat and skirt, with a subtle hat, bag and shoes also from the French label.
It’s fitting that, unlike other royals and attendees, Markle opted to wear white, a colour synonymous with peace. It can hardly be a coincidence that Markle sported the politically neutral shade, given much of the press’s hardline attacks on her; this was her chance to come bearing, and indeed, wearing, peace.
When referencing the lessons she learned about fashion during her time as First Lady, Michelle Obama noted in her memoir, Becoming: “Optics governed more or less everything in the political world, and I factored this into every outfit.” The lesson is clear: as a woman in the spotlight, you should be neither “too much” nor too little while tiptoeing the tightrope of authenticity and authority, and that is extended to your wardrobe choices.
Markle’s first public appearance with Prince Harry at the Invictus Games in 2017 set the scene. She wore a crisp white shirt, courtesy of her fashion designer friend Misha Nonoo, frayed blue ankle Mother jeans, and a simple pair of brown Sarah Flint ballet pumps.
The stage was set for the future royal, and it was one in which her relatability and her girl-next-door wardrobe telegraphed meaning. Her clothes were a reflection of how firmly her feet were planted on the ground, how real and authentic – a trait now demanded of modern royals by the public – she was.
Despite the unfounded, unfair, and frankly callous commentary that’s been levied at Markle since her relationship with Prince Harry became public knowledge five years ago, her sartorial public persona has stayed true to its roots and that’s precisely why you may not have given her the credit for her style choices that she deserves.
That’s precisely the point of Markle’s wardrobe choices: her style is defined entirely by subtle fashion nods that are crafted from clean-cut colours and streamlined silhouettes. Hers aren’t pieces that seek attention, but that’s the point: optics govern the public’s perception of the royal family, which is precisely why they tailor their outfits to suit each appearance, and none more so having to tiptoe around unfounded criticism than Markle.
A look at her previous Trooping the Colour ensembles only serves to prove this point. Just one year after first appearing in public with Harry, Markle made her debut in a blush Carolina Herrera ensemble, an all-American brand fitting for the down-to-earth aesthetic the Suits star was known for. The wardrobe choice whispered, rather than shouted, as to what we could come to expect stylistically from her.
For her second appearance at the annual parade in 2019, which she made just one month after giving birth to her son Archie while still on maternity leave, she sported head-to-toe navy Givenchy.
Despite unfair criticisms to the contrary, the former Duchess of Sussex has never strayed from that first under-the-radar public appearance with Prince Harry. She’s the girl next door whose wardrobe choices are the apex of pared-back perfection and, if you’ve never given them a second thought before now, that’s precisely the point.
Images: courtesy of Getty.
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