Meghan Markle's Style Evolution—From 'Suits' to Royalty to Montecito Superstar
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Meghan Markle revealed in her and Prince Harry's "Harry & Meghan" docuseries that she only wore neutrals as a royal. See her style transformation.
Meghan Markle revealed in her and Prince Harry's Harry & Meghan docuseries that she only wore neutrals as a royal.
"Most of the time that I was in the U.K., I rarely wore color. There was thought in that," she said in the documentary. "To my understanding, you could never wear the same color as Her Majesty (Queen Elizabeth II) if there's a group event, but then you also shouldn't be wearing the same color as one of the other more senior members of the family [likely Kate Middleton and Queen Consort Camilla]."
Related: How to Watch Harry & Meghan
"So I was like, 'Well, what's a color that they'll probably never wear?' Camel, beige, white," she explained. "So I wore a lot of muted tones, but it was also so I could just blend in. I'm not trying to stand out here. There was no version of me joining this family and me not doing everything I could to fit in. I don't want to embarrass the family."
Related: The Biggest Bombshells From Harry & Meghan on Netflix
Since leaving the royal family, Meghan has sported vibrant shades of blue, green and red, including in her final engagements as a royal. See her style transformation from California girl to TV star to royal and back.
We're starting off with a fresh-faced Meghan walking her very first red carpet all the way back in 2005. Low-key is not the word for this ensemble: a baseball cap, bootcut jeans, and an empty tote bag. The only way was up!
Radiantly made-up in 2007, wearing a black minidress with dramatic billowing sleeves and rocking swept-to-the-side bangs. Meghan usually rocks a black shoe, so it's refreshing to see her showing off a shiny pair of silver pumps here.
Body-con skirts were all the rage back in 2012. We love the contrast between the skirt and Meghan's floaty top.
A year after Suits premiered in 2011, Meghan's hair was a lovely auburn shade that picks up all the gold tones in this picture perfectly! For this event at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles she went body-con again (a dress this time) and a structured black blazer, accessorized with a super cute handbag.
Both sweet and chic in a checkered white-and-gray shift dress. When your hair and makeup look this good, the only accessory required is an oversized bangle.
Bombshell alert! Meghan wore this gorgeous metallic dress in 2015. It makes sense that Misha Nonoo, Meghan's close friend, styled her for this event—wouldn't you want your best friend to look this good at a time when her star is beginning to rise? This particular piece was called the "liquid metal" Valerie dress.
With this look, Meghan proved she was more than capable of pulling off glamour with a classic '40s vibe by stepping out in a black blazer, black leather leggings and a bold red lip in March 2016.
This classy romper and blazer compo in a linen blend is an interesting take on a suit–Meghan almost looks like she should be sipping margaritas at a high-end resort somewhere. (The ensemble is by Veronica Beard, who would later famously provide the sky-blue shirtdress that Meghan wore on her royal tour of Morocco.)
A sensation in a sapphire-blue cocktail dress at a Toronto event in May 2016. We'll never know exactly which of Meghan's blue dresses she famously wore on her first-ever date with Prince Harry—and subsequently had a scrap of material from it sewn into the lining of her wedding gown as her "something blue"—but we choose to believe it was this one.
Here's Meghan at the 2016 Wimbledon Tennis Championship in her pre-royal days, looking effortlessly chic in a black suede wrap dress by Ralph Lauren. She first met and began dating Prince Harry around this time.
Meghan Markle rocks a bright red dress at a taping of TODAY at NBC Rockefeller Center Studios on July 14, 2016, in New York City. She and Prince Harry had just begun dating.
Well, well, well, what's all this then? Why, it's Meghan at the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games in Toronto in September 2017. Which happened to be founded by Prince Harry, who was also in attendance, but we're sure that's irrelevant ... Anyway, look how beautiful Meghan is in that burgundy chiffon dress and coordinating burgundy leather jacket!
Meghan and Harry subsequently made their first official appearance in public as a couple at a wheelchair tennis match during the Invictus Games. Meghan's famous white "Husband Shirt" was again by her close friend Misha Nonoo, which she paired with skinny jeans and the biggest leather tote bag we ever did see.
Here's Meghan at the Invictus Games alongside her mother Doria Ragland. We're a fan of this silky oversized white coat's casual drama!
The $840 white coat in which Meghan posed for her engagement photocall in November 2017 alongside her new fiancée was by The Line and subsequently sold out so fast it crashed the designer's website. Since the day that Harry and Meghan posed in the Sunken Garden—which months before had been replanted with white flowers in Princess Diana's memory—the coat has gone on to achieve iconic status. Meghan also wore a pair of opal stud earrings by Birks. Many people consider opals unlucky, but for some cultures, they're a symbol of hope.
Meghan paired this beige midi skirt with a black turtleneck for a visit to Nottingham. We want that belt. And those boots.
Meghan wrapped up against the December cold of Nottingham by donning a navy wool and cashmere double-breasted coat by Elodie.
Christmas 2017 marked Meghan's first appearance alongside the royal family on their traditional walk to church on Christmas morning, even though she and Harry weren't due to be married for another six months. The future duchess was nothing less than a style queen in a subtle yet eye-catching camel coat by Sentaler, made from baby alpaca wool, and was perfectly offset by Meghan’s classy brown beret and her Birks Snowflake jacket earrings. Her brown suede over-the-knee boots matched her strange little disc-shaped handbag in brown leather and caramel suede. It was the Pixie bag by Chloé, whose website explained that the bag’s "glossy golden top handle" is jewelry-inspired.
The day before the royal wedding, Meghan was pictured in this navy dress by Roland Mouret alongside her mother Doria Ragland, who had just arrived in Britain. In fact, the pair had just returned from having tea with Queen Elizabeth II.
The royal bride made waves the month after her wedding when she wore a pale pink off-the-shoulder dress during the queen's birthday parade. This drew disapproval from some royal commentators who claimed that such a style of dress for the queen’s birthday broke royal protocol—but Harper’s Bazaar pointed out that the Duchess of Cambridge has worn shoulder-baring styles on many occasions, as did the Princess of Wales before her. Meghan paired the dreamily romantic dress with a disc-shaped hat and her opal stud earrings.
June 2018 saw the Duchess of Sussex's first solo outing with the queen, for which she cut a high-fashion figure in this cream Givenchy outfit (designed by Clare Waight Keller, who also created Meghan’s extraordinary wedding gown.) The dress featured a sort of structured cape that entirely covered the shoulders and upper arms in a shell, while its skirt was a classic pencil shape. Meghan’s simple little pearl-and-diamond earrings were a gift from the queen.
For a day at Wimbledon with her new sister-in-law Kate Middleton, Meghan wore a Ralph Lauren pinstripe shirt in a boxy style that was perfectly balanced by her smokey eyes and loose updo.
This ensemble goes down in history as one of our favorite Duchess of Sussex looks ever! Meghan was on to something when she paired this teal leather pencil skirt by Hugo Boss with a teal shirt. She also owns this skirt in maroon.
A sharp look for the Invictus Games 2018: a white coat, black pants and a stripy shoulder bag.
The queen's birthday parade in 2019 marked the first time Meghan appeared in public after giving birth to Archie in May. She went navy from top to toe, including her leather gloves.
Meghan dazzled at the Lion King premiere in a black dress by Jason Wu, featuring a sheer panel and sleeves, which she accessorized with diamond stud earrings with removable black jackets. We're glad she looked this stunning because it was at this event that she met Beyoncé!
Meghan wore a white shirt from her own clothing collection at its launch in 2019. For every piece sold, one was donated to Smart Works, the charity of which Meghan is a patron and which provides clothing and skills to unemployed women who are entering the workplace or have job interviews.
Called their "movie star moment," Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were picture perfect on their way into the Endeavour Fund Awards as one of their final royal engagements.
Samir Hussein/WireImage
March 2020 marked Harry and Meghan's last official appearances before stepping down as senior royals. At London’s Mountbatten Music Festival the Duchess of Sussex wore a red, caped, truly goddess-esque gown by Safiyaa to match her husband’s military uniform.
Meghan Markle stunned in a green caped Emilia Wickstead dress and matching fascinator for their final official royal engagement, the March 2020 Commonwealth Day service.
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Prince Harry was on hand as Meghan Markle rocked a vibrant red gown for the Intrepid Museum's annual Salute to Freedom Gala in November 2021. She was pictured at a fitting for the crimson Carolina Herrera number in their Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum
At the opening ceremony for the Invictus Games in April 2022, Meghan Markle wore an ivory Khaite bodysuit ($780) with black trousers, Manolo Blahnik heels and a diamond Cartier “Juste Un Clou” necklace ($15,200).
Samir Hussein/WireImage
For their first joint trip back across the pond since stepping down as senior royals, Meghan Markle went back to neutrals. She wore a crisp custom pale stone-colored Dior coat dress with matching gloves, heels, hat and bag.
Kirsty O'Connor - WPA Pool/Getty Images
For the Invictus Games reception in April 2022, Meghan Markle wore a double-breasted white Valentino blazer ($3,500) with matching trousers ($1,500). She carried a Valentino bag and wore Aquazurra pumps in crisp white to match and accessorized with a Catbird hand bracelet ($238), Sophie Lis pendant necklace ($374), Shiffon “Duet” pinky ring ($595) and Cartier tank watch.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation
Meghan Markle rocked a look almost identical to one that Wallis Simpson—an American divorcee who Prince Edward loved so much he abdicated the throne for her—did in the 1970s.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Meghan Markle rocked a custom white Louis Vuitton dress and black heels to accept the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award in December 2022.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala
