Meghan turns 40: A look back at the Duchess of Sussex’s fashion evolution
Meghan’s personal style has changed over the years as she’s gone from actor to royal to mum of two, says Katie Wright.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Duke and Duchess of Sussex may have stepped down from royal duties and moved across the pond to lead a more private life in California, but we’re still obsessed with Meghan’s style.
Becoming a bonafide fashion icon during her time as a senior royal, she has come a long way since starting her career as an actor, and while some people argue the Duchess of Cambridge is the royal family’s reigning sartorial queen, we love Meghan’s fashion-forward aesthetic.
To mark her 40th birthday (August 4), this is Meghan’s style evolution…
TV star
Meghan originally made a name for herself starring in legal drama Suits, from 2011 to 2018. During that time she was a regular on the red carpet, often getting glammed up in luxe cocktail dresses teamed with killer heels.
When Harry met Meghan
After being introduced by a mutual friend, Meghan started dating Prince Harry in 2016 and the couple became engaged the following year. On announcing the engagement, the bride-to-be chose a suitably coloured white coat over a dark green dress.
For the big day, Meghan enlisted Clare Waight Keller the British designer formerly at the helm of French fashion house Givenchy. The silk gown – which was meant to convey “timeless minimal elegance” – divided opinion, with some people praising its stunning simplicity and others saying it was too plain for such a grand occasion.
On royal duty
There was a noticeable shift in Meghan’s style when she became the Duchess of Sussex and gave up acting altogether. For public appearances she stuck, for the most part, to a muted colour palette and frequently showed support for British designers like Erdem, Burberry and Stella McCartney.
Meghan’s relied upon American designers included Carolina Herrera, Ralph Lauren and Oscar de la Renta. Occasionally she would opt for brighter colours (perhaps taking inspiration from the Queen), such as this yellow Brandon Maxwell dress.
While travelling the world on royal tours, Meghan embraced local fashion, adapting her wardrobe to suit different countries and donning garments made by homegrown designers.
The last hurrah
For her final public appearances with Prince Harry before the couple stepped down from their roles as senior royals, Meghan seemed to be making a statement with her bold colour choices.
In a trio of green, blue and red outfits, it was as if she no longer felt bound to the demure royal dress code and was ready to have fun with fashion again.
California mother
We haven’t seen a whole lot of Meghan and Harry since they moved to Santa Barbara, California with son Archie – with the exception of the explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey in which the pair spoke openly about the struggles they say they faced within the royal family.
Judging by Meghan’s outfit for the Oprah interview and in the photo released to announce her second pregnancy with daughter Lilibet, it looks as if she’s embracing a relaxed style more suited to Californian life.