When we watched Meghan Markle make three wardrobe changes in one day last week, it became clear that we weren’t going to be able to keep up. And why should we? Now exactly two months into her marriage to Prince Harry, it’s much more interesting to assess the new royal’s evolving royal style as a whole, rather than critiquing each and every costume change. So, unless there’s a major fashion moment, that’s what we’ll be doing, moving forward.
That said, the last month was a stylish one for the duchess of Sussex, as her wardrobe became sleeker and her style really seemed to hit its stride, veering away from the slightly prissy looks of her first month as a royal, and more towards a chic minimalism.
Since we’ve already extensively covered much of Markle’s wardrobing over the past month, we won’t repeat ourselves here. But as the duchess donned pieces from Prada, Brandon Maxwell, Ralph Lauren, Dior and Givenchy, definite themes emerged, as she remained committed to bateau necklines, pencil skirts, three-quarter length sleeves and custom hats from milliner Stephen Jones.
But what was refreshing was seeing Markle take a detour—even if temporarily—from beige and blush, opting instead for shades of green and a dazzling canary yellow moment in early July.
As the royal couple toured Ireland last week, Markle was the epitome of elegance in a belted black dress sleeveless dress with a squared neckline and A-line silhouette by designer Emilia Wickstead, who was apparently forgiven after publicly throwing shade at the duchess’s wedding gown in May.
As the trip continued, Markle kept it simple and chic, wearing a black pantsuit with a cropped double-breasted jacket by go-to designer Givenchy (who famously designed her wedding gown). Keeping the look relaxed yet polished, she wore her hair in loose waves and paired the suit with a white tee and black leather pumps by Sarah Flint.
Later in the day, the duchess changed into a familiar silhouette to meet the president of Ireland, choosing a bespoke bateau-necked taupe dress by Roland Mouret with a ruffle detail on its a-lined and asymmetrical skirt.
But the biggest revelation of the trip? That despite a wardrobe that has reportedly already cost over $200,000, Markle usually does her own makeup, which generally involved a subtly smoky eye with major mascara, a pinky-peach lip and flushed cheeks.
For the weekend, Markle loosened up, returning to England to support longtime friend Serena Williams in the final round of Wimbledon. Returning to Ralph Lauren, duchess wore a blue-and-white striped cotton blouse with ($1,700!) wide-leg ivory silk pants, both by the American designer. She carried a white straw hat with black band by Maison Michel, and an Altuzarra bag. The outfit may not have brought luck to Williams, but it was a hit in our book.
And finally, on July 17, the duchess returned to her signature shade, blush, wearing a sleeveless trench dress by Canadian designer House of Nonie to honor what would’ve been Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday. She kept the look monochromatic with a matching clutch from Mulberry and stilettos by Dior.
All in all, Markle looked remarkably at ease in her second month as royalty, looking less like she was playing the role of royal, and more like the duchess she has now become. As always, we’ll be keeping an eye on how her style continues to evolve, but we’re enjoying watching how the duchess of Sussex is beginning to dress up her new life.