According to fashion experts, including Samantha Harman, who spoke exclusively with Express.co.uk, the Duchess of Sussex has been through many fashion phases. First came the figure-hugging dresses or ab-baring crop tops of her acting days, then there were the more demure, muted looks while she was a member of the Royal Family, followed by a mixture of Californian chic and bold designer outfits since moving to Montecito.
When she first started dating Harry, Meghan stuck to her laid-back style of ripped jeans and baggy shirts, but once her relationship with the Prince became official, she began wearing more sophisticated and modest silhouettes.
As a new royal, after marrying Harry in May 2018, Meghan was seen in subtle, classic cuts and styles, and, as the Duchess noted in her and her husband’s Netflix documentary, she “rarely wore colour” in order to “blend in”.
During her last week as a working royal though, in March 2020, Meghan donned a slew of bright, colourful outfits, to show she no longer cared about “blending in” – she would stand out from the crowd and leave the UK with a bang.
After leaving the UK, Meghan was seen rewearing pre-Royal Family looks, donning relaxed jeans and baggy jumpers. She seemed to look more comfortable in her environment and in her clothes.
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“In that same interview, Meghan said that because she got to wear high-end, tailored pieces for work on Suits, when she was off-duty she liked to be ‘pared down and relaxed’.”
Samantha explained that “there was a shift in Meghan’s wardrobe when she became royal – lots more tailoring”.
As for her fashion sense now, while living in the US, the Duchess has “returned to the laid-back Californian style of pre-royal Meghan when ‘off duty’, but with tailoring and a few new designer discoveries for ‘on duty’.
“I think Meghan has a natural flair and love of fashion and now she can wear what she likes without anyone saying a word about it.”
Although Samantha said that everyone’s style “evolves over time”, including Meghan’s, the personal stylist highlighted that the former actress has still demonstrated “key style pillars” over the years.
The fashion expert said: “I think everyone has their own key style pillars.
“Our tastes are instinctive, we know what we like, and these core style values run like a thread through our fashion history.
“There are key themes through Meghan’s style pre, during, and post royal life,” she added.