Put Meghan Markle and high fashion together, and you’ve got a combo worth a million bucks – quite literally.
A style icon of our time, the royal has been known to single-handedly catapult a brand from being relatively unknown to becomng a sell-out sensation in a matter of minutes – and not even on purpose.
That’s why whenever the Duchess steps out in a new outfit, the world takes note immediately.
But you might have noticed a little change in the Duchesses personal style of late – and apparently, it’s all to do with her state of mind.
When Meghan and Harry’s relationship was solidified following their engagement announcement in November 2017, there was one other thing that became officially official – the LA native would now, and forevermore be one of the world’s most followed people.
And there’s no denying how easy that was to do, because Meghan is undeniably a stunning human being, and with a flawless sense of style to boot, how could we not stand by and covet every single clothing item she stepped out in?
An array of soft pinks, beiges and even yellow were among the royal’s wardrobe as she settled into her life as a married royal family member.
Who could forget her Trooping the Colour debut in June 2018, where she stepped out wearing a heavenly baby-pink Carolina Herrera dress with a matching hat?
And we definitely can’t forget her zesty Brandon Maxwell dress, which she donned for an engagement in London a month later.
Meghan was flawless in a pink Carolina Herrera design for Trooping the Colour 2018.
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A month later, the Duchess once again had us ogling in this striking yellow Brandon Maxwell dress.
(Getty)Indeed with the brand new royal’s slew of bright and light ensembles (of course with a few of her iconic black looks in-between), one thing was very clear – Meghan liked to have a bit of fun when it came to her wardrobe.
But you might have noticed things have changed a little where the Duchess’s wardrobe is concerned.
Particularly since the birth of her first child baby Archie in May 2019, we’ve seen the bright and bold wardrobe of Markle’s morph into something slightly more conservative and muted.
Her recent trip to South Africa was case in point.
Gone were the playful silhouettes of 2018, which had now been replaced with a series of modest, cooler toned ensembles.
Yep, there was definitely not even an inkling of yellow peeping through this royal’s new lookbook.
READ MORE: Every single look from Duchess Meghan’s African tour wardrobe
Meghan’s Hannah Lavery white shirt dress was a classic and modest choice on the final day of their whirlwind royal tour of Africa.
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The Duchesses tour wardrobe was filled with neutral, earthy tones – a far cry to the array of light pastel ensembles she wore in 2018.
(All images: Getty)And while it’s completely normal and to be expected for any woman’s style to evolve and change over a period of time, especially after welcoming a baby, there could be another reason as to why Meghan’s style appears to have changed.
Speaking to Cosmopolitan US, an expert on the sociology of style and self-presentation, Dr. Anna Akbari, had a lot to say about the matter.
Explaining that Meghan’s style choices are under a heavy microscope right now, particularly as the world waits with eagerness for any glimpse of her and her newborn son, the royal would likely be feeling the pressure to conform and fit in as a royal.
“I think she knows that by making more conformist choices that are in line with traditional royal protocol, it will earn her greater internal clout,” Akbari told the publication.
Meghan’s recent modest choices in silhouettes and colours could have everything to do with her trying to fit in as a royal family member.
(Getty)The expert added that people who take this conformist approach to dressing feel like they don’t have leeway, and do not wish to draw attention to themselves, which often makes them the best dressed in the room.
“That seems to be Meghan’s approach as she assimilates into the royal family. Wearing more dresses and skirt-sets, putting on the pantyhose – we really see her embracing a lot of these traditional markers of royal style,” she explained.
WATCH: Meghan Markle admits she never thought becoming a royal would be easy. Story continues after video…
So could this be the reason behind Meghan’s slightly more demure wardrobe choices of late?
It certainly seems possible, especially as her struggles with being under constant media scrutiny comes to light.
Indeed a revealing new ITV documentary, Harry and Meghan: An African Journey aired earlier this week, and fans were taken aback by the Duchesses frank admission that she was “not okay”.
“It’s not enough to just survive something, that’s not the point of life, you’ve got to thrive and feel happy,” she told journalist Tom Bradby.
“I’ve really tried to adopt this British sensibility of a stiff upper lip… I’ve tried, I’ve really tried.”
And it seems the royal continues to try – perhaps all stemming right back to her wardrobe.
