Meghan Markle was a fashion icon long before she became one of the most famous royals of all time.
Before she was thrust into the global spotlight as her relationship with Prince Harry was made public, Meghan was in the throes of her acting hey-day.
A key cast member on hit show Suits, the sleek and chic wardrobe of her character Rachel Zane lay a foundation of all the fashion-forward things to come for the soon-to-be royal.
And boy have we been treated to a true spectacle of style.
Time and time again, Meghan has provided the fashion goods, wearing a slew of heavenly ensembles that we, quite frankly, are not worthy of.
.jpg?resize=380%2C285)
But in-between the glorious gowns, dazzling diamonds and heels as high as the sky, there’s one particular fashion mood the 40-year-old mother-of-two eternally nails – off-duty fashion.
While Meghan undeniably stepped up her game after marrying into the royal family (read: things got a little fancy), her knack for throwing together effortless, casual and entirely chic outfits never wavered.
The proof is in the pudding. You might have noticed the Duchess loves a stripy shirt + jeans combo like nobody’s business.
And her personal favourite jeans brand, ethical and sustainable label Outland Denim, has elaborated on the style slam dunk.
There is no debate – Meghan Markle is the ultimate Queen of off-duty style.
(Image: Getty)“I’ve never seen a denim-and-striped-shirt combination that didn’t work,” Outland’s founder Erica Bartle tells Now To Love.
“Like everything that Meghan wears, a classic stripe and denim combination is sophisticated, functional and can be dressed up with a pair of heels and a blazer or paired down with sneakers. This versatility has made it timeless and is an effortless chic.”
We couldn’t have put it better ourselves! So to celebrate our Queen of the humble, effortless and cool-girl casual style, we’ve rounded up Meghan’s best off-duty outfits of all time.
Keep scrolling and get ready to screen shot – these are going straight to the mood-board.
Let’s be real, chic leather jackets aren’t just for practical reasons. Simply throwing them over your shoulders à la Meghan here in 2014 is enough to take your outfit from cool-girl to, well, very cool-girl.
Yep, she knew how to pull off the “oh, I just threw this together” look like a certified pro. She’s pictured here in 2014.
Attending a Fashion Week event in 2015, Meghan’s somewhat unusual outfit consisting white faux-fur, a blue midi skirt and a very loosely thrown back hairstyle actually works. Honestly, only Meg could pull this one off.
2015 was a good year for the pre-royal. Meghan looked effortless in this strapless top-and-pant combo. Corporate chic with an edge!
And let’s take a moment to appreciate her clean, minimal makeup. We’ll just be over here stalking her skincare regime now…
In the midst of her Suits days, Meghan was a big fan of the crop. She pulled it off in white edition at a Fashion Week event in Toronto, circa 2015.
In March 2016, Meghan oozed sophistication with a shorts and blazer combo of dreams. The addition of sunglasses proved to be the cherry on top of a very stylish pie.
When you know, you know.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle debut their romance at the Invictus Games
Later that year, Meghan was spotted attending Wimbledon wearing a plain black dress. Of course, she made the simple look hella significant with that ridiculously perfect blow dry.
And there go the sunnies again. Big yes from us.
Meghan has proved many a time that she’s a fan of a humble panama hat – and its origins with the royal stem right back to the above 2016 sighting when she wore it to the tennis tournament. Three years later, the Duchess returned to centre court wearing the same style again!
In one of her most iconic appearances of all time, Meghan went public with her relationship with Prince Harry in the ultimate off-duty get-up. Wearing a pair of ripped-in-a-cool-way jeans, a crisp white shirt and a carrying a large leather tote, we were utterly besotted with Harry’s new girlfriend.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle watch the wheelchair tennis at the Invictus Games
2017
We can’t have a fashion gallery for Meghan without one of her favourite wardrobe items – a glorious trench coat. Yep, this royal knows a thing or two about the joys of throwing a trench over a trusty pair of denims.
Wimbledon 2018
In one of our favourite looks on Meghan of all time, the newly-married royal attended the 2018 Wimbledon Championships in a stripy shirt and wide-legged pants combination that our eyes never knew they needed.
Wimbledon 2018 2
And thus, the love affair with stripy shirts began.
Wimbledon 2018 3
The newlywed paired a chic black handbag and one of her trusty straw hats with the ensemble to finish it off with a downright flourish.
How to master Meghan Markle’s signature messy bun hair style
February 2019
In February 2019, a very pregnant Duchess Meghan was spotted in New York City, where she celebrated her baby shower with those nearest and dearest to her. This ridiculously chic Courrèges coat made our eyeballs practically explode with glee.
Luminary Bakery 2019
Later that year, Meghan paid a visit to the Luminary Bakery, a social enterprise supporting those in need and helping the vulnerable up-skill in the kitchen. A gorgeous video from the day appeared on Instagram (which you can watch below), and we couldn’t help but revel over yet another stripy shirt win from the new mum.
Meghan Markle is casually chic as she joins the women of Luminary Bakery in Camden
White T-shirt 2020
In a video call to women from the Hubb Community Kitchen, Duchess Meghan kept things classic and chic with a plain white T-shirt. This marked her first appearance since stepping down as a senior royal.
The dress the whole world saw! For Meghan and Harry’s highly-publicised Oprah tell-all in 2021, the duchess opted for this $6,500 silk Giorgio Armani dress featuring a white lotus on the right shoulder and a belted waist.
In a video shared in honour of her milestone 40th birthday, Meghan wore a white tank, cuffed trousers and a cosy knit around her shoulders for a video with Melissa McCarthy. Eagle-eyed fans also noticed that her necklace featured the Taurus and Gemini constellations – the starsigns of her children Archie and Lili.
For her October appearance on Ellen, the mother-of-two graced the talk show wearing a laser cut white blouse from Oscar De La Renta, paired with black trousers by the same label.
No one can rock a longline coat like Meghan! For her September New York trip, the duchess paired this Max Mara camel coat with a black dress by The Row, black Maison Valentino sunglasses and Giorgio Armani heels.
Meghan was a vision in magenta for a visit to Harlem alongside Harry in September 2021.
To read her kids’ book The Bench to Year 2 students at the PS 123 Mahalia Jackson school, Meghan looked effortlessly chic in this cashmere coat and knitted blouse from Loro Piana with purple heels from old faithful Manolo Blahnik.
