meghan style

Here's what Meghan Markle has to say about her fashion choices over the years

She has some inspiring words, of course

Acting Fashion and Beauty Editor
July 3, 2020

The Duchess of Sussex became a worldwide style icon overnight when she announced her royal engagement to Prince Harry in 2018. And whether you've been a fashion fan of the former actress since her Suits days or not, Meghan's modern royal wardrobe has certainly wowed us all – from her relaxed off-duty outfits to her chic take on formal dressing. 

Luckily, our American Duchess has given more than a few insights into her fashion ethos over the years – let's look back at her inspiring words…

MORE: 12 of Meghan Markle's best feminist quotes

WATCH: Meghan's style over the years

Meghan Markle on the British brands she loves

When launching her Smart Works collection 'The Smart Set' in September 2019, the royal revealed why she had chosen to work with the likes of Marks & Spencer and John Lewis.

Meghan at the launch of The Smart Set

"If this is going to be classics and essentials, what are traditional and quintessential British brands that I’ve become introduced to since I moved here that for me resonated and I knew resonated with the Smart Works customer?" she said. "And that seemed obvious: M&S and John Lewis, which I’ve worn quite a bit over the past year or two since I've been here.

Of Jigsaw, she added: "I'd seen a campaign they'd done a year before which was really highlighting the diversity of the UK and the immigrant culture and how it was part of the fabric of the nation.

She wore an M&S dress to the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance in 2018

"And when I saw that I was so touched by it and I said anyone who’s seeing the world that way and seeing the community that way is someone that I think would be a great partner to have on this project."

Meghan Markle on fashion and femininism

During her speech at the Create & Cultivate conference 2016, Meghan firmly said: "You can be a woman who wants to look good and still stand up for the equality of women. There’s no uniform for feminism; you are a feminist exactly the way you are."

MORE: What Meghan Markle has said about race

During a joint engagement with the Queen

Meghan Markle on the Queen's colourful style

Meghan even once commented on the Queen's iconic wardrobe! Speaking in a video with ReitmansTV in 2016, she said we can all take inspiration from her tonal style.

"Tone on tone is not just for the Queen," she says. "A really fun way to play around with it is to just change up the textures.

The Duchess loves to wear the same tone in different textures

"If you have different senses to touch and it adds a different dimension to each of the pieces you're wearing then suddenly the tones don't look flat, they have a lot of depth and interest and you're still in one streamlined, same tone silhouette."

Meghan Markle on giving fashion tips to men

Meghan gave her thoughts on male fashion to Mr Porter: "I think women have a really good sense of what looks good on men, especially if it's their own man, and in turn they should want to look good for her."

Meghan has said she loves a man in a crisp suit, too!

Meghan Markle on power dressing

She once gave her top tip for boosting your mood to InStyle magazine. "Have a power piece in your wardrobe," she said.

"If it's the one dress that makes you feel so badass, or the one crisp button-down - whatever it is so that when you wake up on those days where you're not really feeling going into work, you put that piece on and it's almost like your own anthem. It can really shift the energy of your whole day."

MORE: Duchess Meghan's best style moments of the past decade

The Duchess loves to rock a powerful trouser suit

Meghan Markle on what she wears to travel

Speaking to Good Housekeeping, Meghan confirmed that she prefers a relaxed look for travelling – which we've seen her continue since joining the royal family.

Meghan's travel style is casual and cool

"I love to travel, and I travel so often," she said. "There are certain things I’ve learned that make you look a bit more polished. You can still dress really comfortably, I dress monochromatically… some really great comfy trousers, a comfortable top, again the black blazer, something like that. Just so you look refined."

Meghan Markle on the importance of fit

She has often favoured pencil silhouettes

"I think the most important thing you can do is tailoring," she told Yahoo Style. "No matter what you have in your closet, you think it’s not going to make a big impact but if it fits you to a T, you look a million times better and I learned that working on Suits."

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