Celeb Style
20 Times Meghan Markle Broke The Royal Rules With Her Wardrobe
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USA Network
Meghan Markle isn't like other royals. The obvious distinction is that she is a royal-by-marriage. She was given the title the Duchess of Sussex when she wed Prince Harry in a little thing called the 2018 Royal Wedding. Meghan is also a former actress and lifestyle blogger. Plus, she has a very interesting wellness routine. Another thing that separates Meghan from royal-borns is that she isn't afraid to break royal fashion rules. There are many occasions when Meghan Markle broke royal protocol with her style in the short time she has been an official member of the royal family.
There is a special set of style rules for royals about what they can and cannot wear, how they should accessorize, and what they should wear to events. And the rules can change depending on rank. (The Queen trumps everyone, FYI.) Going against tradition is something that Meghan has quickly become known for. It is in contrast to fellow royal-by-marriage Kate Middleton who has previously developed a rep for having a polished and age-appropriate look while sticking to the book. Do Meghan's outfits still slay? Have a gander for yourself at 20 examples of when Meghan Markle broke royal protocol with her fashion, thus far.
2019 Birkenhead Visit: Messy Bun
John Rainford/WENN
There is so much we could talk about in the bold outfit. The vibrant red and royal purple color combination slays. And look at her adorable baby bump. We are also coveting that brown top-handled pouch. Focusing on royal protocol, we need to talk about the messy bun. The undone hairstyle is a favorite of the former Suits actress, but it isn't typical of royal hairstyles. Most royals gravitate toward sleek hair-in-place hairstyles. "Undone" isn't really in their hair vernacular. So, seeing Meghan rock a bun with loose front pieces that can be tucked behind the ears and fall forward is different. There is potential for them to get caught by the wind and do their own thing!
2017 Invictus Games: Ripped Jeans
Euan Cherry/WENN.com
This look was technically before Meghan got hitched to Prince Harry and was crowned the Duchess of Sussex. But, it set the tone for her future wardrobe choices. (Additionally, it was the *big* public event Harry and Meghan went to before the engagement announcement.) Ripped jeans are just not in the royal rule book. We don't see the royals wearing jeans that often to begin with, unless they are at a casual and/or sporty event. (Think of a time you've seen Queen Elizabeth II rock jeans.) Meghan's outfit is still polished with the blouse, but there is definitely a cool Californian casualness to it with the cuffed sleeves, light-washed ripped jeans, and delicate jewelry. Surprisingly, her hair was not in a messy bun.
2017 Engagement Photos: No Tights
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If you are going to set a precedent for something, you do it at a big moment. We don't know if the now-duchess knew what she was doing or not with her engagement photos, but her lack of tights definitely didn't go unnoticed, even with all the hoopla happening. This was a marker for the times Meghan Markle broke royal protocol with her fashion. Going sans tights at the end of November is already a ballsy move before royals are even factored into it. She's also boldly wearing white after Labor Day. Yes, it is a long coat and rocking white at this time of the year isn't a hard-and-fast royal rule, but it is something that a lot of traditionalists follow.
2018 Cardiff Visit: All Black and Mismatched Earrings
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Meghan loves black. We cannot blame her. It is chic and flattering. However, it is not a color that royals choose to wear all over, unless it is an occasion where they are mourning. In contrast, all-black has become a signature for Meghan. Her outfit is 95 percent black. And the bag pretty well reads as black. Is it winter chic? Absolutely. Could you pick her out in a crowd easily if you're in the bleacher seats? Eh. (That is another one of the reasons the Queen favors bold colors.) One other nitpick about the outfit was her mismatched earrings. It is a trendy style, but not something that typically goes with royal dress. Her low bun is a bit more groomed than previous occasions, but you know those front layers will be coming out thanks to the loosely tucked style.
2019 Kensal Green Visit: High Hemline And No Tights
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Patterned and colorful tights are trending in fashion, but it seems that the Duchess of Sussex is not into hosiery of any kind. This is one of many examples where she opted for bare legs. It is also January in London, people. And London in January is not like Hawaii. Most people would gladly cover their legs with anything to fight the winter winds. Perhaps she prefers to play it safe and go without tights rather than risk being photographed with runs in her stockings? Mind you, if we had those legs, we wouldn't want to cover them up either...
2018 Endeavour Fund Awards: Black, Pantsuit, And Very High Heels
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Some might be questioning why Meghan is holding her own umbrella. They might also be wondering why Harry isn't holding the umbrella for her. Those are interesting topics of conversation, but they aren't what we are here to discuss. Another big thing that Meghan has done is gravitate towards pantsuits. It is said the queen prefers skirts and dresses. Yet, here is Meghan in a strong, sleek pantsuit. And it is black. Again. Another change between Meghan and other royals is that she goes tall and skinny with her choice of heels. You've probably noticed how most royals wear more sensible, thicker heels. Meghan bucks that and goes high. We salute anyone who will wear stilettos like these in the rain.
2018 Edinburgh Castle: Cross-body Bag
Euan Cherry/WENN.com
A cross-body bag hardly seems like something offensive. But, it was the concept behind the bag that got people talking. If you look at a lot of photos of other royals, you will see that they are typically carrying handbags in their, yes, hands. Part of the theory they do this is because royals are supposed to be the ones to extend their hands first. Us mere commoners aren't supposed to take the initiative. So, some could think that carrying a handbag prevents some awkward situations. In the roundabout way, Meghan's cross-body bag was seen as something that would have invited people to shake her hands. If you think that this is all starting to sound convoluted, just imagine if you were thoroughly informed on royal etiquette and social graces — and you had to live your life by it.
2019 International Women's Day Panel Discussion: No Panty Hose
John Rainford/WENN
The former The Tig blogger is not here for your pantyhose and tights. At the 2019 International Women's Day Panel Discussion, she went without any hosiery. Instead, the mama-to-be showed off her gams in a rather high hemline by royal standards and even higher heels. (We tip our hats to anyone pregnant or not rocking heels that high.) The outfit also raised some eyebrows because she wore the high hemline in March in brisk England. Her California girl roots must somehow be immune to damp. Meghan is also wearing black, again, but the monochromatic look is lightened up with white and the print. You could perceive this as some sort of strong feminist statement in honor of International Women's Day if you want.
2018 Reprezent Radio: Messy Bun
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For those keeping track, this was the first major event the California beauty attended after the engagement news and photoshoot. We have talked about how she rejected tights in her engagement photos. Here, Meghan is going against perfectly coiffed royal hair. Most of her shiny black locks have been swept into a low bun, but the front pieces have been left loose. As we can see, the breeze/life have caused the hairs to be in her face. It's nothing out of the ordinary for the vast majority of us. But, it is atypical when it comes to royal hair. Princesses, queens, duchesses, and the like do not have hair in their faces. Every strand is usually in place.
2018 Royal Wedding: Messy Bun and Non-British House
Dutch Press Photo/WENN.com
Meghan Markle looked like a radiant bride on her wedding day. It should be noted that she still went against some very traditional royal style rules when she tied the knot with Prince Harry. First of all, she opted for her signature messy bun to walk down the aisle. If you watched the wedding live (and we know you did), you might remember the hairstyle coming undone as the day went on. That was intentional, albeit not in line with royal protocol. Meghan bucked tradition again when she opted to wear a wedding dress from a non-British house. Givenchy is a French luxury fashion house. However, there are still British ties. The house's creative director, Clare Waight Keller, is British. Yet, that tidbit might not be enough for staunch royal rule followers.
2018 Trooping Of The Colour: Off-the-Shoulder Style
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The 2018 Trooping of the Colour was a big deal for the former actress. And it was a major time that Meghan Markle broke royal protocol with her fashion. It was after the Royal Wedding. You would have thought most people would have been distracted by Meghan's wedding band. But, no. They were focused on how she decided to show a slice of shoulder at the event. It is a royal no-no to do it. Off-the-shoulder dresses and tops are best avoided at the function. Because we know that you're wondering, Kate was in long sleeves for the big celebration and balcony photo-op.
2018 WellChild Awards: All Black and Pantsuit
Lia Toby/WENN.com
You might think that if Meghan wore something that caused criticism, she would avoid it. Girl doesn't do that. And we love her for it. Here is another example of her in a slinky black pantsuit. Can you blame her when black and sleek tailoring look this good on her? And check out that popping highlight. That lit highlighter and sculpted bronzer don't exactly fall into the "no-makeup" makeup look that is de rigueur for royal women, but she has tried to balance it with the lighter lip. And we cannot go without mentioning the loose bun with soft tendril around her face.
2018 Christmas Church Visit: All Black
John Rainford/WENN
This photo was taken on Christmas Day, but Meghan's outfit really offers no clues about the holiday. She doesn't have a speck of red or green on her. And we don't see a holly sprig on her coat. Another royal rule strike against her is that she is in all black. It's one thing to do all-black on the average day, but it is another to do it on a holiday that has a color scheme. Royals can play into holiday dress and make it work, but Meghan doesn't do that. You could say the duchess didn't want to overshadow the Queen, which is a very important rule. But, we are sure many would have said she could have worn maroon or hunter green.
2018 Bondi Beach Visit: No Shoes
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Meghan and Prince Harry's trip Down Under was filled with so many great moments — and outfits. Given the number of appearances the couple had, it was inevitable that there would be a few breaks in royal fashion protocol. One notable example was when Meghan ditched her shoes to visit Bondi Beach. She was wearing wedges with her maxi dress but lost the footwear to feel the sand between her toes. To be fair, Prince Harry also wasn't wearing shoes. And they are at a beach, people. But, we do not decide what acceptable royal behavior is and what is not. Oh, and wedges are already a somewhat *controversial* shoe choice for royals. Apparently, it is better if they stick to traditional heels.
2018 Charlie Van Straubenzee and Daisy Jenks Wedding: Showed Her Bra
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Weddings have their own kind of protocol, and that is before we even get into royal and super posh English aristocratic rules. People might be ready to call out the inclusion of black in her outfit, and possibly the sunglasses. Neither of those are the sticking points. Prince Harry's wife was called out for showing her bra at the event. *Gasp* The neckline looks quite conservative with the buttons but it exposed a bit of lacy bra when she bent over or moved at certain angles. Same thing with the low armholes. You might say to give the girl a pass, but these are the sorts of things that royals are supposed to think about and have planned with their outfits — at least per royal protocol. It is not seemingly to see royals' underthings.
2018 Chichester Visit: No Tights and Messy Bun
Danny Martindale/WENN
There is our girl again with no tights and an undone bun. The double rule breaker ensemble was from a visit to Chichester, England. True to form, the relaxed hairstyle could be worn where the tendrils were around her face or tucked back behind her ears. At this point, we should expect her not to wear tights as opposed to don hosiery, despite leg-wear being the traditional (and preferred) option. The Duchess of Sussex is also wearing a leather skirt which you know got tongues wagging. We will just point out how the woman to Meghan's left is wearing sheer pantyhose with an almost-identical skirt length. Just saying.
2018 Dublin Trip: Black Pantsuit
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Meghan is one of the many celebrities who can rock the pants off of well, a pantsuit, but that doesn't mean that she has the all-clear to wear the style as the Duchess. We said how the Queen is more of a skirts-and-dresses lady. And this sharp look is neither of those options. It is noteworthy that this event was in July and Meghan is covered up in the sharp layers whereas we have seen her wear less in the winter months. The lack of color in the suit likely isn't helping matters. The ensemble actually reminds us of her fierce Suits character Rachel Zane. But, that doesn't have anything to do with where royal rules are concerned. In her defense, the suit was worn to visit a famine memorial so black can be considered an appropriate choice.
2018 Princess Eugenie Wedding: Messy Bun And Strong Contouring
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Another wedding, another time Meghan Markle made headlines for rewriting the royal rule book. This time, she made her own style statement at Princess Eugenie's wedding to Jack Brooksbank. Her messy bun is admittedly a bit out of control here, which shows why royals traditionally go with more coiffured hairstyles. (Although, we do like the way the windswept tendrils echo the shape of her hat.) Another thing that raised traditional royalist eyebrows was Meghan's contouring. On fleek makeup is definitely not in the royal rule book. Even a slightly smoky eye can be against the grain. So, the former actress's sculpted cheeks were quite a surprise. Can you blame a girl for wanting to stay up with all the Instagram beauty lewks? (We can't.)
2019 National Theatre Visit: No Panty Hose
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As part of her many royal duties, Meghan was revealed as the patron of London's Royal National Theatre. For her first visit after the announcement, she stepped out in this supremely chic ensemble. You might be wondering why people would be obsessing about this outfit, especially when she made neutrals look so striking. We will give you a hint: Cast your eyes to the legs. She avoided hosiery again. The decision is all the more interesting considering the visit was in the dead of January. The light colors and short hemline are also surprising picks for the season. Even royals who are chauffeured everywhere typically dress for the season and their events. And is that a bright white bag?
2018 Royal Academy of the Arts Visit: All Black
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The newly-minted royal looks chic AF in this dress so you might be wondering what the "problem" is with it. Well, she is in head-to-toe black again and this isn't a mourning event. She is visiting an Oceania exhibition. Secondly, even from a full-body pose, we can see that Meghan has sculpted her cheeks. And contouring doesn't fall into the previously mentioned understated royal makeup look. The outfit does have sheer elements, but this is nowhere near a naked dress so the translucent sleeves get a pass this time. The outfit might not have royal rule-followers wholly satisfied, but it is a time Meghan Markle broke royal protocol with her fashion and totally slayed.
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