Meghan Markle’s Post-Royal Style Has Changed—But the Meghan Effect Is Still Real

Now, in the case of Meghan Markle, fashion still speaks volumes when it comes to shining a spotlight on her work. But in her post-royal life, on full display in her brand-new Netflix lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, there’s a clear sartorial distinction between who she is now and the royal world she left behind when she and Prince Harry quit the monarchy in January 2020.

For one thing, Meghan’s wardrobe is more relaxed. In the series, she wears denim and linen; she even appears barefoot from time to time. The color palette varies from her royal days, too: Gone are ensembles like the poppy red and purple combo she wore to a royal engagement in Birkenhead or the sapphire green cape dress she donned for her final Commonwealth Day appearance. In it’s place, Meghan leans predominantly toward a much more neutral, earthy wardrobe that nods authentically to her current (and pre-royal) California-based roots.

This is apparent on her show, but also life outside of it: There’s the Jenni Kayne striped sweater she wears to welcome guest Mindy Kaling on the series; the creamy cashmere shell from J.Crew she has on for a daytime chat with Drew Barrymore. Even a bolder choice—like the oversize pinstripe La Ligne suit she wore for lunch with Serena Williams last week—skews less regal and more laid-back in comparison to her royal wardrobe. (This isn’t to say that she doesn’t occasionally lean on a pop of color—as she did for a Children’s Hospital L.A. fundraiser—but these days, attention-grabbing ensembles a la royalty are the exception not the rule.)

Of course, during her royal tenure, Meghan herself admitted she often made the choice to steer clear of brighter looks that had the possibility of stealing the show from more senior royals. (“Most of the time, when I was in the U.K., I rarely wore color,” she controversially shared in her other Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, back in 2022.)

But that’s what’s wild—Meghan’s embrace of her minimalist, Montecito aesthetic is far from making her a background player, per Queen Elizabeth’s famous adage. In fact, it’s a large component of what continues to keep the Duchess of Sussex center stage. As Vogue put it in a headline this week: “Don’t Watch With Love, Meghan for the Cooking—Watch it For Meghan Markle’s Clothes.”

It’s true: I count myself as one of many eager to add to cart the minute she steps out wearing something chic. That’s not to say that I’m not also drawn to Meghan’s work on and off the Netflix screen, but as apparent in With Love, Meghan, her fashion feels like the *chef’s kiss* and certainly keeps my interest piqued. In episode two, Kaling puts it best: “Meghan, I want to ask about your lewk,” a line that yields one of the best surprise reactions from the Duchess of Sussex. “My who?”

“Your fashion is one of my favorite things,” Kaling goes on, speaking for us all.

In fact, it’s probably the element of Meghan’s royal and post-royal life that remains the same—her ability to sell out a style. Regal or not, the Meghan Effect remains.