While there is a certain dress standard that comes with a royal title, and the added pressure of being photographed each and every time they step out at a public engagement, that doesn’t always make them exempt from making relatable wardrobe choices.
The new generation of British royals, namely Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, are spearheading slightly left-of-field wardrobe habits, often side-stepping long-held dressing traditions—such as rules about royals having to keep their coats on in public, and hats and headpieces in public being a must before 6pm—in favour of a slightly more modern approach to dressing which leaves a little more room for movement.
Middleton, for example, has mastered the art of the outfit repeat, something you wouldn’t expect one of the more prominent world figures, with a slightly larger wardrobe budget than most, to make a habit of.
Sure, this particular wardrobe choice may come as a bi-product of keeping royal wardrobe spending low, but it sure has brought us a little closer to once-distant figures when it comes to fashion.
Joining Middleton in her outfit repeating ways is Markle, who admittedly has had to tighten her wardrobe restrictions since becoming the Duchess of Sussex, but has made her own mark when it comes to royal dressing, relatable habits included.
Ever a fan of a Manolo Blahnik suede stiletto heel, and already having a strong penchant for Aquazzura’s pointed pumps for a royal occasion, the duchess is a big fan of the outfit recycle. She’s even gotten good wear out of her Castañer Carina heeled espadrilles over the last year—never in the presence of the Queen of course—and now, Markle has brought her repetitive ways to her main wardrobe.
Scroll on to see our round up of every single time Meghan Markle has recycled an outfit.
Stepping out on September 23 with husband Prince Harry for a visit to the District 6 Museum and Homecoming Centre during their 2019 royal tour of South Africa, Markle’s blue Veronica Beard button-down midi dress struck us immediately with an air of familiarity. And after a little digging through our duchess dressing archive, we soon realised that this was the exact dress Markle wore just last year on her royal tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand.
Attending Tupou College on October 26, 2018 in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, the then-newly pregnant duchess first selected the belted blue item to participate in the Unveiling of The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy.
During the very same royal tour of South Africa mentioned earlier, Markle’s striped Martin Grant maxi dress also looked to be extremely familiar at first glance. Again borrowing from her royal tour wardrobe from the previous year, the duchess had recycled the dress for a reception for young people, community and civil society leaders at the Residence of the British High Commissioner in Cape Town, South Africa on September 24.
The duchess first wore the Martin Grant piece while visiting a local Australian surfing community group, known as OneWave, who raise awareness for mental health and wellbeing, at Bondi Beach in Sydney on October 19, 2018.
