Meghan Markle’s style has been praised for its drama, sharp tailoring and bold use of colour, but there is one way the royal fails when it comes to fashion. Personal stylist Lisa Talbot told Express.co.uk Meghan’s styling reflects her personality, with her playful creative side to the fore, but the Duchess of Sussex struggles with more structured looks.
Ms Talbot said: “What she does really well is a dramatic, eclectic look. She does things a little bit differently: asymmetric hemlines, different shaped garments, sharp tailoring.
“She doesn’t do quite formal and quite rigid, meaning quite structured looks. She doesn’t do formal well. She likes more creativity.”
The expert pointed to the blue dress Meghan wore at The Endeavour Fund Awards in March, 2020, as proof of her command of royal style and the white Dior belted coat, hat and stilettos she wore at the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Thanksgiving Service as evidence of her pushing the boundaries.
Ms Talbot said: “Not many people would have worn white. That was her nod to non-conformity. She pushed the boundaries from a styling perspective from what people thought she should wear and what she felt comfortable wearing.”
The expert, whose services include personal shopping, styling and branding, said since stepping down as a working royal in January 2020, Meghan has had the freedom to wear more of her own choosing.
But she said there was evidence of the Duchess of Sussex still pushing back against expectations Buckingham Palace may have tried to impose on her, such as going bare-legged on official duties.
She said: “She can do what she wants to do again. She wears structure and great fabrics and great tailoring, but in a very different way – not rigid. Even when she’s just walking along, she wears jeans and a sweat shirt. It’s relaxed, less formal.”
Ms Talbot said while Meghan possesses great appeal when it comes to fashion, Princess Kate currently has the edge, due to the fact the future queen is morre visible.
Meghan has made few public appearances in recent months, with one of her last at an NHL game in November between the Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks at Rogers Arena, Vancouver.
Despite being out of the limelight, speculation is rife as to what Meghan will do next, with commentators saying the Duchess is planning her autobiography.
Ms Talbot suggested both Meghan and Prince Harry will be re-grouping after their brand took a knock from the backlash surrounding claims made against the Royal Family in the Duke’s memoir, Spare, and the couple’s Netflix docu-series, Harry & Meghan.
She urged the Sussexes to focus on their charity work, saying that would bring people back on side. Ms Talbot said of Meghan’s possible autobiography: “People would like to know more about her. I think she will still go in strong at the Royal Family, but I’m not sure it will help their [the Sussexes’] brand. It would sell a lot of books, but just add fuel to the fire if she attacked the royals again.
“There is definitely more up their sleeves. They are both very talented people in their own rights. The more they can do to raise awareness of issues through their charity work, the more they’ll bring people back on side.”
