Gone are the waves in her hair, the dress code heels, and the formal attire. Three months after stepping down from her royal duties, the Duchess also has a new look.
While the corset may have disappeared from women's wardrobes 100 years ago (thanks in large part to one woman, Coco Chanel), in some places, even today, an invisible corset still exists. This is quite evident in the case of Meghan Markle, who in just two years has navigated the path of entering and leaving the British royal family, the cradle of protocol, tradition, and etiquette. Six months after announcing her plans, and three since officially leaving her role as a working royal, the Duchess of Sussex's latest appearance reveals a new image.
From Duchess to Celebrity: The Change in Her Hair
Markle, now living in Los Angeles with her husband Prince Harry and their son Archie, participated in her first major event in July after stepping down as a royal. It was the Girl Up Leadership Summit 2020, a digital gathering that had previously featured women like Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, where the former actress delivered a speech on feminism, equality, social justice, and female empowerment to nearly 40,000 young people between the ages of 13 and 22 from 172 countries. Her message lasted 10 minutes. Standing in front of a plain wall, with nothing to distract from the important point, it's impossible not to notice that Markle's image is more modern, freer, and more natural. No more constraints.
The first thing that catches the eye is her very long hair, which reaches her waist. A signature look for the Duchess since her acting days, she maintained it during her time in London, which, while not explicitly clashing with royal protocol, did subtly skirt around it. Long, loose hair isn't exactly the definition of "properly styled hair" expected of women in the British Royal Family. And although Meghan only cut her hair to trim the ends (regular haircuts are another rule in Windsor), she did begin to style it more polished, with soft waves and always swept back, never both sides over her shoulders. She was still the same, but a more understated version. Appropriate.
Meghan's hair today, styled forward with a more pronounced straightening that makes it appear extra-long, would have been unthinkable in Windsor and is much more striking. It moves with greater ease, and although she does have a hairstyling process (her natural hair is curly), she doesn't seem to be using the finishing spray that Markle used to control frizz in London. The ends are no longer rounded, and there's no visible styling: in a look somewhere between Cher and Kim Kardashian, the result is more celebrity-like and less formal.
What she does retain are the side-swept strands (cut below the jawline) that she used to curl slightly when wearing her hair up for official royal engagements. These strands coined a new term: the "Markle bangs," so popular in hair salons around the world (framing the face and jawline, making them very flattering) yet unpopular within the palace (where it was frowned upon that she wore them loose, even on her wedding day).
Less mascara, more naturalness: the difference between Windsor and Los Angeles.
While another rule of the British Royal Family stipulates that makeup must be discreet (no bold lipsticks, no contouring, no overly dramatic eyes, no public touch-ups, and no flashy manicures), there's a noticeable change between Meghan's image six months ago and today. During her time as a royal, Markle emphasized her eyes intensely with mascara, always used highlighter on the upper part of her cheekbone (it is said, the famous Touch Éclat by Yves Saint Laurent), unified her face tone with a makeup base and highlighted volumes with a touch of bronzing powder.
In her latest image, Meghan's look is more natural, with less dramatic eyelashes, her skin is much less made up, and only a touch of lip gloss is visible.
The clothes: before and after
As Christine Ross, editor of the blog Meghan’s Mirror (which closely follows all the Duchess's movements and styles), analyzes on the Pod Save the Queen podcast, “When Meghan married into the Royal Family, she acquired a new profession. With a new job, your wardrobe changes. And with her wedding, her clothes changed to suit her new role.” She adds, “I think she did a great job wearing that royal uniform, but adding her own style.”
This is how Markle began wearing fascinators at daytime events (which required her to style her famous side-swept bangs), formal dresses, and heels as her go-to footwear. She never stopped supporting local designers wherever she went, British fashion on her travels around the world, and also emerging brands (generally women-led) with a sustainable conscience. Under the demands of her role, her personal touch was evident.
In the few images that have surfaced of her new life, the change is evident. Markle has returned to her favorite garment, skinny jeans, and has opted for looser cuts and shorter hemlines on her dresses. She maintains the classic style she had before her marriage, but with lighter fabrics. This reflects her new lifestyle and the new role she is playing.
In the video, she wears a deep blue blouse by New York designer Adam Lippes (who worked at Oscar de la Renta and launched his own label in 2004) and one of her favorite pieces of jewelry. It is not a symbolic gift from Harry, nor a piece inherited from Princess Diana, but a bracelet of unknown origin, which she wore in her role as Rachel Zane on the series Suits. It was so special to her that she even wore it at her first wedding (to film producer Trevor Engelson, held in Jamaica in 2011). It's the Cartier Love bracelet, an icon of the French jewelry house, created in the 1970s as a symbol of unconventional love.
In the two years between her engagement to Harry and her departure from Windsor, Markle never wore this bracelet at official events, although she was photographed wearing it at a private event in 2017: the wedding of Harry's childhood friend, Tom "Skippy" Inskip, which, interestingly, was also held in Jamaica.
The reasons for keeping this very personal piece hidden away for two years are entirely her own, but the intense media and social scrutiny Meghan faced in London likely played a role in her discretion. Now, free from the constraints of her official duties and with less media attention, it seems Markle can be a little more herself.
