We compared Meghan Markle's and Kate Middleton's fashion choices - and the winner is clear
Let's start with a Markle specialty: movie premieres. As an actress, she has plenty of experience dressing for the red carpet.
It's a pretty simple look — little black dress with strappy heels. Cute, but nothing groundbreaking.
As a duchess, Middleton attends plenty of premieres herself. Here she is a year earlier, at the premiere of "War Horse."
Middleton took a more elegant approach with a full-length lace gown.
In general, Middleton's approach is one of simple elegance, as seen in the gorgeous sheer gown she wore to the premiere of the Bond film "Spectre."
In addition to premieres, both Markle and Middleton make frequent public appearances to draw attention to issues they believe to be important.
Markle is known for her straightforward bold looks, like this jewel-tone mermaid dress.
She works to be on the cutting edge of fashion — sometimes to her detriment, as in the case of this bizarre shorts-suit combo.
However, being a trendsetter can require taking risks. Searches for "vegan leather trousers" jumped 67% after Markle name-dropped the article of clothing in an interview.
Source: The Telegraph
Middleton is far less likely to follow trends when making appearances at events for charitable organizations or other fund-raising functions.
Instead, she favors classic, longer dresses in plain colors or simple prints.
Even when Middleton wears something that's a bit more fun, it's not trendy. This polka-dotted dress is pretty much as bold as she will go when it comes to a charity function — almost quirky, but mostly timeless.
The one place she is willing to let loose, both in fashion and more generally, is when it comes to athletics.
While watching sports, she has a chance to wear more casual outfits, like this sleeveless button-down.
Twitter trolls slammed Markle for wearing casual jeans during her first-ever public appearance with Prince Harry, at the 2017 Invictus Games.
Even in their sportier outfits, Markle is more attuned to trends, while Middleton goes for classics.
It is somewhat unfair to compare Kate's fashion decisions to Markle's style before she became associated with the royal family.
Middleton met and began dating Prince William while the pair attended the University of St. Andrews. As a result, she's been in the public eye as the prince's significant other for most of her adult life.
A more direct comparison is how Markle's post-engagement fashion has lined up with Middleton's choices over the last decade. In her first public appearance as Prince Harry's fiancée, Markle wore a coat from Line, a little-known Canadian brand — helping to crash the brand's website.
Source: Business Insider
In the couple's first post-engagement interview, Markle opted for a simple, dark green dress.
Middleton, meanwhile, went all-out with an instantly iconic royal blue Issa dress when the couple announced their engagement in 2010.
Post-engagement, Markle's outfits for the couple's few public appearances have been more muted.
Still, she brings her fashion sensibility in with the details — look at those boots!
Middleton brought her own sense of style to one of her first public appearance after her engagement, wearing a fascinator — one of her favorite, very British, accessories.
So, who ultimately comes out on top in a comparison of the two women's senses of fashion?
Markle has the opportunity to bring a breath of fresh air to the British monarchy. Her willingness to try out trends and behave more informally in public with Prince Harry are a welcome change from the sometimes stiff and formal royal protocol.
But, sticking to trends has lead to some fashion missteps for Markle. And, her public appearances post-engagement haven't brought much to the table — the most exciting outfit so far has been the white coat.
While Middleton's dedication to more traditional fashion can sometimes feel a bit stale, she has turned out hits again and again over a full decade in the public eye.
And, when it comes to iconic fashion, Markle hasn't pulled off anything yet that can top some of Middleton's instant classics — though, with the royal wedding coming up, she'll have plenty of time to try.
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