Kate Middleton And Meghan Markle Both Channeled This Iconic Audrey Hepburn Look
Despite the rumored tensions between them, Meghan Markle and Catherine, Princess of Wales have more in common than you might think. Although some of Meghan's outfits have been more out-there choices than what Kate wears, such as the suit she wore for her Colombia trip with Prince Harry, they wear similar outfits often and have proven that they have impeccable fashion sense. They also both channeled a specific look from one of Audrey Hepburn's most popular films on separate occasions.
In the film "My Fair Lady," one of Hepburn's most iconic costumes was a floor-length white lace dress with frilly white sleeves and black-and-white striped ribbons and bows. The dress was matched with an ornate black and white hat and an equally frilly umbrella. On X, formerly Twitter, in 2018, one user compared that movie outfit to Meghan's outfit for the Royal Ascot horse races (which fits, because in the film, Hepburn's character Eliza Doolittle wears that outfit to horse races). Meghan wore a white button-up dress with an asymmetrical hemline. She paired it with a black belt, black purse, and white and black fascinator — although her hat was a lot smaller than Eliza Doolittle's.
Fast forward to 2024, and another X user found similarities in Kate's Trooping the Colour outfit to Eliza's lace-covered outfit. Kate wore a knee-length, long-sleeved white dress with black-and-white striped ribbons and a fascinator in the same color scheme. Needless to say, Kate didn't end up on The List's Trooping the Colour 2024 worst-dressed list.
Meghan has shared how she picks designers to wear
In an interview with The New York Times in August 2024, Meghan Markle spoke about fashion and how she chooses the pieces she wears. "Times where I know there is a global spotlight, and attention will be given to each detail of what I may or may not be wearing, then I support designers that I have really great friendships with, and smaller, up-and-coming brands that haven't gotten the attention that they should be getting," Meghan said. "That's one of the most powerful things that I'm able to do, and that's simply wearing, like, an earring." Meghan also said she invests in smaller fashion companies.
As for Catherine, Princess of Wales, it doesn't seem like she has discussed how she or her stylist, Natasha Archer, put outfits together or pick designers. However, fashion designer Alessandra Rich was interviewed by The Telegraph in 2022 after Kate wore multiple pieces from her brand. Rich described it as a shock when Kate wore her designs, since she wasn't told ahead of time.
Rich also made it clear that she doesn't only design the princess-perfect polka dot dresses Kate was seen in. When asked if she was upset that people might not realize her collections have more variety, Rich laughed and said, "I am super grateful. The buyers know the collection is bigger, so it is fine that the public mostly knows the more conservative pieces. The Duchess of Cambridge is such a style icon, I can't ever say I'm not thrilled she likes my clothes."