Stylist Tells Us Meghan Markle & Melania Trump's Fashion Reveals They're Pressed To Be Perfect

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex and former first lady Melania Trump don't seem to have all that much in common. They live on opposite coasts, they seem to have differing political views — with Meghan having said in 2016 that she didn't like Donald Trump and Donald revealing that he doesn't think much of Meghan either. But one thing the two women do have in common is their fashion sense. When Melania visited the U.K. as first lady in 2019, people noticed how her outfits echoed styles that Meghan had also worn before.

The List exclusively spoke with Christina Kroll, stylist and CEO of Kroll PR, a fashion and beauty PR company, about the sartorial similarities between these two otherwise dissimilar women, and it seems to come down to their concern with looking completely put together. "Both women wear outfits that are wrinkle-free, fresh from the dry cleaner and hanged, not a thread out of place," Kroll told The List. "Pressed is an interesting word to use because they are very focused on 'the press' and impressing onlookers." Meghan and Melania are both well-known public figures, arguably in large part because of who they married, and they both clearly understand the importance and value of looking good when they're out and about — no need to look for attention or cause distraction with over-the-top trends.

Meghan Markle has had some more risqué fashion moments since leaving the royal family and Melania Trump has had her fair share of inappropriate outfit moments, but overall, they've both got a very put together, dare we say, demure and mindful, look. And Christina Kroll had a theory as to why both women might be going with that classic vibe, which she exclusively shared with The List. "They don't want to stand [out]. They prefer to just have people nod their head in appreciation for their perfection. And they both rarely speak out and that is evident in their clothes that give little to no impression or individual style. They simply dress to impress. Silent stately style."

KrolI thinks that both women may be looking to the past when it comes to their fashion, noting that, "Melania and Meghan both seem to look and emulate past first wives and princesses like Jackie Onassis and the Queen by keeping to very tailored, demure, and expensive looking clothing." As for exactly how they do this (and if you want to revamp your own wardrobe to go for a more refined look), Kroll said it comes down to thinking beyond trends and picking "solid colors vs. patterns."

And even though both Melania Trump and Meghan Markle are known for channeling timeless style, they may be giving some clues as to their different world views with the colors that they choose. "Melania often keeps to Magna Red in support of her husband and Meghan seems to favor Royal Blue to perhaps remind that she is still representative of the Royal family," Kroll observed.

There is another major difference between the two women when it comes to their outfits, as Meghan seems to be more comfortable seen in casual (though still high-end and quiet luxury). "This is especially true when she is doing events with children and/or representing Project Healthy Minds, her mental health organization," Christina Kroll exclusively explained to The List. "She does allow herself to dress down as she disrobes stigma. An example of this is her cozy [cashmere?] sweater in the Netflix documentary."

Melania is much less likely to be seen out and about or recorded wearing anything that casual. Though, there were a few instances when she dressed down as first lady, like when she wore sneakers to tour a Texas flood zone, or notably when she wore her infamous "I Don't Really Care Do U?" jacket on a visit to the border. "That was definitely more statement than personal style," Kroll explained.