Meghan Markle Broke a Major Fashion Rule on Day 3 of Australia Trip
During the royal couple's visit to Swinburne University, Meghan Markle chose to wear sleek tights.
The Duchess of Sussex has often captured the headlines with her elegant fashion choices. Almost every public appearance sparks conversation about her style and its wider influence. Even during her and Prince Harry's recent Australia tour, that fashion spotlight has only intensified, as each of Meghan Markle's looks—from classic outfits to meaningful statement pieces—has generated instant buzz across social media platforms. However, this time, the widespread conversation wasn’t just about her elegance; it stemmed from the Duchess stepping away from one of her key fashion rules.
During the couple's visit to Swinburne University in Melbourne, Meghan chose to wear a chic ‘Anya’ dress designed by an Australian label, Friends with Frank. But what caught everyone's attention is that she paired her outfit with classic Manolo Blahnik heels and sleek tights from Wolford, as reported by HELLO Magazine. The choice has raised eyebrows, as Meghan was once known for staying away from sheer tights during her time as a working royal. She also spoke about the strict royal dress code during a past conversation with Emily Chang, admitting that sheer tights, especially, never felt true to her style.
Meghan joked that pantyhose reminded her of something straight out of 1980s films. As reported by The Mirror, Meghan said, "It was different several years ago, when I couldn't be as vocal, and I had to wear nude pantyhose all the time. I hadn't seen pantyhose since the movies in the 80s when they came in the little egg. That felt a little bit inauthentic. And that's a silly example, but right now I don't feel I need to prove anything." She further added, "It is an example of when you're able to dress the way you want to dress, and you're able to say the things that are true, and you're able to show up in a space really organically and authentically, that's being comfortable in your own skin."
The Duchess also had to wear nude pantyhose at her first post-wedding appearance at a Buckingham Palace garden party in 2018. However, fashion critics at the time pointed out that the shade that she chose appeared noticeably lighter than her natural skin tone. Meanwhile, during past interviews, Meghan has often opened up about the limitations placed on her wardrobe choices during her time as a working royal, revealing in the 2022 docuseries Harry & Meghan that even the colors she wore back then were carefully chosen and held specific meaning.
She said, "Most of the time that I was in the U.K., I rarely wore color. There was thought in that. To my understanding, you can't ever wear the same color as Her Majesty if there's a group event. But then you also shouldn't be wearing the same color as one of the other more senior members of the family." The Duchess added, "So I was like, 'Well, what's a color that they'll probably never wear?' Camel, beige, white... so I wore a lot of muted tones, but it was also so I could just blend in."
