Fashion Hacks We Learned From the Royal Family (Part 2)

In general, royals are seen with small purses. Presumably, it’s not ladylike to haul around a giant tote overflowing with products and accessories. Naturally, Queen Elizabeth has a favorite type of purse that she uses all the time. In fact, she reportedly has over 200 purses by British luxury brand Launer.

Here we can also see Princess Diana toting a dainty purse while wearing a striking orange Versace suit. This is the Lady Dior purse, which was named after the Princess in 1996.

As we’ve seen, Queen Elizabeth knows what she likes and what she doesn’t. As such, there are some royal rules that are observed just in her presence. For example, the Queen absolutely hates wedge shoes. So, while Kate Middleton has worn wedges in public, it wasn’t around the Queen herself.

Here, we can see both Kate and Meghan wearing pumps. On the left, Kate is actually wearing $56 Aldo shoes with an Emilia Wickstead dress. It looks like Meghan is wearing olive green Christian Louboutins.

However, when wearing high heels, it’s not enough to just slip them on. Au contraire — Queen Elizabeth actually has someone that wears in her shoes for her. The monarch’s dresser, Angela Kelly, wears the Queen’s shoes so that they’re comfortable when she puts them on herself.

The Queen has worn the same style of shoe for 50 years. They are handmade by London company Anello & Davide. After she’s worn them, a footman airs them out and places them in an individual cotton or silk bag.

Since the royal ladies are all about the natural look, false lashes are a no-go. To keep herself looking fresh, Meghan Markle curls her lashes. She has said, “Even if you don’t have a stitch of makeup on, you suddenly look a bit more alive.” Meghan often shouts out her Shu Uemura lash curler in particular.

As well as this essential beauty tool, Meghan uses Dior Show Iconic mascara. When she’s feeling thrifty, she turns to Maybelline Lash Sensational Luscious Mascara.

What does one do to stay warm and fashionable? Well, combine a coat and dress of course. This hybrid garment also means hems are unlikely to go flying. Plus, it solves the problem that royals aren’t supposed to remove their outerwear in public. It’s not chic, don’t you know?

Kate Middleton is very much the queen of the coatdress. She has been seen wearing the garment in both warm and cold climates. Here we have a flippy soft yellow number and a warmer gray tweed option.

And what about the wrap dress? Diane Von Furstenberg is best known for these waist-cinching garments. And here we can see Kate Middleton wearing the DvF Ikat wrap dress. This navy and white print looks summery and elegant and is accessorized with a classic Kate blow-dry.

In the other image, Meghan Markle also wears a wrap dress. This colorful folk style dress is by Figue, and was worn by the Duchess in Fiji. Note, however, that Megs is wearing some forbidden espadrille wedges in this shot.

You may have noticed that the Duchess of Sussex is a fan of a low, loose bun. We know that she uses a toothbrush to keep fly-aways in place, but why does she often pick this style? Well, it’s apparently because these low buns prevent hair dents.

This damage-controlling hairdo means that Meghan can have a chic hairstyle during the day, and flowing locks in the evening. However, if she wore a tight updo, she’d be left with a frustrating bump in her hair.

Royal women are usually discouraged from giving too much away. For that reason, they sometimes communicate through their clothing. When Kate Middleton attended the 2018 BAFTAs, she wore a black sash on her gown in support of the Time’s Up movement.

Elsewhere, the Duchess of Cambridge has sent other subtle signals with her clothing. When she attended a memorial service for her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, she chose a particular pattern. This poppy print Prada is fittingly covered in the flower of remembrance.

We know that Queen Elizabeth likes a bright colors, and she often goes full monochrome. In 1989, the monarch wore a red look while visiting St Anne’s Church. As always, she wears her signature purse, shoes, and brooch.

But, younger royals have also taken a page out of the Queen’s book. Meghan Markle was seen sporting this fabulous maroon monochrome outfit in 2021 while visiting New York. Unlike the Queen, Meghan also matched her footwear to her ensemble. We’re obsessed!

We’ve seen that the royals are expected to follow lots of rules and regulations. However, many of them cheekily break the rules. When Meghan wore Mother Denim ripped jeans to the Invictus Games, there were certainly some raised eyebrows in royal circles.

Of course, Princess Anne is a rule breaker, so she’s been making her own rules for some time. In 1973, she wore this ’70s tweed suit with a statement yellow collared button-down and a trendy long gold chain.