<p id=”par-1_43″>It had been a few weeks since <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/meghan-markle/?swcfpc=1″>Meghan Markle</a> posted on her Instagram page, but the day after her 44th birthday the Duchess of Sussex finally shared a new post to let her followers know exactly how she spent her special day. </p>
<p id=”par-2_46″>On Aug. 5, the <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/meghan-markle-getting-residual-checks-suits-surprise-streaming-success.html/”>former <em>Suits</em> star</a> posted a photo in which she is blowing out candles on a birthday cake decorated with yellow flowers. Something eagle-eyed fans noticed about the pic is that Meghan was wearing a $5,000 dress she donned to an event years earlier.</p>
<p id=”par-3_47″>Meghan sported the same white embellished mini Valentino dress she wore to the Global Citizen Live event in New York City in 2021. Seeing the recycled dress had plenty of fans nostaglic and thinking about the duchess’s wardrobe and how her style has changed over the years. </p>
<p id=”par-4_25″>Now, a fashion expert is breaking down how Meghan’s looks have evolved ove the years, even though one thing has always stayed the same. </p>
<blockquote class=”instagram-media” data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=”https://www.instagram.com/p/DM_qS-Oppgd/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading” data-instgrm-version=”14″ style=” background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% – 2px); width:calc(100% – 2px);”><div style=”padding:16px;”> <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/DM_qS-Oppgd/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading” style=” background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”> <div style=” display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;”> <div style=”background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;”></div> <div style=”display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;”> <div style=” background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;”></div> <div style=” background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;”></div></div></div><div style=”padding: 19% 0;”></div> <div style=”display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;”><svg width=”50px” height=”50px” viewbox=”0 0 60 60″ version=”1.1″ xmlns=”https://www.w3.org/2000/svg” xmlns:xlink=”https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink”><g stroke=”none” stroke-width=”1″ fill=”none” fill-rule=”evenodd”><g transform=”translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)” fill=”#000000″><g><path d=”M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631″></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style=”padding-top: 8px;”> <div style=” color:#3897f0; 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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;”><a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/DM_qS-Oppgd/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading” style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>A post shared by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (@meghan)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-expert-says-meghan-tried-to-fit-in-with-the-other-women-when-she-joined-the-royal-family”>Expert says Meghan tried to fit in with the other women when she joined the royal family</h2>
<p id=”par-5_53″>Lauren Bulla is a fashion journalist who has been featured in The Independent, The Cold Magazine, New Wave Magazine, and many more. She recently became the Fashion Editor of Groupie Magazine, where she has revamped their fashion offering, notably providing in-depth, on-the-ground coverage of New York, Paris, London, Berlin, and Copenhagen fashion weeks.</p>
<p id=”par-6_52″>Speaking on behalf of <a href=”https://www.fruityking.co.uk/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Fruity King</a>, Bulla told Showbiz Cheat Sheet: “With regard to Meghan Markle’s style evolution, there is a lot to consider. Before her engagement to <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/prince-harry/?swcfpc=1″>Prince Harry</a>, during her time as an <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/actors/?swcfpc=1″>actress</a>, her outfits were much more casual, flirty, and experimental. It was also very of its time. </p>
<p id=”par-7_46″>“As you get towards the mid/late 2010s when she is dating Harry, you see her shift towards more buttoned-up conservative silhouettes … She was clearly shifting her style in an attempt to be more in line with the rest of the women in <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/royal-family/?swcfpc=1″>the royal family</a>.”</p>
<p id=”par-8_55″>The expert added, “What I do find interesting is that during this time she still stayed true to her own personal style through intriguing accessories and headpieces. She often wore jewelry that you would not expect to see from the more traditional royals, and it contrasted nicely with the more conservative looks she was favoring.” </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-how-the-duchess-s-style-is-different-now-after-stepping-down-and-moving-to-the-u-s”>How the duchess’s style is different now after stepping down and moving to the U.S.</h2>
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<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-width=”550″ data-dnt=”true”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>As the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, turns 44, take a look at some of the must-have pieces that make up her signature style. <a href=”https://t.co/cA7VqZOCM1″>https://t.co/cA7VqZOCM1</a></p>— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) <a href=”https://twitter.com/voguemagazine/status/1952410008962191772?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>August 4, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
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<div class=”related-article related-article–simple”>
<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
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<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/meghan-markle-not-break-fashion-protocol-working-royal-according-expert.html/”>
Meghan Markle Did Not Break Fashion Protocol When She Was a Working Royal, According to Expert </a>
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<p id=”par-9_78″>Bulla also talked about how <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/prince-harry-was-able-to-marry-meghan-markle-because-she-didnt-do-this-1-thing-in-her-past.html/”>Prince Harry’s wife</a>‘s style has changed now that they are no longer working royals, explaining, “As they took their step back from royal life and moved to the United States, she returned to more casual looks, her styling has always been very consistent with her place in the world. Despite these shifts, her personality has always been clear in her outfits. Her situation just affects how much of it she decides to show. </p>
<p id=”par-10_44″>“Regardless of her proximity to the royal family her personal style has always been present, it has just been slightly less on the nose. Whether it was an unexpected slit, hemline, or accessory, there was always a little something that made her stand out.”</p>
<p id=”par-11_78″>Bulla noted that these days we’re seeing Meghan in even “more unexpected materials and cuts, as well as experimental accessories. It is so interesting to see that, now she is in this different phase of her life her personal style is back in full force. I think her entrepreneurial spirit and desire to appear more professional has also been apparent in her styling. Shorter silhouettes have been replaced with more modest hemlines, looser silhouettes, and more skin coverage. </p>
<p id=”par-12_39″>“There has always been this inherent flirtiness and experimental streak in her outfit choices … There has always been a strong throughline of her individual style, regardless of the silhouettes she was wearing and the role she was playing.”</p>