The difference between Kate and Meghan has never been more stark… In a forensic fashion analysis, SHARON HUNT reveals their strategic moves behind the scenes
British Vogue has unveiled its inaugural ‘Best Dressed List’, and a member of the Royal Family made the cut.
It’s no surprise to see Victoria Beckham, Sienna Miller and Kate Moss feature on the ‘Eternal Influencers’ line-up. But among the crème de la crème of British fashion icons was Princess Kate – the only royal included.
Vogue’s list noted that the Princess of Wales has long wielded remarkable style influence.
Often referred to as the ‘Kate effect’, the piece acknowledged how the Princess’s ‘quiet support can change the trajectory of a brand‘.
Indeed, time and again, a top, dress, shoe or accessory worn by Kate has sold out swiftly or sparked months-long waiting lists – particularly for high street pieces.
As style pundits celebrated Kate’s inclusion, they also noted that her sister-in-law Meghan Markle was absent from American Vogue’s ’55 Best Dressed People of 2025′. Published only days ago, the diverse line-up included Jennifer Lawrence, Venus Williams, Cate Blanchett, Chappell Roan and Michelle Obama. More on Meghan’s omission shortly.
The fashion magazine’s stamp of approval arrives at an interesting moment in her style evolution.
In 2025, she gradually returned to the public eye after a testing period in which she was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer and underwent chemotherapy.
Princess Kate made a gradual return to royal duties this year following her announcement that she was in remission from cancer. She is pictured in Oxford, England, in October 2025
Ahead of the Princess of Wales’s return to the spotlight, reports emerged that the palace would no longer provide details of her outfits. She is seen left attending Wimbledon in July, and right in November following a visit to a mental health charity in London
After declaring in January that she was in remission, she steadily resumed royal duties.
As she re-entered working life, one reported change stood out – and it concerned her wardrobe. Kensington Palace would no longer release details of the outfits she wears at every public engagement .
The message behind it? ‘There is an absolute feeling that it [the work] is not about what the princess is wearing,’ a palace source said in February.
‘[Kate] wants the focus to be on the really important issues, the people and the causes she is spotlighting.
‘There will always be an appreciation of what the princess is wearing from some of the public and she gets that. But do we need to be officially always saying what she is wearing? No. The style is there but it’s about the substance.’
This shift was compounded when Kate’s longtime personal assistant and stylist Natasha Archer resigned in July, sharing plans to open her own consultancy.
Until then, the pair had enjoyed a 15-year working relationship. By all accounts, Natasha’s departure was amicable.
With her ‘it’s not about the fashion’ approach front of mind, a source told People that Kate had no immediate plans to rush out and hire a replacement.
Princess Kate was recently featured on British Vogue’s inaugural ‘Best Dressed List’ – the only Royal Family member included. She is pictured in September 2025
Princess Kate wore a floor-length gown to the Royal Variety Show in November 2025. She accessorised with the Greville Chandelier Earrings and the Queen Mary Choker Bracelet
‘Kate has always been very involved in choosing her outfits for royal engagements, but now she is so confident, she knows exactly what suits her and what doesn’t,’ the insider said in December.
With those two changes in the rear-view mirror, it’s notable that Kate continues to earn fashion plaudits.
The British Vogue nod cements what many royal watchers have long felt about her sharp fashion sense.
And while the public may no longer get rundowns of her outfit particulars, there’s a stronger sense now that what we’re seeing is a fashion identity of Kate’s own making.
Which brings us to Meghan Markle across the pond.
From the moment Meghan entered the Royal Family fold, her undeniable sense of style was apparent.
Say what you will about some of the Duchess of Sussex’s personal and professional choices in recent years, but her fashion credentials – strong, deliberate and polished – can’t be disputed.
Like Kate, the Duchess has her own ‘Meghan effect’, where a piece she’s seen wearing can quickly become a hot-ticket item.
Meghan is aware of this, previously saying in an interview that once she understood her power to influence, it ‘changed everything in terms of how I then looked at putting an outfit together’.
In a recent example, Meghan wore a Valencia Key ‘Believe’ bracelet at the 2025 Invictus Games and in an As Ever announcement, resulting in an 11,000 per cent sales lift, with many pieces from the jewellery brand selling out.
There’s another similarity between the two: just as Kate has shifted her fashion approach of late, so has Meghan – but for very different reasons .
Meghan’s current look was described by her former wedding dress designer Clare Waight Keller as ‘a minimalist, chic, timeless and quite monochromatic wardrobe’. Meghan is pictured in New York City in April 2025
Meghan is rumoured to have collaborated with A-list stylist Jamie Mizrahi for the past two years. She is pictured in Paris in October 2025
From early 2024, around the time she soft-launched her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard (later renamed As Ever), Meghan was linked to A-list stylist Jamie Mizrahi – though their collaboration hasn’t been confirmed.
According to reports at the time, Meghan was seeking a ‘Hollywood glow-up’ to coincide with the launch of her new brand and usher in her ‘lifestyle entrepreneur’ era.
The former creative director of Juicy Couture was said to be just the person for the job.
Mizrahi already has an impressive CV, having dressed stars like Riley Keough, Katy Perry and Adele. She has said that a core part of her work with celebrities involves helping them reinvent themselves.
Although there has never been firm word of the pair working together, the subtle evolution in Meghan’s style – best described as ‘quiet luxury’ – is telling. She avoids ostentation, favouring neutrals such as white, black, blue and brown .
It’s a shift keenly observed this past week by Meghan’s former wedding dress designer, Clare Waight Keller.
The Uniqlo creative director said: ‘The thing about Meghan is she knows what she likes.
‘She has very much evolved her look to what you see now – a minimalist, chic, timeless and quite monochromatic wardrobe. She knows what looks good.’
This style mantra was on show during Meghan’s unexpected appearance at the Balenciaga show at Paris Fashion Week in October.
She donned a white oversized cape over a button-down shirt and matching wide-leg trousers. Although the circumstances surrounding her invitation were debated, the elegance of her ensemble was not. It was a true fashion moment.
The Duchess of Sussex delivered a fashion moment in an all-white ensemble with black accessories during her unexpected appearance at the Balenciaga show at Paris Fashion Week
Meghan recently appeared on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar’s December 2025 edition
Personally, Meghan was a controversial omission from American Vogue’s list.
She should have been included, and perhaps wasn’t only because she recently featured on the cover of rival fashion magazine Harper’s Bazaar. Still, given the heated opinions she tends to stir, her inclusion would also have been controversial.
What’s most interesting right now is the near-secrecy surrounding Kate and Meghan’s fashion – albeit in contrasting ways.
For Kate, presentation is a sideshow to her causes, hence the under-the-radar approach to her royal wardrobe.
She has chosen to withhold outfit details so the British public remains focused on what she’s doing, not what she’s wearing.
Meghan, by contrast, is somewhat guarded with her wardrobe because announcing her outfits and naming a Hollywood stylist would clash with her current fashion ethos of quiet luxury. That philosophy – an extension of her ‘lifestyle influencer era’ – is not associated with dripping-in-designer showiness.
Her privacy around wardrobe isn’t about redirecting the spotlight to something more noble; rather, it’s designed to make her personal style appear effortless.
Two royal women, two philosophies: one making fashion secondary to duty, the other to frame a lifestyle that is deliberately curated.
As for what that says about them, you can draw your own conclusions.
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