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Meghan Markle's Fashion Statement Proves She Wears the Royal Pants

Prince Harry's fiancée is blazing her own royal fashion trail, Amanda Dishaw, editor of the website Meghan's Mirror, tells E! News

By Holly Passalaqua, Corinne Heller Jan 19, 2018 10:51 PMTags

Meghan Markle is blazing her own royal fashion trail.

Since announcing their engagement in November, Harry has been introducing his bride-to-be to residents in different parts of the United Kingdom. In her latest public appearances, Meghan wore pants—while past female royals and future royals have tended to stick solely to dresses and skirts.

"There has perhaps been no better advocate for the pant silhouette since Katharine Hepburn than the newest soon-to-be member of the Royal family, Meghan Markle," Amanda Dishaw, editor of the website Meghan's Mirror, told E! News exclusively. "While it is 2018 and the idea of a woman wearing trousers is not exactly revolutionary, what has proven noticeable is that Meghan is blazing her own fashion trail, one perfectly tailored leg at a time."

"Since Meghan began stepping out in a royal capacity, we have not only seen her stay true to her personal style," Dishaw said. "But we have seen a shape and style that Meghan has worn in the past stand out as markedly different from the more traditional royal ideal. Meghan Markle not only chooses to wear pants, but she chooses to rock them." 

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How to Dress Like Meghan Markle
Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

And Meghan has chosen her pants carefully.

On Thursday, she and Harry visited Cardiff, Wales. Meghan wore a black Stella McCartney tie detail coat, a beige plaid Theory off-the-shoulder wool jacket, black Hiut Denim Dina jeans and black Tabitha Simmons Kiki boots.

"For her most recent engagement in Wales, Meghan chose to support a local Welsh brand in the form of a pair of denim from local brand Hiut, who believes in a sustainable business model and local talent to shape their future," Dishaw said. "Shining an international spotlight on the brand was a nod not only to her fiancé's current title as Prince of Wales, but to her ability to support local companies without saying a word."

Last week, Meghan and Harry visited a youth-led radio station in south London. She wore a Smythe's Brando camel-colored coat and wide-leg Burberry black pants.

"Meghan chose to wear a pair of Burberry trousers that we think spoke volumes about the type of royal she wants to be: down-to-earth, relatable and blazing her own trail," Dishaw told E! News. "The pants were dressy, with a leg that was perfectly on-trend with the wider shape that has been permeating the fashion world, as well as perfectly suited for a casual engagement where Meghan wanted to spend time getting to know those who had benefited from a charity close to Prince Harry's heart. Add in the fact that they were from a heritage British brand and a nod to her new home? Impeccably planned."

Meghan wore dresses and skirts in her first royal engagements and public appearances in December.

Her future sister-in-law Kate Middleton, aka Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, has also worn pants on occasion but has tended to prefer the more traditional royal fashion of dresses and skirts, usually paired with dress coats. Even Queen Elizabeth II was once photographed wearing pants—during a royal tour of Canada in 1970.

"She may not be the first but Meghan certainly is wearing them in a much different context—she's making a statement," Dishaw told E! News.

"Will we continue to see Meghan wearing pants as she blossoms into her new role? We certainly hope so," she said. "It offers a new, refreshing take on royal fashion and coincides perfectly with the breath of fresh air that Meghan is breathing into the Mountbatten-Windsor family."

Meghan's fashion has also forsaken royal tradition in other ways. She has lately been wearing her hair in a bun—one that tends to get slightly messy due to the wind. During her recent visit to Cardiff, she sported mismatched earrings.