An Outfit Inspired by the Newest Rule Breaking Royal, Meghan Markle

I’ve attempted roughly 14 snappy introductions for this post. They’ve all been garbage.

This isn’t surprising. At this point, Meghan Markle needs no introduction. Every public appearance she makes is in the news. Every facial expression and hand gesture is scrutinized. Every outfit she wears is analyzed. You know who she is.

You know that she’s the new wife to the UK’s Prince Harry. You know that by being American, biracial, and divorced she’s breaking all kinds of royal barriers.

But, what you may not know, the barrier she’s broken that’s often glossed over, is this:

Unlike others who have married into the royal family, Meghan Markle is a self-made woman.

Before Harry, before her father had every British tabloid on speed dial, Meghan was no damsel in distress. Between acting on Suits and in films, brand partnerships, and her lifestyle website The Tig, Meghan’s net worth was $5 million dollars.

Meghan is an unofficial ambassador for the United States, and I don’t think we could do better. By what I’ve garnered from significant reading, she’s articulate, warm, well-informed, and graceful under pressure. She’s also the embodiment of the American Dream. She started from the bottom, and now she’s here, in a palace. With her own $5 million dollars.

Meghan is also a fashion rule-breaker, and I think that represents us well, too. As a country, we don’t have a history of obeying the crown, so why start now?

To be fair, outside of the royal bubble, the rules Meghan has broken are pretty mundane. She wore burgundy nail polish. She wore wedges and took them off on a beach. She frequently doesn’t wear nylons (because it’s 2019?). She wears black when not attending a funeral. She’s shown her shoulders in public.

There is, however, one rule that she’s broken consistently which still garners attention outside of the royal family.

Meghan Markle, like Princess Diana before her, loves a good formal pantsuit.

Professional pantsuits for women are now commonplace.The formal pantsuit, however, is still a bit of a rarity. At balls, award shows, or galas, women are expected to wear some form of skirt. Think back to anytime a female celebrity has worn a pantsuit to the Oscars. Without a doubt, the red carpet hosts have gone COOKOO BANANAS over that woman in pants.

I will say, I love a good gown. I’m not advocating that everyone be required to show up in a tuxedo. Rather, I think it’s high time that a woman can roll up in a formal suit without someone going into an apoplectic stroke.

So, this week, in support of Meghan’s suits and her own personal, pre-royalty accomplishments, I wore a pantsuit.

There were no award shows on my calendar, so I wore my suit to get nachos on a Saturday afternoon. And while the occasion wasn’t formal, I wanted to subliminally applaud Meghan for being an independent woman.

Hey Meghan, Beyonce supports you, and I do, too.