In Meghan's final appearance as a senior royal family member in early March 2020, Meghan stepped out in a bright green Emilia Wickstead caped dress. Featuring long-sleeves and reaching midi-length, the look was modest, simple and striking. A statement in its own right.
Between then and now, Meghan has welcomed a second child alongside her son Archie—a little girl named Lilibet who was born in June 2021. As she balances motherhood and work on her joint-venture, the Archewell Foundation with Prince Harry, the Duchess has kept a very low profile.
That's why when she arrived in New York City last week, it was like something of an enigma emerging into the spotlight. It had been so long since we last saw Meghan serve up striking fashion look after striking fashion look. And blissfully, we were thrilled to see she hadn't lost an inch of her simple, yet significant style aesthetic.
On Thursday morning, the Duke and Duchess stepped out together in their first official joint outing in months. As they arrived at the 386-metre observatory at One World Trade Centre, Meghan was the image of chic in a Emporio Armani jacket with Aquazzura pumps.
She added wide-legged trousers and a simple black top. With her hair in an on-brand up-do—minimal chic to a tee.
Later that day, she and Prince Harry stepped out once again to visit the UN headquarters to meet with Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
For the occasion, the Duchess tweaked her outfit by changing into a camel coloured coat by Max Mara. She also swapped her trousers for a black midi-skirt.
On day two of Harry and Meghan's tour of NYC, the couple visited Harlem where they went to a local school. There, Meghan read her book, The Bench, to a group of second graders.
Later that day, they visited an eatery called Melba's where they enjoyed some refreshments. They also left a sizeable US $25,0000 donation to the business' COVID-19 relief fund, which was set up to help hourly workers in the hospitality industry.
For the events, Meghan stepped out in an all-maroon ensemble consisting a coat, more wide-legged trousers and matching shoes.
Loro Piana was behind the design of the chic jacket and trouser combo, while the Duchess relied on her trusty Manolo Blahnik pumps to take her through the busy day.
On Saturday, Meghan awoke to serve up yet another perfectly on-point outfit. While meeting the deputy U.N. chief, the Duchess wore her camel Max Mara coat and added a sand-hued shirt and trouser combo (by the same designer). You can view the outfit in full here.
Finally, the Duchess rounded out her return to the spotlight with one last heavenly look.
As she stepped on stage to present at the Global Citizen Live concert, Meghan's white mini dress by Valentino was the centre of attention—and for good reason. Embellished with white flowers, the mini featured a crew neckline and short sleeves.
To finish, the Duchess added a pair of black heels and wore her hair in a low-pony tail.
So what did we learn from Meghan's NYC wardrobe? The Duchess is a walking talking example of the age-old saying: Less is more.
Simplicity is indeed key for any wardrobe (and perhaps an encouraging thought for some of us in Australia who are looking towards a gradual return to the office post-lockdown). Gone are the days where the bold, bright risk-taking ensemble was the only thing people talked about.
As Meghan proved, classic, understated simplicity is a statement in itself—and that applies both to her style aesthetic and her quiet family life behind the camera. Long may that continue.
