4 Royally Banned Trends Meghan Markle Can Wear Now

It was the announcement heard around the world: Earlier this year, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle revealed their plans to step back as senior royals and spend most of their time in the U.S. Everyone has their own opinion on the change, but there's no denying that their life will look very different outside of the confines of royal duties. And yes, we predict that the ramifications will also extend to Markle's wardrobe.

While they will likely attend plenty of charitable functions, the events won't be sanctioned by the queen—which means Markle probably won't feel as much pressure to wear something that screams "duchess." For example, she used to be frequently photographed in ripped jeans before her marriage but never stepped out in them after joining the royal family. Now, we expect Markle to revert to her old ways and dust out some of her pre-royal favorites. Scroll down to see and shop the trends we predict Markle will be wearing more of.

Bare Legs

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

Yes, Markle has bent the rules on this one in the past, but royal reporters insist that Queen Elizabeth suggests women wear tights—even if they're sheer—while conducting royal duties. Now, Markle has more freedom to ditch tights, while Kate Middleton is expected to continue to wear them almost anytime her hemlines are shorter. 

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(Image credit: THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF SUSSEX/CHRISTIAN MONTEROSSA)

Ripped Jeans

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prior to her wedding, Markle was often seen in ripped skinny jeans. After becoming the Duchess of Sussex, she ditched ripped jeans in favor of sleek dark-wash versions. Perhaps we will now see a return to her shredded blues of yore. 

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(Image credit: Splash News)

Dark Nail Polish

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

Royal reporters say that there is an unspoken rule about royals and nail polish. They typically wear neutral shades like nude and light pink and rarely step out in dark colors. But now that Markle is leaving royalty behind, she can go back to wearing the dark colors she wore before getting married. 

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

Leggings

Before joining the royal family, Markle was often photographed in leggings en route to yoga. But while she was in the spotlight as the Duchess of Sussex, she traded in the causal staple and wore trousers instead. Since moving to Canada, she's already been photographed in leggings, so we're considering that a harbinger of what's to come. 

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

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Erin Fitzpatrick
Senior News Editor

Erin got her start as a Who What Wear intern over 12 years ago—back when the site only published a single story per day. (Who What Wear has since increased that number twentyfold.) She graduated magna cum laude from USC, which is how she ended up moving to Los Angeles from her hometown of San Diego. In college, she also interned at Refinery29, where she was promoted to editorial assistant and then assistant editor. After nearly three years at R29, she came back to WWW in 2016, where she currently holds the title of senior news editor (as well as the unofficial title of resident royal expert—in case you haven't noticed her numerous Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton stories). She spends her days trying to incorporate her idols, Anna Wintour and Roger Federer, into as many stories as possible. Outside of work, she loves tennis, classic rock, traveling, and smothering her dog with affection.