While most mothers-to-be turn to maternity brands to dress their bumps, the Duchess of Sussex has continued to wear her favourite designer labels – pushing the value of her pregnancy wardrobe to more than half a million pounds.
It has been suggested that Meghan ditched the traditional maternity look because it’s ‘dowdy’ and ‘frumpy’.
And speaking exclusively to Femail, celebrity stylist Lucas Armitage agreed that Meghan seemed unwilling to let go of her high octane glamour despite her growing bump.
He said: ‘Meghan has cemented herself a place as the leading stylish member of the Royal family, and rumours are circulating she has forced Kate to up her style game.’
He called the art of maternity dressing ‘a dreaded challenge’, and said options for mothers are limited.
‘Whilst we hardly expected her to be making a trolley dash round mamas and papas for her maternity threads, it would have been great to see some affordable and attainable pieces in her maternity wardrobe,’ he explained.
‘Instead, she opted for bespoke designer creations and designer pieces that coincidentally would work on a bump.’
Meghan Markle, 37, almost always wears outfits from high-end designers. Pictured during January on a visit to the National Theatre
The Duchess of Sussex wore a designer dress by Roland Mouret worth £3,482 in January when she attended Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Totem’ 10th anniversary premiere. The French designer doesn’t normally create maternity wear
During the early stages of her pregnancy, Meghan veered towards loose-fitting designer dresses.
While on tour of Australia, shortly after announcing she was expecting, she wore floaty outfits and ditched her usual ‘structured’ style.
But as the pregnancy progressed, Meghan donned an increasing number of custom-fitted designer pieces that showed off her burgeoning bump.
The choice to wear almost all high-end designer outfits means she’s very rarely repeated an outfit, or worn the same piece more than once.
Meghan donned a flowing dress by Carolina Herrara, which was custom made. Pictured in Morocco on 25 February
The Duchess of Sussex stepped out in a full Victoria Beckham outfit at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on 11 March – a popular choice for Meghan throughout her pregnancy
Even when the Duchess wore high-street brands, they were often from the ‘main line’, and adapted for her growing bump.
In October, Meghan wore pricey high-street brand Self Portrait as she arrived at Fua’amotu Airport in Tonga – but the outfit, which was worth approximately £380, was customised to fit her growing bump.
Throughout her pregnancy, Meghan was almost always pictured in heels, eschewing the usual ‘comfort’ of flat shoes that many pregnant women opt for.
But celebrity stylist Lucas has argued it’s no surprise that Meghan avoided almost all maternity wear in favour for stylish, designer pieces – or that her maternity wardrobe featured very little that can be purchased on the high street.
Meghan wore pricey high-street brand Self Portrait as she arrived at Fua’amotu Airport in Tonga on 25 October – but the outfit was customised to fit her growing bump. Pictured, on day 10 of their 16-day tour of Australia and the South Pacific
Meghan has only been spotted wearing maternity brands a handful of times, but still tends to opt for the more dressy option than the traditional.
She has been snapped in trendy New York label Hatch and high street retailer H&M maternity wear on a couple of occasions, trying out tight fitting dresses that provide extra stretch.
Lucas continued: ‘Whilst the public love Kate for her sometimes thrifty reusing of wardrobe staples and her love of mid range brands it’s interesting Meghan shuns then all-together.’
It comes after journalist Elizabeth Holmes told Town and Country magazine that the royal who eschewed maternity styles as they can be seen as ‘frumpy’ or ‘dowdy’.
The mother-to-be has been pictured in clothing designed to be maternity wear just a handful of times (above). Pictured wearing a black dress from Hatch during a visit to Smart Works in London on January 10
The Duchess was also snapped in this figure hugging H&M dress from the Mamma collection in January when she visited Mayhew to meet staff and volunteers, and hear more about the animal welfare charity’s various initiatives on 16th January 2019