Meghan Markle’s Style Was Inspired by Her Suits Character

As its streaming resurgence proves, “Suits” is a stellar show with its own merits — epic one-liners, a quick-witted and equally attractive cast of characters, and of course, the suits. It’s also the legal drama that introduced many of us to Meghan Markle, as well as her character Rachel Zane’s fabulous corporate fashion. While each Pearson Specter Litt lawyer has style worth admiring, Zane’s in particular is striking, as much of her wardrobe mirrors Markle’s ensembles in real life.

Markle’s style has certainly evolved since she left the series in 2011, but remnants of her preppy “Suits” costumes remain present today. As both a working royal and private citizen, she embraced her now-signature styling cues like tonal dressing, a preppy pencil skirt combo, and affinity for a crisp button-down.

While her sartorial choices leaned more neutral and conservative while a royal — she’s since spoken about sticking to muted tones like camel, beige, and white to avoid drawing attention to herself — her looks have been consistent. Even as she’s adopted a more casual wardrobe living in California, the mom of two still has her go-to outfit formulas, perhaps influenced by her days as the paralegal-turned-attorney she played on “Suits.”

In fact, recent rewatches of the show had us wondering whether Markle snagged a few pieces from Zane’s closet when she moved to the UK and back to California. Among the many similarities, the former actor and her character both love a casual yet elevated look, usually consisting of a loose dress shirt and expert tailoring.

“Meghan and I loved Rachel’s clothes,” “Suits” costume designer Jolie Andreatta said in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar UK back in 2018. “We’d always say that, if we could, we would live in Rachel’s clothes.” While she might not be living in Zane’s exact pieces, it’s safe to say Markle may have drawn fashion inspiration from her character.

From chic monochrome outfits to double-breasted silhouettes, take a look at the key pieces and outfit formulas that define both the duchess and Zane’s wardrobes.