Princess Diana’s Fashion Impact on Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle

Custom gowns and crown jewels often steal the spotlight, but every day, less-is-more outfits worn by royals are just as worthy of attention.

After all, there’s certainly an art to elevating casual outfits, and our three favorite royals—Kate Middleton, Princess Diana, and Meghan Markle (yes, she is forever royalty, in my opinion)—have mastered the sartorial craft.

Take a closer look at their best laid-back moments, and you’ll see their casual-dressing success boils down to two wardrobe heroes: First, a crisp white shirt, whether it’s an oversized button-down blouse or a rib-knit tee. And second, timeless pairs of jeans.

Here, you’ll discover the exact styles each style icon has worn in the past, plus ways to shop their denim looks now and forever.

Speaking of timeless, we’ll forever be inspired by Princess Diana’s classic outfits. It’s no secret that she often wore tried-and-true Levi’s. While in Bosnia she showed us how to turn a pair of high-waist jeans into a work of art.

With a perfectly unbuttoned blouse, braided belt, and her go-to loafers, she delivered an unforgettable style lesson that has withstood the test of time.

Middleton has an enviable collection of dresses, from her sparkly gowns by The Vampire’s Wife to her sophisticated floral-adorned Erdem frocks. But during those rare moments when we catch her in jeans, she often gives us an outstanding example of high-low dressing.

While on her way to the Natural History Museum, Middleton wore a comfortable pair of jeans from & Other Stories. If you aren’t familiar with the brand, you can think of it as H&M’s stylish big sister.

Other Stories has aptly named Middleton’s jeans The Favorite Cut because they will instantly become a constant go-to in your wardrobe, thanks to a comfortable high-waist fit and slightly stretchy denim. 

There’s no denying Markle’s enviable denim collection. She’s the queen of selecting timeless styles with the perfect fit. While at an Invictus Games event in 2020, she wowed in an investment-worthy pair of jeans by Moussy Vintage.

Since 2016, the Tokyo-based brand has been crafting jeans from the finest Japanese textiles.

The true beauty of the brand’s Edmond style, the same exact pair in Markle’s closet, is that it has a cropped tapered fit at the ankle that’s not too skinny but just right for a timeless look.