Saturday, August 4 was a great day to have a birthday; just ask our former forever president Barack Obama, The Rootโs deputy editor Yesha Callahan, or the newly crowned Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, who celebrated her 37th birthday at the wedding of one of her new husbandโs besties, Charlie van Straubenzee, in Surrey, England.
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If we havenโt checked in with the duchess for a while, itโs because both we and she needed a breather. Thankfully, we hear sheโll be taking one, as she and Prince Harry are reportedly planning a well-deserved retreat from the royal spotlight to hopefully just enjoy being married for a while.
But while the former actress knows how to make a lasting impression, she also knows how to downplay her high profile on someone elseโs big dayโand Markle did just that when she surprisingly donned perhaps her most affordable outfit to date since becoming a royal.
Making a relatively low-priced purchase in her reportedly one-million dollar wardrobe budget, Markle chose to playย it cool for her friendsโ nuptials, wearing the $328 color-blocked โShoanahโ shirtdress from Club Monaco that unintentionally played a bit of peek-a-boo with her black lace bra underneath.
But it wasnโt all budget; the duchess accented the dressโs navy, white, forest green and millennial pink pleats with a navy basketweave clutch from Kayu, slingback โDeneuveโ pumps from Aquazzura, and a custom fascinator by royal favorite Philip Treacy.
As of late, Markleโs also been trying out a new silhouette: After wearing bateau necklines to the point that theyโd become known as a personal trademark, for her last two public appearances, the duchess has opted for cap-sleeved belted shirtdresses with graceful full skirts. In late July, she stunned in a denim version by Carolina Herreraโwith a blush version of the โDeneuveโโwhen she attended her new husbandโs polo match in Windsor, England.
And after an already unreal year, what was the duchessโs birthday wish for her own personal new year? As Elle UK reports, if her now-defunct blog The Tig is any indication, itโs for: โMore surprises, more adventure, more opportunities to grow, more days filled with giggles and cheeky jokes, more delicious meals, and more inspiration. Always more inspiration,โ as she wrote in 2016.
Weโre certainly finding Markleโs evolving royal style inspiring, and hope a break will only make us more thrilled to see her when she reappears (and hopefully, itโll give her pesky relatives a reason to simmer down, too). Happy (belated) birthday, Duchess!
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