One of the best things about following the royal family is getting to see the amazing and extravagant fashion the ladies wear for every engagement. Duchesses Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle have worn creations by some of the best designers in the world. But every once in a while, they step out in clothes that are slightly more in our price range. Kate and Meghan occasionally step out in affordable brands including Zara, J.Crew, Topshop, and more.
They still manage to look like a million bucks, though, no matter how much they spend. We think it's only a superpower that the royal ladies have. If we could rock a Zara sundress like the Duchess of Cambridge or an H&M outfit like the Duchess of Sussex, we'd never take the items off.
Here are all the times these royal ladies actually wore something that could be considered affordable for us common folk.
Kate's Blue Sundress
Kate's adorable Zara sundress is a splurge for most people at $70, but considering all of the other knockout gowns she owns, this is definitely one of the most reachable looks. She wore the breezy outfit to one of Prince William's polo matches a few years ago, and it was the perfect casual outfit.
Olive Trench Coat
A good coat can definitely get a little pricey, but this one that Meghan sported back before she was officially a duchess has been on sale for $170. The price has since jumped back above $200, but you can still get one while they're available! We all know the Meghan Markle effect is alive and thriving, so they may not last long.
Moto Pants
Zara is clearly one of Kate's go-to casual stores, because she wears items from its collections quite often. She wore these $50 moto-inspired pants from the brand to feed some farm animals. Since she was going to be getting a bit dirty on this outing, wearing pants (in a darker color) made total sense. It's just a bonus that they were so inexpensive.
Maroon Dress
Meghan sported this $185 Aritizia dress during her first public outing with Prince Harry. It's not exactly a complete steal, but for a rewearable piece of clothing, it's kind of worth the splurge. It can be styled so many ways for so many different events — even if you don't have a prince on your arm.
Patterned Blouse
Oh, look, it's the Duchess of Cambridge in Zara again! This printed blouse set the palace fashion budget back $59, which is nothing compared with those couture gowns she has to wear to all her red carpet events. We love Kate's ability to go high or low with her sense of style. She wore this to one of her first events after Prince George's birth. So cute.
Stylish Sneakers
If you want sneakers as white as Meghan's, these Veja kicks could be the way to go. They are $120, but the brand has a couple of price options. And as far as nice fashion tennis shoes go, $120 is actually pretty standard. Meghan is just like the rest of us with her low-end but still nice sneakers.
Checkered Shirt
We don't know what's better: seeing Kate Middleton enjoying a glass of wine, or the adorable printed $50 shirt she was wearing while doing it. The checkered button-front shirt was from Gap, a chain store Kate has shopped at a few times. It's considered one of the nicer low-brow places to buy from, so it has a lot of quality clothing at pretty affordable prices.
Rattan Clutch
Now, she's not technically wearing this, but Meghan's adorable J.Crew clutch bag could have been anyone's for just $88. That's not necessarily super cheap, but for a cute bag, it kind of is. Some designer clutches can range into the thousands of dollars. Meghan's, by comparison, is so inexpensive.
Turtleneck Maternity Dress
Maternity style on a budget — for a royal, that is. A newly pregnant Kate sported this $79 dress while she and William were in New York City a few years ago. The Seraphine maternity dress is actually still in stock if you're a mom-to-be who wants to dress just like the Duchess of Cambridge.
Strappy Pumps
These cute blue pumps were perfect for Harry and Meghan's sunny trip to Tonga, and they went for $89 at Banana Republic, which isn't too bad for a royal. Sadly for all of us, they're now sold out. Meghan's power over the fashion industry is just too great. Everyone wants to wear what she wears.
Graphic Skirt
Speaking of Banana Republic, Kate is a fan of the inexpensive brand, too. If it's good enough for the duchess, it's good enough for us, right? We love when Kate shops off-the-rack. This skirt cost her just $195. Sure, that's more than most of us would spend on a skirt, but in the grand scheme of the duchess' wardrobe, it's pretty cheap.
Boho Dress
To face the Indian heat on one of her tours, Kate opted for this adorable bohemian dress from the British brand Topshop. It cost $140, which is basically nothing for the future queen. It's sold out now, though, which is a shame. We wish we could have had this for our next beach vacation. It's so breezy and beautiful at the same time!
Inexpensive Hat
Meghan wore this chic summery hat to Wimbledon a few years ago. She's a big fan of wearing hats to the tennis event, even when they weren't technically permitted in the royal box. This one is from the brand Madewell and it ran the duchess $58. Sure, a little pricey for an accessory, but also a total staple piece for a wardrobe.
Yellow Maxi Dress
A floral dress for the Chelsea Flower Show? Groundbreaking. Kate adores wearing florals to flower-themed events, and it was no different when she took her kids to preview the garden space she'd created for the event a few years ago. This particular gown is from & Other Stories and it cost about $100. Worth every penny.
Monochromatic Maternity Style
Meghan's maternity style was always on point, and she didn't even need a big budget to make it happen. This sweater dress was from H&M and cost just $35. It looks so glam even though it's off-the-rack. Of course, Meghan did pair it with a designer Armani coat, so perhaps that helps pull the whole look together.
Green Blazer
Green for St. Patrick's Day! Kate tried this emerald blazer out for size while appearing in a holiday video for St. Paddy's. The jacket was from Zara, one of the duchess' favorite high-street stores. It was $90 and sold out pretty much immediately. When the Duchess of Cambridge wears something affordable, everyone jumps to get one, too.
Belted Midi Dress
Michael Kors tends to make more affordable high-end fashion. For example, this red and navy dress from his line cost less than $200 — still a bit pricey, but much less expensive than the majority of the custom designer stuff that the Duchess of Cambridge wears. It was such a cute look for the royal kids' first day of school.
Purple Dress
Purple and red is a combo that Princess Diana loved, too, and it looks so good on Meghan. She didn't even have to shell out a lot of money to look that chic. The duchess' bold purple dress is from the brand Aritzia, and it ran her $50 off-the-rack. Like with Kate's outfits, it also sold out immediately.
Plum Pointelle Sweater
This pretty plum-colored sweater has some beautiful detailing on it, including the scalloped neckline and subtle lace pattern. Kate got all of that style at just $69. The sweater is from Warehouse, and with a brand name like that, of course the prices have to be on the lower end. Too bad it's sold out now; we'd love one in every color.
Chic Shades
Here's a Meghan accessory staple that isn't actually sold out. Her bold Le Specs sunglasses are still in stock for $69. They come in a ton of different colors, but Meghan's been spotted in the black pair in particular. She's worn them many times, notably at her New York baby shower and to Wimbledon.
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