Photos: Meghan Markle Says This Handbag She Carried in 2017 ‘Changed Everything’ for How She Dresses
“Putting an outfit together” changed entirely for Meghan Markle after she carried a certain handbag in 2017. The Duchess of Sussex revealed in an August interview that once she realized how much attention she received for what she wore following one of her first public appearances with Prince Harry, she began putting the “spotlight” on small brands.
Meghan changed how she styled outfits after carrying a Strathberry handbag in 2017
In an August 2024 interview with The New York Times, Meghan revealed not only that she’s invested in the Cesta handbag brand but that she realized how much attention came with her fashion choices in 2017 after her first “walkabout” with her then-fiancé, the Duke of Sussex.
On Dec. 1, 2017, shortly after their engagement announcement, the couple headed to Nottingham, England. There Meghan greeted well-wishers as a soon-to-be British royal for the first time.
For the occasion, Meghan carried a multicolored handbag from Strathberry, which, a founder of the Scottish brand said at the time, sold out online in 11 minutes after Meghan was spotted with it. (She carried their Midi Tote in Tri-Colour Burgundy/Navy/Vanilla.)
Upon learning the publicity boost skyrocketed sales and helped the brand grow its workforce, Meghan said it “changed everything in terms of how I then looked at putting an outfit together. “
“Times where I know there is a global spotlight, and attention will be given to each detail of what I may or may not be wearing,” she explained, “then I support designers that I have really great friendships with, and smaller, up-and-coming brands that haven’t gotten the attention that they should be getting.
“That’s one of the most powerful things that I’m able to do,” she added, “and that’s simply wearing, like, an earring.”
Details on the rest of Meghan’s outfit
As for the rest of Meghan’s look beyond her handbag, the now-43-year-old primarily stuck to her tried-and-true formula of neutrals. Underneath her navy blue Mackage coat, she wore a camel-toned Joseph midi skirt, black Wolford turtleneck bodysuit, and coordinating Kurt Geiger suede boots, along with an Aritzia belt.
Mackage is a Canadian brand she turned to multiple times during her time as a working royal. Perhaps most famously, she wore one of their wrap coat designs for her and Harry’s engagement announcement shortly before carrying the Strathberry bag.
Aritzia is also based in Canada—yet another nod to Meghan’s years spent there filming Suits. Meanwhile, Harry, as he admitted in his and Meghan’s eponymous 2022 Netflix docuseries, couldn’t offer guidance on royal fashion.
“I could talk her through as much as I knew from my own experience of what I’d seen,” he told the streamer. “The piece I really didn’t know about was the style, right, and what a woman needed to, how they needed to dress and all that.”
Meghan also had a wardrobe malfunction when she debuted the handbag
Meghan’s handbag moment also included a wardrobe malfunction she and Harry discussed in the docuseries.
“You’d be there with the scissors like, ‘Guys, be ready. We have five minutes,’” Meghan said. “And I was like, ‘Should I wear these earrings? Are these a British designer? I just ordered these online. Is this good? Wait, my tag’s on. Cut the tag.’”
“And then the zip breaks,” Harry said. “The whole thing was just ridiculous.” Meghan then recalled how, with time running out, Harry suggested they “just safety pin it.” Finally, they “just sort of went with it” and moved ahead with greeting the awaiting crowds.
