Meghan’s ‘quiet luxury’ looks that are identical to Carolyn Bessette’s,
Ryan Murphy’s sleeper hit about John F Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s tragic love story has already earned its place among the best shows of 2026.
The eight-part FX drama, set against the backdrop of ’80s New York, delivered power-packed performances, crackling chemistry and a heavy dose of nostalgia that left viewers enthralled from start to finish.
It also resparked what was known as the ‘Carolyn Bessette Effect’ as a new generation of women became starstruck by the former Calvin Klein publicist’s effortlessly chic and minimalist style.
But Carolyn, who died alongside her husband JFK JR and sister Lauren Bessette after their plane crashed over Martha’s Vineyard, has long had a fan in the Duchess of Sussex.
Meghan Markle famously described Carolyn’s inimitable Narciso Rodriguez wedding dress as ‘everything goals’ and even used it as inspiration for her own royal wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.
Since then, the Duchess has channelled Carolyn by recreating some of her most famous looks at the height of CBK mania.
White shirt and maxi skirt
In early 2019, Meghan took a leaf out of Carolyn’s playbook when she attended the Endeavour Fund Awards.
The duchess, who was pregnant with son Archie at the time, put her own spin on one of Carolyn’s most memorable red carpet looks when she paired a Givenchy white button-down shirt with a floor-length black skirt.
Carolyn famously elevated a men’s white shirt into evening wear by pairing it with a floor-skimming tiered skirt from Yohji Yamamoto for a black-tie gala at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
The former Calvin Klein publicist left the top buttons undone, like Meghan, when she recreated the look 20 years after Carolyn’s showstopping appearance at the New York benefit.
Ripped jeans
When Meghan made her first public appearance as Prince Harry’s girlfriend in 2017, she picked a failsafe outfit formula: a white button-down with blue jeans.
The embodiment of ‘quiet luxury’, Meghan’s blouse from Misha Nonoo – aptly named the ‘Husband Shirt’ – is worth £138, while her ripped Mother jeans come with a £160 price tag.
A white button-down is universally considered a wardrobe staple, but the garment also happens to have been a fond favourite of Carolyn.
An unforgettable photo of Carolyn on Labour Day in 1996 showed the quintessential ‘It Girl’ wearing a similar style, with rolled-up sleeves and ripped jeans.
Camel skirt
For Meghan’s first royal event after her engagement to Harry was announced, Meghan paid homage to an outfit Carolyn wore for a similarly pivotal public moment.
In December 2017, the newly anointed royal fiancee charmed crowds in Nottingham when they visited the World Aids Day fair and youth project. For the high-profile visit, Meghan opted to wear a royal-approved look, comprising a camel skirt, knee-high boots and a black sweater.
It wasn’t too far from the outfit Carolyn donned when she and JFK Jr posed for paparazzi outside their Tribeca apartment after their 1996 wedding.
The looks may be over two decades apart, but the basic elements are all there: a black sweater, a camel midi skirt and boots.
Meghan chose a Joseph skirt and Kurt Geiger to seemingly echo Carolyn’s appearance.
Asymmetric necklines
Another aspect where Meghan Markle channels Carolyn is through her choice of sophisticated dresses that combine simplicity with a fashionable edge.
In 2018, she wore the Black Halo ‘Jackie O’ dress named after Carolyn’s mother-in-law – 1960s style icon and former US First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
It featured the same asymmetric neckline as the gown Carolyn wore to The White House in 1998.
Black t-shirt and jeans
Accessories play a crucial role in drawing the fashion parallel between Carolyn and Meghan.
Like Carolyn did, Meghan often dresses down in classic staples – such as at the Invictus Games in 2023 when she opted for a J Crew top and Frame skinny jeans.
The look was similar to Carolyn’s denim and t-shirt combination when she was spotted walking her dog shortly after her honeymoon in 1996.
Carolyn was known for her minimalist approach to accessories, often seen with simple gold hoops or a delicate chain necklace.
Meghan follows suit, usually opting for understated jewellery that complements her outfits without overwhelming them. Her go-to pieces include Princess Diana’s Cartier Tank Francaise watch, the luxury label’s Juste un Clou necklace, and a pinky signet ring.
She appears to share with Carolyn the style philosophy that less is undeniably more.
Monochrome
Meghan also channels Carolyn in her love for monochromatic ensembles.
Carolyn was frequently seen in all-black or all-white outfits and Meghan has adopted a similar approach.
She often opts for monochrome looks that are both sophisticated and modern.
When launching her Smart Works charity collection in 2019, Meghan’s Jigsaw trousers and Misha Nonoo shirt were reminiscent of Carolyn’s ensemble at the Kennedy family home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, in 1998.
Strapless
Markle’s preference for shoulder-bearing strapless dresses is another nod to Carolyn’s influence.
Both women favour chic and polished dresses that emphasise structure and form.
For a red carpet appearance in California earlier this year, Meghan opted for a stylish navy strapless gown from Ralph Lauren that echoed Carolyn’s evening gala look at the Municipal Arts Society in 1998.
The charity gala was the Duchess of Sussex’s first public appearance since she took personal control of As Ever after her partnership with Netflix ended after a year.
