Meghan Markle's red carpet dress hack is very clever - and Princess Kate does it too

Laura Sutcliffe
·3 min read
Kate Middleton talks with Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex and Pippa Middleton in the royal box before the start of the Women's Singles Final between Simona Halep of Romania and Serena Williams of USA at The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship at the All England Lawn and Tennis Club at Wimbledon on July 13, 2019 in London, England.
Kate Middleton talks with Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex and Pippa Middleton in the royal box before the start of the Women's Singles Final between Simona Halep of Romania and Serena Williams of USA at The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship at the All England Lawn and Tennis Club at Wimbledon on July 13, 2019 in London, England. (Getty)

Last month, the stunning  Duchess of Sussex looked absolutely gorgeous in a red Carolina Herrera pencil dress, with a plunging neckline. She lit up the red carpet at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Gala and all eyes were on the dress of dreams.

We knew we had seen it before; Meghan actually wore the same style in 2021, not long after her and Prince Harry's daughter, Lilibet was born.

woman posing in red dress
Meghan recycled her Carolina Herrera gown (Shutterstock)

But, she upcycled it, removing the full ball gown skirt it came with in 2021, and embraced the thigh-split style. So clever!

couple on red carpet at gala
Meghan first wore her vibrant gown in November 2021 at the Salute To Freedom Gala (Getty Images)

This fashion hack is something the Princess of Wales has done many times before, so perhaps was inspired by her sister-in-law?

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After all, Kate's been switching up her dresses for big events since 2011.

Kate's the revamp queen

Back in 2017, the 42-year-old wore a dazzling, off-the-shoulder gown by Alexander McQueen to the 2017 BAFTAs. The style featured a Bardot neckline, skimming bodice and full-length skirt with chic ribbon detailing and a gentle floral print.

Prince William and Kate Middleton arrive at the BAFTAS 2017
The Prince and Princess of Wales arrive at the BAFTAS in 2017 (Getty)

Two years later in 2019, at the National Portrait Gallery, Kate transformed the same dress into a short-sleeved gown. It gave the entire frock a truly modern look.

Kate Middleton attends the Portrait Gala 2019 at National Portrait Gallery on March 12, 2019 in London, England.
Kate wore the same dress in 2019, but it had capped sleeves (Getty)

Kate looked fabulous in LA back in 2011. She accompanied husband Prince William at the BAFTA Brits to Watch event. Turning heads, the royal wore a lavender bespoke gown, designed for her by, of course, Alexander McQueen.

Prince William and Kate Middleton arrive at the BAFTA Brits To Watch event held at the Belasco Theatre.
Prince William and Kate at the BAFTA Brits To Watch event held at the Belasco Theatre in 2011 (Getty)

The Princess' beautiful diamond bracelet and earrings are believed to be a present from then-Prince Charles after William and Kate's marriage. We loved the pretty white belted detail too, which accentuated her waist and added a bit of sparkle.

Kate Middleton attends the Earthshot Prize 2021 at Alexandra Palace on October 17, 2021 in London, England.
Kate attended the Earthshot Prize 2021 wearing the same dress, with a different belt (Getty)

The brunette royal loved the dress so much that she wore it again in 2021, with a special twist of course! Kate was at the Earthshot Prize Awards that year, and undoubtedly chose to rewear an existing dress for the environmentally-focused event as per the awards' dress code, which asked attendees to "consider the environment when choosing their outfit". The mother of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis appeared to have added a different sparkling belt to the look - this time it was silver and it gave the dress a whole new kick.

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