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A forensic guide to Meghan Markle's Noughties style


From Hervé Léger bandage dresses to bootcut jeans, we look back at the Duchess' daring Aughts aesthetic


  Meghan Markle attends Self Rocks the Summer Event on July 16, 2013 in New York City. in white lace dress© Jamie McCarthy
Tania Leslau
Tania LeslauFashion Features Editor
Updated: October 27, 2025
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The Noughties were a dark time for fashion. Early Aughts style presented a glorious mishmash of low-rise jeans, tiny handbags, and unapologetic bling. It was a time when velour tracksuits reigned supreme, and logo mania was at its peak, championed by icons such as Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie.

One famed figure we did not expect to fall prey to Y2K was the Duchess of Sussex. That’s right, Meghan was an all-out Noughties fashion follower. Hervé Léger bandage dresses and all.

Meghan’s acting career in the 2000s began with small roles in popular TV shows like General Hospital and CSI: NY, leading to many a red carpet moment clad in 00s clothing. Her breakthrough came in 2011 when she landed the role of Rachel Zane on the legal drama Suits. Her performance as the ambitious paralegal garnered global attention and solidified her place in both Hollywood and the style sphere.

Meghan Markle gold jewellery© Getty Images
Before royal life, Meghan was a Noughties It-girl

Mini dresses, stilettos and clutch bags become her kryptonite for public events, spanning New York fashion week to hotly-anticipated premieres. 

Considering she came up in the Noughties, it comes as little surprise that her wardrobe is dotted with nostalgic gems. 

Discover Meghan Markle’s iconic Noughties wardrobe and enjoy a little flick back through the pages of fashion history. Cue the clutch bags.

Meghan Markle’s Best 00s Looks:

Tube Chic© WireImage

Tube Chic

Back in 2012, Meghan attended the USA Network Upfront 2012 after party sporting a quintessentially 00s tube skirt. In the 2000s, tube skirts were a go-to staple, hugging silhouettes and often paired with heels, crop tops or oversized belts. Perfect for clubbing.

Pencil Perfection© FilmMagic

Pencil Perfection

Like tube skirts, pencil dresses are a Noughties relic. Worn for in-office occasions and after-parties alike, these form-fitting garments were beloved by women with a penchant for elegant fashion. Duchess Meghan paired hers with some black heels and a matching clutch, in true 2000s style.

Bootcut Babe© WireImage for Ink PR Group

Bootcut Babe

There's a lot of Noughties nostaglia to unpack here. The bootcut jeans, the cropped jacket, the pearls. All-in-all, a thoroughly Y2K outfit, elevated by a statement bag and point-toe kitten heels. A Depop user's dream.

Magenta Magic© Getty Images for ELLE

Magenta Magic

Never underestimate the power of a magenta dress in the early Aughts. Meghan understood the assignment while gracing the scene at the ELLE's Women in Television Celebration in 2013. She slipped into a strapless midi number with contrasting crepe-satin structures. Oh-so Noughties. 

Sundress Splendour© FilmMagic

Sundress Splendour

Back in 2013, Meghan stepped out in LA for the Weekly Screen Actors Guild Awards pre-party at Chateau Marmont. Serving up the ultimate Noughties look, the actress championed beachwear as partywear in a multicoloured strapless number.

Meghan rocked a metallic mini dress in 2015© WireImage

Golden Girl

It's giving Kate Moss for Topshop and we're here for it. This plunging gold number worn by Meghan in 2015 is a true 2010s classic. Silhouette-skimming, mini cut and metallic? The trifecta.  

Hell for Leather© Getty Images

Hell for Leather

Embellished leather jacket? Tick. A-line dress? Tick. Bandage detailing? Tick. A throwback look that ticks all the boxes, Meghan's mini dress and leather jacket combo was the peak of Noughties fashion. Aexa Chung, eat your heart out.

Halterneck Hero© FilmMagic

Halterneck Hero

Championing glossy straightened locks and a plunging party dress, the then-Suits star turned heads in her violet concoction at a 2012 Golden Globe after party. Another hue that was plucked from the Y2K history books, this deep shade of purple made for a statement style choice.

Lavish Lace© FilmMagic

Lavish Lace

Yet another early Aughts artefact, the little lace bodycon (preferably with long sleeves) was a piece we all stashed in our questionable club-ready wardrobes. Typically paired with heels that not even a Victoria's Secret runway model could walk in, these dresses were undeniably popular back in the day.

T-Shirt Dress Superiority © WireImage

T-Shirt Dress Superiority

Ah, the T-shirt dress. Worn by teens and adults alike, the style was one of fashion's most versatile. Comfortable and twee, the tee-inspired number packed a punch, especially when teamed with a chunky faux-boho necklace from Topshop's 'Freedom' collection and something of the coral persuasion.  

Meghan Markle attended the Kari Feinstein Pre-Emmy Style Lounge in 2005© Getty

Slogan Tee

Rewind to 2005, when Meghan graced the Kari Feinstein Pre-Emmy Style Lounge in Los Angeles. She stepped out in some mid-wash bootcut jeans, which she paired with a witty black slogan tee displaying the motto ‘חי maintenance.’ ‘חי,’ is the Hebrew symbol for the word ‘chai’ - pronounced ‘high’ in English. Hence, Megan’s T-shirt was a comical play on the saying ‘high maintenance.’

Kooky Colourblock© FilmMagic

Kooky Colourblock

Today, the duchess is celebrate for her monochrome style and chic silhouettes. Yet, her taste used to centre more colour creations, such as this statement midi dress. Featuring a strapless cut and a pencil skirt, Meghan's colourblock dress served up Noughties rom-com to perfection.

Meghan Markle attends the 3rd Annual NFL Characters Unite at Sports Illustrated in 2014© Getty Images

Haute Hervé

In January 2014, the then-actress attended the 3rd Annual NFL Characters Unite at Sports Illustrated. For the New York-based shindig, she slipped into a snake print bandage dress, designed by none other than Hervé Léger.