As a royal style and shopping expert, I instantly spotted a style choice that brings London-based Princess Kate and California native Meghan Markle together: the chambray shirt.
And evidence of the versatility of this low-key wardrobe staple is that while both the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex are on board with the chambray trend, I noticed they each opted to style the piece in completely different ways.
- Princess Kate’s chambray shirt: Boden Longline Linen Safari Shirt, $155 / £98
- Meghan’s chambray shirt: JCrew Chambray Shirt, $52.50 (WAS $89.50)
- Short-sleeved: Anthropologie Cloth & Stone Buttondown Shirt, $90 / £88
- Oversized: Gap Blue Chambray Shirt, $41.97 (SAVE 40%) / £45
- Best on a budget: H&M 100% linen shirt, $32.99 / £27.99
Princess Kate chose quintessentially classic British country chic styling for her new chambray shirt, Boden's Longline Linen Safari Shirt, £98 / $155, which she wore for a visit to Scotland in April.
The Duchess of Sussex is all about laid-back Californian style while wearing her favorites, like her $53 JCrew Factory chambray button down. (For a similar shirt in the UK, try New Look’s £27.99 top.)
Chambray Shirt Style: Princess Kate
© Getty ImagesHow to style like Kate: Team with slim-fit brown jeans, a tweed blazer, hiking boots and elegant earrings.
Kate wore her chambray shirt with Massimo Dutti Slim-Fit Jeans (which are sold out) and a brown tweed Holland Cooper Blazer. If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, try Mango’s blazer, $139.99 / £79.99 and the Spanish retailer's chocolate brown cropped jeans, $69.99 / £35.99.
The Princess accessorized with her trusty sold out See by Chloé boots and Kiki McDonough Drop Earrings in topaz that complemented the shade of her shirt. If you want that luxury look for less, I found similar earrings on both Amazon US and Amazon UK.
Chambray Shirt Style inspo: Meghan Markle
© NetflixHow to style your chambray shirt like Meghan: Skinny jeans or white trousers, a Cartier watch and vibes
Meghan loves: JCrew Factory Chambray shirt in signature fit
© JCrewA couple of Meghan's chambray shirts are sold out, including Anthropologie Pilcro The Cate Classic Chambray Shirt and her JCrew linen look she wore in With Love, Meghan. Her JCrew Factory shirt, though, seen above, as featured on her Instagram shopping page, is still in stock!
Honestly, I love both outfits and would wear both of them, depending on the weather. So you can channel your inner future queen out and about in London or Montecito duchess tending to your garden, with just a few accessories.
Best chambray shirts: More royal-inspired looks
When I’m whipping up lunch using my Le Creuset cookware while wearing a chambray shirt on a sunny afternoon, I feel like I’m channeling With Love, Meghan even though I live in a city apartment, not on a sprawling Montecito estate. If you want to shop a chambray shirt like Meghan or Kate's, I found some similar looks at retailers like Reiss, Antrhopologie and H&M.
1/4
Gap Blue Chambray Oversized Shirt
© GapEditor's note:
"Meghan loves the iconic 90’s and early ‘00s staple, and some of my longest-lasting classic pieces in my closet are from the affordable brand. (My favorite Gap chambray shirt, though, has disappeared - my younger sister 'borrowed' it and I haven't seen it since!) This one is a great oversized look, so you can wear it as a shacket, over a ribbed tee or on its own."
2/4
H&M 100% Linen Light Blue Shirt
© H&MEditor's note:
"H&M is one of my go-tos for shirts, chambray and otherwise, and this blue look is 100% linen - so cool for summer and so affordable."
3/4
Reiss Belle Linen Button-Through Shirt
© ReissEditor's note:
"British fave Reiss is a royally approved brand with quality pieces that are guaranteed to be chic. The 100% linen 'Belle' shirt comes in three different colors - I love them all - but note that it only runs through US size 14 (UK 18)."
4/4
Anthropologie Cloth & Stone Buttondown
© AnthropologieEditor's note:
Meghan’s Antrhopologie shirt is sold out, but I found an alternative at the same retailer.
Cloth & Stone at Anthropologie has a few options, like the Breezy Buttondown Blouse, a short-sleeved 100% Tencel lyocell shirt which has a 4.7 star rating from verfied shoppers.
How I chose the best chambray shirts
"A chambray shirt s a classic wardrobe staple that you can wear for seasons, or really, years, to come," says HELLO! Director of Lifestyle and Commerce Leanne Bayley "They're trending now, so they're getting a lot more attention - especially now that Kate and Meghan are wearing them - but they're always in style."
When choosing looks for my edit, I considered:
- Royal appeal: I looked for shirts that in my experience as a royal style watcher and expert shopper, would most likely be spotted in Meghan or Kate’s wardrobe, including brands they often wear, like Reiss and Gap.
- Verified ratings: Since I haven’t tried each of these shirts on myself, I also scanned the ratings and reviews submitted by verified shoppers.
- Personal expertise: I can guarantee that all of the shirts included are from brands the HELLO! Shopping team love, and that in my professional opinion are currently on trend. As a lover of a great chambray top, I’d shop all of these for myself if I had enough room in my closet.
What’s the difference between chambray and denim?
Chambray is perfect for spring and summer because it’s made from linen, cotton, tencel or silk and is designed to be lightweight, soft and breathable. Denim is heavier - it might look similar but it can be less breathable because of the weave, and doesn’t do a great job of keeping you cool like chambray does.
You might see some overlap, because some fabrics made from semi-synthetic tencel lyocell or modal can be used to make denim that has a bit more softness and better draping like chambray.
And the fact that both Meghan and Kate chose relatively affordable looks just goes to show that you don’t have to spend a fortune on a great chambray blue shirt.
