Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, has had a host of best fashion moments, from her polished, pulled-together looks to her on-point pregnancy style, which have established her as a style icon. But even fashion darlings can disappoint. Like showing undergarments on official royal visits (not once, but twice); choosing the wrong designer or color for christenings; or getting sloppy with her jeans and her ironing. Because, like it or not, there are rules to be adhered to when you’re in the style spotlight and a royal. Even for someone who doesn’t mind rocking the regal boat, there are certain protocols that should have been followed previously that Markle ignored.

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But that may be a thing of the past. In March 2024, it was reported that Markle hired celebrity stylist Jamie Mizrahi, per Vogue. Mizrahi, named one of The Hollywood Reporter’s top stylists in Tinseltown, also works with Jennifer Lawrence, Adele, Riley Keough, and Nicole Richie.  We can only hope that with Mizrahi’s guidance, Markle never wears any of these outfits again.

Meghan Markle is known for having an expensive taste in clothing. But does it do the pieces justice if they look sloppy? The press has frequently pointed out how often Markle’s clothes are wrinkled, skewering her on numerous occasions. As the Daily Mail noted in 2019, even her Givenchy wedding gown was wrinkled. The publication interviewed Scott Henshall, former creative director for Brit brand Mulberry, who pointed the finger at Markle’s fabric choices for the cascade of creases. “Typically synthetic fabrics such as polyester, nylon, acrylic, and olefin have a natural resistance to wrinkles and a greater stability since they do not absorb water as efficiently,” he told the outlet. He suggested knit, lyocell (known as Tencel), and polyester, or a blend of one of these with cotton, rayon, or silk. He pointed out that Markle’s sister-in-law — Catherine, Princess of Wales — often wears knits.

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Maybe Markle is just one of those people who doesn’t care about wrinkles, but plenty do. Daily Mail readers had much to say on the topic, with one commenter writing, “Give the people what they want to see. A woman suitable to represent the Country and Queen. Try that instead of fighting against tradition and showing up in public looking like you’d rather be in LA.”

Whether you believe Meghan Markle should follow royal protocol or not, many Brits see it as extremely disrespectful when she does not. One such example was at her son Archie’s July 2019 christening. Markle looked beautifully polished in Dior, as seen on her and Prince Harry’s Sussex Royal Instagram account. But even then, she failed to follow royal rules. For highly publicized occasions such as this, it’s expected that royals pick British designers. Her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, opted for Stella McCartney, for example, and wore Alexander McQueen to her own children’s christenings.

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Markle had also found herself the subject of criticism when she wore olive green to her nephew Prince Louie’s July 2018 christening. Usually, it’s expected that the women wear soft, muted shades — think pastels and creams. But not for the duchess, who opted for a boat-neck Ralph Lauren number. One Reddit user called out Markle, saying she looked like she was trying to be the center of attention: “You just know she chose that olive dress for the christening photos [to] stand out and be front and center even if it wasn’t her big day.”

It should be noted that attention-getting looks are not frowned upon if worn by the person who should be the focal point of the occasion. For example, when Queen Elizabeth was doing a public event, she frequently wore colorful hues so she was easy to spot in a sea of royal fans.

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Meghan Markle has plenty of examples where she looks fantastic in jeans, and the Duchess of Sussex has been spotted in a popular pair of skinny jeans. However, the duchess’ sometimes disastrous denim looks have sparked headlines more than once. One of those instances was when she first met Prince Harry’s grandmother, the queen. According to Us Weekly, Harry wrote in his memoir, “Spare,” that they weren’t intending to meet Queen Elizabeth when they did and weren’t prepared: “I could see Meg regretting her jeans and black sweater.”

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Did she also regret the look she wore to the Invictus games in the Netherlands in April 2022? Though the outfit, with a Celine jacket, Linda Farrow aviators, Chanel flats, and a Celine bag, was good in theory, the skinny jeans from Revolve were sloppily cuffed and let the look down. Markle looks better in jeans that are cropped or come pre-cuffed, rather than trying to DIY.

Another potentially regretful moment was, again, when she may have been eschewing a dress code. In July 2019, Markle attended Wimbledon in jeans. While many people believe there is a dress code for spectators at the tennis tournament, there actually isn’t. But there is an expectation that attendees will look pulled-together if they are watching one of the more high-profile matches. Sitting in the Royal Box is another story, though. Attendees should be looking particularly polished if they’re seated in this prime spot. On this occasion, the duchess was not in the box and was seated at Court One. However, per The Daily Mail, an insider claimed Markle broke a rule when she walked in the Members’ Enclosure in her jeans — another spot at Wimbledon with a dress code as strict as the Royal Box.