What did Meghan Markle wear for her birthday date with Harry and is she choosing more 'budget' outfits?

Meghan Markle celebrated turning 42 by heading to fashionable Italian restaurant Tre Lune in Montecito with Prince Harry. As always, the attention turned to Meghan Markle’s outfit and for this occasion, she opted for a black and white striped dress by Australian-based Posse. 

The exact dress by Posse is called the ‘Theo Strapless Dress’ and it is available on their website by pre-order for $239 dollars (£188). Now, of course the dress isn’t ‘budget’ but it is most definitely ‘budget’ when it comes to Meghan Markle’s wardrobe. 

I would even go as far as to say that I believe Meghan Markle is choosing ‘less expensive’ items to be more relatable, in a similar way to how her sister-in-law, the Princess of Wales,  has successfully mixed higher end fashion labels with high street brands. Some would argue that Meghan has always done this, but I think she is deliberately moving away in recent months from thousands of dollars worth outfits to hundreds of dollars ones.

Although Meghan Markle did opt for a $1850 Johanna Ortiz dress to accept a Woman of Vision Award in New York in May, the month before, she chose a more reasonably priced £360 blazer and £235 shorts by Staud to watch an LA Lakers game with Prince Harry. Meghan also opted for a ‘less expensive’ outfit to appear in a video call alongside Prince Harry for Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund (RTYPF).

For the video call, the Duchess of Sussex chose a $189 sleeveless top and a $162 matching skirt from Malibu brand Bleusalt. It would also seem that Meghan Markle is making a point of choosing designers that are more ‘fashionable’ than more established names like Carolina Herrera and Dior. This also might have something to do with Meghan reportedly being snubbed by the label after she was reportedly set to sign a deal with them.