She has long been a fashion icon to millions globally, but the Duchess of Sussex may soon be appealing to a new audience entirely following her recent and ‘subtly daring’ style transformation.

Montecito-based Meghan Markle, 44, is increasingly turning her back on the ‘conservative aesthetic’ she preferred during her time in the Royal Family in favour of ‘sensual and contemporary’ items like plunging necklines and crop tops.

Her style evolution coincides with rumours that a ‘Meghan 3.0′ is in the makingwith experts predicting another new venture is on the cards, potentially in couture or cosmetics.

And her change in fashion, such as donning a low-neck blazer to a New York gala this month, followed by a spaghetti-strap crop top to a LA dinner with Emma Grede, might just be the perfect tool for Meghan to express that she’s heading in a new direction.

Talking to The Daily Mail, award-winning stylist Lisa Talbot explained, ‘Meghan’s recent style evolution feels like a confident relaunch, this is Meghan 3.0.

‘She’s moved away from the polished, conservative aesthetic of royal life and is embracing a sleeker, more fashion-forward look that reflects her independence and influence beyond the Palace.

‘We’re seeing a shift from structured coats, tailored midi dresses, and neutral palettes to silhouettes that are softer, more sensual, and modern, think plunging necklines, open backs, crop tops and body-skimming fabrics. This isn’t accidental; it’s a deliberate visual statement of self-assurance and control.

‘Her new look is aligned with what we often see when women step into a new chapter of their identity.

‘The shift suggests she’s no longer dressing to fit a role, but to define her own. There’s a Californian ease to her wardrobe now, elegant yet relaxed with an undercurrent of confidence that says she’s back on her own terms.

‘From a brand perspective, it makes perfect sense. If Meghan is planning a new lifestyle or fashion venture, her personal style becomes the preview of what’s to come. She’s re-establishing her image as aspirational but accessible, the kind of woman who knows luxury but wears it with effortlessness.

‘Ultimately, this new direction is about reclaiming her narrative. The clothes are bolder, the lines are freer, and the overall message is clear: Meghan isn’t blending in anymore, she’s standing out.

Creative Director and Stylist Rochelle White added that the change may also represent Meghan’s desire to appear more relatable, which would serve as a powerful tool to boost sales should Meghan wish to expand her business into the fashion realm.

‘She wants to be seen as both aspirational and relatable,’ Rochelle told The Daily Mail, adding, ‘I feel that she has looked at others in public and seen the power a brand image and style can do and have.’

Meanwhile, like Talbot, celebrity fashion stylist Oriona Robb similarly believes that Meghan’s ‘strategically’ signalling a new era of ‘individuality’ and ‘modern femininity’ through her sartorial choices.

She told The Daily Mail, ‘Meghan’s recent style direction reflects a woman reclaiming her narrative through fashion.

‘There’s a clear shift from the traditional, protocol-led ‘royal’ aesthetic to something more sensual, confident, and contemporary. Low backs, plunging necklines, and fluid silhouettes show she’s embracing her individuality. She is leaning into modern femininity with a subtle Hollywood edge.

‘The clean lines, neutral palettes, and minimalist tailoring still nod to her polished past, but the new confidence in her fashion choices suggests she’s dressing less for expectation and more for self-expression.

‘We have seen her move away from the structured coats, muted tones, and demure silhouettes that once defined her royal wardrobe, opting instead for pieces that feel more fluid, international, and subtly daring.’

The change comes as Meghan made a string of public appearances in New York with Prince Harry last week, including at a Mental Health Festival.

The Sussexes were also pictured heading for a lunch with friend and tennis legend, Serena Williams, in the Big Apple’s Soho House.

Then, a photograph reportedly emerged of her at a solo meeting with the new editor of American Vogue, Chloe Malle, in a quiet corner of the luxurious Whitby Hotel in Manhattan.

She was also spotted visiting the home of her friend Gloria Steinem, arguably one of America’s most influential liberal activists and feminists.

Experts predict the flurry of East Coast engagements – at least six in as many days, including some without her husband – is part of a wider ‘Meghan 3.0’ relaunch attempt after a bumpy 2025.

The events all began when Meghan and Harry were handed a Humanitarians of the Year award.

Attorney and social media safety campaigner Laura Marquez-Garrett gave the couple their gong in New York last week and called their critics ‘sad’, ‘pessimistic’, and accused them of lacking humanity.

‘NO ONE has done more for the thousands of families the Social Media Law Center serves than the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’, she wrote on LinkedIn.

She revealed that the Sussexes have been privately supporting families who have lost loved ones due to social media abuse.

She wrote that the couple has helped ‘not just through money and words … but by personally showing up over and over … by personally making phone calls, sending notes, and picking fruit from their garden for grieving parents so that they know they are not alone.

‘By putting ideas, resources, and support into action to ensure that these families have what they need to stand up and fight back. ‘

She said: ‘No one … I repeat … NO ONE has done more for the thousands of families the Social Media Law Center serves than the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

‘And no one … I repeat … NO ONE has done more for those of us at SMVLC who love these families and need them to be okay to do the work we do across litigation, legislation, and education than the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

‘Their humanity speaks for itself and I feel bad for those who live in the place where social media dictates life rather than seeking truth from those who have witnessed it first hand. That must be a sad, pessimistic, and scary place to live.’