Meghan Markle just wore her most controversial outfit yet

Here's why everyone's talking about it...

Meghan Markle Effect
(Image credit: REX)

Here's why everyone's talking about it...

Meghan Markle has always made news for her fashion choices, but usually the news in question is praise, with the Meghan Markle effect proving to be just as powerful as Kate Middleton's, with the items they touch selling out in seconds.

Meghan crashed a Canadian fashion site with her engagement coat, caused a 400% increase in traffic to jeweller Birks' website, and caused the Finlay and Co sunglasses that she wore in her first photographs with Harry to sell out for months due to high demand.

Tim Rooke/REX

The newly-appointed Duchess of Sussex appeared at her first official royal engagement since the wedding this week, and it appeared that the Meghan Markle effect had not lost its touch.

But while the £590 flavia silk-crepe pencil dress from British brand Goat caused the brand's website to crash, it wasn't the fact that she went for a Duchess chic look that got the internet talking.

People were far more concerned with her tights.

Yes, really.

REX

Meghan Markle's tights have become a major talking point, prompting a worldwide outcry for the Duchess, the reasons being two-fold.

The first issue that fans had with the look was that Meghan was wearing tights in the first place, a well known royal family rule, but not an aspect of royal protocol that Meghan was forced to comply with before becoming a Duchess.

The main issue however revolves around the shade of the tights in question, with the pale hue seeming to white-wash the former Suits actress.

'Oh, no, they've broken #MeghanMarkle already with the flesh-coloured tights, and it's not even her flesh,' tweeted one user, while another posted, 'Meghan Markle is wearing tights. She's officially a Royal.'

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One thing everyone did seem to agree on however was that Meghan looked stunning, with all of the pleas to her stylist to find her a more appropriate tights shade noting that the Duchess looked beautiful.

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'Meghan looks absolutely stunning but if she has to wear skin coloured tights then why can't her stylist actually find the right skin colour tights for her?! Those tights are pale for her!', tweeted one user.

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Another agreed, tweeting: 'Can you please tell the Duchess of Sussex's stylist to go and buy the right colour tights for her to suit her skin-tone. She looks lovely as always but sort the tights out.'

We have a feeling the Duchess of Sussex will be wearing a different shade of tights on her next public outing.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.