This is why Meghan Markle often wears black for official duties

meghan markle meditation
(Image credit: Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock)

The sheer Givenchy dress for her first solo appearance at the new exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts in September, the Judith & Charles tuxedo dress she wore to see Hamilton in August, the Altuzarra suit she wore to attend the WellChild Awards...

In case you hadn't noticed, most of the outfits Meghan Markle has worn for official engagements have been black. And it turns out this might have been a conscious choice for the Duchess of Sussex - a bit like when she wears a lot of pink, or why Kate Middleton never wears orange.

meghan markle meditation

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According to a a colour psychologist, that's because she doesn't want to be the focus of certain events, especially if they're for a charity or important cause.

Karen Haller told Fabulous, 'Whilst black has many different traits, looking at these specific events she attended they all have one thing in common. The occasions when she is choosing to wear black suggest she isn’t seeking to be the centre of attention.'

meghan markle tuxedo

Tim Rooke/REX/Shutterstock

'She is OK with being in the background. Black is her way to deflect attention off herself and onto the causes she is supporting – putting them in the spotlight,' she added.

Which kind of makes sense, doesn't it?

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.