Meghan Markle Launches 'As Ever' Era in White Button-Down Shirt and Classic Jeans

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 18 February 2025

No one wields the subtle power of a white button-down shirt quite like Meghan Markle. In her masterful hands, the most basic of all wardrobe basics becomes so much more. It's like seeing Jennifer Lopez sport her signature glossy nude lip and a rare Birkin bag, or Julia Roberts clad in a suit. When the Duchess of Sussex dons a crisp white button-down, it's a symbolic gesture as well as a sartorial statement.

Perhaps that's why the 43-year-old selected this garment over all others to announce the new name of her lifestyle brand: As Ever. As you might recall, the business previously known as American Riviera Orchard launched in March of last year with a wave of homemade jam mailers. Now, only two weeks before her buzzy Netflix series premiere, the star is putting her newly relaunched Instagram account to good use with an exciting self-taped update on the venture.

Filmed from the fresh-tilled rows of her backyard garden in Montecito, the clip showcases Markle in her truest form. Dressed in a collared white linen shirt and fitted blue jeans, she epitomized classic American style with a laid-back Californian bent.

A photo of Meghan Markle wearing a white linen button-down shirt in a clip shared to Instagram. — Meghan Markle wears a white linen button-down shirt in a clip shared to Instagram.

A photo of the duchess pairing her white shirt with blue skinny jeans and a low bun. — The duchess pairs her white shirt with blue skinny jeans and a low bun.

The decision to dress casually and speak directly to her fans feels significant. Understated luxury has always been Markle's vibe (and it's been amplified since she began working with Hollywood stylist Jamie Mizrahi). Her closet is filled with elevated takes on the button-down, from the Veronica Beard blue shirtdress she wore on her royal tour of Africa in 2019 to the Giuliva Heritage striped shirt and maxi skirt set she pulled for a South By Southwest panel in 2024. With her latest look, however, Markle is dressing for a different kind of close-up.

Accessorized with her diamond trilogy engagement ring, a cherry red heart pendant necklace that pays tribute to one of her closest friends, and Princess Diana's gold Cartier Tank watch, Markle's seemingly simple outfit is actually layered with personal meaning.

A photo of Meghan Markle accessorizing her shirting with a gold Cartier watch, her engagement ring, and heart-shaped necklace. — Markle accessorizes her shirting with a gold Cartier watch, her engagement ring, and heart-shaped necklace.

The Gold Album Bespoke Red Heart of Gold Pendant

Jewelry aside, there could be an even deeper message embedded in her ensemble. Memorably, Markle also wore skinny jeans and a white Misha Nonoo button-down—fittingly dubbed the Husband Shirt—on her first official outing with Prince Harry at the 2017 Invictus Games.

A photo of Meghan Markle sporting a white button-down shirt and skinny jeans at the 2017 Invictus Games. — Meghan Markle sports a white button-down shirt and skinny jeans at the 2017 Invictus Games.

In that sense, no piece better encapsulates new beginnings for the duchess than a perfect white shirt. She certainly wears it well.

Shop Meghan Markle's Favorite White Linen Shirts and Jeans

Frank & Eileen Relaxed Button-Up Shirt in Classic Linen

J.Crew Cabana Top in Linen

Mother Looker High-Rise Skinny Jeans

Veronica Beard Beverly High Rise Flare Jeans

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Hanna Lustig is a staff writer at Marie Claire, where she gets to gab every day about the topics she holds most dear: fashion, beauty, and celebrity. Hanna’s editorial journey began with formative internships at Elle and InStyle, where she was lucky enough to work for some of the smartest women in media while she was still in college at the University of Tennessee. Hanna then accepted a digital culture reporting fellowship at Insider, where she helped carve out a new beat dedicated to covering influencers. Those experiences later served her well as a staff writer at Glamour, where she developed a knack for spinning quick turnaround celebrity news and trend reporting into juicy feature stories. Some of her greatest hits include an earnest ode to the no-pants trend, this meticulously reported feature exploring the rise of endoscopic facelifts, this snappy take on the Chanel-designed fantasy of Sofia Richie’s wedding, this tribute to WAGs past and present, and this timeline of Katie Holmes’s life and career as told through her denim collection.

Diane Keaton once hung up on Hanna during an interview, but thankfully that mishap did not derail what has otherwise been a deeply fulfilling career writing for and about women. As one of Marie Claire's resident experts on style and culture, her current coverage ranges from exploring TikTok's contrast makeup theory and the return of the boat shoe trend to interviews with costume designers for hit shows like Nobody Wants This and The Penguin. When she’s not at work, Hanna can probably be found listening to pop music, talking to her dog, and gossiping with her best friends. For more of Hanna’s perfect opinions on pop culture, you can follow her on Instagram and X.