Meghan took a leaf out of the Kardashians’ playbook – when she arrived at Kris Jenner’s occasion in an outfit bearing hanging similarities to Kim’s trend

When Meghan wore a sleek black Balenciaga bodysuit for Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday, she was no doubt nodding to the Kardashian school of glamour.

The bodysuit, long considered the Kardashian clan’s sartorial building block, has evolved into a symbol of streamlined sophistication.

Once associated with aerobics videos and Jane Fonda’s neon era, it has been reimagined by the likes of Kim Kardashian – who turned the humble one-piece into a cornerstone of her billion-dollar fashion empire.

It’s the kind of garment that makes the wearer look effortlessly put together, even when the rest of the outfit is deceptively simple.

‘Bodysuits are a very smart way of dressing,’ explains celebrity stylist Miranda Holder. ‘There is no risk of the top untucking itself and no loose fabric to disrupt the lines of the outfit, making it a tried and trusted hero piece in the wardrobe for layering.

‘It’s sleek, figure hugging and adds no extra bulk to your silhouette, so it’s a great anchor to the flowing skirt she wore most recently, allowing a mixture of sleekness and volume.’

Meghan was striking in a long-sleeve black turtleneck and maxi skirt by Balenciaga

Gracing the cover of Time magazine in 2023, Kim accentuated her curves in a Skims black bodysuit with a leather maxi skirt alongside cutouts and buckles down the right leg

For Meghan, this was no accident.

Ms Holder explains that Meghan’s choice to wear the bodysuit for Kris Jenner’s party would have been an inspired decision to the host. ‘She likely chose this outfit out of homage to the Kardashian’s success and brand identity.’

In the Kardashian universe, the bodysuit is armour. It sculpts and supports, creating a sense of control over form and presentation. And that, in many ways, aligns perfectly with Meghan’s own approach to fashion.

This isn’t the first time the duchess has turned to an all-in-one for a public appearance. Long before her Balenciaga moment, she had already established herself as a quiet advocate for the bodysuit’s understated practicality.

‘The bodysuit is a blank canvas so looks great on everyone,’ explains Holder. ‘With Meghan in particular, it is a perfect choice as she has a tricky body shape which is difficult to dress. Meghan has a super short torso with long legs, so the bodysuit works well as it doesn’t add bulk to what is already a small area proportionally.’

On her first official engagement with Prince Harry in Nottingham, she wore Wolford’s £160 Colorado Body, a refined turtleneck version which is also personally favoured by Kim, paired with a camel skirt by Joseph.

Kim Kardashian showed off her nipped-in waist with a black bodysuit and high-waisted skirt from Balenciaga while flaunting her figure in New York in 2022

Kris Jenner dressed in a velvet version of the black bodysuit for Lauren Sanchez’s bachelorette party in Paris, pairing it with a Chanel feathered skirt in 2025

Meghan made a modern choice back in 2017 during her first official engagement with Prince Harry in Nottingham, wearing a Wolford body paired with a camel skirt by Joseph

Luxury brands are embracing the bodysuit, explains Holder, ‘because despite all the glitz and glamour we are still having a moment of quiet luxury, reverting to a less is more approach which is about beautifully cut basics and the bodysuit embraces this’.

Bridging the unapologetically body-conscious aesthetic of the Kardashians with the controlled, image-conscious universe of royal dressing, the bodysuit celebrates curves, contouring and the kind of sculpted perfection that Meghan aims to achieve.

And so in that sleek black all-in-one, Meghan was staking her claim. With one impeccably cut bodysuit, she wasn’t merely channelling Kardashian energy, she was marking her territory as the family’s most unexpected missing member.