Since Meghan Markle's engagement to Prince Harry last November, the duchess has become an international style icon. She stays classy yet approachable, toeing the line between royal etiquette and Hollywood star. The best example? Her love for boatnecks, or bateau necklines.
Bateau necklines graze the collarbone — sometimes revealing it, sometimes not. Royal etiquette says not to bare your shoulders, and boatnecks show only a little shoulder, so they're allowed, right? Right. (Not that Meghan really cares.)
The bateau neckline has remained a constant favorite of Meghan's, even before her engagement. She wore a bateau neckline to her royal wedding — enough said.
Thanks to her commitment to the bateau look, Meghan is single-handedly causing a boatneck revolution. According to Glamour, Pinterest saves for boatnecks have jumped 104 percent since 2017, and eBay searches for the style have jumped 830 percent since Meghan's engagement.
So, yeah. This is not just any old neckline.
With that in mind, here's a timeline of every boatneck Meghan Markle has worn since the engagement.
On January 18, Meghan and Prince Harry made their first official visit to Cardiff, Wales, as an engaged couple. Meghan wore a Theory jacket featuring – you guessed it – a boatneck.
While everyone was busy making a fuss over Meghan's messy bun, Meghan quietly debuted her new look.
Several months later, Meghan wore a navy blue Roland Mouret boatneck dress when she stepped out with her mother the day before her royal wedding.
This wedding dress, which featured a wide bateau neckline, definitely cemented Meghan's status as the boatneck queen.
In her dress, Meghan not only looked classic and elegant, she also looked sleek. Although the dress was very modest, the peekaboo of her shoulders kept Meghan looking young.
Harry was absolutely smitten with his bride.
The dress will be forever memorialized in this photo, also fondly known as "The Most Romantic Photo Ever Taken."
After the wedding, Meghan ramped up the bateau necklines even more. She wore this pink Carolina Herrera dress to Trooping the Colour on June 9.
This neckline is actually veering into off-the-shoulder territory, but if Meghan doesn't care, then why do we? She looks absolutely stunning, and the neckline definitely isn't too revealing.
Next, Meghan wore a classy lavender Prada skirt-suit to the Queen's Young Leaders Awards on June 26.
The buttoned skirt-suit had a narrower neck, but it still had the same bateau style.
Not long after, on July 5, she wore this gorgeous yellow Brandon Maxwell dress. (fans self)
By this time, Meghan was throwing boatnecks at us FAST. She wore another one — an olive green Ralph Lauren dress — just four days later to Prince Louis' christening.
And then another one the very next day on July 10. This stunner was made by Dior.
She wore it to the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force. The dark dress really made Meghan stand out among the other royals on the balcony.
Two days later, Meghan wore yet another boatneck during her first international tour with Prince Harry. It's a Roland Mouret dress, just like the one she wore before her wedding.
That makes three boatnecks in less than a week! At this point, it became very clear that Meghan has committed to this neckline.
We might as well change Meghan's official title.
And everyone is catching boatneck fever.
What'll be next, Duchess of Sussex?!
