Kate Middleton or Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, these days is seen as the perfect wife and a great example of how one eased beautifully into the royal family and took on the new traditions and responsibilities and other peculiarities of royal life in stride. But it hasn’t always been like that. While Kate has been dating William for years before he proposed and had more time to get used to his family and their unusual ways, she still wasn’t quite on board with a few things that only the royals really have to be very careful and obsessive about. Here are some lessons she’s learned over the years.

Kate definitely had her favourites when it came to brands of clothing and shoes and would wear certain things over and over. It was particularly obvious with a pair of boots that she loves. But after it was pointed out in the papers a few times that her shoes were in less than perfect condition she learned to replace them for a new pair before they started looking worn down.

This goes hand in hand with the previous lesson if you have a few of the same thing you can wear interchangeably and have the item still look good for ages. It’s also a great solution for favourite dresses. You can buy the same model that fits like a glove in multiple colors and have a perfect outfit for any occasion without having to spend ages thinking of what to wear.

Meghan’s stylist and reported BFF Jessica Mulroney worked to help her transition from Suits to Duchess. They worked to make her style different, because they knew it would automatically be compared to her sister-in-law, Kate. Meghan is accused of wearing ill-fitting dresses, but even if she wore skintight dresses, the public and the media would have something snarky to say about it. After all, she’s the first biracial Duchess that has been thrown into the press with such vigor.

Meghan has already faced some harsh judgments and comparisons to the much more traditional Royal Family member that is Kate Middleton. Being accused of being a style copycat would be another unbearable comparison added to the pile. For this reason, Meghan’s looks are consistently more minimalistic with understated elegance. Perhaps she is naturally inclined towards these neutral color palates, or maybe it is a conscious effort to not draw excessive attention to herself. Her husband even begged the media to leave her alone.

While Kate is there to help out with royal protocol and wearing particular designers as a Royal, we’ve heard that relations between the two are less than friendly, and even a little chilly. Sometimes, us girls just don’t bond – female friendship chemistry is real, guys!

That being said, we think that Meghan has some gorgeous post-wedding style. The two have worn the same colors in extremely different ways and played with silhouette in their own manner as well. Some even say Meghan’s style is inspired by Princess Diana even more than her sister-in-law’s looks are.

1. Take this look, for instance. Both Meghan and Kate are rocking yellow, but Kate opts for a drawn-in waist and more girlish silhouette, while Meghan goes for a more toned-down version focusing on sublime fit and high necklines

2. Here, they both wear floor-grazing white ensembles. Kate opts for lace and a traditional pleat, while Meghan instead is wearing wide-legged pants and a top with some sheer detailing. Once again, Meghan goes for a more modern and cutting-edge aesthetic.

3. Here, the babes experiment with teal differently. Kate rocks her fairytale-like dress with plenty of bling. At the same time, Meghan’s gown is a little more bling-free but just as elegant, with a dramatic fishtail silhouette. The fishtail is such a Hollywood choice, but Meghan looks truly diplomatic in it.

4. How could we compare styles without seeing the two most televised weddings ever? Both of them looked gorgeous in their dresses, but extremely different. While both of them opted for long-sleeved gowns, Meghan’s was less figure revealing and slightly more mature, in a pure white rendition. This must’ve been Meghan’s beginning of her trademarked high neck – classy babes really don’t feel the need to bare it all. Kate’s look was done by Sara Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen. In contrast, Markle’s gown was done by Clair Waight Keller, the artistic director of Givenchy.

5. While Kate is comfortable with bright and loud colors, Meghan is more familiar with neutrals and dark tones that are just as swoon-worthy. Her color choices look phenomenal on her skin tone, and give her looks more of a relaxed and less of an uptight vibe.

6. We’ve all seen Middleton rock a strong floral dress, and know she’s not shy to play around with prints and statement pieces. Meghan, on the other hand, is more conservative with muted hues because she can’t afford to experiment with outfits the way Kate does. She’d be met with a sea of critics, which isn’t fair but is the reality.

7. Kate Middleton is like the prim babysitter that doesn’t allow junk food, while Meghan is like the cool older sister. While Kate is tailored to a T, Markle’s in an all-black ensemble with an open jacket, gloves off, and chic slouchy boots.

8. People might be more comfortable with the conventional idea of a Royal wife, especially in British society, and Meghan is still relatively new to the Royal scene. Haters gonna hate, but we support you, Meghan! We think that her style represents a futuristic and open-minded generation of royalty. I mean, what other Duchess can rock a slouchy silk jumpsuit with such ease and grace?