Meghan Markle wears pieces from her own Smart Works fashion collection as she returns from maternity leave

The Duchess of Sussex at the Smart Works launch (Picture: Mark Large/ Daily Mail)

The Duchess of Sussex returned to work today to launch a clothing line, in collaboration with the charity, Smart Works.

Meghan Markle opted to wear pieces from the collection for her comeback, choosing a white shirt designed by close friend Misha Nonoo and trousers created by Jigsaw, which are both part of the range.

The former actress kept her hair loose and make-up natural, as she mirrored the simplicity of her outfit and her bangles were by Shaun Leane and Pippa Small.

Since giving birth to son Archie, Markle has made only a handful of public appearances. But, never one to let a potential fashion moment slip through the net, the few times she has been out have seen her sporting some killer look

A few days after giving birth, at a photocall to introduce baby Archie to the world, she opted for a cream sleeveless tuxedo dress by British designer Grace Wales Bonner and nude pumps by Manolo Blahnik.

Then there was that exchange with Beyonce and Jay-Z, fellow royalty (of the hip-hop kind), at the UK premiere of The Lion King where she sported a stunning black silk Jason Wu dress, black Aquazzura pumps and a satin Gucci clutch.

And even while courtside, she nailed it. Most recently as she watched her good friend, Serena Williams, play at the US Open, in a denim J. Crew dress, every inch the all-American princess.

Today, though, the duchess is using her fashion clout for the greater good. The Smart Works clothing collection, which lands in stores and online today, is made up of core pieces needed for every working women’s wardrobe: a blazer and trousers from Jigsaw, a tote bag from John Lewis & Partners, a classic dress from Marks & Spencer, and a white shirt from Misha Nonoo.

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Last month, The Duchess of Sussex surprised Smart Works clients during the capsule collection shoot in west London...Today, The Duchess, alongside @SmartWorksCharity - in partnership with @InsideJigsaw, @JohnLewisandPartners, @MarksandSpencer and @MishaNonoo - are incredibly proud to reveal to everyone, #TheSmartSet - a five piece capsule collection that will equip the Smart Works clients with the classic wardrobe pieces to help them feel confident as they mobilise back into the work space. • “Since moving to the UK, it has been deeply important to me to meet with communities and organisations on the ground doing meaningful work and to try to do whatever I can to help them amplify their impact. It was just last September that we launched the ‘Together’ cookbook with the women of the Hubb Kitchen in Grenfell. Today, a year later, I am excited to celebrate the launch of another initiative of women supporting women, and communities working together for the greater good. Thank you to the four brands who came together in supporting Smart Works on this special project - placing purpose over profit and community over competition. In convening several companies rather than one, we’ve demonstrated how we can work collectively to empower each other - another layer to this communal success story, that I am so proud to be a part of” - The Duchess of Sussex The collection – which features a shirt, trousers, blazer, dress and tote bag – will be on sale for two weeks starting today, with the objective of selling enough units to give Smart Works the essentials they need to help dress clients for the coming year! For every item bought during the sale of the collection, one will be donated to Smart Works, this 1:1 model allows customers to directly support the Smart Works women by playing a part in their success story - how they look and more importantly, how they feel. Photo © @JennyZarins

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Sep 12, 2019 at 5:08am PDT

Smart Works, which the collection will benefit, was one of the duchess’s first patronages and is an organisation which offers styling and coaching services for unemployed women with prospective job interviews.

The project was first teased via the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Instagram in July. A statement read: “Launching this autumn, The Duchess will be supporting a collective to help equip the women of Smart Works with the key workwear essentials they need as they enter into the workplace. This initiative is supported by four generous brands who share the vision to empower the women of Smart Works to look and feel 100 as they bravely venture in to what can often be a daunting environment for those who have been out of the job market.”

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Spotlight on: Smart Works We are proud to be supporting a very special initiative this autumn for @SmartWorksCharity! After quiet visits to Smartworks over the last year, The Duchess was moved by the impactful work being done by this non profit organisation that helps women into the workforce, equipping them with both the skills and clothes they need to feel job-ready. Throughout her visits she noticed that while the donations were plentiful, they were also notably a combination of mismatched items and colours which weren’t always the right stylistic choices or sizes that didn’t necessarily “suit” the job at hand: to make a woman feel confident and inspired as she walked into her job interview. As a result, launching this autumn, The Duchess will be supporting a collective to help equip the women of Smart Works with the key workwear essentials they need as they enter into the workplace. This initiative is supported by four generous brands who share the vision to empower the women of Smart Works to look and feel 💯 as they bravely venture in to what can often be a daunting environment for those who have been out of the job market. The brands have come together to work towards this united force for good, “[reframing] the idea of charity as community,” as The Duchess writes in a piece for this month’s British Vogue. They will follow the 1:1 model where an item from the collection purchased is an item shared with a woman of Smart Works because “not only does this allow us to be part of each other’s story; it reminds us we are in it together.” For more information on how you can be part of another woman’s success story visit @smartworkscharity. Special thanks to: @JohnLewisandPartners, @MarksandSpencer, @MishaNonoo, @InsideJigsaw for supporting this very special organisation. And to find out more, read the September issue of @BritishVogue and stay tuned for more exciting updates this autumn. Photo©️SussexRoyal

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Jul 31, 2019 at 9:03am PDT

Markle also wrote of the collection in the September issue of British Vogue, which she guest-edited: "The reason I was drawn to Smart Works is that it re-frames the idea of charity as community, which, for me, is incredibly important: it's a network of women supporting and empowering other women in their professional pursuits."

For each dress sold from the capsule range, one will be donated to Smart Works, a move that the website refers to as “Not a handout, a hand held.”

The Smart Set collection is available to buy now in stores and online from today for at least two weeks, as well as in Smart Works dressing rooms across the UK.