Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Entertainment
Marie-Louise Gumuchian

'Style muse': Meghan's rise to a royal fashionista

FILE PHOTO: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at the Endeavour Fund Awards in London, February 7, 2019. Tolga Akmen/Pool via REUTERS

LONDON (Reuters) - Her jackets and jeans, bangles and bags can instantly send tongues wagging and designers' sales soaring.

Since being catapulted into the global spotlight as Prince Harry's girlfriend in 2016, Meghan's outfits have been scrutinised and copied, often crashing websites selling her apparel.

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, exits a hotel in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., February 19, 2019. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

Fashion blogs and social media accounts dedicated to the American's style have mushroomed, just as they sprang up for her sister-in-law Kate, Prince William's wife, allowing followers to comment on her latest sleek looks usually in a monochrome palette.

"The Meghan effect is this economic phenomenon similar to the Kate effect...where if she wears it, it turns to gold," said Christine Ross, co-editorial director of Meghan's Mirror fashion blog, describing Meghan's style as "very on trend and modern".

Almost everything she wears up to and around the $300 or 300 pound-mark, a pretty high price point, sells out, she added.

Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, leaves after an International Women's Day panel discussion at King's College London, in London, Britain, March 8, 2019. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Designer dresses, luxury handbags and stylish stilettos are the fashion dream of many women, but for a young royal they are the staple of an everyday wardrobe.

For her busy royal diary, the now Duchess of Sussex usually wears expensive labels, namely French couture house Givenchy whose British artistic director Clare Waight Keller designed Meghan's wedding dress.

Dior, Ralph Lauren, Carolina Herrera and Oscar de la Renta are among other formal and eveningwear go to brands.

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attends the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia October 27, 2018. REUTERS/Rick Stevens/File Photo

"Meghan's wardrobe is really unique because there are so many bespoke pieces in it and we'll really never know how much those cost," Ross said.

She estimates her wardrobe at about 500,000 pounds ($657,750) a year.

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex leaves Westminster Abbey after a service to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force in central London, Britain July 10, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson/File Photo

"STYLE MUSE"

While becoming a trendsetter, Meghan, named 2018's best dressed woman by People magazine, has stayed loyal to smaller brands she wore before her global fame.

The 37-year-old, who used to film drama "Suits" in Toronto, has worn Canadian labels Mackage, Aritzia and Line the Label.

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attending The Australian Geographic Awards in Sydney, Australia October 26, 2018. Paul Edwards /Pool via REUTERS

For casualwear, she has worn J.Crew and brands known for their environmental and social credentials: a Reformation dress, Veja sneakers, Outland Denim jeans and jewellery made from recycled metal.

"Meghan carved this niche for supporting these sustainable fashion brands," Holly Rains, digital editor at magazine Marie Claire UK, said. "People are now going to Meghan as a style muse...She crashes sites."

It is particularly her more affordable accessories that are snapped up by consumers.

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, exits The Mark Hotel following her baby shower in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., February 20, 2019. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

"The jewellery, the bags, the belts is where we can dip in and get that kind of Meghan touch to our outfits," Rains said.

Ross said Meghan's casual jean looks proved popular with readers. Her maternity wear as she awaits her first child is also eagerly followed.

"She's done a lot of bespoke pieces, a lot of customisation pieces that aren't maternity at all and it's really been a difference," Ross said.

FILE PHOTO: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex leaves the National Theatre in London, Britain, January 30, 2019. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo

Royal fashion expert Michael Talboys said he hoped to see Meghan wear more British labels. She has worn items from UK brands Victoria Beckham, Strathberry, Marks & Spencer and her second wedding gown was a halterneck dress by Stella McCartney.

"She should, as an English duchess, really be patronizing English designers and promoting them in the eyes of the world," he said.

Kate frequently wears British high street dresses.

Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, visits the Royal Variety Charity's residential nursing and care home Brinsworth House, in West London, Britain, December 18, 2018. Geoff Pugh/Pool via REUTERS

On the streets of London, student Savanah Edwards said Meghan's "classic" style was having an impact.

"I personally cannot afford anything that she wears but it does influence me to try new pieces," she said.

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex leaves Westminster Abbey after a service to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force in central London, Britain July 10, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson/File Photo

(Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; additional reporting by Jayson Mansaray; Writing by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex presents the Celebrating Excellence Award to Nathan Forster during the Endeavour Fund Awards in the Drapers' Hall in London, Britain February 7, 2019. Tolga Akmen/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prince Harry (R) arrives with girlfriend actress Meghan Markle at the wheelchair tennis event during the Invictus Games in Toronto, Ontario, Canada September 25, 2017. REUTERS/Mark Blinch/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Britain's Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, attends the opening of 'Oceania' at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, Britain, September 25, 2018. Picture taken September 25, 2018. Arthur Edwards/Pool via REUTERS
FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visit the Natural History Museum in London, Britain, February 12, 2019. Heathcliff O'Malley/Pool via REUTERS
Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex arrive at the residence of Moroccan King Mohammed VI in Rabat, Morocco February 25, 2019. Yui Mok/Pool via REUTERS
Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, visit the Moroccan Royal Federation of Equitation Sports in Rabat, Morocco, February 25, 2019. REUTERS/Hannah Mckay/Pool
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.