Meghan Markle vs Kate Middleton: The Most Influential Royal Fashion Icon Revealed

InspirationJune 20, 2019

The royal family has always been looked up to not just for their grace and elegance, but also because of their outfit choices. When we talk about clothes, arguably no one is as stylish as Kate Middleton, who had always been a fashion icon ever since.

The Duchess of Cambridge has the capacity to set trends and influence people of their sartorial choices, but with the introduction of Meghan Markle to the powerful clan, there seems to be a new fashionista that has dethroned her.

Royal Style Icon

The mom of three has always been a trendsetter and any brand could immediately feel the help she would bestow just by merely wearing their clothes as sales would immediately skyrocket afterward. Kate has a penchant for timeless and elegant pieces, making her the epitome of a perfect princess, and so, the adoration for her of the fashion’s who’s-who is pretty much expected.

The Duchess can rock jeans, to plaid polo tops, to designer dresses and gowns, which is why there’s no doubt people look up to her as a fashion inspiration – her being an icon was practically cemented.

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Meghan Markle reigned supreme as the most influential style icon

But that foundation seemed to be rocked when Meghan entered the picture. While it’s unhealthy to compare the two Duchesses, people couldn’t help but take a few notes on the ladies’ fashion choices. While Kate managed to hold onto the throne as the most influential royal style icon, the former “Suits” actress snatched the title from her, according to Lyst.

‘Meghan Markle Effect’ vs ‘Kate Effect’

The global fashion search engine studied over 20 million online searches about the Duchesses’ outfits in their royal engagements in the last two years. There were more people that became interested with Meghan’s clothes than Kate’s, which means the “Meghan Markle Effect” might be shooing the “Kate Effect” after all.

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This was the former “Suits” actress’ most influential fashion moment

It is worth noting, however, that both of them led to an increase in the online demand: Kate, 119 percent, while Meghan, 216 percent. The site also determined the ladies’ most influential fashion moment – the Duchess of Sussex’s was in March at Prince Charles’ Investiture when she stunned in a silver and gold brocade dress that accentuated her baby bump. Within the next day, the demand for that outfit rose by 500 percent!

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This was Kate Middleton’s most influential stylish moment

The Duchess of Cambridge’s most influential fashion moment happened in March as well when she donned the red coatdress from Catherine Walker during the Commonwealth Day service. Demand for this soared by 225 percent.

Impact on the Fashion Industry

It’s not quite shocking to see how this played out. Meghan has the ability to sell out the clothes she wears in just a span of a few hours after her appearance. It’s how she impacted the fashion industry – she can put an unknown or relatively new brand on the map. But that doesn’t mean she wasn’t criticized.

Her maternity wardrobe was estimated to be more than half a million dollars in February, a fact that was heavily compared with Kate who had lesser cost for her outfits when she was pregnant. On the other hand, she was lauded, too, for choosing sustainable brands and donning uber-cheap clothes.