Hottest Fashion Of 2017 List Finally Reveals: Meghan Markle Or Kate Middleton Most Influential Style Diva?

For months, fashion trends appealing to all shapes, sizes, and budgets have soared, fallen, and soared again, with Gucci and gingham competing along with sneakers and sequins as well as Rihanna and Selena Gomez. But when it comes to royal celebrity styles, it was the battle between about-to-become-officially-royal Meghan Markle and already-officially-royal Kate Middleton that took the fashion crown. Now, the eagerly awaited Year in Fashion roll call from Lyst has been published, revealing whether Meghan or Kate was ultimately the hottest style influence of 2017, reported E! News.

Rihanna Becomes Leader Of Celebrity Fashion Pack

Rihanna put Selena Gomez and Bella Hadid in the shade, stylishly snagging the top spot on the celebrity fashion list for 2017. But Selena wasn’t far behind her, taking second place and turning Bella Hadid into a follower rather than a leader in third place.

But for those who watched Meghan Markle go from being known as just another of Prince Harry’s on-again, off-again girlfriends to his future wife, the list also finally settled the debate over whether Meghan has stolen Kate Middleton’s famous fashion spotlight. Kate has maintained her success in influencing her fans, pointed out the list’s creators.

“[Kate Middleton] continues to spark global demand for her looks. This year caused dresses by Erdem, L.K. Bennett, Roland Mouret and Dolce & Gabbana to sell out in seconds.”

While acknowledging Kate’s dress-for-royal-style success, however, Markle went from “Meghan who?” obscurity to fame that caused designers’ websites to crash. In the category of who was most influential in 2017, Prince Harry’s fiancée beat out Middleton by one spot.

Meghan Markle Goes From Actress To Future Princess

Overall, Markle sizzled in the fourth spot, while Kate nested in fifth place on the fashion influence list. Meghan opted for some traditional British brands such as Barbour, Hunter, and Burberry. However, in addition to going for heritage styles, Markle’s ability to create rather than follow style trends turned to gold for some previously unknown fashion labels.

“Meghan [Markle] proved her royal style credentials this year. She also spiked searches for lesser known labels Misha Nonoo and Finlay and Co.”

To determine the fashion winners (and losers) of 2017, Lyst tracked the demand for 50 fashion superstars‘ outfits. That resulted in the win for Rihanna among all celebrities and for Meghan among royal stars.

See Meghan Markle's style evolution from all-American girl to princess-to-be in photos https://t.co/6jPwdJmuYa

— TIME (@TIME) December 18, 2017

Time magazine pointed out that the evolution of Meghan’s style shows her success in learning to dress like a princess.

“With her recent engagement to Prince Harry, Meghan’s life is now taking a royal turn, something that’s clearly evident from her style evolution.”

Known for her style during her acting career, Markle has now upped the royal aspect of her fashion choices by choosing more classically polished looks. She has famously combined her dress-down chic at times with proper British brands, such as wearing a white buttoned-down blouse with ripped skinny jeans at the Invictus Games. Now, as she prepares to become Harry’s real-life princess, Meghan is expected to become even more influential with her ever-evolving style.

But celebrities weren’t the only ones who made fashion history this year. Unicorns proved that weird can be wonderful, with fashions inspired by unicorns numbering more than 1,000 in 2017. Men went with the flow for the unusual, turning rompers designed for their gender into a start-up success story.

Vintage Earns Style Victory, While Sandals Go Slip-Sliding Away

Other fashion trends of 2017 included vintage wear, making it a victory for the old-fashioned, one-piece bathing suit. The new Baywatch film with its Baywatch babes helped make that swimsuit style a winner once more. Shoe trends surprised footwear observers, with slide sandals scoring a success.

“Flat pool slide sandals were the year’s breakaway shoe trend.”

Sock boots in ankle lengths won for autumn footwear, and earrings turned into the hottest accessory of 2017. With other trends including Gucci, camouflage, and shiny sequins, some celebrities other than Rihanna and Meghan Markle proved that they have what it takes to create trends on their own.

Melania Trump And Harry Styles Compete For Fashion Influence: Who Wins?

While entertainment industry celebrities always seem to win when it comes to influencing fashion trends, Melania Trump also proved that she knew how to make an impression. She took sixth place, just behind Kate Middleton. In a surprise for seventh place, ASAP Rocky proved to be the master of social media in creating style trends.

https://twitter.com/asvpxrocky/status/942494148006887425

Following the rapper, Harry Styles was another leader when it came to driving men’s style searches in 2017. And in ninth place, Keeping Up with the Kardashians star Kylie Jenner scored. Kylie overtook Kendall Jenner on the list of influential celebrity fashion divas.