The Kate Middleton Effect: Meghan Markle’s Style Picks Are Flying Off The Shelves
In much the same way that Kate Middleton’s style choices fly off shelves (both physical and virtual), retailers see the same thing happening with clothing that Meghan Markle wears.
According to a People report, the effect that Meghan Markle has on fashion came well before her royal wedding to Prince Harry. In fact, in the now Duchess of Sussex’s first public appearance with Prince Harry at the 2017 Invictus Games, she wore Flint’s pointy toe Natalie flats.
Since the moment Markle appeared in public with Harry wearing the style, Flint struggled to keep the flats in stock, and people who scored a pair considered themselves lucky. Now, so many months later, the Natalie flats are finally back in stock for the brand, but that seems unlikely to last for long.
Another shoe choice of Meghan’s that flies off the shelves is a simple white $75 Reebok tennis shoe, according to People. The reason they’re so popular is she can wear them to yoga class, pair them with skinny jeans, or even possibly wear them with a dress depending on the occasion. The tennis shoe is comfortable without being too clunky.
While The Observer put the value Meghan Markle effect far lower than the Kate Middleton effect at hundreds of millions versus billions for designers, it’s no secret that either Duchess wearing a brand causes an almost immediate uptick in sales. In fact, some industry experts predict the Duchess of Sussex, a former lifestyle blogger, will soon surpass her sister-in-law in terms of value for designers and brands. Even yellow gold jewelry received an increase in demand because of Markle’s jewelry choices.
WATCH: The Meghan Markle effect spreads to yellow gold https://t.co/RBXkZ8PjVc via @ReutersTV pic.twitter.com/wq6Z5eUdkT
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 28, 2018
One reason Meghan’s styles may prove more lucrative than Kate’s is that Meghan leans more towards trendy while Kate’s wardrobe remains more traditional. Younger people may be more likely to run out and buy trendy items that Markle chooses to wear causing a huge demand for the pieces.
Plus, as Inquistr reported, Prince Harry and his bride plan to start a family right away, which will make her fashion choices all the more in demand as she chooses maternity wear and then later clothing for her children. The clothing choices Kate Middleton makes for her children certainly fly off the shelves too, and each of the Duchess of Cambridge’s children has a fashion influence worth in the billions.
No matter what the reason, when either woman chooses to wear a particular designer, that brand reaps the benefits in terms of boosted sales. No doubt they love the benefits that come along with the added hassle of trying to keep the hot products in stock.
