This Is How Much Influence Kate And Meghan Have On Our Shopping Habits

The Kate effect is a well-documented phenomenon. Whenever the Duchess of Cambridge wears an item of clothing or accessory, there is a flurry of search activity as royal watchers and copy Kates desperately try to find out who she’s wearing - and get their hands on the item before it sells out.

One such example is Kate Middleton’s engagement dress. When Kate and William announced their engagement back in 2010, the now Duchess wore a royal blue wrap dress from a little known brand called Issa.

Since royals aren’t allowed to accept gifts from brands, Issa’s designer Daniella Helayel had no warning that her dress was about to be broadcast to the whole world. Neiman Marcus immediately placed a 1,100 order, and celebrities including Scarlett Johansson, Keira Knightley and Jennifer Lopez went on to wear the label. The brand then disappeared a few years later as Helayel didn’t have the money to finance production on the scale that was needed.

Kate isn’t the only royal capable of causing dresses to sell out. Before Meghan Markle was officially announced as Prince Harry’s girlfriend, the Meghan Effect came into full force with people buying everything from the Sarah Flint flats she wore for her first public outing with Harry to the Veja trainers she’s reworn over and over again.

Now, new data from Lyst based on analysis of over 20 million queries in the past two years shows just how influential Kate and Meghan are when it comes to our fashion choices.

While Kate Middleton’s (and her stylist’s) choice of clothes for public appearances leads to an increase of 119% in online demand in the week following, Meghan Markle’s looks garner a 216% increase.

However, there is a difference in the kinds of attention the Duchesses attract. Kate drives demand to specific designer brands, for example Jenny Packham, while Meghan triggers searches for colours such as beige, navy and white.

Here are some of the fastest selling pieces from the Duchesses.