Kate vs. Meghan II: who was the bigger fashion influencer in lockdown?
Kate and Meghan went head to head earlier this year when LovetheSales.com revealed which of the duchesses’ wardrobes shoppers loved the most.
Surprisingly Kate had overtaken Meghan as the biggest royal style influencer on the planet, driving more global fashion searches than the former Duchess of Sussex.
Our data team has been at it again and has analysed every outfit publicly worn by Kate and Meghan since lockdown began in March.
But, which duchess has the most desirable lockdown fashion?
Top Data Insights
Head to head - **Updated**
On average, demand for Kate's lockdown looks increased global fashion searches by 96%. In contrast Meghan’s outfits only mustered a 35% uplift in global searches, since March.
Kate’s outfits are 4 times more likely to sell out than Meghan’s, with 15 out of 17 outfits currently sold out for Kate and 1 of Meghan’s 6 looks going out of stock.
Whilst many were repeats, Kate’s 17 outfits cost a total of £6,458 ($7,933), Meghan’s 6 ensembles cost £1,105 ($1,358).
On average, Kate’s looks cost more than double Meghan’s. To recreate one of Kate’s lockdown looks, shoppers would be forking out £380 ($466) and for Meghan’s, £184 ($239).
Celebrity stylist Jessie Stein commented on the disparity between the two sister-in laws:
“Both royals have been confined to Zoom calls and social distance charity outings during lockdown, however Kate has opted for more flowing dresses, pieces that wouldn’t be seen out of place at a formal event.”
“Meghan has clearly embraced lockdown life a little more with comfy fitted tees and joggers. I think Meghan’s new found distance from the Royal family combined with her less glamorous apparel in lockdown has contributed to a drop in fan’s searches for her clothing.”
“Kate has certainly shown a more premium look in lockdown, and is really leading from the front with her continued charity work online. The public has seen a different, more personal side of Kate during lockdown and she has embraced summery styles in her outfit choices.”
Kate Middleton’s lockdown fashion timeline
Kate has been adapting to lockdown life, spending time reaching out to her charities through various Zoom calls. Her 16 Zoom calls have gained huge attention online, garnering more than 1 million views on YouTube.
April 9: Mustard puff sleeve top from Zara (SOLD OUT)
This was a past season item that subsequently sold out for Zara. From April 9 to 23rd, global fashion searches for 'mustard coloured tops’ increased by 41%.
April 23: ‘Anouk’ dress by Ghost (SOLD OUT)
Kate wore the ‘anouk’ dress by brand Ghost. Online searches for the dress increased by 121% before selling out in the last week of April. The dress was such a viral sensation that Ghost has donated profits from the clothing line to NHS charities before the dress sold out online.
May 3: ‘Jessie’ chevron jumper by Tabitha Webb (SOLD OUT)
Kate wore two outfits on May 3rd, for different Zoom calls. The first outfit was a chevron jumper by Brit brand Tabitha Webb, which is currently out of stock. Demand for ‘chevron pattern jumpers’ shot up by 119% in the following week.
May 3: Wrap midi dress by Boden (SOLD OUT)
Kate’s second outfit of the day was a floral wrap midi dress by Boden, which sold out within 24 hours of the Zoom call being published by the Duchess on her Instagram account. Demand for the Boden dress shot up by 198% before it sold out completely.
May 7: Tree print silk dress by Raey (SOLD OUT)
Kate wore a tree print silk dress by Raey, a house brand from Matches fashion. Demand for the dress shot up by 193% in a week, before it completely sold out.
May 8: ‘Cayla’ red dress by LK Bennett (SOLD OUT)
Kate wore the 'Cayla dress’ by British brand LK Bennett, she first wore this to Wimbledon back in 2015. Searches for ‘red LK Bennett dress’ increased by 133% in just 24 hours after Zoom call.
May 12: ‘Aimee’ style dress by Altuzarra (SOLD OUT)
Kate wore the ‘Aimee’ style dress by brand Altuzarra. The frock sold out online in a matter of days and searches for polka-dot dresses’ increased by 66% in May.
May 15: ‘Cecil’ scalloped white cardigan by brand Sandro
Kate had global shoppers searching for pattern v-necks with this scalloped white cardigan. Searches for ‘scalloped neckline clothing’ increased by 29% towards the end of May.
May 18: ‘Calla Rose’ dress by Beulah London (SOLD OUT)
Kate wore the ‘Calla Rose’ dress by Beulah London. In just 24 hours the dress sold out online and fashion searches for ‘rose print dresses’ subsequently increased by 42%.
May 21: ‘Madison’ dress by LK Bennett (SOLD OUT)
This is the second time Kate has worn British retailer LK Bennett during lockdown, the brand saw a huge uplift in demand for its collection of dresses as a result. Global searches for ‘LK Bennett dresses’ increased by 84% in April and May, compared to March 2020 figures.
June 2: ‘Ryedale’ dress by Roksanda Ilincic (SOLD OUT)
Kate wore this bespoke yellow dress back in 2014 on a tour of Australia. She brought the fan favourite outfit back for a Zoom call with Australia’s first responders. The dress cost a whopping £950 ($1,168), out of reach for most shoppers, but people tried to replicate the luxury look by shopping for ‘yellow crepe dresses’. Searches went up for ‘yellow crepe dresses by 51% in June as a result of Kate’s style.
June 5: Broderie anglaise ‘Mabel’ shirt by MiH Jeans (SOLD OUT)
Fans went crazy for this broderie anglaise pattern. Kate first wore the shirt last year at the Chelsea flower show, but sent shopping searches surging for similar styles. Demand for ‘broderie anglaise pattern’ clothing increased by 83% in June.
June 10: Ridley stretch cady dress by Stella McCartney
Kate has worn this dress on five separate occasions, dating back to 2012. The £515 ($633) designer dress has sold out on Stella McCartney’s online shop, however there was a slight uplift in demand of 46% for ‘blue dresses’. Interestingly, Kate usually pairs the dress with a navy blazer, but didn’t choose to this time and as a result searches for navy blazers stayed stagnant.
June 17: Printed yoke midi waisted dress by Marks & Spencer
The dress is a bargain at £39.50 ($49) and sold out in all ‘long’ sizes. Kate fans love affordable looks and this dress got shoppers searching for ‘M&S dresses’ 84% more in the past week.
June 19: Sormland padded vest by FJÄLLRÄVEN (SOLD OUT), Linen aqua shirt by Jaeger, Skinny fit jeans by Massimo Dutti, Cotu classic sneakers by Superga
The duchess of Cambridge had her first public outing last week, since lockdown began in March. Her country look was a perfect match for her visit to a local garden centre. It was the FJÄLLRÄVEN padded vest that had online shoppers clicking, demand for the vest increased by 79% before completely selling out.
June 23: ‘Maja’ green dress by Diane Von Furstenberg (OUT OF STOCK)
Another repeat, Kate wore the luxury dress as far back as 2011. We are yet to see any increases in fashion searches for the pricey £300 ($369) luxury garment.
June 23: ‘Marie-Louise’ floral-print crepe midi dress by Faithful the Brand (SOLD OUT)
The Nefeli floral print has caused a huge buzz online this week, sending shopping searches into meltdown. Online demand for the dress increased by an incredible 261% in the space of a week, before the dress completely sold out on the brands website.
Meghan Markle’s lockdown fashion timeline
Meghan, who has been a lot more reserved in lockdown, has been continuing her charity work in Los Angeles. The duchess has been spotted delivering food parcels in L.A, whilst like Kate, also keeping in touch with her UK based charities over Zoom calls.
16 April: White linen shirt by Frank & Eileen, Stan Smith trainers by Adidas
Meghan’s first appearance since the world went into lockdown came about as she delivered food parcels for Project Angel food in Los Angeles. In the week that followed, searches for ‘white linen shirts’ peaked at 24%.
18 April: White tee by Misha Nonoo
On a Zoom call with her London based charity, Hubb Kitchen, Meghan wore a plain white tee from Misha Nonoo. In the week after, there was a small increase of 16% in female searches for ‘plain white tees’.
19 April: Army green Jersey pants by James Perse, Misha Nonoo black long sleeve tee, Stan Smith trainers by Adidas
By far Meghan’s most desired look in lockdown, the duchess was giving comfy loungewear vibes in these Jersey pants. The near £200 ($246) army joggers got worldwide shoppers searching for ‘green joggers/sweatpants’ in lockdown, increasing search by 88%. This was the second time in a week Meghan opted for a pair of Stan Smith shoes, giving a small but noticeable boost of 26% for ‘Stan Smith sneakers’.
29 April: Red v-neck Cashair knit by Joseph Garnet (SOLD OUT)
The £235 ($289) v-neck knit Meghan wore on her Zoom call was a big hit online. The Cashair knit increased fashion searches for ‘red v-neck knits’ by 47% before completely selling out online.
6 May: Chambray shirt
Meghan was in full mother mode for Archie’s first birthday, she was recorded by Harry reading little Archie a nursery book for charity. The duchess wore a loose fitting Chambray shirt and in the weeks to follow global searches for Chambray shirts went up 23%.
14 May: Husband blue & white stripe shirt by Misha Nonoo
In her latest public appearance of the summer, Meghan wore another outfit by designer and personal friend, Misha Nonoo. This was the third appearance for the brand in Meghan’s lockdown looks and searches for Misha Nonoo clothing increased by 23% as a result.
Shoppers favourite lockdown looks from Meghan & Kate
Kate
**UPDATED**
June 23: ‘Marie-Louise’ floral-print crepe midi dress by Faithful the Brand (SOLD OUT)
Kate’s floral frocks were a huge hit in lockdown, but it was her recent public outing that got shoppers searching. Demand increased by a whopping 261% for the £153 ($189) dress before selling out, proving to be Kate’s most sought after look.
May 3: Blue floral wrap midi dress by Boden (SOLD OUT)
The dress from British brand Boden caused huge buzz online, when Kate wore it on a Zoom call in May. The £60 ($74) dress sold out on Boden within 24 hours and peaked in popularity just days after the Zoom call was released on the Royals’ official Instagram.
Stylist Jessie Stein said of the winning dresses:
“Affordable looks always work on the princess, they provide a more relatable feel to her style and allow shoppers around the world to replicate a royal’s wardrobe.”
“The cute summer dress from Boden is a bargain at £60 and the ‘Marie-Louise’ dress by Faithful is super summery.”
“Floral is everywhere at the moment, so it’s no wonder these two floral patterns are firm favourites with shoppers.”
Meghan
19 April: Army green mixed media Jersey pants by James Perse, Misha Nonoo black long sleeve tee, Stan smith trainers by Adidas
Meghan has appeared a little less in the public than Kate during lockdown, but her appearance delivering food parcels for her charity gave global shoppers serious loungewear envy.
The green sweatpants had shoppers searching for ‘green joggers’ 88% more than the week before pictures were released, making this Meghan’s most wanted lockdown look.
Jessie Stein commented on Meghan’s best look:
“Meghan totally embraced lockdown by slipping into more comfortable styles than she would normally be seen in.”
“The couple both looked like super dressed down normal members of the L.A public in this shot. I think that youthful, relatable style is a huge hit with Meghan fans, showing shoppers how to make loungewear fashionable.”
Analysis is based on the combined Google search queries and the search queries, page views and sales metrics of 4 million British shoppers searching 6 million fashion items on LovetheSales.com.
Research based on every outfit publicly worn by the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Sussex, from April-June, 2020.
LovetheSales.com is a global marketplace for online shopping and discounts.
For more information on the Meghan or Kate’s outfits, regarding demand, price or any other query, please do contact:
Liam Solomon
Head of Content
+44 7414 633 197
Kate Overtakes Meghan As The Biggest Royal Fashion Influencer in 2020
Meghan Markle was the most influential fashion celeb last year, according to the 2019 ‘Year In Fashion’ index. Driving the most fashion searches compared to any other celebrity.
But has Megxit changed all that in 2020?
Demand For Meghan’s Looks Take a Tumble, While Kate’s Fashion Sense Soars
LovetheSales.com’s data team have analysed every outfit publicly worn by the Duchess of Sussex and the Duchess of Cambridge in 2020.
Based on the popularity of her outfits from 2017-19, Meghan Markle’s fashion choices lead to an average increase of 216% in online demand. However, in 2020, searches for her looks dropped dramatically, to an average of 31%.
In stark contrast, Kate’s 2020 looks, on average cause a 159% increase in demand. This is a noticeable lift from the 119% average increase in searches, for her outfits from 2017-19.
Average increase in online searches for fashion looks
As Meghan and Harry withdraw from the royal limelight, announcing their shock move to Canada back in January, LovetheSales.com’s data team break down the fashion power of both Duchesses in 2020.
Most Influential Looks Of 2020
Kate
Kate’s most influential 2020 look arose from her recent tour of Ireland.
On day three of her Galway trip, the Duchess impressed in all green, wearing her Alexander McQueen trench coat and Suzannah London vintage polka dress. She matched this with a Jimmy Choo clutch and black Ralph Lauren suede boots.
The outfit was a huge hit with Brits, but it was the Alexander McQueen coat that had shoppers in a fashion frenzy, demand for Alexander McQueen shot up by 233% online, and searches for trench coats were up 93% in the past week.
This was the second time in the space of a month she had worn the coat, a fashion favourite of the Duchess.
Meghan
Meghan’s most popular look in 2020 came from one of her last engagements as a senior royal in the UK, delivering a powerful speech on International Women’s Day at a school in Dagenham.
The Duchess wore a cream boucle jacket by ME and EM, black Alexander McQueen trousers, Jennifer Chamandi nude pumps and a Rejina Pyo weave bag.
The cream jacket was a huge hit with shoppers, selling out within hours. Searches for ‘boucle jackets’ shot up by 92% in the days after the event.
Kate’s Casual-wear Is A Hit With UK Shoppers
Kate is often pictured in glamorous brands like Jimmy Choo and Alexander McQueen, but it has been her affordable looks in 2020, that have Brits buzzing.
11 of her 20 looks analysed this year featured high street brands. Mango, Zara and Reiss all benefiting from the Duchess choosing their clothes.
Most notable beneficiary was Marks & Spencer’s, the Duchess of Sussex wore their incredibly affordable white trainers to a SportAid event in February.
The Vegan-friendly shoes were a massive hit with British shoppers, sparking a 165% increase in online demand. The shoes that cost just £29.50 were searched for over 2,000 times and sold out in hours on Marks & Spencer’s website.
M&S have said the popular trainers will make a return in April.
Is ‘The Meghan Effect’ Coming To An End?
It was just one year ago that Meghan’s maternity-wear was causing huge hysteria online. Her trending looks have caused internet meltdowns, with similar styles selling out hours after Meghan is papped wearing them.
The Duchess of Sussex chose to wear Aussie brand Outland denim on her September 2018 tour of Australia, and the company’s sales increased by 2,300% in the following months.
From 2017 to 2019, ‘The Meghan Effect’ had officially outshone ‘The Kate Effect’.
Since the announcement of her move to Canada, Meghan’s outfits haven’t hit the heights of previous years.
In particular, the Duchess’ signature gowns and dresses haven’t had the same impact on shoppers, compared to the last two years.
Meghan wore a red Safiyaa capelet gown to the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday, similar to blue Safiyaa gown she wore on her visit to Fiji in 2018.
Her blue gown had a much bigger impact on shoppers, with searches going up for ‘Safiyaa gowns’ by 223%, in the days after the state dinner in Fiji. In contrast, the striking red gown only saw a 38% uplift in searches, in the last week.
Head to Head
Kate wore a camel Massimo Dutti coat when visiting her ‘Early Years’ patronage charity event on the 22nd of January. On the same day, Meghan released pictures of a secret visit to her Mayhew’s charity earlier in the month, the coat she was wearing was also by Massimo Dutti.
In the weeks after both pictures of the Duchesses were released, Brits searched for Kate’s coat 8 times more than Meghan’s.
Analysis is based on the combined Google search queries and the search queries, page views and sales metrics of 4 million British shoppers searching 6 million fashion items on LovetheSales.com.
Research based on every outfit publicly worn by the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Sussex, in 2020.
LovetheSales.com is a global marketplace for online shopping and discounts.
For more information on the Duchess of Sussex or the Duchess of Cambridge’s outfits, regarding demand, price or any other query, please do contact:
Liam Solomon
Head of Content
+44 7414 633 197
Head of Brand
+44 7979 913 665
