Duchess emerges as the Queen of fashion
Duchesses set style trends
THE DUCHESS of Cambridge has taken the crown as this year’s top influence on royal style.
Kate, rather than royal newcomer the Duchess of Sussex, had the biggest impact on shopping habits, according to eBay’s annual UK Retail Report.
Her maternity style while pregnant with Prince Louis ensured she generated more online searches on eBay than any other royal over the past year.
Searches for tailored maternity coats more than tripled in November 2017, while Kate was expecting her third child.
In April, searches for designer Jenny Packham more than doubled when Kate appeared outside the Lindo Wing in a red Packham smock dress for Prince Louis’s debut. Throughout the year, Kate’s go-to choices Jenny Packham, Alexander McQueen and Seraphine saw a 20 per cent upsurge in searches year-onyear, with as many as 43 searches every hour. Meghan and her signature boatneck necklines, came a close second.
Rob Hattrell, UK vice president of eBay, said: “While Meghan was clearly the focus of the fashion pages this year, Kate’s distinctive style has long been a hit with shoppers on eBay since her wedding in 2011. We always see an uptick in searches around landmark royal events and 2018 was a bumper year for small businesses on eBay.”
A COMPANY’S study which has suggested the Duchess of Cambridge has been named narrowly ahead of her new sister-in-law the Duchess of Sussex as this year’s top royal style influencer may not be the most important piece of news this week but nevertheless highlights how both women are excellent representatives of the Royal Family.
According to eBay’s annual UK Retail Report, both women had a major impact on the nation’s shopping habits, with Kate’s maternity style and Meghan’s wedding day attire setting trends around the nation. Princess Charlotte and Prince George were third and fourth in the table respectively as parents sought to replicate their looks.
Kate and Meghan have very different backgrounds and personalities but both exemplify how the Royal Family has changed with the times while retaining the traditions and decorum that have made the British monarchy respected the world over.