Indicating an international approach to her style preferences, Meghan Markle paid tribute to Toronto with her fashion choice of a white coat by the Canada-based Line the Label. She layered it over a green dress by Italian designers Parosh, and heels by Aquazurra for the photocall marking her engagement to Prince Harry.
It was the perfect look to complement her modern three-stone engagement ring, curated and designed by Prince Harry, that incorporated diamonds from Botswana and the collection of his mother, Princess Diana.
Marrying into the British royal family means her every style move will fall under the closest scrutiny, and nothing comes under the sartorial spotlight more than the royal-engagement-announcement outfit.
Proving the ‘Meghan Effect’ is in full force, and gaining momentum, the belted wrapped-style white coat she chose to wear for her official engagement appearance on Monday set off a frenzy that crashed the Line the Label site within an hour.
"Meghan has an effortlessly chic sense of style, which we've always admired. We know this particular coat is one of her favourite pieces so we have officially decided to name it the 'Meghan'. We are elated for Meghan and wish her a lifetime of happiness with Prince Harry," Line the Label president and cofounder John Muscat told USA Today.
From sales soars to interest surges, Markle’s reach with consumers had been noted far before the royal announcement. The truffle-coloured dress from Aritzia that she wore to the annual Invictus Games opening ceremony, in September, sold out swiftly. The same weekend she wore a pair of tortoiseshell sunglasses by Finlay & Co, which has revealed that sales have increased tenfold.
It’s a similar style story to her soon-to-be sister in-law, the duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, whose midnight-blue Issa dress sold out less than 24 hours after her engagement photocall.
In fact Newsweek estimated in 2012 that the 'Kate effect' could contribute up to £1 billion to the UK fashion industry each year. Given the colossal number of articles on Markle's style choices, the instant effect it has on lesser-known brands, and the impact she has on millions of women around the world who scramble to dress like the actor turned royal-to-be, it's safe to say Markle is turning into one of the most influential women in fashion and following in Kate's powerful sartorial footsteps.
With a palette of monochrome, tonal looks and clean lines under her belt, Markle has honed her style to polished perfection. Playful but understated, sticking to the sweet side of sexy, bold while still respectful of tradition, Markle prefers to side-step trends, and leans on silhouette-skimming dresses, classic midi dresses, simple courts and easy separates like relaxed jeans and oversized shirts for downtime.
Where designers like Tory Burch, Marchesa and Hervé Léger were once her go-to designers, in recent times Markle has experimented with looks by fashion’s chicest names, such as Roland Mouret, Erdem, Victoria Beckham and Céline. Expertly mixing designer styles with midpriced brands that don’t require royal funds to buy, she has evolved into a model of modernity and simple elegance.
The Suits actor's classic style has been evident throughout her red-carpet career, developing an authoritative sense of occasion, not edgy or flashy but bridging the gap of classic cool while dressing in the appropriate colour, design or style with her own sartorial flair. See for yourself in our round-up of the soon-to-be royal icon's style evolution.
Get Meghan’s Look
Shawl collar belted coat €120, River Island
Forest-green shift dress €38, Wallis
Nude heels €27, New Look, Asos
18ct-gold-plated silver three-stone ring €43.99, Argos
