Meghan Markle Called ‘Powerful Style Influencer,’ But Princess Diana Is The ‘Icon’

Meghan Markle has been dubbed as a powerful style influencer, but she is not yet considered a royal fashion icon like Princess Diana.

A new report from Lyst, a global fashion search platform, revealed which female member of the royal family has had an influence on consumer habits. For instance, the Queen Mother is credited with reviving dwindling sales in parasols. Queen Alexander is known for setting the Swan Bill corset trend.

“Forget the Kardashians or the Hadids; the Windsors are the ultimate fashion influencer family. At Lyst we’re used to looking into real-time, reactive spikes in search and sales when a celebrity influencer wears a fashion brand,” Charlotte Austin, the editor of Lyst told the Daily Mail.

Lyst’s research revealed that Markle’s power coats are what made her a powerful royal style influencer. Following her engagement announcement in November, the “Suits” alum was photographed wearing a white coat designed by Line The Label. The garment sold out within 12 hours.

Weeks later, Markle and Prince Harry went to Edinburgh and the “Horrible Bosses” star was once again seen wearing a coat. Her double-breasted Burberry blue coat soared by 120 percent and was sold out in 48 hours.

Meanwhile, when Princess Diana was still alive, she became known for her little black dress or her revenge dress. Even after her death, Lyst learned that there are still half a million searches for the black attire that Princess Diana wore in the ‘80s.

Princess Diana also typically wore strong shoulder shirts, dresses, and blazers between the 80s and the 90s. The media crowned her as “Dynasty Di” because of her shoulder pads. According to Lyst, shoulders are always in fashion and for the past two years, they have been the most searched body part in the world.

“For this project, we wanted to investigate the longer-term ‘ripple effect’ of fashion trends endorsed by the Royals over the years. Based on our research, we believe Princess Diana is the most powerful royal fashion influencer of all time. While we’re seeing phenomenal spikes in demand for all things Meghan-endorsed right now, Diana’s lasting legacy as a trendsetter and continual source of inspiration for generations of designers and fashion lovers make The Diana Effect an incredibly powerful fashion source,” Austin concluded.