Meghan Markle news: Duchess of Sussex reveals how she uses clothes to send messages during podcast interview

Meghan has revealed the special way she’s sent messages without uttering “a word”.

When stepping out in public, eyes are often on what the Duchess of Sussex is wearing.

In what has become known as the “Meghan effect”, the royal’s fashion choices have led to spikes in sales and even pieces from designers selling out as people scramble to replicate the duchess’ California-cool and chic style. 

In a recent podcast interview, the royal revealed a special intention behind her threads. 

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When asked how she feels about her influence, Meghan told friend and podcast host Jamie Kern Lima: “It makes me feel really great when, specifically, it can help uplift brands that have a great ethos and female founders.”

“There was a long time where I wasn’t out talking,” she said.

“So if you couldn’t hear me, how could I be heard through what I was wearing if that was what people were focusing on?”

Meghan added that through her fashion choices she “didn’t have to say a word, but it would move product for small companies”. 

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One example Lima brought up was a gold bracelet by jewellery brand Valencia Key that Meghan wore to the Invictus Games.

According to Forbes, the company had an 11,000 per cent increase in sales after.

The royal then seemed to address a meaningful choice she made on a trip to Australia.

Back in 2018, while on her royal tour with Prince Harry in Australia, Meghan wore a pair of black skinny-leg jeans from homegrown brand Outland Denim.

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The Aussie company helps provide jobs to survivors of the trafficking industry.

“By wearing those jeans, I knew it was going to allow them to save more women.”

The Duchess later remarked: “All of those things end up becoming a touchpoint that’s really high value to me.”

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Meghan first opened up about her effect on fashion back in a 2024 interview with The New York Times, sharing how she spends time looking for designers online.

Given the spotlight on her, Meghan said she will ”support designers that I have really great friendships with, and smaller, up-and-coming brands that haven’t gotten the attention that they should be getting.”

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She added it’s “one of the most powerful things that i’m able to do.”

The royal recently made a move into the fashion space with the launch of her own public ShopMy page, selling many of her staple fashion pieces.

The site includes everything from shoes to bags, jewellery, dresses and trousers.

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