Meghan Markle has worn many of the clothes she is now selling online to her fans, it can be revealed – as one report claims she believes it will make her a billionaire.
The Duchess of Sussex, who described her ‘high-low’ style approach to mixing designer and accessible fashion during her recent Netflix series, yesterday launched a new digital shop in her latest post-Royal Family venture.
Meghan, 43, promotes her ‘ShopyMy’ closet as a ‘handpicked and curated collection of the things I love,’ adding she has long been asked to share her wardrobe recommendations.
A source claimed Meghan ‘thinks she’s going to be a billionaire’ and the team working on her lifestyle endeavours will propel her there.
And MailOnline has calculated that the 35 items she has promoted on her shop, which features a £1,072 dress, a £715 handbag and a £595 pair of sandals, comes to a staggering total of £10,071.
It led to one stylist warning today: ‘Many of the items she has chosen are extortionately priced, and the same ‘look’ can be purchased for far less money.’
In exchange for her recommendations, the duchess will earn commission as high as 30 per cent for purchases made.
Outfits the duchess has been pictured in before have been known to sell out in minutes, but fashion experts warned today that her choices may be too far out of reach for most people amidst a cost-of-living crisis.
Gigi Vakilzadeh, a personal stylist based in London, told MailOnline: ‘Meghan has described her style as a high-low mix, combining high street finds with luxury designer pieces, and her latest shopping list reflects this approach.
‘While she includes affordable options from brands like Gap, some items, such as the Heidi Merrick Windsor Gown in Ivory Silk Noil (£1,072), are far beyond most women’s budgets, especially given the current financial climate.
The link posted by the Duchess opens to a ShopMy storefront and Meghan’s first drop includes a £148 white linen shirt and a Heidi Merrick’s ‘Windsor’ gown for an eye-watering £1,072
Meghan Markle in the sleeveless peach maxi dress from Californian designer Heidi Merrick during a trip to Nigeria in 2024
In 2023, Meghan wore a similar £445 Clarity Retreat necklace designed by her friend and Suits co-star, Abigail Spencer, in collaboration with Maya Brenner
A Maya Brenner necklace called ‘The Happiness Retreat’ that is part of the online ‘closet’ will set you back by nearly £400
The Duchess of Sussex accessorised with £175 Heidi Merrick ‘Santa Barbara’ sunglasses at a polo match with Harry in 2024
The Heidi Merrick sunglasses for £178 were also included in Meghan’s shop
Meghan pictured here during her tour of Colombia in 2024 – wearing the ‘Cecilia’ Emme Parsons shoes €370 and Ray-Ban sunglasses now featured on her shop
Meghan also featured popular pilot-style RayBan sunglasses, which cost $230
‘While many of these are timeless classics that could remain in a wardrobe for years, they are still out of reach for the average buyer.
‘For many women, seeing such a costly wardrobe being promoted can feel unrelatable, particularly when everyday essentials have become more expensive.’
Lindsay Edwards, a personal stylist from Bedfordshire, echoed Ms Vakilzadeh’s concerns, telling MailOnline: ‘Meghan’s cherry picked wardrobe, which she’s promoting to her audience, appears at first glance to carry a hefty price tag.
‘Certainly, many of the items are out of reach, to the average person, amidst a cost of living crisis.’
Ms Edwards pointed out that while most items are at least more than £100, some even exceeding £500 and £1,000, there are Gap sweaters on sale for £27, a Chambray shirt for £52.50 and her Uniqlo trench coat staple at £99.
The personal stylist, who said she loves the ‘timeless feel’ of the wardrobe, added: ‘Despite her choices, I doubt that her collection will be popular overall.
‘Many of the items she has chosen are extortionately priced, and the same ‘look’ can be purchased for far less money, from alternative brands.
‘Meghan’s audience (typically women in their 30s and 40s) might be inspired by her aspirational wardrobe, but they’re savvy enough to know they can replicate her choices in a budget friendly way.’
The products being promoted by Meghan include a Heidi Merrick Windsor Gown at £1,072, a £1,092 Loro Piana crewneck sweater, a ££95 pair of Saint Lauren sandals and a £715 Cesta Collective crossbody handbag.
Despite the hefty price tags, some fashion designers have backed Meghan’s wardrobe.
Cherish Reardon, co-founder and creative director of Popsy Clothing, said it could be a ‘real boost for emerging and crowing designers’ if Meghan is ‘shining a spotlight on them’.
But she added: ‘I can see a variety of price points of the current closet, some of them are definitely luxury and my concern would be about pricing many customers out but I think if a real good mix of designers, high street and independent brands are used this could be really beneficial to the industry.
Meghan Markle was seen wearing the expensive sandals in her ‘closet’ in a behind the scenes clip of her Netflix lifestyle show ahead of its launch
The Saint Laurent slip-ons could be seen as she held her dog at the doorway in the trailer
The Saint Laurent Woven Leather sandals are part of her ‘closet’ and cost a whopping £595
The Duchess yesterday gave her Instagram followers a closer look inside her wardrobe when she launched an online shop – with handpicked pieces from brands such as Heidi Merrick
Meghan wearing the £715 Panna Crossbody bag in Colombia last year with Prince Harry
This crossbody bag linked on Meghan’s ShopMy site costs £715 and is set to ship from May
This blouse on Meghan’s shop in the colour ‘Licorice’ comes with a price tag of £395
Meghan seen wearing the £345 Etiennette Blazer outside the WellChild awards in 2018
The black wool blazer on Meghan’s merchandise website can be purchased for £345
‘I would love to see more brands that are financially accessible to as many people as possible be promoted.’
Ms Reardon said the collection was ‘very much Meghan’s style’, pointing to its ‘chic’ look. She predicted it will spark new trends on the high street.
Ms Reardon continued: ‘The closet really does have a lot to offer, my only concern is around the pieces chosen and how affordable they are. It could be a really powerful platform and the opportunity to do more than just sell clothes.
‘It could shift people to thinking more about different brands, exploring ones that they wouldn’t have previously heard about and give a huge opportunity to designers out there to get their pieces shown on such a big scale.’
One of the reasons Meghan and Prince Harry parted ways with the Royal Family was the monarchy’s refusal to accept commercial endorsements by the couple.
Meghan in Dusseldorf wearing the black sandals in her collection that cost £595
Simple white shirts and trousers linked on Meghan’s ShopMy come with a price tag of more than £120
These 14k yellow gold earrings loved by Meghan, fittingly dubbed ‘Royal Signet Studs’, cost $365 (£280)
The duchess, who stepped back from frontline royal duties alongside her husband in 2020, wrote over a screen-recorded video of her new online store: ‘Many of you have asked, so here you go! A little shopping to start the week.’
A link leads to her ShopMy storefront, filled with 35 different items of clothing from designers such as Heidi Merrick, Maya Brenner, Reformation and J Crew.
Her wardrobe comprises mostly elevated basics, including linen shirts, crewneck sweaters, sunglasses, and handbags, in neutral shades like beige, brown, white, black, and navy blue.
A message on the ShopMy page reads: ‘A handpicked and curated collection of the things I love — I hope you enjoy them!’ with the addition: ‘Please note, some products may contain commissionable links.’
Other fashion experts suggested that while it is an expensive wardrobe, many people will take inspiration from it rather than forking out thousands.
Louise Duncum, a personal stylist for Weiz Styles, said: ‘Meghan’s closet launch is strategic, stylish and smart, showcasing how affiliate platforms can drive both inspiration and sales. This is a brilliant example of how a personal brand can be used to powerfully connect with an audience and drive sales.
‘While the full edit totals over £10,000, it’s important to remember that this isn’t about encouraging people to buy it all, it’s about offering a curated moodboard of her style.
‘Many people will take one or two key pieces or look for similar options within their own budgets, as well as mix and match ideas based on what they already own to recreate Meghan’s style.’
The Duchess of Sussex’s new show ‘With Love, Meghan’ came out on Netflix on March 4
Prince Harry makes just one appearance at the end of the first season’s final episode
Personal stylists Lindsay Edwards (left) and Gigi Vakilzadeh (right) both believe that Meghan’s wardrobe is too expensive for most
Meghan’s ShopMy is her latest venture, having unveiled her new lifestyle brand As Ever earlier this year.
The brand, which will sell jams, dog biscuits and pancake mixtures to name a few, will finally launch in the spring.
It comes after her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, was launched on Netflix in March. And despite scathing reviews, it has been renewed for a second series.
Meanwhile just last week, the duchess announced the launch of another podcast after her first one, Archetypes, was axed by Spotify last year.
The items, mostly in her signature neutral colours, include an oversized white shirt by Reformation for £128, a beige Uniqlo raincoat costing £99.90 and a gold Maya Brenner Happiness Retreat citrine stone necklace, made in collaboration with Meghan’s former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer, for £383.
The collection also includes a pre-order link for a £712 handbag from Cesta Collective, a brand which she told the New York Times she had invested in last summer.
The bag, which is similar to one Meghan was seen wearing on a tour of South America with Harry, has been made in a small batch to be shipped in June, the Cesta Collective website says.
‘Secure yours before it sells out again,’ the page Meghan linked to adds.
The basket bags are handwoven of ‘locally sourced, renewable resources, by talented female artisans in Rwanda, Africa’, Cesta Collective’s website says.
Other items include leather sandals made by shoe designer Emme Parsons for sale on luxury American department store Bergdorf Goodman’s website for $495 (£383).
While some products are from high street chains like Gap, others are from small boutiques including a £395 brown blouse from Brochu Walker.
There are cheaper items promoted such as a £62 Naadam cashmere sweater, £45 Gap jumper and trousers and a £52 Madewell t-shirt. However, just seven of the 35 items are below £100.
Meghan’s story showed the disclaimer ‘Please note, some products may contain commissionable links’ in asterisks on her ShopMy page but did not have a specific disclaimer on the post itself.
In the UK, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) requires people sharing affiliate links – which are unique URLs that allow companies to track who is responsible for a sale or lead – to identify links and sections of content related to affiliate products as advertising.
Many influencers will mark such content with ‘ad – affiliate link’ on Instagram stories when they can earn a commission from purchases made through links shared.
Meghan’s representatives have been approached for comment.
