We already know that the royal women are trendsetters. Often, the simple act of Kate Middleton or Meghan Markle wearing an outfit results in it immediately selling out — generating a ton of sales for the brand. And they haven't just inspired regular people, there have also been celebrities who've copied royal style. But the influence apparently goes both ways, because there are an equal number of celebs who have also seemingly inspired royal fashion.
Royal wardrobes aren't only comprised of custom items. Often, they'll buy stuff off the rack or off the runway — and guess what? Regular A-listers have access to those same brands. And sometimes they beat the royals to the trends. We've rounded up eight times the royals were spotted in outfits that other celebrities had already worn. The celeb inspirations range from a Gossip Girl character to a Kardashian. It's fascinating.
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Leighton Meester's 'Gossip Girl' Character Was on Top of Trends
In a May 2011 episode of Gossip Girl, Leighton Meester's character Blair was spotted in this gorgeous Jenny Packham gown. When rich characters in TV shows actually dress in trendy designer duds, it really helps sell the idea that these characters exist in the real world. And it seems like one royal lady is a GG fan.
Kate Middleton Wore the Dress a Month Later
We'd love to think that the Duchess of Cambridge saw the Gossip Girl episode and then immediately called her stylist to get the same Jenny Packham gown. But however it happened, it looks just as great on Kate as on Blair. Kate wore the dress to a gala in June 2011, just a month after it appeared on the TV show.
Angelina Jolie Stunned in a Red Jenny Packham Gown
For a movie premiere in May 2011, Angelina Jolie chose this Grecian-style red dress, which also happens to be from designer Jenny Packham. She's a favorite for red carpet gowns (and a favorite designer of Kate's specifically). The Duchess of Cambridge would be copying Angelina's look in just a matter of months.
Kate Owns It in Silver
At first glance, people may not have realized that Kate's silvery gown was the same design as Angelina's, but they sure were. Just different colors of the same style. We're not sure which hue we prefer, but Kate did look great in this silky dress while attending a reception with Prince William in November 2011.
Meghan's Always Had Cutting-Edge Style
Before Meghan Markle had ever met Prince Harry, she was an actress in Suits doing regular red carpets. She chose a chic navy Diane von Furstenberg dress for this occasion in 2012. Little did she know, her future sister-in-law would be wearing the same design years later. Meghan was just trend-setting way back when.
Seems Like Kate Was Inspired by Her Future Sister-in-Law
When the Duchess of Cambridge wore this lacy black dress in November 2017, many noticed that it's the same DVF design as Meghan's from all those years ago. Kate's is a different color and length, but it has the same lacy sleeves and bodice overlay. When the duchess wore this, Meghan had already started dating Harry, and we wonder if she noticed the similarities.
Abigail Spencer Had a Chic Royal Wedding Guest Outfit
For Meghan Markle's wedding, her Suits co-star Abigail Spencer chose a pretty blue polka dot dress with white collar and sleeve details. It's an Alessandra Rich design, and she's known for her obsession with dotted fabrics. And because Kate Middleton was at the same event as Abigail, perhaps she was inspired.
Kate Wore the Dress at a Less Formal Event
Several months after Abigail was spotted in the dress, Kate wore the same one to Prince Charles' 70th birthday celebration. It was a casual setting, so it begs the question — was Kate too dressed up, or was Abigail underdressed when she wore it to the wedding? In any case, Abigail and Kate aren't even the only celebs who love this gown. It's also been spotted on Kelly Ripa, Sarah Jessica Parker, and more.
Elisabeth Moss Stunned in This Green Gown
In August 2017, Handmaid's Tale actress Elisabeth Moss wore this super pretty green gown at the Television Critics Association Awards. It's from the brand The Vampire's Wife, which explains its moody appearance. And while the dress was already trendy in 2017, Kate Middleton decided to bring it back nearly three years later.
Kate Later Wore It in Ireland
Before the world shut down in 2020, Kate Middleton and Prince William went on a royal tour to Ireland in March. While there, they just had to visit the Guinness Storehouse and try some beer. Kate showed up for the event in the same Vampire's Wife green dress, looking just as good in 2020 as Elisabeth did in 2017.
Jenna Coleman Wore This Dress to a Royal Polo Event
English actress Jenna Coleman got the royal invite in June 2018 to attend the Cartier Queen's Cup Polo Final. She wore a gorgeous white dress for the occasion, designed by royal favorite Emilia Wickstead. This event was just a month after Meghan's wedding, so while she wasn't in attendance, she may have seen pictures of Jenna in her dress.
Meghan Copied the Look for a Royal Tour
Whatever her source of inspiration, Meghan turned up in the same Emilia Wickstead dress in October. She was on a tour of Sydney, Australia, and decided to wear the black version of the gown — despite the royal rule to not wear black unless to a funeral. Fashion protocol breach or not, she looked fabulous.
Paris Hilton Must Have Inspired Kate With This White Dress
If we had to guess a person who would be least likely to inspire a royal's wardrobe, Paris Hilton would be pretty high on that list. But she definitely deserves credit for beating Kate to the punch with this dress. Paris wore the white gown in October 2016 for a Los Angeles gala.
Kate Later Wore It for a Red Carpet
A month after Paris wore the Self-Portrait design, Kate Middleton was spotted in it on the red carpet. The Duchess of Cambridge chose the dress for a movie premiere, and both women looked equally stunning in the design. It retailed for over $500 at the time, and while that's expensive, it was on the less expensive side of Kate's wardrobe.
Kourtney Kardashian Beat Kate to This Dress Trend
In 2016, Kourtney Kardashian was on the cover of You magazine, and one of the dresses she wore for the photo shoot was this white one. It's a Barbara Casasola off-the-shoulder design that Kate Middleton would end up wearing as well. It makes sense actually that they'd have wardrobe crossover — the Kardashians are kind of the American royals.
The Duchess Was a Little Late
Technically, Kate was spotted in this off-the-shoulder outfit a few weeks before Kourtney's You magazine profile came out, but since magazines are often compiled and sent to the printer months ahead of time, it's likely that Kourtney's look came first. Kate later re-wore the dress to a 2019 gala.
