Princess Charlotte is fashion influencer at the age of eight…
Revealed: a headache for Prince William and Kate – as Charlotte becomes an unwitting fashion influencer at the age of eight…
- Phone-obsessed shoppers try to copy Charlotte’s clothes whenever she appears
- KATE MANSEY says this is the last thing the family-minded Waleses would want
- For all the latest Royal news, pictures and video click here
It might seem hard to credit, but Princess Charlotte is already a significant influence in the world of children’s clothes.
It has long been accepted that her mother, Catherine, drives fashion sales through what she wears – unintentionally, of course.
But now it seems that shoes, dresses and even sunglasses worn by eight-year-old Princess Charlotte are also selling out within hours.
Sitting in the front row of the Royal Box at the Wimbledon men’s final on Sunday Charlotte wore a striking pair of Leosun sunglasses – and the result was a 450 per cent rise in traffic on the brand website.
Eight-year-old Charlotte is unwittingly becoming a fashion trend-setter. She is seen here at Wimbledon in stylish branded sunglasses
The company that manufactured the glasses, Leosun, immediately saw a spike in interest from consumers
Classic, understated and age-appropriate, Charlotte’s wardrobe is filled with floral dresses from Spanish brands, cardigans and buckled shoes from Papouelli, a label which has experienced world-wide interest since the princess appeared in them around the time of the Coronation.
Charlotte also wears simple plimsolls from Trotters, the cult London childrenswear shop in Chelsea. Breton stripes are a favourite print.
A Rachel Riley dress with a peter pan collar dress worn to the Commonwealth Games provoked a notable rush of interest.
The dress sold out completely within 24 hours and Rachel Riley set up a pre-order system for customers eager to replicate Charlotte’s preppy style.
Interest in the young princess’s clothes and accessories began before she was even one day old.
Minutes after she had appeared on the steps of the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s, Paddington, the baby’s GH Hurt & Son shawl had attracted 100,000 visitors to their website from more than 183 countries.
Charlotte was inadvertently driving sales from her very first appearance in public as a newborn. The manufacturer of the shawl in which she is wrapped saw enquiries pour in from around the world
This unwanted influence can only be a source of dismay to Kate and William, who work hard to create as normal an atmosphere as possible for their family.
They are already scrupulous in avoiding any hint of commercial gain
Even so, it has been predicted that in a world driven by mobile phones and instant purchases Charlotte’s choice of clothes could eventually be worth more than £3 billion to the UK economy across her lifetime.
Kate Mansey, royal writer and Assistant Editor of The Mail on Sunday says:
‘The last thing the Waleses will want is for Charlotte to become a fashion trend setter.
‘They’re already treading a delicate balance between allowing the world to see their children, allowing the public to have a relationship, while protecting their privacy.’
The Princess of Wales is well aware of the issue when it comes to her own wardrobe, she says.
‘We’ve already seen Kate choose clothes for photoshoots that aren’t the latest season’s trends no doubt for that very reason.’
Stylish Sunglasses
Charlotte in shades for the final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic
Watching the men’s finals at Wimbledon, Charlotte was dressed in a £169 floral dress from Spanish brand Friki and a pair of £28 Leosun sunglasses. The smocked frock named Alitas, was sold out by the evening and is now available for preorder.
Her sunglasses were a style that the brand no longer make. Even so Leosun saw a 450 per cent increase in web traffic during the tennis match with a similar style called the Rose Fade selling three times faster than other models.
Breton Stripes
This dress with a Peter Pan collar became Rachel Riley’s fastest selling item after Charlotte was seen wearing it to the Commonwealth Games last year
The dress reappeared for a recent visit to the Royal International Air Tattoo in Gloucestershire
Princess Charlotte was pictured at the Royal International Air Tattoo in Gloucestershire wearing a £39 Rachel Riley Breton striped dress with a white Reiss cardigan and a pair of navy canvas plimsolls by Trotters. When she first wore the peter pan collar dress at the Commonwealth Games it completely sold out in under 24 hours.
Strawberries and Chambray
Charlotte wore this jumpsuit for the family portrait on their 2022 Christmas Card and sales immediately…jumped
Charlotte was undoubtedly the star when pictured walking alongside her family in their 2022 Christmas card portrait. But she was also making fashion waves in her £17 Sfera chambray jumpsuit with strawberry embroidery and Trotters shoes. The jumpsuit sold out of all sizes by the following day and the Plum plimsolls remain one of Trotters bestsellers.
Party Sequins
Princess Charlotte and Prince George at the Platinum Jubileee party
Charlotte, pictured next to her mother, wore a sequined red dress that immediately sold out
Sitting front row and stealing the show at the Platinum Party at the Palace, Princess Charlotte wore a £41 Monsoon ruby red dress embellished in sequins with cape sleeves and a tulle skirt. It sold out immediately and has now been recommissioned in a similar style following its popularity.
Pale Blue Ruffles
Princess Charlotte watches the RAF flypast following the 2022 Trooping the Colour
The princess is seen here in the same blue dress seated next to Prince George in a carriage as the ceremony takes place
Most sizes in the £77 chiffon dress sold out instantly
Charlotte looked immaculate in a £77 cornflower blue dress by Patachou as she arrived with her brothers at Trooping the Colour in 2022. Crafted from chiffon, the elegant design featured a full ruffled skirt, butterfly sleeves and bow detailing, with most sizes selling out instantly.
Birthday Florals
Another Rachel Riley dress, this time in a floral print, was chosen for Charlotte’s sixth birthday portrait. It became the fastest selling piece of clothing in the brand’s 25-year history
The Charlotte Effect was really making an impact after a dress she wore in her sixth birthday portrait became an instant sell out. Fans snapped up the £59 pretty floral frock, designed by Rachel Riley, so rapidly it became the fastest selling piece of clothing in the brand’s 25-year history.
Liberty Print
This £70 Trotters frock appeared in Charlotte’s fourth birthday portrait. It had sold out within days.
Celebrating her fourth birthday in a portrait taken by the Princess of Wales in the grounds of Anmer Hall, Charlotte created a shopping scramble for her £70 Liberty print dress. Featuring a peter pan collar and puff sleeves, the Trotters frock caused a huge spike in interest and sold out within days.
Periwinkle Florals
Charlotte arrives at St Mary’s Paddington with her father following the birth of baby brother Louis in 2018
The dress was designed by Alice Avenel, one of Kate’s school friends. It sold out in under 24 hours
When smiling and waving outside the Lindo Wing before meeting her new baby brother, the princess sent fashion fans searching for her £45 Little Alice floral dress. The dress was designed by Alice Avenel, an old school friend of the Princess of Wales, and sold out in under 24 hours. She paired the frock with an Amaia navy cardigan and Mary Jane shoes from the same brand.
Cosy Knit
The princess was dressed in this £20 cardigan for her second birthday portrait. It immediately sold out
To celebrate Princess Charlotte’s second birthday, the royal family released a photograph of the toddler dressed in what became the cardigan of the year. The £20 yellow sheep-embroidered knit sold out instantly on John Lewis’ website, but was later spotted on eBay for three times the price.
Pink Boots
The pink boots worn for Charlotte’s first ski holiday saw a 97 per cent increase on normal sales
Wrapping up on the slopes in a John Lewis snowsuit and Johnstons of Elgin bobble hat, it was a pair of pink fleece boots that created a shopping frenzy. As 10-month-old Charlotte enjoyed her first ski holiday. My 1st Years sold 259 pairs of the £25 boots, a 97% increase on normal sales.
Woollen Shawl
Even as a new-born, Charlotte was influencing sales. Her introduction to the world outside hospital saw a spike in sales of the GH Hurt & Son white wool shawl in which she is wrapped
The Charlotte effect began almost the moment the world was introduced to the young royal on 2nd May 2015. Wrapped in a GH Hurt & Son white wool shawl on the front steps of the Lindo Wing, the newborn became a fashion icon within minutes as thousands of the £68 merino blanket were sold within just hours and production doubled overnight.
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