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  • Being royal means that you have access to some pretty incredible fashion.

  • Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle have consistently turned heads with their royal fashion statements,

  • but not everything they wear is super expensive.

  • While it's true that a lot of their outfits come with a hefty price tag, some of their

  • fashion is a bit more accessible to fans of the royal family who want to emulate their

  • style.

  • Case in point: Both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle have been known to pair inexpensive

  • earrings with their fancy duds.

  • It might seem like an unusual choice, but one fashion expert says that there could be

  • a strategic reason for donning budget-friendly jewelry.

  • According to Insider, people started taking notice of the trend in July 2019 when Kate

  • Middleton paired a $10 pair of earrings from Accessorize with a $222 Sandro Paris dress.

  • In September 2019, she was seen wearing a $2,000 Emilia Wickstead frock with a $6 pair

  • of earrings from Accessorize.

  • Meghan Markle has also been rocking some affordable earrings, wearing a $6 pair - which were reportedly

  • borrowed from a friend - with a $10,000 Valentino dress to a wedding in September 2019.

  • She was also spotted wearing a $30 pair of Madewell earrings on her African tour that

  • month.

  • As fashion expertcile Duclos told Insider, wearing cheap earrings with expensive dresses

  • means that Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton are appealing to a wide range of people.

  • Duclos said,

  • "The choice of mixing luxury pieces with items from affordable mainstream retailers is a

  • strategic one.

  • The clothes that showcase established high-end brands or up-and-coming designers appeal to

  • the fashion world.

  • Carefully selected, they show knowledge and support of the fashion industry."

  • It's not about earning Instagram followers for these royals, though, as it might be for

  • your run-of-the-mill influencer.

  • According to Duclos, this fashion expertise,

  • "can influence popularity favorably, popularity which in turn becomes an asset for their diplomatic

  • and political endeavors."

  • Wearing affordable jewelry also appeals to those who can't buy pricey designer dresses

  • but still admire Middleton and Markle's style.

  • As Duclos puts it,

  • "The affordable pieces [...] are used to appeal to a different audience.

  • This is the general public, who can also enjoy fashion, but can't necessarily afford designer

  • pieces.

  • The use of popular brands cleverly demonstrates a down-to-earth personality, one of a royal

  • who still shops in the same places than the rest of the population.

  • This mix of influences is therefore carefully crafted in order to appeal to a wide socio-economical

  • range of people and influence opinion, which is, in the royal world just like in everyday

  • life, one of the essential aims of fashion."

  • While we can't prove that Markle and Middleton are intentionally trying to cater to their

  • fans across many demographics with their fashion choices and affordable accessories, royal

  • commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said that their style does make them seem more accessible.

  • Fitzwilliams told Insider,

  • "We are told how much the outfits royals wear cost.

  • Because they lift the profile of the designers involved, who knows what they bought them

  • for.

  • This mix is more relatable, they know it will be analyzed.

  • The end result is what really matters."

  • Markle and Middleton don't stop at wearing affordable earrings, either.

  • Both royals are often spotted wearing budget-friendly clothing.

  • In October 2019, Essence reported that Markle was wearing a $139 trench dress on her royal

  • tour of Africa.

  • People reported that Markle is also often spotted wearing Everlane, a brand whose cashmere

  • collection went on sale in November 2019 for just $100 per piece.

  • In 2018, Insider reported on some of Middleton's most budget friendly looks, including a 2017

  • farm visit wearing $50 pants from Zara.

  • Another favorite staple of Middleton's is maternity brand Seraphine.

  • In 2014, the duchess rocked a turtleneck dress from the brand that cost just $59.

  • It's clear that becoming royal hasn't changed Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton too much.

  • It's no wonder that so many people envy these ladies not just for their style but also for

  • their grace.

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Being royal means that you have access to some pretty incredible fashion.

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