

During her time in the British royal family, Meghan Markle faced periods where public commentary wasn’t always an option. But rather than stay completely silent, she found a creative workaround-using her wardrobe to express herself and amplify the stories of others.
In her first podcast interview, appearing on Jamie Kern Lima’s show, the 43-year-old Duchess reflected on how she turned fashion into a meaningful form of communication during her time as a working royal.
Lima noted the influence of the so-called “Meghan Effect,” referring to how Markle‘s fashion choices have consistently driven demand for products and brands.
“It feels really great when specifically, it can help uplift brands that have a great ethos and female founders,” Markle said, adding that while she wasn’t always speaking publicly, she still wanted to be heard.
“If you couldn’t hear me, how could I be heard through what I was wearing if that was what people were focusing on?”
How Meghan boosted ethical and small labels
Markle detailed how her clothing choices were often intentional, particularly when it came to promoting small businesses with strong social missions. She shared how simply wearing an item could dramatically shift a brand’s trajectory.
For example, the Valencia Key gold bracelet she wore during the 2025 Invictus Games created a viral moment, resulting in an 11,000% surge in sales.
Markle also wore Outland Denim skinny jeans during her 2018 tour of Australia, a move that brought global attention to the company’s mission of employing and empowering survivors of human trafficking.
“By wearing those jeans, I knew it was going to allow them to save more women,” she told Lima.
One of her earliest impactful endorsements came in 2017, when she carried a Strathberry midi tote for her first official appearance with Prince Harry.
The Scottish handbag company reportedly expanded from 11 to 50 employees following that moment.
Markle didn’t name Strathberry specifically in the podcast, but referred to a “small company in Scotland” that hired dozens of new workers as a result of her support.
Beyond just wearing products, Markle has embraced a role as an investor, backing socially conscious brands like Cesta Collective, which supports female artisans in Rwanda.
In a 2024 New York Times profile, she said, “I spend a lot of time just Googling, looking for brands.” That same interview quoted Markle as saying her early experience with Strathberry “changed everything in terms of how I then looked at putting an outfit together.”
With her style choices, Markle continues to champion meaningful causes-even when words aren’t part of the conversation.
Through clothing, she’s found a way to spotlight purpose-driven companies, female entrepreneurs, and ethical fashion-proving that sometimes, silence can speak volumes.
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