The ‘Kate Effect’: Middleton’s Favorite Maternity High Street Labels Doubled In Sales

Kate Middleton has not failed to keep her style icon status intact, even now that she is just a few days away from giving birth to her second child. The Duchess of Cambridge has not only appeared chic and classy in her maternity outfits, but also managed to astoundingly increase the sales of high street brand “Seraphine.”

Amidst Mulberry coats and Alexander McQueen gowns, Seraphine has mostly been Kate’s label of choice during her two pregnancies. The “Kate effect,” which refers to the phenomenon where every design Kate wore swiftly sold out, has made tremendous global effects for the maternity brand, as seen from the profits that have quadrupled since she was first spotted wearing pieces from the line, E! News reported.

Among the British Royale’s popular choices were a £195 (NZ$379) cashmere coat with faux pearl buttons that she wore to a series of engagements Kensington in January, a £95 (NZ$185) blue and green floral dress that was sported during her visit to the Potteries in February, a glamorous £225 (NZ$438) plum boucle Marina coat when she made a debut in New York and a £46 fuchsia wrap dress seen in the first official photograph of Prince George, NZ Herald stated.

Cecile Reinaud, founder and managing director of the high street firm, had some insights on how the Duchess’ pregnancy style became an instant hit with women, some of them not even pregnant and how even though other A-list celebrities, including Jessica Alba, Kate Winslet, Angelina Jolie and Gwen Stefani, had stepped out in Seraphine during their pregnancies, it was the 30-year-old British who made the line a household name in the U.S.

"[Kate has] to look a little bit classic because of the royal guidelines, but at the same time she likes to show her figure and look a little bit sexy and we really to try to that achieve at Seraphine -- that blend of all these aspects while staying on trend," she said.

Now the Anglo-French label even sells its pieces with the tagline “Worn by the Duchess of Cambridge” and markets them as suitable for before, during and after pregnancy. And true to form, the popular designs have since sold out repeatedly, some in just a span of hours and some making a month-long waitlist with people who opted to be patient for the next stock to come.

Reinaud launched the brand back in 2002, starting from a small shop on High Street Kensington. The firm has expanded through the years, now having several stores all over London and one in New York, has been seeing a growth spurt on its sales since the royal endorsement.

While the Duchess put on Seraphine on most occasions during the course of her second pregnancy, she also had other high street staples that filled her wardrobe. She was previously spotted sporting Hobbs during her visit to North London and Kensington and JoJo Maman Bébé for a visit to TV drama “Downtown Abbey.”

She also opted for brands Jaeger, L.K. Bennet and Alice Temperly, all of which budget friendly and mid-ranged. The Duchess is a living proof that expecting mothers don’t have to go out on an all-out spree on maternity clothes to look gorgeous.

Fashion pundit Simon Glazin said that Kate liked to play safe with her clothing choice, as she had to adhere to royal fashion protocol -- not too revealing, neutral colors and affordable. Moreover, he believed that the reason for the enduring popularity of her style was its being accessible and practical. Also, her penchant for labels from the British High Street allowed people to copy her from head to toe.

Glazin also gushed that Kate, more than any other royal, has made fashion available for the public. He compared the Duchess to Princess Diana, who also had an amazing wardrobe but mostly composed of “made-to-measure” pieces. "People want someone to look up to when it comes to the royals. She is the new generation," the fashion guru said of Kate.

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