--- title: Meghan Markle Wears Sustainable Fashion on 2018 Royal Tour description: The Duchess of Sussex makes a convincing case for sustainable, ethical fashion during her royal tour with Prince Harry. canonical: https://time.com/5439694/meghan-markle-royal-tour-outfits/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-11-01T18:09:40.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-13T08:04:52.875Z og:title: Meghan Markle Makes the Case for Sustainable Fashion on Tour og:description: Here's what people from the fashion world think og:url: https://time.com/5439694/meghan-markle-royal-tour-outfits/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1e8441a3f12ae6ea/69893ddae76ad237b26335e4/meghan-markle-sustainable-fashion-2018.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: TOPSHOT-AUSTRALIA-BRITAIN-ROYALS og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Meghan Markle Makes the Case for Sustainable Fashion on Tour twitter:description: Here's what people from the fashion world think twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1e8441a3f12ae6ea/69893ddae76ad237b26335e4/meghan-markle-sustainable-fashion-2018.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How Meghan Markle Made a Case for Sustainable Fashion on Her Royal Tour > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: Meghan Markle Has Given Her First Royal Tour Speech [Watch (HLS stream): Meghan Markle Has Given Her First Royal Tour Speech](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/MrI5FmQL.m3u8) (0:55)  _Published 2018-10-24. It’s already been a whirlwind royal tour for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, who are in the midst of a two-week adventure through Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji and just announced Markle’s pregnancy._  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Nov 1, 2018 6:09 PM UTC It’s already been a whirlwind royal tour for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, who are in the midst of a two-week adventure through Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji and just announced Markle’s pregnancy.  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Nov 1, 2018 6:09 PM UTC Following [Meghan Markle’s](http://time.com/5434706/meghan-markle-tag/) debut as part of the British Royal Family, there’s been plenty of discussion around the “Meghan Markle Effect” — that is, the bankability and sustained interest in the Duchess of Sussex’s fashion statements, the power of which was estimated to [give the British economy a boost](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/meghan-markle-effect-expected-pump-210-million-british-economy-1102031). While it’s nothing new that [royals are looked to as trend setters](http://time.com/4922601/princess-diana-fashion-evolution/), Markle is cutting a different kind of fashionable figure from Buckingham Palace. Since becoming a royal, Markle has demonstrated a keen understanding of [how her fashion choices carry significance](http://time.com/5062929/meghan-markle-fashion-photos/). Markle’s fashion diplomacy so far has been deft; she’s conscientious in supporting British designers, but also uses her wardrobe choices to pay homage to countries she visits, like Michelle Obama was known for during her time in the White House. She mixes in affordable pieces from lines like ASOS and & Other Stories with designer labels. And as a self-proclaimed feminist, she often selects female-helmed brands and design houses — most notably, tapping British-born designer Clare Waight-Keller to create her highly anticipated [Givenchy wedding gown](http://time.com/5245809/meghan-markle-royal-wedding-dress/) for her nuptials to Prince Harry this spring.  Meghan Markle wears Outland denim and Veja sneakers while in Sydney, Australia. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Chris Jackson—Getty Images for the Invictus Ga During her first royal tour as the Duchess of Sussex, Markle used her wardrobe to advocate for a cause that she’s made the case for before: sustainability. While Markle has [made headlines](http://time.com/5108303/meghan-markle-sustainable-fashion-philanthropy/) for wearing green fashion in the past, the Duchess made a concentrated effort during the royal tour to sport clothing that was made ethically and sustainably. During her tour of four Commonwealth countries, where she and Prince Harry focused their attention on environmental and conservation efforts, Markle was photographed wearing multiple sustainable fashion labels. Chief among them, there were Rothy black flats, which are made from 100% post-consumer water bottles; Outland denim, organic cotton jeans crafted by seamstresses being paid a living wage; Veja fair trade sneakers constructed out of wild rubber and organic cotton; and a linen Reformation sundress that was created with 11.9 lbs less carbon dioxide than a conventional design, according to the company’s [website.](https://www.thereformation.com/products/pineapple-dress)  Meghan Markle wears a Reformation dress in Fraser Island, Australia. (Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage) Pool/Samir Hussein—WireImage [Yael Aflalo, founder and CEO of Reformation](http://time.com/4264392/sustainable-clothing-reformation/), whose sundress sold out soon after Markle was spotted wearing it, says people don’t realize how much what they wear can affect the environment. “For the average consumer, the impact of fashion on the environment feels abstract and not part of our day-to-day life,” she said, adding that choosing eco-conscious styles is “a small change that adds up to make a big difference.”  Megan Markle wears Rothy flats in Sydney, Australia (Dominic Lipinski/ Pool/Getty Images) Pool—Getty Images In this way, Markle’s sartorial advocacy is more than just a style statement made in goodwill. Outland, the brand that created the pair of jeans that Markle wore at least six times during the royal tour, told [_People_](https://people.com/royals/meghan-markle-outland-denim-skinny-jeans-six-times/) that their sales increased 640% within 48 hours of the Duchess wearing the design. [Stylist and brand consultant Rachael Wang](https://www.rachaelwang.com/) believes the Duchess’ wardrobe choices are a thoughtful way of calling attention to what needs to change. “Fashion from ‘fast’ all the way up to ‘luxury’ has generally ignored the truths that production mindlessly gobbles up precious natural resources, pollutes water, soil and air and takes advantage of laborers,” Wang said. “Not to mention, the trend cycle which promotes consumers to buy more than they will ever have time to wear before the the next trend emerges so that it all ends up in the landfill…I think these conversations are extremely urgent and I’m grateful that Meghan is using her platform to promote brands that are trying to change the irresponsible ways that the fashion industry has always done business.”  SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 20: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attends the Invictus Games Opening Ceremony on October 20, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are on their official 16-day Autumn tour visiting cities in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. (Photo by Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein / WireImage) Meghan Markle wears a Stella McCartney dress in Sydney, Australia (Samir Hussein / WireImage) Markle’s sustainable fashion choices weren’t just in the labels that she selected, but also in the way that she wore her looks. During the royal tour, Markle chose a navy blue Stella McCartney cape-front dress to the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games in Sydney that she had previously worn to a London concert for the Queen’s birthday. Stella McCartney, who designed Markle’s wedding reception dress, is known for her deep commitment to her design being both eco-friendly and cruelty-free. Markle’s outfit repeat is something that all consumers, royal or not, can easily do. Those who want to practice sustainability with what they wear can do it with simple choices — no purchase required. Wang advises that consumers repair their clothes as opposed to buying new ones when they wear out and advocates for buying secondhand items, which keeps clothing and accessories out of landfills. She also suggests focusing your closet on your personal style, not a fleeting trend. “A wardrobe full of feel good staples like this will last a lifetime,” she said. “Then you can sprinkle in a few seasonal additions from brands whose ethos really resonate with your values.” [Céline Semaan, founder and creative director of Slow Factory](https://slowfactory.com/), a fashion and tech lab centered around environmental and human rights activism, points out that truly sustainable fashion is less about what you buy, but how you live your life. “Sustainable fashion is a culture — it’s more than a one-off purchase or decision,” Semaan said. ## Transcript [00:00] It was through scholarships, financial aid programs, [00:03] and work study, where my earnings from a job on [00:06] campus went directly towards my tuition that I was [00:09] able to attend university. And without question, it [00:13] was worth every effort. Everyone should be afforded [00:17] the opportunity to receive education that they want. But [00:20] more importantly, the education that they have the [00:22] right to receive. and for women and girls in developing [00:25] countries, this is vital. Providing them with access to [00:29] education is the key to economic and social [00:32] development. The association of commonwealth [00:34] universities which her majesty the Queen is a patron of [00:37] supports universities to promote equality in their own [00:40] institutions. So, I'm very please to announce today, [00:45] that two new grants will be awarded to Fiji National [00:48] University and the University of South Pacific, allowing [00:52] each of them to run workshops which empower their [00:54] female staff. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5439694/meghan-markle-royal-tour-outfits/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5439694/meghan-markle-royal-tour-outfits/"},"headline":"How Meghan Markle Made a Case for Sustainable Fashion on Her Royal Tour","datePublished":"2018-11-01T18:09:40.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-13T08:04:52.875Z","description":"She was spotted wearing everything from Stella McCartney to Reformation","url":"https://time.com/5439694/meghan-markle-royal-tour-outfits/","keywords":["Newsfeed","fashion","british royal family"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1e8441a3f12ae6ea/69893ddae76ad237b26335e4/meghan-markle-sustainable-fashion-2018.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Cady Lang","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/cady-lang/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1e8441a3f12ae6ea/69893ddae76ad237b26335e4/meghan-markle-sustainable-fashion-2018.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"TOPSHOT-AUSTRALIA-BRITAIN-ROYALS","caption":"TOPSHOT-AUSTRALIA-BRITAIN-ROYALS","creditText":"DARREN ENGLAND—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5439694/meghan-markle-royal-tour-outfits/","name":"How Meghan Markle Made a Case for Sustainable Fashion on Her Royal Tour"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Meghan Markle Has Given Her First Royal Tour Speech","description":"It’s already been a whirlwind royal tour for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, who are in the midst of a two-week adventure through Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji and just announced Markle’s pregnancy.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/MrI5FmQL/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2018-10-24T15:33:49.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/MrI5FmQL.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5439694/meghan-markle-royal-tour-outfits/","duration":"PT55S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5439694/meghan-markle-royal-tour-outfits/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```