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The Meghan Effect! 3000 people buy polo clutch within an hour of her wearing it

J.Crew’s sales soar...

j crew bag
Leanne Bayley
Director of Lifestyle & Commerce
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I bet the bosses of J.Crew are rubbing their hands in glee as they watch the numbers rise because Duchess Meghan was spotted wearing the brand’s affordable clutch bag alongside her husband at the polo on Thursday.

The Duchess of Sussex has caused a huge spike in sales as royal fashion fans rushed to the J.Crew website to snap up the bag she wore with her Carolina Herrera dress this week. To be honest, why wouldn’t they - at £44 it’s a complete steal. On the website you can see how many bags were purchased - before Meghan wore it there were 66 sold. And now, at the time of going to press, there are over 3000 sold.

Screenshot: @FoodFashFit

There’s no doubt about it, the Markle Effect is in full swing since the royal wedding on 19 May. It was predicted she would bring a mammoth £150 million into the British fashion economy as UK shoppers try to mimic her style, according to experts at business valuation consultancy Brand Finance, which publishes an annual report on the British monarchy's economic contributions to the country.

Revealed: The £15 dupes of Meghan Markle's £220 cat-eye sunglasses

British royalty has long had a staggering effect on fashion, something that has seen a particular resurgence since the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The bag has sold out in this colour, and is currently available in yellow

Meghan is clearly having the same effect on shoppers as Duchess Kate, since numerous fashion brands have announced sell-outs after the former actress stepped out in their products. When Meghan went to the Invictus Games with Prince Harry, her tortoiseshell sunglasses by Finlay & Co - which retail at £120 - sold out rapidly. Pre-orders came in from over 50 countries from around the world and it took 180 days before they were back in stock online. Similarly, when she wore a Marks & Spencer jumper for a visit to Brixton in January, it sold out in just minutes.

MORE: Duchess Meghan's summer style lessons: stripes, on-trend shades and panama hats

J.Crew is an American fashion company and is famous for its chic workwear staples, timeless accessories and dramatic prints. Fans include Michelle Obama, Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Jessica Parker and Katie Holmes. The Duchess of Cambridge has worn the label as well.