One Meghan Markle fan spends up to $250 per outfit copying the Duchess of Sussex’s looks — and says it has boosted her confidence at work since she has come back from maternity leave.
Helen Terrero-Black, a 39-year-old assistant corporation counsel in New York City, said she had never been a royal watcher until Meghan Markle and Prince Harry started dating in 2016.
It wasn’t until January 2019 that she started recreating Meghan’s outfits, and she’s now replicated 20 of the 38-year-old’s looks, from evening gowns to jeans and sweaters.
Twinning! New York City resident Helen Terrero-Black, 39, likes Meghan Markle’s style — and likes to recreate it (though her dress was less pricey than Meghan’s $1,700 Brandon Maxwell)
Copycat: She first took notice of the purple Babaton by Aritizia dress Meghan wore under a red coat by Sentaler on January 14, 2019 and copied it
Doubles: She’s gone on to recreate 20 different looks, like the one Meghan wore on January 7, 2020 including a brown satin Vince skirt, a Reiss coat, and a brown top
Helen said she was drawn to Meghan right away and thinks they have a bit in common.
‘When I learned that Prince Harry and Meghan were dating, I started to keep up with them more, and even started to follow Prince William and Duchess Kate, whom I now love also,’ she said.
‘I became interested in the royal family and Meghan because, honestly, I thought it was awesome that someone of mixed race, like I am, was finally joining the royal family.
‘Plus, Harry and Meghan were also an interracial couple as my husband and I are. So, I loved being able to see our family unit, at the time without a baby, in something as traditional and classy as the royal family.’
But she didn’t start mimicking her style right away. In fact, it took a particular eye-catching outfit to give her the idea.
Exact! Though she usually buys similar items, she has bought exact versions of Meghan’s less expensive clothes, like this J.Crew coat she wore on March 8, 2018
Score! She also found the exact $116 Banana Republic dress Meghan wore on October 1, 2019
Head up! Helen said dressing like the Duchess (like in the blue denim number she wore on July 26, 2018) gives her confidence
A range: She copies both dressier outfits and Meghan’s more casual looks
‘I had just recently had my first baby and was just returning to work,’ she said, referring to the birth of her now-two-year-old son Xavier. ‘Meghan herself was expecting and I just loved her fashion generally.’
One day, she saw a photo of Meghan, several months pregnant, in a red and purple outfit that caught her eye.
The Duchess was visiting the town of Birkenhead, Merseyside, with Prince Harry in January of 2019, and had layered a bright red Sentaler coat over a purple dress from Babaton by Aritizia
‘She looked so classy and confident in those vibrant colors and I noticed I had a couple pieces that if put together could pull off a similar look,’ she said.
‘It was also inspiring to see her working while also looking fabulous and classy especially because although she looked great, I’m sure she didn’t always feel great.
‘This is something that a lot of us working professional moms have to do, particularly when you’re in an environment where first impressions can be lasting impressions and where aesthetics plays a major part of how we’re perceived — as is the case in law for women.
Alike: Helen feels like she and Meghan have a lot in common, as they are both mixed race, in interracial couples, have have new babies
New look: Helen had just gone back to work following maternity leave when she started dressing like Meghan
Separates: She shops sales and from her own closet to put together looks to replicate Meghan’s, like the Scanlan Theodore top she wore on October 27, 2018
Fancy: She has found other women on Instagram who also copy Meghan’s outfits, like the $550 Judith & Charles dress she wore on August 29, 2018
‘I then just decided to go for it. I would have never thought to wear the colors together.
‘I wore a red blazer instead of a red coat and a purple satin dress with a camel coat over it all. It looked great and I got a ton of compliments and I was sort of hooked from then on,’ she said.
Since then, Helen’s been has continued to copy Meghan’s fashion choices, and has replicated 20 outfits, spending between $0 and $250 per look, depending on what she already has in her wardrobe.
Helen always shops sales and rarely pays full price, unless the item is very special.
She said that after posting pictures on line, she also learned that copying Meghan’s looks is a ‘thin’ and ‘there were many people doing the same.’
‘Then I felt less weird about it and actually became Insta friends with other mirror Meghan girls,’ she said.
Not every look is an exact copy, but they’re close enough — like the skirt Helen found that looks like a Hugo Boss one Meghan wore on July 13, 2019
Bright spot: She also found a dress that looks similar to a red long-sleeve one Meghan wore on October 25, 2018
Sparkle: Helen shops at J. Crew, Club Monaco, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Net-a-Porter, Century21, and TJ Maxx (whereas Meghan’s January 16, 2019 dress is Roland Mouret)
The internet is Helen’s go-to when it comes to sourcing her Meghan inspired outfits, and she loves to shop at J. Crew, Club Monaco, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Net-a-Porter, Century21, and TJ Maxx.
Her favorite semi-casual Meghan Markle look is her Wimbledon 2018 outfit, and for formal attire, her 2018 Trooping the Colour look.
The most difficult outfit for Helen to get her hands on is the Banana Republic trench dress Meghan wore on a visit to the University of Johannesburg in October 2019, as it was in high demand.
‘It was one of her most affordable looks and I really wanted the exact dress but so did a lot of folks. It was not easy,’ she said.
Helen phoned three different shops before finding it in stock in her size.
‘This was and is something just plain fun for me to do for myself. I love trying to find things in my closet, or things I can shop for, within my budget, that will help me mirror Meghan especially when my day is constantly filled with things to do for work, my son, husband or others,’ she said.
Keeping casual: She looked just like Meghan in black jeans, a striped top, and a jacket that was similar to the J. Crew one she wore on February 25, 2019
Inspired: The red dress Helen picked out was a different color than Meghan’s $1,385 Martin Grant shirtdress from October 26, 2018, but it had a similar vibe
‘It’s just something I do for myself and no one else. And, it feels a bit empowering. I know it might sound funny that something as superficial as clothes can make someone feel that way but it does.
‘Ralph Lauren also once said, “Fashion is not necessarily about labels. It’s not about brands. It’s about something else that comes from within you.” Which is why I’m okay with doing “repli-Meghans” from clothes that aren’t always exactly the same.
‘At the end of the day, how I dress makes me feel confident and Meghan has definitely helped with that,’ she went on.
‘I love that Meghan has really made an effort and her focus to engage in projects that empower women. I also appreciate her ability to advocate for her wellbeing whether it be her mental health or that of her family’s despite the negative media surrounding her in the UK.
‘Although, down deep inside I’m hoping one day they could return to royal life but on better terms and better relations with the media.
‘Maybe in twelve months they will, we’ll see. In the meantime, I’m just happy to see them [Harry, Meghan and Archie] happy,’ she said.