Queen Elizabeth Starts a Royal Post-Wedding Handbag Craze

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Seems as though Kate, eh hem, Catherine and sister Pippa Middleton weren't the only sartorial trendsetters that made major impacts on the fashion industry post-Royal Wedding. After toting an elegant Launer London boxy cream handbag to her grandson's well-publicized nuptials, Queen Elizabeth is credited to have spiked the company's handbag sales by a whopping 60%. While the Queen's classic style may come off as a bit on the conservative side, the big surprise according to the Telegraph UK is that "20 per cent of the sales increase has been caused by stylish women in the 35-50 age bracket." Pretty impressive for a line that tends to play well with the 50-plus crowd.

While Queen Elizabeth's structured piece was custom-made (duh), ready-to-wear Launer of London handbags are available for all commoners to purchase for within a relatively reasonable price of $600-ish to $1300. (If you think about it, even a gently worn Birkin still runs about ten-grand.) For those of us who can't score a bespoke bag, this Diva handbag (approximately $1292 with the conversion) boasts a similar box-shaped-silhouette and it comes in an assortment of colors. Now all we need are Kate's LK Bennett Greta wedges and it'll be like a Royal Wedding in our closet.
· All Royal Wedding Coverage [Racked]
· Kate Middleton's LK Bennett "Greta" Wedges Will Arrive in the US on June 1st, Priced at $265, There's Already a Waiting List [Racked]
· The Queen's Royal Wedding Bag Sparks a Sales Frenzy [Telegraph UK]
· Launer London [Official Site]