Diana, Princess of Wales, is undeniably an icon. She walked into the public eye in the year of 1981, when she and Charles, Prince of Wales, got married. Until 1996, when the two separated, the public still did not lessen their attention. Not even her unfortunate passing in 1997 could erase and have the people forget what she had done and left the world with. Other than the tremendous impacts she left in the world through her charity work and advocacy for those in need, she also influenced the world of fashion.
Even put in today’s fashion trends, we can still see Princess Diana’s looks coming through. She has always been fashion-forward and untraditional compared to the others of the British royal family. It can also be seen oftentimes that Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have also worn similar clothing items as Princess Diana in a way of paying tribute.
A lot of her looks and pieces have become classics in the fashion industry. For example, polka dots have been a staple fashion classic and one of her all time favourites. When Princess Diana first entered the royal family, she was still only a young 20-year-old girl who loved to wear anything with polka dot prints. She wore polka dots of almost every colour combination and at times, she would switch up the fabrics to give something different. Princess Diana wore polka-dotted dresses, blazers, and even the gown after she gave birth to Prince William. Even after her marriage, she still never gave up her love for polka dots and continued wearing pieces that fit her new style.
Other than polka dots, she also enjoyed wearing stripes in all different sizes. A lot of basic clothing pieces can be elevated by adding just a touch of a striped pattern.
Of course, being part of the royal family, we cannot forget the traditional royal style. One of the main elements of this style would be bubble sleeves. These types of tops and blouses are currently incredibly popular, and needless to say, Princess Diana was a trendsetter for these. She loved to wear different types of bubble sleeve blouses and often wore dresses with these elements as well.
Moreover, a different element that Princess Diana wore from this style is the ruffle collar. She was often able to wear such a style because of her slim and tall frame. Although this neckline can make one’s neck look long and bring out a certain elegance, those with shorter necks should be careful and perhaps keep their distance from this type of collar.
Collars are an important part of Princess Diana’s looks. Other than the ruffle collar, she also enjoyed a nice sailor collar, which nicely fit her younger styles.
Princess Diana’s major style shift was during the mid-90s when she and Prince Charles divorced. This event had a major impact on her personality, but also her clothing. She was able to express herself much more, without the restrictions of royalty fashion.
One of the many looks that Princess Diana had mastered is the business casual look. The current trend of oversized blazers and suits is one that Princess Diana loved and knew well. A nice pair of high-waisted pants, a belt, and of course a blazer, was a formula she used often and is currently in trend. This gave her lots of opportunities to colour block, another thing she enjoyed. Sometimes she would even add a fun baseball cap and some cowboy boots to add something different.
Taking off the blazer, an oversized button-up with some high-waisted pants is another burning combination that she wore. Other than a high-waisted pair of pants, she would also pair an oversized button-up with some high-waisted skirts.
Some of the combinations worn were pretty out-there, but also super in trend today. Adding a t-shirt under a button-up, a tank top with some casual shorts, a turtleneck layered under a v-neck sweater are all combinations that are still currently very popular.
She also wore a few more dramatic combinations, such as the following with the large striped dress under blazers. Although many would think it hard to wear, but on her, they ended up being bold yet trendy.
Plaid blazers that have been going around the past few years are also one of Princess Diana’s favourites, especially with a high-waisted skirt.
A few other combinations she loved include wearing ruffle neck tops under many pieces, creating an elegant yet youthful look. Suit sets, especially the ones the Royal family often wears, can seem old-fashioned, but by adding a tie-neck blouse underneath, Princess Diana has made a more romantic look.
Another one of her more casual looks that a lot of us are liking today is an oversized top paired with a pleated skirt. Although I’m personally less of a fan of, a trendy look is an oversized hoodie with a pair of biker shorts. This look has more of an American relaxed feel, but she looked fierce in any of the street pictures.
These were just a few of her iconic looks and her favourite combinations. The style of pieces and way of wearing them are not the only factors of her looks, but also the choice of colours and accessories are just as crucial, which we will discuss in another post.
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