The late Princess of Wales may often be remembered for her commitment to charitable work and for setting the bar for her female royal successors to follow. However, she was, and remains, highly renowned for her style and close ties to the fashion industry. In analyzing some of her most iconic looks following her marriage and divorce from Prince Charles, there is a lot we can learn from the late royal’s fashion taste almost twenty-five years after her tragic death.
The most notable feature of her style choices is not necessarily her ability to start trends, but more so in blurring the line between royal dressing and casual style, as she ever so clearly demonstrates the infamous idea of “less is more.” With that being said, I have dedicated this piece primarily to her everyday looks, so that we (non-royals) can continue to gain fashion inspiration from the one-and-only late Princess of Wales.
In considering the new art of creating a “capsule wardrobe,” Princess Diana seemed to master it before the term was ever coined. While observing a variety of her photographed looks, it becomes obvious that some things really do never go out of style.
Take her iconic biker shorts and college crewneck look, for example. Paired with chunky white sneakers and ankle socks, her choice of a casual outfit quickly became a trend that still exists into the 2020s. Not only is this pairing one that caught the eyes of many, but it goes to prove that, while biker shorts may come and go, you can never truly go wrong with an oversized crewneck and sneakers.
Western boots as street style made a major appearance in the Fall of 2021’s most trending fashion choices, but Princess Diana seemed to be the original trendsetter in pairing the exotic shoe with otherwise casual pieces. Whether it be sweatpants or jeans, a blazer, or a varsity-style jacket, the Princess of Wales made the unusual combination both seamless and stylish, and I must admit, I am a huge fan of the unique pairing.
It’s already clear that the Princess was very fond of mixing casual and classy. Some of her most-worn outfits consist of the most basic pieces from anyone’s closet: a pair of jeans, a simple button-down, a blazer, and a casual shoe. This collection of outfits is the epitome of a capsule wardrobe, especially given that she is wearing a pair of Superga sneakers in one of the photos below; a brand and style of shoe that is still considered fashionable in 2022. Yet, the sneakers are not the only piece that’s worth noting, as a pair of leather loafers or ballet flats are also still commonly worn within the fashion world. Her style is simplistic with a subtle unique and fancy touch that creates looks that demonstrate both elegance and class.
Although I mentioned my focus on her everyday style, I could not seem to leave out one of her most iconic looks of all: the “revenge dress.” The late royal proudly wore a classic “little black dress” with touches of more expensive pieces to tie the look together, particularly on the night that Prince Charles admitted his affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles. While a Vanity Fair event to wear this dress may seem out of reach for many, the staple of a little black dress is versatile in every form, for every person. In fact, a little black dress contains an additional element that outshines the simplicity of the piece: power. It’s a timeless piece that can be worn for a variety of occasions but paired with elegance and confidence, a little black dress can undoubtedly be a statement piece.
Princess Diana’s various looks are considered some of the most iconic in fashion history, but more notably, she changed the game in royal dressing. While Kate Middleton represents royal fashion more traditionally, the late Princess of Wales never lost her sense of self in the midst of living within the monarchy. Her more casual style dimmed the line between royal dressing and regular fashion, as her looks were more adaptable to the average person. The impression she has left in the fashion world almost 25 years after her death has lived beyond her years and has been marked as the essence of styling with simple and timeless pieces, a true capsule wardrobe designer.
** Edited by Ella Farrell