Diana’s finest fashion moments
A look at the evolution of a style icon
SYLVIA HUI
LONDON — Tiaras and sequined ball gowns, ruffled bows and shoulder pads — and who can forget that fairy tale wedding dress, a fluffy taffeta confection spilling its huge train down the aisle of St. Paul’s Cathedral?
From frilly frocks to power suits, much of what Diana wore has become the byword for the lavish extravagance of the ’80s. Her style evolved through the years, but for many she embodies what classic princess style looks like. Two decades after she died in a 1997 Paris car crash, Diana’s clothes are still making headlines: An exhibition of her dresses at London’s Kensington Palace this year drew long waiting lines on its opening day.
“She was so stylish, she was really brave with the clothes she wore,” said Anne Campion from Dublin, one of those attending the exhibition. “You look at her clothes now and they’re so classic. I think her clothes and her style, you could wear them today.”
A look at some of Diana’s most memorable fashion moments:
Wedding dress of the century
Diana’s 1981 wedding to Prince Charles was watched by hundreds of millions around the world, and she couldn’t have worn a more sumptuous dress for the occasion. The silk taffeta gown with a 25-foot (7.6-metre) train by David and Elizabeth Emanuel featured romantic billowing sleeves, bows, lace and 10,000 mother-of-pearl sequins.
The Elvis dress
Diana turned to a slimmer, more tailored silhouette toward the late 1980s. For an official visit to Hong Kong in 1989, Catherine Walker, one of Diana’s favourite designers, created a white silk strapless dress encrusted with peals and sequins, with a matching bolero jacket. The outfit was dubbed the Elvis dress because it reminded many of Elvis Presley.