What goes around comes around, and Diana's pretty bell-sleeved blouse, worn on the Royal Yacht Britannia for the start of her honeymoon in 1981, looks like something you might find in your local branch of Urban Outfitters or Forever 21 this Summer. Diana was only 20 years old when this photo was taken, so it makes sense that she was wearing a look that girls of a similar age are sporting again now. Even royals love a trend occasionally!
Diana wore this full-length beaded gown with one sleeve for the gala premiere of Octopussy in London in 1983. The shape, the colour, and the heavy embellishment are all timeless, and we've seen a plethora of similar looks on the runway from designers like Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad in recent years. That clutch bag is also something that would look as chic now as it did 34 years ago when Diana carried it.
Surprise, surprise! Diana was wearing illusion lace panels long before they became a wardrobe staple. With strict rules on fashion etiquette as a member of the royal family, Diana wasn't known for showing much skin during her marriage to Prince Charles. But by choosing styles like this Jan van Velden evening gown from 1984, where sheer lace overlays gave the illusion of more coverage, she could play around with sweetheart necklines and more modern silhouettes. It's a trick the Duchess of Cambridge knows all too well: her wedding dress used a similar trick.
Designer Catherine Walker was an enduring favourite of Diana, and while a lot of her gowns from the '80s look dated now, this one, worn to the Cannes Film Festival in 1987, looks very similar to styles we see on the Croisette now. The dress featured a gathered crossover detail that hugged the waist and a matching stole that fell down the back. Many consider it one of the best Cannes looks of all time, the perfect combination of romantic and elegant. It was also a very carefully chosen colour, complementing Diana's blue eyes perfectly.
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The Revenge Dress
One of the most famous outfits Diana ever wore, this sexy off-the-shoulder number by Christina Stambolian was Diana's choice for a party at the Serpentine Gallery in London in 1994. Diana had separated from Prince Charles, and rumour has it on this day she learned he was about to announce his love for Camilla Parker Bowles. Sporting this sexy dress with high heels was Diana's form of fashion revenge. And while the sheer tights and pearl choker would probably be replaced with something a little more modern if it was worn today, this is a style we see on the red carpet and the high street to this day.
In 1995, at the premiere of Haunted in London, Diana chose this simple scoop-neck dress. It showed a lot more cleavage than she ever showed during her marriage to Prince Charles and indicated her continued independence as she broke away from the restrictions of the royal family. In fashion circles, it was the height of '90s minimalism, a look that perhaps didn't suit a princess but definitely suited a strong, independent woman. Diana upped the ante by adding jewellery that she'd received as a gift from the Sultan of Oman.
Twenty years after Diana famously wore this electric-blue Versace gown in Sydney, it still looks amazing. This was an iconic look for Diana all those years ago, and it remains one now. If a celebrity were to step out at the Oscars in a gown like this next year, we wouldn't be surprised.
What better colour to wear to an event organised on behalf of the American Red Cross than pillar-box red? Diana wore this Jacques Azagury dress, which featured a beaded bodice and belted waist, in 1997, just three months before her tragic death. It was a testament to how much her style evolved over the years, going from fussy numbers to simple, elegant styles in bold colours that showed serious confidence. Azagury is still creating gowns that fit this aesthetic perfectly, and they look as good now as they did back then.