by Allison Lee
While most of the world remembers her for her marriage to Prince Charles and the tragic accident that resulted in her death—which consequently led to a buzz for conspiracy theorists—Princess Diana of Wales was so much more. During her time, the Princess rose quickly in standing after tying the knot into the royal family, placing her on the pedestal overnight.
It’s no secret that her royal status elevated her to the front pages, but it was her charity work and impressive taste in fashion that secured her place there. Diana was closer to the people than most members of the royal family, which provided a fresh perspective for the people. Couple that with the explosion of global journalism in the 80s, the world grew rampant with featuring her on the news.
With the media constantly trailing her every move and the paparazzi unfailingly sneaking shots of her every waking moment, Diana’s pictures became a daily expectation. She refused to abide by royal standards when it came to fashion, often spotted in relatively short skirts, sleeveless dresses, and clothing with deeper-than-usual necklines (by royal standards). The media devoured what they were served; barely anyone paused to criticize her ‘un-royalness’ because of how flattering, gorgeous, and rebellious she looked in her style choices. Slowly but surely, people took notice of her style and purposeful utilization of fashion and Diana became arguably one of the first influencers.
Being a royal is no easy task. As the saying goes, uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. Diana might have had her duties as a member of the royal family, but she had an unconventional way of handling them. The Princess turned to her wardrobe not as garments for show and flaunt, rather for communication. She understood that while appearance meant everything with her then-standing, it was also something she could use to capture the heart of her nation—and capture, she did.
A large part of Diana’s schedule consisted of meeting with people, including children. When it comes to a royal, there will always be an invisible barrier that prevents the closest possible relationship. The Princess of Wales, however, sought to break that barrier by appearing friendlier and kinder. She often donned colorful ensembles to convey approachability and chose chunky rings and necklaces so younger children have something to play with while she visited them.
There is a rule stating that royal women should wear hats during formal daytime events, but Diana insisted that you couldn’t properly embrace a child in a hat and refused to wear the accessory. Royal family members, more prominently the Queen, can also be spotted wearing gloves at crowded events to avoid contracting germs. Once again, the former Princess of Wales stood out by abandoning gloves because of how much she loved holding people’s hands and, in a way, connecting with them. She thrived in being close to the people and never let fashion and rules get in the way of it, which eventually gave way to her nickname: ‘The People’s Princess’.
Diana was also insistent that if she were visiting people, she would not hold back or appear outwardly cold. A heartwarming example of this is her choice of velvet clothing while visiting the blind folk. Velvet is a very textured style that retains warmth easily, so the blind can feel her presence, which further promotes Diana’s hospitality and compassion.
If you think Diana dressing up for the people is empowering and generous, wait until you see the way she dresses up for herself. We have Diana to thank for the concept of ‘revenge dressing’.
It’s no secret that Diana and Prince Charles’ marriage ended in flames. On June 29, 1994, upset as she was upon her then-husband’s affair with Camilla, Diana did not lock herself up in her room and weep. When many had expected the next day’s headlines to be about the royal affair, it was Diana who graced tabloid covers.
You see, the very evening before Charles had admitted his liaison with Camilla on national television, Diana had arrived at a Vanity Fair fundraising gala dressed in a head-turning black chiffon number. That night, she became the definition of ‘glamorous’. The stunning off-the-shoulder cocktail dress designed by Christina Stambolian took the fashion world by storm and became known as Diana’s ‘revenge dress’.
It was deemed ‘unroyal’ for Diana to wear the attire that she did, but the reason she made headlines was because of how empowering that dress was. It became a statement, one indicating she did not necessarily require the love or marriage of Prince Charles to be herself and carry on her work. She was capable of being alone and independent. Heck, she was happy. She didn’t allow the scandal to weigh her down for even one second and, instead, turned it into something that could showcase her power.
As we tread on the topic of Diana and Charles’ separation, the former Princess turned down wearing Chanel following her divorce. Her reasoning was plain and simple: “I can’t wear linked Cs. The double C, it’s Camilla and Charles”. Talk about regaining one’s narrative through a bold rejection of designer shoes! Of course, Chanel would find its way back into Diana’s closet after the pain of the divorce had subsided.
Diana understood the power of fashion. She knew she could switch up the dynamic and narrative by wearing clothing that sent messages as she had wished. Outfit by outfit, she learned to command media attention to her charitable causes. Soon, it was less about who Diana was wearing but what she was doing when she wore a certain outfit, and it was usually beneficial and heartwarming humanitarian work.
When the nineties rolled around, Diana’s personality and intentions had been well-established, and she no longer needed clothing to direct eyes to her work. She could then be spotted in cozy jumpers, shorts, and pantsuits, showing up in combinations no one would ever think to make work.
Even then, she continued to provide for the people by auctioning off her gowns. The proceeds went to the Royal Marsden Hospital Cancer Fund and the AIDS Crisis Trust. All 79 gowns of hers translated to 3.25 million USD then, which is equivalent to 5.3 million USD today.
Instead of honoring her memory by curating theories circulating her death, I believe Diana should be remembered for the good she has done and the unique medium through which she achieved said accomplishments.
No matter the decade or change in the industry, make no mistake, Diana Spencer will always be the Princess who embodied and breathed purpose into fashion.