princess diana trends
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

The media learned in the early fall of 1980 that Prince Charles had a new girlfriend. Within days, pictures of the young nursery school assistant wearing a sweater vest and long skirt were plastered on the front pages of newspapers around the world. Immediately, as much attention was paid to Lady Diana Spencer’s style as to who she was or what she was doing. For the next 17 years, until her tragic death at the age of 36 in the summer of 1997, the attention paid to Princess Diana and her clothes and style was unceasing. Even now, more than 25 years after her death, Diana continues to influence fashion, and many of her looks are now considered iconic.

Sportswear: Bike Shorts and Graphic Sweatshirts

People hear the word “princess” and imagine ball gowns and tiaras, and Princess Diana certainly had her tiara moments. However, it was her street style that has provided some of her most enduring looks. Diana helped popularize the athleisure look long before that was a term, pairing bike shorts with oversize graphic sweatshirts and sneakers. Modern-day fashionistas like Hailey Bieber still copy this fantastic casual look.

Elevated Casual

Sometimes, the hardest looks to nail are those that are casual but slightly elevated. Everyone wants to look effortlessly chic in these situations, and Princess Di was no different. Some her best casual looks were as simple as a great blazer worn over jeans. Cozy knits were also a big part of Diana’s casual wardrobe. Her knitwear and blazer/jeans combos are still inspiring people all over the world today.

Pretty Polka Dots

Very few people want to emulate their mother-in-law’s style, but when Kate Middleton copies one of Diana’s great polka dot dresses, it’s perfectly understandable. Not all of the prints popular during Diana’s heyday play well in a modern context, but polka dots are classic thanks to their playfulness and simple graphic look. Diana wore different polka dot prints consistently throughout her years in the spotlight, and her daughter-in-law isn’t the only modern young royal woman to emulate Princess Diana’s dots.

Trousers

Diana didn’t shy away from wearing pants. One of her earliest trouser looks dates back to 1983, when she wore pleated light blue trousers with a silky blouse and oversize aviator sunglasses to watch her then-husband, Prince Charles, play polo. A few years later, Diana upped the style ante at a polo match by choosing chic white slacks with a thin pinstripe and pairing them with a graphic black and white sweater. Princess Diana also had a fierce jeans game she wasn’t afraid to deploy. One of her most iconic looks from her final year was slim-cut khakis with loafers and a white button-down, which she wore as she toured countries impacted by land mines.

Sweater Vests

Many of Diana’s looks were timeless, but like everyone, she was very much a product of her time. Her young adult years in the late 1970s and early 1980s coincided with the height of the sweater vest trend. Some of Diana’s earliest public images were taken of her wearing sweater vests. The sweater vest most associated with her today, though, is one she never wore. Diana loved a fun sweater, and one iconic sweater is known as the black sheep sweater. Decades after her death, another icon, Harry Styles, wore the sweater vest version of this print, proof that Diana continues to influence today’s trends.

Little Black Dress

Prior to Diana, British royal women mostly only wore black to funerals. Diana hadn’t yet married Prince Charles when she first pushed back against this rule, wearing a low-cut black gown to a concert. It wasn’t the only time she wore a black dress, though, nor was it the most iconic. Her most famous little black dress was the so-called “revenge dress.” Worn the night that Prince Charles admitted on television that he’d cheated on her, it’s the little black dress all women dream of. It was flattering and sophisticated and left the world wondering what her ex could have possibly been thinking of when he cheated on her.

Mom Jeans

Jeans silhouettes come and go, and mom jeans haven’t always been in style. But Princess Diana’s high-waisted jeans were amazingly flattering, and she left hundreds of photos showing how to dress them up or down. At this point, mom jeans with a blazer and some cap-toed flats is a look that’s timeless, not trendy. Nothing says fashion-forward like a great-fitting pair of mom jeans.

Western Boots

Looking for a versatile item that will turn any outfit into something worthy of posting on social media? Follow Princess Diana’s lead and get a pair of western-style boots. Diana paired her boots with dresses, jeans, and even sweatpants. Western boots are having a moment, but they are also a classic item that will never actually go out of style.

Statement Coats

A great coat elevates any outfit and is a fast way to look polished and pulled together, even if what’s underneath isn’t so fashion-forward. Between being followed by the media and performing many royal duties outdoors, Princess Diana understood the importance of a fantastic coat. Her trenches and dress coats still provide endless inspiration for celebrities and everyday women alike.