Written by Megan C. Hills, CNN
Twenty-five years after her death, Princess Diana’s wardrobe continues to inspire new generations. From TikTok users painstakingly recreating their workout outfits to fashionistas searching for cult items worn by late royalty, their style remains as influential as ever, sparking magazine photo shoots, runway collections of designers and reissues of their beloved pieces. Recent movies and TV shows such as “Spencer,” “The Crown,” and the HBO Max documentary “The Princess” (HBO Max is owned by CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery) have rekindled interest in Diana, featuring her , and her story, to millennials, some of whom may be too young to remember her, and Gen Zers, who were born after her death in 1997. With “The Crown” in particular, the designer’s painstaking attention to detail wardrobe Amy Roberts even came to consult with David and Elizabeth. Emanuel, the original designers of her iconic wedding dress. However, as with the Netflix series’ reimagining of that bridal look, which saw actress Emma Corrin swamped by the dress’s heavy 25-foot train, amid ominous music and chilling snippets of coverage from the british media wedding: There has been a change in the way we perceive Diana’s wardrobe today. While the fascination with iconic outfits, like her famous Christina Stambolian “revenge dress” (pictured above) or the blue velvet gown she wore to the White House in 1985, remains completely timeless, older generations young people are absorbing their looks in search of specific styles. esthetic.
Scroll through Pinterest, Instagram, or TikTok and you’ll notice that one particular part of Diana’s wardrobe has established a new popularity among Gen Z: sporty, laid-back outfits from the ’80s and ’90s, the kind she was often photographed in while visiting the Gym. or attend polo matches. The quintessential ensemble includes an oversized sweatshirt, biker shorts, chunky trainers, sunglasses, vintage earrings and a designer bag, an effortless juxtaposition of streetwear, athleisure and glam in one look.
Princess Diana leaving the gym at London’s Chelsea Harbor Club in 1995, wearing an outfit often copied by fans of the royal wardrobe. Credit: Anwar Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images
“My strongest impression of her style was meeting her at the Harbor Club,” British designer Amanda Wakeley recalled in a 2020 British Vogue retrospective of Diana’s style. “I was in her workout outfit and she was wearing one of my cashmere sweatshirts with satin cuffs. To me, that was such a perfect picture of her.” Bieber paid homage to the trend with logo-print caps, varsity sweaters and large pearl and gold earrings. “All credit and inspiration to the incredibly beautiful and iconicly elegant Princess Diana, whom I have looked to for style inspiration for as long as I can remember,” Bieber wrote on Instagram along with a selection of images from the shoot. “Thank you for leaving behind such an iconic fashion and style legacy.” On Instagram, popular figures like Stephanie Yeboah, Melissa Soldera, and Liv Phyland, among others, have also followed his lead in recreating Diana’s style. “We love an outfit that promotes style and comfort,” Yeboah told CNN of Diana’s sportswear, noting that the changes in her fashion choices seemed to reflect her growing sense of self-esteem.
“That growth in confidence that is reflected in your wardrobe is something I resonate with immensely, being a plus-size person and slowly seeing a change in my (own) wardrobe after getting the confidence boosts I needed,” Yeboah said. in an email.
And on TikTok, users like Taylor Hage have shared tutorials on how to recreate particular outfits. A recent video by Hage focuses on a much-referenced outfit worn by Diana at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor in 1988. 
Another of Princess Diana’s outfits frequently copied on social media is this: a sweatshirt from the British Lung Foundation (an organization Diana was a patron of), an oversized blazer, and a baseball cap, which she wore in a polo match in 1988. Credit: Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images
“We’ve all seen this Princess Diana look,” Hage tells his audience of 1.6 million followers, before offering his take on it: straight-leg jeans, a neutral crew-neck sweater, blazer (“yeah don’t have one, save one, borrow one from your dad, borrow one from your brother, boyfriend, whatever,” he says, “it’s essential”) and cowboy boots. Others have gone even further, with TikTok user @simplesmurf creating a self-proclaimed “Princess Diana Stan account,” in other words, a fan account dedicated to her. Along with a plethora of vintage-inspired videos, the user reveals a separate batch of sweaters and other garments worn or inspired by Diana, while sharing regular updates on recent finds from thrift stores and vintage clothing sellers as they develop their collection. . Amid this growing nostalgia for ’80s fashion and pop culture, thanks in part to shows like “Stranger Things” and vintage designs from luxury brands like Chanel, it’s no surprise that Diana’s wardrobe has attracted new interest. . For fans of the era like TikTok’s @simplesmurf, who refers to Princess Diana as “the model,” the princess’ outfits are a form of fashion history. “What an icon,” the user writes in a recent post.
Princess Diana photographed in 1994, dressed in a blazer, cream turtleneck and trousers. Social media users have made it their mission to recreate the effortless elegance of Princess Diana’s outfits, citing looks like these as inspiration for “old fashioned” fashion looks. Credit: Tom Wargacki/WireImage/Getty Images
Elements of Princess Diana’s wardrobe have also been absorbed into what TikTokers refer to as the “Old Money” aesthetic, a tongue-in-cheek, aspirational style that blends vintage and preppy pieces that seeks to emulate the wardrobe of those born into wealth and privilege. . . Princess Diana was perhaps the last “Sloane Ranger” (a British term referring to London’s Sloane Square neighborhood and the stereotypically upper-middle-class women who often live there), making her a natural choice for boards. Pinterest and “Old Money” style inspiration. videos
a powerful inspiration
Pieces that exemplify how Diana defied the traditional mold of the British royal family, particularly in the years following her divorce from Prince Charles, also resonate with young fashionistas looking to assert their individuality.
Speaking to CNN last year, fashion researcher Eloise Moran explained the power of Diana’s “revenge dress,” which she wore on the same day Prince Charles admitted to adultery. “I think that was the line drawn where she was in control, and she was showing it to everyone,” Moran said. “You can really make people afraid of you, or intimidated by you, or respect you, or whatever, through clothing.”
Another outfit that has been renewed waves in recent years is a fire engine red knit sweater, with a pattern of black and white sheep, that Diana wore to a polo match in 1980. Widely interpreted as a subtle message that she felt like an outsider, or the “black sheep”. — the sweater was given new life when clothing brand Rowing Blazers approached its original designers, storied brand Warm & Wonderful, to relaunch the piece in 2020.
Originally created by Warm and Wonderful and worn by Princess Diana in 1980, this red knit sweater was recently re-released by the brand in collaboration with Rowing Blazers. It soon went viral and quickly sold out. Credit: Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images
At the time, Rowing Blazers creative director Jack L. Carson told CNN that sales translated to “three months worth of sweaters in an hour and a half” after the article went viral online. (The original sweater is in the permanent collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.) Since then, the pattern has also appeared on kitchen towels, suitcases and waistcoats.
Diana’s enduring fascination with her wardrobe has also been seen on the catwalk. The late fashion designer Virgil Abloh, for example, cited the late Princess as his muse for Off-White’s Spring-Summer 2018 collection. Staged in 2017, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his death, the show featured Abloh’s versions of some of his most striking “off-duty” looks, including references to specific outfits such as a denim jumpsuit and white cowboy boots, 80’s style polo shirts, your basic cycle shorts and oversized blazers.
A printed white top worn by Princess Diana in 1983, reimagined by Virgil Abloh as a look in Off-White’s Spring-Summer 2018 collection. Credit: fake images
“He was a strong person who, despite his position, had his own personal taste,” Abloh told British Vogue in a 2017 interview, “and it showed in his clothes.” (That same year, fashion search platform Lyst wrote in its annual trends report that Diana’s “style choices influenced us again,” reporting spikes in searches for her wardrobe staples.)
“Her personal taste was so far removed from what she was supposed to wear. She’s an inspiration,” she said.
Source: www.cnn.com