Charles and Diana: Visit to Italy - 1985

[Lady Jean]

Yes the Debrett's books were good as well as those early Diana books w/the dates and fashion listings (but they seemed to end c. 1985.) You are lucky to have access to the UK newspaper clippings - they are the best source. Living in the US I've totally missed out on those.
I'm glad you found this forum - I think you and your well-organized collection will be a great resource for everybody.

[Canadiana]

Yea I love the debrett's fashion guides also the following books which came out since her death.

Dressing Diana
Diana Woman of Style
Diana Her Life in Fashion
Diana Secret of Her Style
Also love
Diana Her Extraordinary Life which came out in 24 parts (magazine) but also published as a very large book they had alot of her fashions and of course different engagements & tours. I LOVED it.
Yes I know VERY lucky getting actual newspaper clippings from the U.K. I clicked into a source in 1987 and bought mostly whatever he had on hand from then on I'd get whatever he'd come across yearly this last year he got stacks from one of his sources and I was buying 400-800 clippings per year from 1981 to 1987 for a great price. Postage was more expensive to be honest. It always is it seems.

[Warren]

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[kwanfan]

Originally Posted by Canadiana

Yes Fergie did wear a similiar suit in fact for a while they were wearing similiar style clothes.
Do you all have the Debrett's Fashion Guide that's really excellent they updated it in softcover couple years later wish they had again. Only thing I hated about it is they would show the same suit for different years more then once unless she did something different to it what was the point. Better to show something new.
I got into doing this when I bought a book that had it done so I decided to continue on never checking how accurate what they had done when I did found alot more engagements and some wrong dates. I thought I had done a good job which for the most part i did. However last year I bought hundreds & hundreds of British np clippings from 1981-1987 probably 300-400 for each year and especially for 1981 found I had some things wrong with regards to dates like for polo matches (which she went alot too pre-wedding) especially. Tours can be difficult cause you can't always get the correct date to go with the correct outfit. I think I've done pretty well cause of the newspaper articles I mean most will say diana attended such an engagement YESTERDAY so no doubts there about the dates. I do enjoy it immensely and love trying to figure out engagements etc. I'm really itching to start writing it all over but can't seem to find the time. I have done so much on floppy disk but to be honest already I need to do that over and while it looks so professional printed off if I have to add or change something I really need to print it all over again better to do it just on loose leaf paper and put in a folder. So I write it in blue pen, the actual engagment in red, then again the outfit in blue and I also list jewelry everything really except rings plus accessories then the designer (in red pen).
I've VERY organized in case you didn't pick up on that. LOL

I'd love to see your fashion logs. They sound really cool! Would you be able to upload them onto the internet?

[Canadiana]

No I don't have them on my computer. I just have it all written by hand and in diffferent coloured folders for each year. Right now it's a total mess cause I got alot of information and it totally needs to be re-organized. I did however have up to mid 1985 done on floppy disk then I printed it off but it's a mess cause there were so many changes as i said. I don't think it will ever be perfect although. It needs to be all done again which is alot of work not sure when it will ever be done properly again.

[Christo's Girl]

I wish I could find one book or set of books that could describe and show every outfit that Diana ever wore. Private or public functions. I could look at it for hours I am sure.

[tenngirl]

Christo's Girl
I agree. Maybe they could do three books and separate it by years. 1980-1985 then 1986-1991 then 1992-1997. Can you imagine EVERY outfit? The book would be HUGE! And I would have back problems because I would take it with me everywhere for a while!

Did you ever see that book called the Diana Encyclopedia? I heard about it years ago and it was supposed to have a picture of every outfit Diana wore. I have looked for it on Amazon and other places but never found it. If anyone can point me to a website where it is available, I would really appreciate it!

Tenn Girl

[Canadiana]

Originally Posted by tenngirl

Christo's Girl
I agree. Maybe they could do three books and separate it by years. 1980-1985 then 1986-1991 then 1992-1997. Can you imagine EVERY outfit? The book would be HUGE! And I would have back problems because I would take it with me everywhere for a while!

Did you ever see that book called the Diana Encyclopedia? I heard about it years ago and it was supposed to have a picture of every outfit Diana wore. I have looked for it on Amazon and other places but never found it. If anyone can point me to a website where it is available, I would really appreciate it!

Tenn Girl

Gosh sure would LOVE that book.
Well being I'm slightly obsessed with diana's eng/fashions I'd love a book of each eng. and accompanying photo but cant' see that ever happening just getting an accurate listing of her engagement is a start.
I'd also LOVE LOVE LOVE if a book of every official photo she ever had taken was in a book too that would be a pretty big book as well would be awesome. We did just get that with the Testino book but would be nice to see the official ones from start to finish cause wow did she change.

[Squidgy]

Originally Posted by Canadiana

I'd also LOVE LOVE LOVE if a book of every official photo she ever had taken was in a book too that would be a pretty big book as well would be awesome. We did just get that with the Testino book but would be nice to see the official ones from start to finish cause wow did she change.

That would be my dream book too Canadiana! It would be so nice to have a book of her official portraits with notes from the photographers about the photo session!

I guess we can dream on ....

[umbrellagirl]

Originally Posted by tenngirl

Christo's Girl
I agree. Maybe they could do three books and separate it by years. 1980-1985 then 1986-1991 then 1992-1997. Can you imagine EVERY outfit? The book would be HUGE! And I would have back problems because I would take it with me everywhere for a while!

Did you ever see that book called the Diana Encyclopedia? I heard about it years ago and it was supposed to have a picture of every outfit Diana wore. I have looked for it on Amazon and other places but never found it. If anyone can point me to a website where it is available, I would really appreciate it!

Tenn Girl

I don't believe there is a book actually titled the Diana Encyclopedia. If there were, surely someone here would know. I suspect that this was an eBay seller's description of Debrett's Illustrated Fashion Guide: The Princess of Wales, by Jayne and Terry Fincher. That is an encyclopedic volume on Diana's clothes, and does provide photos of almost all of her outfits through Christmas Day 1990 (in the second edition). Of course, not every EVENT is covered, and many of the outfits are shown only once. One drawback to that book is that it is not completely reliable on dates, and I never trust it until the date is verified elsewhere (also, only the month is given).

[Sammy]

The book that I have seen most often referred to (at least on Ebay) as a "Diana encyclopedia" is the book Diana an Extrodinary Life. It was a newspaper piece work made into a book and is quite large.
I have heard of a few people researching such a book, but the task would have to be enormous, and I've not heard of anyone complete such a project.
But I would stand in line to buy such a book!!

[tenngirl]

Sammy,
Thanks for the correction, I will have to see if I can find it! By the way, I'll be right in line behind you to buy it, if the Encyclopedia ever shows up!

I have the Debretts Illustrated book and I like it. However, it bugs me that they show the same outfits over and over. I mean, she wore different stuff, can't you include that? What an absolute waste of paper!

I guess we will just have to keep dreaming. Although I am happy that so many pictures are on the internet now. I have found outfits that I never knew she wore, which is exciting!

[Lady Jean]

I wish the Debrett's fashion books didn't end so "early"in her career....I 'm grateful they exist anyway. It is a shame Jayne Fincher or Tim Graham haven't released a newer fashion encyclopedia of her. I'm sure they would have photographed just about every event.
I also would love to know the dates of photo sessions in studios, such as Snowdon, etc.

[Canadiana]

While I love the debretts fashion guide books they did it badly in that they would show the same outfit many times over then left out something she worn only one or twice. I mean what's the point of showing the same outfit 2/3 times at different times unless she made changes which she didn't. It really bugged me cause they totally ignored some outfits. I mean there are 2/3 outfits diana worn more then 20 times and in one case the exact jewelery all the time the only way to tell it was different was the hair style. This is a dark navy military style brassed buttoned jacket and grey pinstriped skirt. She always worn large ball shape brass earrings. I have her wearing that 24 times from April 1987 to Dec 1992 that's only the ones I know off I bet she worn it even more then that since she liked it so much. The white & navy pinstriped coatdress first worn to Italy April 20'85 she worn that 18 times but thankfully she worn different earrings and at one point had it shortened. The dark green edelstein suit she worn first to Portugal Feb 12'87 with the black collars she worn that 16 times but again with different earrings. She had many suits she worn like that.
As for the evening gown she worn the most it's the Murray Arbeid golden yellow low waisted gown with the leg of mutton sleeves you know it's from that triple pose portrait by John Merton (which is my favorite portrait of all the ones done it's stunning) she also worn that navy fringe collar wrap over cocktail gown do you remember she worn it 9 times from May 91 to June 93. I loved it when fashion commentors would say royalty did not wear clothes over and over. How silly I mean why not???

[Lady Jean]

What do you think is the oldest outfit Diana recycled? (years later she brought out an old favorite) We know Princess Anne is a pro at this.

[Canadiana]

Originally Posted by Lady Jean

What do you think is the oldest outfit Diana recycled? (years later she brought out an old favorite) We know Princess Anne is a pro at this.

Well I was kinda surprised when she brought out the Hachi one sleeved gown first worn Australia 1983 then for Octo***** james bond movie she worn it 1985 then not until 4 years later for anothe James bond movie "License to Kill" same dress she looked fab I thought
As for a dress I was surprised when she worn 2 dresses she worn in 1981 again 3 times in 1986. This was a long ruffled lilacy striped dress with a purple sash can you remember it?




Well she worn it to a polo match June 81 well June 30'86 she worn it to wimbledon then at an official eng. July 16 '86 then again when they arrived in Majorca Aug 86. It's like she just found it in the back of her closet?? Then there's tha grey & maroon L-Motif print dress with yellow piping & trim she worn it twice in July '81 (once with a hat)then in Australia departing at an airport then in Prince Edward Island (with ostrich feathered hat) Canada June '83 then in July 1985 she visited the Old Bailey and she worn it again only 2 years that time but just seemed out of the blue. She made changes to her clothes like that pink long suit worn to Australia, Canada then for Italy 85 she turned it into a fitted skirt. She did it for that rose pink hooped ruffled heavily flounced dress with sash again first to Australia worn it in London couple times and Scotland Oct '83 well in 1986 she had it refitted with big sequins I totally hated it then.
She didn't do that much you know something worn 10-15 years earlier I think she was too fashion conscious for that (unlike P.Anne) but then again she was taken soo soon wasn't she?

[Squidgy]

Originally Posted by Canadiana

Well I was kinda surprised when she brought out the Hachi one sleeved gown first worn Australia 1983 then for Octo***** james bond movie she worn it 1985 then not until 4 years later for anothe James bond movie "License to Kill" same dress she looked fab I thought

I forgot about that one, but yes, that would be my vote. She wore it first in 1983, as Canadiana notes, wore it on & off up until 1989, then I don't recall seeing it again until 1997, when she suprised me by wearing it for the Testino portraits. That's 14 years after she first wore it. And I thought it looked even better than ever in 1997. Amazing!

[Canadiana]

Originally Posted by Squidgy

I forgot about that one, but yes, that would be my vote. She wore it first in 1983, as Canadiana notes, wore it on & off up until 1989, then I don't recall seeing it again until 1997, when she suprised me by wearing it for the Testino portraits. That's 14 years after she first wore it. And I thought it looked even better than ever in 1997. Amazing!

Oh yea I forgot about when she sold her gowns she worn it again and she looked stunningly beautiful. Plus she worn it I think in 1989 but with her hair up in a posed picture with her father & brother seated. I wonder if it wasn't Raine spencer's 60th bday. Someone took a picture of the picture at Althorp and that's how I got it. So it was three times in 1983, one in 1985 (washington) and twice in 1989 I think then in 1997.

P.S. I posted the above picture in the picture thread instead of here which is still suppose to be about the Italian tour. I did have it here but then moved it. check it out

[umbrellagirl]

I think that lilac striped dress should have stayed at the back of the closet. I remember seeing photos of her wearing it at polo in '81 and thinking,"What an ugly dress," and it's shapeless and unflattering on her, too. I never knew that she wore it again. It's especially surprising that she wore it on an official engagement. Anyway, Canadiana, thanks for filling in some more gaps in our knowledge.
My vote for the DRESS she wore most often would be the blue floral (bright blue with bright pink and yellow flowers), the one she famously wore in Brazil holding the little girl playing with her necklace. She wore it to polo June 29, 1988 (that was on the cover of Hello) and for many engagements, including visiting AIDS patients at the London Lighthouse July 20, 1992. Also in Seville, Spain, at Expo 92. I haven't made a total count. I think the press called it her "caring dress" because it was bright and cheerful and so she wore it for many hospital visits, etc., and it seems I recall her saying that children liked it because of the bright colors.
)

[Canadiana]

Originally Posted by umbrellagirl

I think that lilac striped dress should have stayed at the back of the closet. I remember seeing photos of her wearing it at polo in '81 and thinking,"What an ugly dress," and it's shapeless and unflattering on her, too. I never knew that she wore it again. It's especially surprising that she wore it on an official engagement. Anyway, Canadiana, thanks for filling in some more gaps in our knowledge.
My vote for the DRESS she wore most often would be the blue floral (bright blue with bright pink and yellow flowers), the one she famously wore in Brazil holding the little girl playing with her necklace. She wore it to polo June 29, 1988 (that was on the cover of Hello) and for many engagements, including visiting AIDS patients at the London Lighthouse July 20, 1992. Also in Seville, Spain, at Expo 92. I haven't made a total count. I think the press called it her "caring dress" because it was bright and cheerful and so she wore it for many hospital visits, etc., and it seems I recall her saying that children liked it because of the bright colors.
)

Yea it looked ok on her but there was too much of everything with it being stripey, the long sash, then the shoulder to hem ruffles but she was in a ruffled phase in the early 1980's.
Oh yes the beautiful bellville sassson blue floral dress first worn to australia in Jan 1988 when she went to chruch with a blue pillbox Jackie O hat. I always loved that dress but I love the color blue. Personally I hate floral prints but that's just on me. Anyway she did wear this 11 times. She worn it for the Q.Mother's 89th bday also Nigeria in March 90 as well as the other times you said and several times in London.