Which outfit best reflected or flattered Princess Diana?


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maryshawn

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There are no wrong answers here but I just went through an excellent book with many photos.

Am I the only one who thought her wedding dress--while often criticized--fit the time, the place and the young woman? I thought it highly romantic. When she emerged from the wedding, she was--to me at 18--the quintessential fairytale princess!

I love her in anything red! I wasn't a huge fan of the polka dot phase but she was young and learning.

I guess I preferred her paired down style at the end of her life. The blue Chanel she wore was exquisite on her. There was also a Jackie O type dress she wore (well a suit with pillbox) that was pink and very flattering. And one of her last lunches had her wearing ivory and it was beautiful.

But which outfit best reflected Diana? I would have to say the ones worn to landmine visits and the blue jeans and simple shirts she wore with her children....she looked her happiest when wearing them!

A point of interest. The one dress she kept vacillating on contributing to the auction was the exquiste white (not Elvis) dress with bolero jacket worn to Paris. She said wearing it was the "one time she really felt a Princess."

I did not care for the military style outfits at all....but those were short-lived. And the shalwar kameez were gorgeous but not her--even her shoes with them seemed wrong--as if she was not quite sure to wear casual or high heels. What really irritates me are those who point to those last photos of her in a swimsuit and say she had a tummy. My goodness, she had 2 children, was 36 and I would bet many of us would hope to look as good--at any age! I thought she looked slim but healthy--far preferable to an emaciated model look.

Anything I'm missing? I love hearing from others about such things.
 
Well, I loved many of dresses and suits!!!! She had a incredible style!!

I love the grey/white suite with matching hat, the red shiftdress with belt, the purple evening dress she wore in Chicago, the black evening gown she wore when she got the humanitarian of the year award,....
I could go on for hours :D

As for accesories: I loved her brown Chanel bag, the spencer tiara, her engagement ring and the choker with that huge centered sapphire!!! I also loved a lot of her earrings :)
 
Response

I forgot about the purple and the black humanitarian dress.....Gorgeous!!!! I also agree about jewelry. Don't laugh--well, you can--but I tried to access the Marks and Spencer website or whatever one she used to by faux jewels which were often thought real and couldn't get anywhere but she did have such style....That pair of half moon diamante earrings she wore on a trip to Saudi Arabia prompted all sorts of speculation they were a lavish worth millions of pounds from the Saudi family when--now I remember, they were inexpensive purchased from Butler and Wilson......how clever of her!!!! Grey and white? Which one was that.... a later outfit?

Mary Shawn
royal_sophietje said:
Well, I loved many of dresses and suits!!!! She had a incredible style!!

I love the grey/white suite with matching hat, the red shiftdress with belt, the purple evening dress she wore in Chicago, the black evening gown she wore when she got the humanitarian of the year award,....
I could go on for hours :D

As for accesories: I loved her brown Chanel bag, the spencer tiara, her engagement ring and the choker with that huge centered sapphire!!! I also loved a lot of her earrings :)
 
OK, I do have a question. She grew to love Versace handbags. I have never seen one.......does anyone know what they look like or when she wore one? Just curious. I thought he only produced couture outfits.....
 
Dear MaryShawn,

I will get you a picture of the grey and white suit!!

Sophie
 
I think that many of the dresses that Diana put up for auction best reflected and flattered her. My favourites are:-

Lot 6 - A pale blue flowing chiffon dress by Catherine Walker. It had a matching neck scarf which helped to make the dress look floaty and beautiful - Diana looked as if she was floating on air when she wore it - fabulous!

Lot 9 - This dress is really gorgeous. It's got a straight pink ankle length skirt with a beaded bodice. Diana wore it in 1991 in Pakistan and she really looked a million dollars. I've seen close-ups of the beading on this dress and it looks so amazing.

Lot 26 - This is a real fairytale dress. It was designed by the Emmanuels who made Diana's wedding dress. It's got a srtapless corset style bodice and a flowing full skirt. It's decorated with gold diamonds and looks like a proper fairytale princess' dress.

Lot 80 - This is my favourite dress from the auction. It's the one Diana wore and said she felt like a 'real princess'.

I also love the Jacques Azagury dresses Diana wore towards the end of her life. A favourite is the pale blue one that she wore to Swan Lake in 1997.

In terms of jewellery, I love the seven strand pearl choker with the huge sapphire in the middle that Diana wore throughout her life as Princess of Wales. Her engagement ring is also classic as are her two tiaras, the Spencer tiara being my favourite.
 
Reply re: dresses of Diana's

I forgot about the catalogue!!!!! Thanks for reminder. Yes, I looked up all of those dresses and agree totally. The last, which made her feel like a Princess (her words too) is beyond gorgeous. What detail! And Lot 9---too beautiful for words. The rest are superb--the fairytale gown is precisely that. I also found:

That Hachi (lot 20) stunning on her and lot 71 was just so sleek with that cream top and pink skirt. The first, by Gina Fratini is pretty and the embroidery on lot 17, I think, pink with multi-colored top---I can't begin to imagine how much time went into that's creation.

I was surprised in looking through the catalogue, how many dresses I had not seen on her publicly. And, I'm sorry, there were a few, like the green in lot 34 which just seemed a bit "un Diana," as they "wore" her. All of these were ones that did not have those simple lines she shone in.

Despite how they looked, it's fascinating how many colours she could wear and they ALL complimented her colouring. Some of us just can't wear certain colours--plaids, grey, camel, and brown---look terrible on me but ask me if I would adore a camel coat???? I have tried them on as my hair color has changed and nothing works. It just washes me out.

Does anyone know which dress went for the least and which for the most?

Thank you for your interesting comments. I agree with them all and it was fun being prompted to look at the catalogue though your descriptions are such anyone can pretty much figure out which ones you are talking about.

PS Was not a big fan of Elvis dress. Don't know why......The ones you mentioned, I feel, are far lovelier standing alone and on Diana.
 
PS, love the pearls you refer to and the Spencer tiara just suited her so well! She looked lovely in the other--can't recall its official name--but there was just something so romantic about the spencer one......
 
Auction info

There's a really great website about the dress auction. It has pictures of all the dresses - some where Diana is wearing the rare dresses. It also has pictures of all the dresses on the stands as they were sold at auction. I'll put the address at the end of this post.

According to the site, the dress that sold for the least was lot 72 - It has a beaded tunic top and flows into a long silk skirt (picture on the website). It sold for $21,850.

The dress that sold for the most was the 'Travolta dress'. It's the long midnight blue velvet dress that Diana wore when she danced with John Travolta. It sold for $222,500!!!

Here's the address for the website - it's like an online auction catalogue!
http://members.aol.com/berniepuer/PrincessDianaAuction.html
 
Wow, Lyndsey, thanks! This is a great link. And great info with it. Does anyone know if the dresses not auctioned but worn later in her life and stunning were taken by her family for display or burnt (I hope that rumour isn't true but I heard it's a common practice for royal things to be burnt if their current owner feels they serve no useful purpose--Highgrove had many bonfires of beautiful gifts which were torched rather than donated anonymously for charity.....To just burn things people could use, seems like such a hideous waste!!!!!)
 
maryshawn said:
OK, I do have a question. She grew to love Versace handbags. I have never seen one.......does anyone know what they look like or when she wore one? Just curious. I thought he only produced couture outfits.....
omg how cool wow another versace worshiper ahhhh so good to see she mad her way to the holy grail of the fashion world :)

he if you mean Gianna versace is dead (may he rest in peace).... anyway they have handbags, acessories.. scarves, gloves, belts, shoes, makeup, perfume, ready to wear, childrens, sport, couture, versus... so you see they have quite a bit... have u tried to do a search on dianna with versace?
 
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Versace

I did do a search and have looked and compared--no one like Gianni Versace! I hate the fact he was killed as I adored that gentleman. The problem is I've seen gorgeous things but perhaps I need a vintage site as none seem to compare to any bags of Diana's. I see many posts have been added to Diana's purses site; perhaps one will be there. Is there a vintage site honoring Gianni Versace's works? Or a book? Nice to meet another Versace lover too!
 
I know this will sound dated but I loved the huge Emmanuel dress she wore, I think twice, shortly after she was married. It was white with lilac and pale pink streaks running through it and as a child I remember my sister having a Diana book which had loads of pictures of her wearing it in it and she looked so Princessy. I will try and find it as I am sure you will all remember it when you see it.
 
DWF15-225204.jpg
This was the second and last time time she wore this dress I refrrered to above. She was more famously pictured wearing it a few years before sitting down wearing the famous "shy Di " haircut. Cast your minds back and I'm sure you will remember this.
 
You're right James!! She even feel asleep during an engagement in this dress. But she was forgiven, because she was just pregnant with William :)
 
I think that was a Belville Sassoon dress, not an Emanuel one.
 
Emmanuel Dress

Love that dress!!!!! She was also photographed and it achieved some noteriety as she fell asleep in it....this is before we all knew she was pregnant!

But, yes, I forgot about it. Gorgeous.

james said:
http://pro.corbis.com/images/DWF15-225204.jpg?size=67&uid={a3ea151f-473f-4cf9-bc08-c7a9c9781262}This was the second and last time time she wore this dress I refrrered to above. She was more famously pictured wearing it a few years before sitting down wearing the famous "shy Di " haircut. Cast your minds back and I'm sure you will remember this.
 
James' Reference to Dress

I will someday learn to look at all posts before posting mine about her falling asleep. Sorry for duplication!

It was designed by Belville Sassoon (sp?) but looked dreamy enough to be an Emmanuel creation!
 
maryshawn said:
I will someday learn to look at all posts before posting mine about her falling asleep. Sorry for duplication!

It was designed by Belville Sassoon (sp?) but looked dreamy enough to be an Emmanuel creation!
Never mind, Mary Shawn, it is one of the anecdotes I LOVE and I always have to laugh when I read it and dreaming away when I see that picture.

So I can't read it enough :p ;)
 
Princess Diana duplicate "sleeping" post

Thanks! I love that anecdote too.....never heard if anyone poked her to wake up.....or what she thought of photos the next day. OR what the other royals thought. Hopefully, as not a big deal seemed to be made, they realized pregnancy IS exhausting. I remember sitting through 8 hour meetings and I know I dozed off a couple times myself. So it happens!



royal_sophietje said:
Never mind, Mary Shawn, it is one of the anecdotes I LOVE and I always have to laugh when I read it and dreaming away when I see that picture.

So I can't read it enough :p ;)
 
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A picture of the first time Diana wore that wonderful Belville Sasoon dress. The dress I will personally always remember her by.
 
Eveningwear:

The Emmanuel Dress already pictured
The Edelstein worn to the White House
The red dress worn many times between 90 and 92

Daytime

The 80s:
The purple velvet suit worn to her first trip to Wales
The black suit with veiled hat worn to Paris in 1988
The cream satin suit with print and big hat worn to Ascot in 1987
The royal blue dress with black slanted waist.
The Catherine Walker Cream coatdress with navy pinstripe

The 90s
The Red Shift Dress
The Purple Suit worn in Washington in 1997
The bright blue "caring" dress with floral print
The Grey & White Suit with large white hat
 
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