In her lifetime, Princess Diana was known for a lot of things: Her kindness, the way she changed the royal family, being a loving mom to Prince William and Prince Harry. But one of the biggest marks she left on the world definitely has to do with her fashion. Over the years, so many of the Princess of Wales' looks have remained iconic, and it's largely because of the little details and unique choices she made in her wardrobe that constantly made her stand out among the rest — even among the other royals!
Harper's Bazaar has rounded up some of Diana's best style secrets through the years. From purposefully mismatching her accessories to finding new ways to wear her jewelry, there are so many little things that Diana changed about her own fashion that, in turn, ended up having a larger effect on fashion in general.
Read on for some of the most unforgettable style details from Princess Diana's wardrobe. We will never get over her amazing outfits from the '80s and '90s — when we think of royal style, our minds immediately go to her and everything that must have been hanging in her closet back then.
Her Charm Bracelet
Charm bracelets have been in and out of style over the years, but Diana totally pulled hers off — especially since it had personal touches, like an H and a W for the first initial of both Harry and William's names. Harper's Bazaar also pointed out that she had an "X" charm to symbolize 10 years of marriage to Prince Charles.
Her Backwards Necklace
When Diana attended the London premiere of Back to the Future in 1985, she wore her pearl necklace backwards to show off her back — and considering the fact that the velvet dress she was wearing did have an open back, why not dress it up? Unsurprising that Diana could even find a way to make the most basic, yet timeless piece of jewelry so interesting.
Her Meaningful Brooch
What Diana's wearing here is a brooch featuring a painting of her mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth. The accessory is called the Family Order of Queen Elizabeth, and is only given to certain female members of the family who have earned it for the good work they have done. What an honor!
Her Sunglasses
Back in the early '90s, Princess Diana could be seen wearing these sunglasses just about everywhere — skiing with Harry and William, royal engagements … wherever she went, these glasses were sure to follow. It made sense, considering that they were both fashion forward at the time and went with everything.
Her Initial Necklace
An initial necklace is such a classic accessory, and of course, Diana had one. The one she's wearing here, featuring the letter "D" during a visit to Melbourne, Australia in 1985, ended up being something she wore over and over again. Like Kate Middleton, she's not afraid to repeat outfits or accessories!
Doubling Up on Watches
Here, Diana is watching Prince Charles compete in a polo match … and setting fashion trends all at the same time. Not only is she showing off her iconic sapphire engagement ring, but she's also wearing two watches — one she already owned and one that Charles had given to her as a birthday gift.
Pinky Rings
Not only did Diana double up on watches, but she also stacked her pinky rings. Here, she's wearing the rings in portraits that were taken of her and her family at Kensington Palace. Harper's points out that some of these rings were Cartier trinity rings.
Mismatching Her Gloves
Fashion rules are made to be broken, especially for Princess Diana! She made mismatched gloves look totally glam, opting for one red and one black to match her color blocked dress, and because she's Princess Diana, of course she looked amazing while doing it.
Colored Eyeliner
Though many royals today (including Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle) typically keep their makeup more natural, this is another place where Diana liked to take risks. She frequently matched her eyeliner to her outfit, like she did with blue here. It's out of the box, but it looks so good, and really makes her eyes pop.
Colorful Tights
Though this was definitely more in style in the '80s, wearing colorful tights was another thing Diana did that made her so unique. Diana would often be seen matching her tights to the rest of her outfit, including the way she did here with red stockings that were a perfect color match to her red suit.
Bright Color Combos
Princess Diana was all about wearing bright colors, and that included mixing two bright colors together that we might not have thought about pairing ourselves … and somehow, they always looked great on her. One of her most common color combos was bright purple and red.
The Black Sheep Sweater
Not only was Princess Diana's black sheep sweater cute, but it also seemed to symbolize the way she felt joining the royal family. Was she trying to send a message? Regardless, this ended up becoming one of the most iconic pieces in her wardrobe. People still talk about it today.
She's a Luxury
While we're on the topic of Princess Diana's most iconic sweaters, let's add this one to the list! Here, she's wearing a sweater that reads "I'm a luxury" on the front, and "few can afford" on the back. We have to appreciate Diana's sense of humor here, for sure.
Loud Patterns
Princess Diana was never one to shy away from a bold pattern — or even a loud pattern in bright colors, like the red and white polka dotted suit she's wearing here. Of course, we've seen royals like the Duchess of Cambridge wear polka dots, but not quite in this way. Who could pull it off but Diana?
Her Casual Uniform
When Diana wasn't on a royal tour or fulfilling her important obligations, she went for more casual looks, and this is one she repeated many times. She often paired biker shorts with sweatshirts, as did many others in the '90s. But somehow, on her, it looked like a full outfit.
