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Princess Diana’s Recycled Royal Wardrobe Is A Lesson In Sustainable Fashion

She’s our eco-fashion muse - by Chelsea Tromans
  • 03 Dec 2019

Princess Diana was an eco-fashion icon well before sustainable fashion was even on our radar. Not only did she wear the same outfit numerous times, but she also had items in her wardrobe remade into completely new outfits. 

Watch Below: Royal Chef Says Princess Diana Almost Burnt The Palace Down.

Here’s a look back at some of Princess Diana’s most memorable recycled fashion moments.

The Pale Blue Gown

Princess Diana got a lot of wear out of this blue Catherine Walker gown before she decided the have it altered. She wore it in 1986 to a dinner hosted by the Emir of Qatar in Doha, Qatar; during an official visit to Lisbon, Portugal in 1987; and to a banquet in Munich, Germany in November 1987. Two years later, she ditched the sleeves for a flattering heart-shaped strapless neckline when she attended a charity ball in 1989.

Princess Diana
Princess Diana

The Navy Striped Bubble Dress

Another outfit from her 1987 Portugal trip, Diana first debuted this striped navy dress with a dropped bubble hem with a longline navy blazer. A few months later while in Cannes, she refreshed the dress with a white blazer.

Princess Diana Recycled Royal Wardrobe
Princess Diana Recycled Royal Wardrobe

The Sapphire Headband

Princess Diana turned a velvet sapphire headband that she wore in May 1986 into a choker necklace that she wore on numerous occasions, including to 'The Phantom of the Opera' in London on October 1986. The sapphire and diamond headband was made from jewels from a watch in The Saudi Suite (a wedding present she received from Crown Prince Fahd), which she had reset into a choker.

Princess Diana Recycled Royal Wardrobe
Princess Diana Recycled Royal Wardrobe

The White And Purple Polka Dot Dress

Princess Diana transformed a Victor Edelstein polka dot dress with a peplum waist - which she was seen wearing at an equestrian event in June of 1986 - into a simpler design for a polo match a year later.

Princess Diana Recycled Royal Wardrobe
Princess Diana Recycled Royal Wardrobe

The Floral Skirt 

One piece worn two different ways. Originally, Diana debuted this floral pencil skirt with a matching jacket (and iconic 80s shoulder pads) during the 1981 Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Four years later, she revived the skirt, this time opting to wear it with a white top and a thick red leather belt when she attended a polo match in Cirencester in 1985.

Princess Diana Recycled Fashion
Princess Diana Recycled Royal Wardrobe

The Beaded Gown

Diana gave a beaded Catherine Walker gown a complete makeover when she altered the OG ball gown she wore to meet with the Crown Prince of Kuwait in March 1989 and again to meet the president of Nigeria in May 1989. She kept the top and added a straight silhouette two years later for a banquet in Seoul, South Korea. 

Princess Diana Recycled Royal Wardrobe
Princess Diana Recycled Royal Wardrobe

The Tartan Two-Piece

Who knew tartan was so versatile? When Diana wore this Caroline Charles tartan two-piece to the Braemar Highland Games in Scotland in 1981, she kept the look quite classic and minimalist with a black beret and close-toe shoes. In 1985, she gave the suit a completely different look with a white blouse poking through at the neckline and cuffs, and black boots for a stylish equestrian vibe.

Princess Diana Recycled Royal Wardrobe
Princess Diana Recycled Royal Wardrobe

The Puffy-Sleeved Pink Dress

Ah the 80s - it’s the only decade a pink puffy sleeve dress will ever get worn twice in the space of a few years! The first time Princess Diana wore this gown was in Melbourne in 1983. The dress featured ruffles at the waist, sleeves and neckline. Princess Di had the gown altered in 1986 to remove the frills, drop the waistline and add puffy sleeves that tapered to a tight fit along the arms.

Princess Diana Recycled Royal Wardrobe
Princess Diana Recycled Royal Wardrobe

The Graphic Black-and-White Blouse

Diana styled this black-and-white blouse two completely different ways. The first time, while on the royal tour of Australia in 1983, she buttoned up the neckline, cinched her waist with a black tie belt and wore a simple black skirt. Later that same year, she gave it a casual twist with an open collar, tucking the blouse into a white pencil skirt. She accessorised with the same belt.

Princess Diana Recycled Royal Wardrobe
Princess Diana Recycled Royal Wardrobe
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Chelsea Tromans
Chelsea Tromans
Chelsea Tromans is a fashion, beauty and lifestyle editor whose words can be found on BEAUTYcrew, marie claire, Women’s Health, WHO, Daily Addict, and The Joye, just to name a few. She’s a night owl who’s trying to train herself to be a morning person (coffee helps!) and she recently traded in her hectic Sydney life for a quieter pace in Brisbane.

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