Princess Diana‘s most iconic looks had secret meanings behind them, a fashion expert has claimed.
Speaking on ITV‘s Lorraine this morning, fashion journalist Eloise Moran talked about some of Diana’s most memorable outfits and how they hinted at how she was feeling at the time.
The journalist and author spotted hidden messages in outfits including the Princess’s black sheep jumper and the infamous ‘revenge dress’ which she wore on the same night Prince Charles publicly confessed to adultery.
Eloise, who is the author of The Lady Di Look Book: What Diana Was Trying to Tell Us Through Her Clothes, also spotted tributes from contemporary royals to the late Princess.
Noting a stunning white dress with black polka dots worn by Kate Middleton just last week at Royal Ascot, she said the Duchess of Cambridge paid ‘direct tribute’ to a dress worn by her late mother-in-law to the same event in 1988.
Eloise, who runs the @ladydirevengelooks Instagram account, has released her book after noticing a new generation of royal fans are hailing Diana as a style icon.
According to Eloise, Diana’s discomfort at being a senior member of the Royal Family was apparent early on as she donned a red woolly jumper at a polo match in 1980.
Eloise believes this choice of outfit was deliberate from Diana, who felt like ‘the proverbial black sheep’ in the Royal Family from the beginning.
Princess Diana’s iconic outfits, like the black sheep jumper by Warm & Wonderful (pictured) she wore to a polo match in 1980, had hidden meanings behind them, claims fashion journalist Eloise Moran
The Princess, who struggled with an eating disorder, was known as ‘Shy Di’ during her earlier years in the Royal family – something Eloise thinks was particularly noticeable while she was pregnant with Prince William
Diana’s iconic ‘revenge dress’ made its appearance in 1994 on the same evening Prince Charles publicly confessed to committing adultery in their marriage
After divorcing Prince Charles, Diana opted to dress in more non-UK based designers such as Versace. She also wore high heels more often which she had avoided while stepping out with Prince Charles, so as not to look taller than him
Eloise Moran, author of The Lady Di Look Book: What Diana Was Trying to Tell Us Through Her Clothes, has spotted hidden meanings in Diana’s most iconic looks
Appearing on Lorraine this morning, she talked through Princess Diana’s best looks including the infamous ‘revenge dress’
Speaking to presenter Lorraine Kelly, she said: ‘[Diana] was new on the royal scene and I think she kind of felt like the odd one out.’
After Lorraine questioned whether the black sheep jumper was a deliberate message, Moran added Diana wore the jumper again while out walking with Sarah Ferguson.
‘The two of them were on the polo field and it kind of makes you think if they both felt a bit like that,’ Eloise suggested, joking they were ‘the two naughty ones’.
Diana, who was watching her new beau Prince Charles play in the match, wore the Warm & Wonderful jumper which was imprinted with white sheep – but pictured a single black sheep in the centre.
Speaking about another of Diana’s iconic looks while she was pregnant with Prince William, Lorraine noted the Princess had said she was ‘still finding her feet’.
According to Eloise, her fashion choices while pregnant again gave a glimpse into her inner thinking at the time.
The author explained: ‘Sady she was dealing with an eating disorder at the time and she was kind of anxious.
‘She was known as “Shy Di” because she always kept her head down.’
Showing a photo of the Princess in a green maternity dress with a white collar and white polka dots at the polo, Eloise noted it was a ‘typical’ look of hers.
Eloise notes contemporary royals like Kate Middleton pay tribute to Princess Diana’s most iconic looks (Diana, left, at Royal Ascot in 1988 and Kate, right, at Royal Ascot last week)
Lorraine made note of the impact Diana had on women’s fashion throughout the 1980s and 1990s as a style icon.
She said: ‘When she wore something it just disappeared didn’t it?’
Eloise noted that Princess Diana’s dress sense entered a ‘revenge’ era after her split with Prince Charles.
Focusing on the ‘revenge dress’ she wore in 1994 on the evening Prince Charles first publicly confessed to committing adultery, Eloise noted the Princess never initially intended to wear it.
The stunning black dress with a bardot neckline was designed by the lesser-known Greek designer Christina Stambolian – but Diana had originally intended to wear Valentino.
However, after a leak to the press detailing her outfit, the Princess, who ‘loved the element of surprise’, stepped out in the Stambolian dress instead.
Presenter Lorraine Kelly recalled how Princess Diana set trends during the 1980s and 1990s
Given the timing of the stunning outfit, Lorraine said: ‘It was a message to [Charles] and to the world.’
After leaving the Royal Family, Diana was seen stepping out in more non-UK based designers such as Versace – and took avantage of her freedom.
Stepping out in a purple Versace gown with matching purple Jimmy Choo heels, Eloise said Diana had developed an ‘international look’.
She said: ‘It’s very streamlined, you can see she’s not afraid of showing off her body more.’
The journalist also noted Diana was seen in high heels more often after her split with Charles – as during their marriage, she didn’t want to look taller than him.
She said: ‘I don’t think she wanted to hurt his ego.’
Eloise added: ‘It’s the ultimate revenge move.’