5 Post-Prince Charles Princess Diana Outfits That Solidified Her Style Icon Status

Princess Diana is remembered for many things, one of them being her status as a style icon. Seriously. She was such a big fashion figure that there are even multiple books that dive into her many stylish outfits throughout the years of her short life. Even years after her passing, many women look to the princess for fashion inspiration. And she wasn't just any royal wearing designer clothes — Princess Diana did an amazing job of incorporating pieces from accessible brands like Zara into her wardrobe, one of the reasons her looks became so iconic.

Although Diana made a name for herself by wearing royal rule-breaking outfits while married to then-Prince Charles, many people believe her style truly reached icon status after the couple's separation. Her single life was when she got to hone her personal style, rather than worrying about breaking some type of royal protocol. During this time in her life, she dressed more boldly than ever before. 

Today, we're taking a look at five of Diana's most iconic post-Prince Charles outfits. And trust us when we say choosing just five outfits was not an easy feat. There's even an Instagram account dedicated solely to Diana's post-separation "revenge" looks. Without further ado, let's take a look at which outfits helped solidify Diana's style icon status.

Princess Di's style continues to influence women today. Recently, one of the most sought-after styles called back to Diana's casual yet chic activewear look for the gym and other off-duty errands. Her activewear look consisted of an oversized sweatshirt — usually with a fun-theme –  biker shorts, big slouchy-scrunch socks, and dad shoes. 

One 1995 look, which Diana wore to the Chelsea Harbour Club, became so iconic that there are even products that feature illustrations of it. Hailey Bieber also sported Princess Diana-inspired activewear for a Vogue Paris spread in 2019. In a post on Instagram, she thanked the princess for leaving behind an "iconic fashion and style legacy."

Among the many bags the princess sported, one stands out when thinking of Princess Di — the bag named in her honor, Lady Dior by Christian Dior. Princess Di loved the bag so much that she ordered one in many different colors and textiles.

The bag remains one of the most iconic handbags of all time. Diana had so many great looks with her many Lady Dior bags, but one of our favorites is her 1995 outfit, when she styled her black Lady Dior with a tangerine suit.

One of Princess Diana's looks that is still talked about today is her "revenge dress," a look that has inspired many celebrities over the years to embrace the revenge dress aesthetic, including Taylor Swift. Although her divorce wasn't finalized until 1996, then-Prince Charles confessed his affair with another woman — now Queen Camilla – to the world on June 29, 1994.

On that same night, at a Serpentine Gallery gala, Diana showed up in an all-black, fitted, off-the-shoulder dress by Christina Stambolian, also known as the legendary revenge dress. It was with this dress that our Princess Di said so much, without saying anything at all.

Post-divorce, Diana allegedly avoided wearing the Chanel logo — linked Cs — because in her mind, they stood for Charles and Camilla, said designer Jayson Brundson in an interview with Harper's Bazaar Australia. Something must have changed at some point, as she was later seen wearing Chanel once again. And it's a good thing she returned to the designer, as some of her most iconic post-divorce looks were from Chanel. In this 1997 photo, our lady is walking through New York City in a mint green suit carrying a white top-handle bag.

In addition to sporting a blond pixie cut, an important moment in her stunning hair transformation, Diana changed her wardrobe post-Prince Charles. She quickly bid farewell to her princess gowns and welcomed briefcases and power suits. Our favorite of all her power suit looks is the outfit she sported to meet her nephew for the first time in 1994, a head-to-toe Escada ensemble that featured a gold elephant motif. So chic, no?