Princess Diana Constantly Rewore This Dress for a Very Sweet Reason

princess diana, princess of wales, visits the lighthouse project for aids victims west london picture taken 20th july 1992 photo by kent gavinmirrorpixgetty images

(Image credit: Mirrorpix)

published 11 June 2021

Princess Diana repeatedly wore (opens in new tab) the same blue floral dress on public outings.
She prioritized the dress for a very cute reason: children loved it.
"She thought about the people who were going to see her and the people she was going to meet when she made style choices," Kensington Palace exhibition curator Matthew Storey said.

Princess Diana's wardrobe was among the world's most scrutinized—but the royal wasn't too concerned about the opinions of the press, often choosing her outfits for another (very cute) reason. The royal's clothes are at the center of a new exhibition at Kensington Palace (opens in new tab), titled Royal Style in the Making (opens in new tab), and curator Matthew Storey shared the sweetest insight into Diana's fashion choices with Us Weekly (opens in new tab).

Featured in the exhibition is a sketch of Diana's "favorite" dress, according to Storey: a blue day dress with a bright floral pattern. "She called it her caring dress. It’s this blue dress with bright flowers on it and it was one of the princess' favorite dresses,” Storey said. "She wore it over and over again. So much so that the press said, 'Give it a rest. Stop wearing it.'"

But Diana, thankfully, did not listen. "She knew that children really responded to this dress. Children love bright colors. So, she often wore it when she was going to visit children—and sick children in particular," he said.

london, england june 02 designs made for diana, princess of wales on display during the royal style in the making exhibition photocall at kensington palace on june 02, 2021 in london, england royal style in the making is scheduled to open at kensington palace on 3 june 2021, and will run until 2 january 2022 photo by tim p whitbygetty images

In the sketch, seen above, the dress is paired with a statement hat, but Diana wasn't a fan of the accessory. "The sketch shows this broad-brimmed hat and she would never have worn it with a hat. She said, 'You couldn’t cuddle a child in a hat,'" Storey said.

"For me, that unlocked my understanding of Diana’s wardrobe," the curator added. "She thought about the people who were going to see her and the people she was going to meet when she made style choices."

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.