Princess Diana Was the Original Queen of the Butter Yellow Trend
From overalls to evening gowns, she was the ultimate pastel influencer.
If I had a dollar for every time someone mentioned "butter yellow" in the Marie Claire Slack channel in the past year, I'd be rich (or at the very least, have enough money to buy myself a nice new outfit). While the trend has continued into spring 2025 as the color of the season for everything from dresses to manicures, one member of the Royal Family was wearing it before some people in my office were even born. I was researching for an unrelated Princess Diana story this week when I noticed how many times she wore pale yellow—and while my particular coloring doesn't suit this trend, it was made for Diana and her sunny blonde hair.
The late princess favored butter yellow in both her formal and off-duty lives, wearing everything from puff-sleeved evening gowns to pastel blazers. Diana never met a yellow suit she didn't like, and often incorporated the color into her casual uniform, wearing overalls and relaxed button-up shirts in the cheerful hue.
Below, take a look back at Princess Diana's best moments in yellow—and shop similar outfits for summer 2025.
Pastel Sets
Princess Diana is seen in a coordinating yellow set in 1987.
Diana wore an easy, breezy vacation look while on holiday in Majorca, Spain in August 1987. Her butter yellow blouse with matching trousers is an outfit that's easy to replicate these days, whether you choose a pair of linen pants or shorts to complete your matching set.
Buttery Blazers
Princess Diana wore a pale yellow blazer to a 1987 polo match.
The late princess owned numerous yellow suit jackets—often worn with a skirt—wearing them to royal charity meetings and casual polo matches alike. This summer, why not swap your usual work blazer for something more colorful?
Eveningwear
Diana is pictured wearing a Murray Arbeid gown in 1985.
One of Diana's favorite evening gowns was this pastel yellow Murray Arbeid design, and she wore it on numerous occasions, including her 1983 Australia tour and the premiere of the movie 2010—as shown above—in 1985. While a puffy, long-sleeved gown isn't necessarily the best choice for a summer event, take inspiration from Di in the form of some more lightweight alternatives.
Denim
Lady Diana Spencer mixed florals with butter yellow overalls for a polo match shortly before her wedding to Prince Charles.
The photos of a young Diana Spencer at a July 1981 polo match made yellow overalls all the rage that summer. The exact aesthetic is a bit harder to track down in 2025, but try denim shortalls or wide-legged jeans in a similar hue.
