All the Times Princess Diana Recycled Her Royal Wardrobe

(Image credit: Getty)

published 6 June 2018

The Duchess of Cambridge may re-wear key pieces from her wardrobe (opens in new tab) from time to time, but her late mother-in-law Princess Diana completely deconstructed and redesigned several outfits to suit her changing style (opens in new tab). Below, a few of the princess's best "recycled" looks.

The Pale Blue Catherine Walker Gown

(Image credit: Getty)

Diana wore this long-sleeved gown for the first time during an official visit to Lisbon, Portugal in 1987. She then remade the dress, removing the sleeves and re-crafting it with a heart-shaped strapless neckline to wear to a charity ball two years later in 1989.

A Voluminous Skirt

Clearly, Diana brought a few of her favorite looks with her to Lisbon in 1987. The photo on the left shows her on the official visit, and in the picture on the right, she's in Cannes just a few months later, wearing the same skirt, just styled a bit differently.

The Saudi Suite of Jewels

Diana was even inventive with her jewelry (opens in new tab). In May of 1986, she wore a headband made from jewels, which she had reset from the Saudi suite of sapphires. The gems reportedly came from a watch, and she wore the new look both around the head and as a choker necklace.

The Victor Edelstein Peplum Skirt

Diana was a big fan of polka dots. On the left, she's seen with Princess Anne at an equestrian event in June of 1986, and on the right, she appears to be wearing an altered version of the same dress, sans-peplum, at a polo match just one year later.

A Floral Two-Piece Look

Diana wasn't afraid to break apart a two-piece set to make multiple outfits. On the left, she's seen in the full ensemble at the 1981 Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Several years later, in 1985, she wore just the skirt to a polo match in Cirencester.

The Beaded Catherine Walker Gown

Two years after Princess Diana wore a striking floral gown to meet the president of Nigeria, she wore the same dress with a different skirt to a banquet in Seoul, South Korea.

An Adaptable Sapphire Brooch

Sapphires were one of Diana's signature stones. On the left, the late Princess of Wales wore her striking sapphire brooch as a pin while at the Dutch royal family banquet at Hampton Court Palace in 1982. On the right is a portrait of Diana wearing the same brooch set into a pearl necklace in Vienna in 1986.

Her Mondi white skirt with red polka dots

On the left, Diana wears a Mondi white skirt with red polka dots with matching ankle socks at a polo match in Windsor in June, 1986. And on the right, she receives flowers from well-wishers during a visit in Melbourne, Australia in the same skirt!

The Caroline Charles Tartan Suit

Members of the royal family are quite fond of their plaid, and Diana was no exception. The late princess favored this tartan suit by Caroline Charles. She wore it to the Braemar Highland Games in Scotland in 1981 and then changed up the neckline before she wore it again in 1985.

Abstract Black-and-White Blouse

Diana wore this striking top once on the royal tour of Australia in 1983 (left) and again at a polo match (right) that same year.

Robbie Myers is the chief editorial curator of Shondaland.com. Myers was the editor in chief of ELLE from 2000-2017. Prior to that she was the editor-in-chief of Mirabella, and held senior editorial positions at InStyle, Interview, Seventeen among others, and began her career at Rolling Stone. She was also the founding editor of Tell, a start-up with NBC entertainment.