Javascript is not enabled.

Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.

Skip to content
Content starts here
CLOSE ×

Search

Leaving AARP.org Website

You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

From Ingenue to Style Icon

Princess Diana uses fashion to tell the world: 'I'm going to cut a different path'

spinner image Princess Diana's Life and Legacy

    

Poll: Say Yes to the Dress

 

Tell us: Did Diana marry for love or for the fairy tale?

This is the fourth installment in a series of photos and videos remembering Princess Diana as we approach the 20th anniversary of her shocking death on Aug. 31, 1997. Please share your thoughts and memories of Diana in our Icons community forum.

In less than two decades, Princess Diana went from ingenue to style icon, becoming a media superstar as she smartly used eye-popping fashion to demonstrate increasing confidence, to make strong statements (who can forget that skin-tight evening sheath she wore the night Prince Charles aired his infidelities on TV?) and to remind us all that she was definitely not your mother’s royal.  

The princess once said, “I think I’m going to cut a different path than everyone else.” That she did. And like fellow style icons Jackie Onassis and Audrey Hepburn, her "look" still resonates as timeless, ageless and unmistakably Di.

Watch how Diana's style evolved through the years and then vote below for your favorite dress.

Discover AARP Members Only Access

Join AARP to Continue

Already a Member?