THROUGHOUT her brief life, Princess Diana supported many British designers, especially Arabella Pollen, Bruce Oldfield, Amanda Wakeley and Catherine Walker.

Initially, the Princess of Wales was encouraged by staff of Vogue to pursue a particular look, but as time progressed she gained confidence in her own fashion style and became more and more elegant as she began to understand what suited her.

Diana undoubtedly became an icon in fashion history. She started to wear clothes by international designers of her own choice including Versace, Christian Lacroix, Ungaro and Chanel.

By the 1990s she was a world leader of fashion in clothes, accessories, makeup and hair. She became a trendsetter hounded by the press for her latest look.

High street stores and brand labels eagerly copied her outfits and customers in the 30-45 age group recognised her as their fashion leader, copying all her trademarks of style, even her fitness fever.

Millinery had been dying a slow death in the 60s and 70s as fewer people wore hats, even for occasion wear. The Princess of Wales gave new impetus to the millinery trade with her early passion for hats and once more it became stylish for everyone to wear hats at weddings.

Before her marriage Diana dressed in the manner of the Sloane set she mixed with. She liked to wear high necked frilly ruffled blouses, pearls, floral skirts, loose short sleeved shirt blouses, low pump shoes, simple dresses and country tweed suits.

All were clothes very much liked by the ‘county set’. Within five years of her engagement she had developed the Dallas factor with big hair, big shoulder pads and big name glitzy outfits.

Despite many people slamming the 1980s as the decade that style forgot, there are still some amazing and very wearable pieces of 80s vintage clothing out there.

You can find some of these gems at our Darwen shop and also on our website at www.myvintage.co.uk

  • Emma Brown is the owner of My Vintage, The Circus, Darwen. Tel 01254 774701.