Fashion

Queen of casual: All the super-chic outfits you forgot Princess Diana wore back in the day

A forever mood.
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If you’re a fan of 90s fashion, chances are you’ll have images of Princess Diana splashed far and wide across your mood boards.

The late People’s Princess was an undeniable style icon of her time – and while her inspiring and charitable legacy lives on in both her sons, her impeccable fashion sense is also echoed throughout the wardrobes of millions.

To this day we still covet Diana’s iconic biker shorts, her 90s pixie chop and who could forget that Travolta dress?

And though Diana tragically passed away in 1997, the world continues to take style cues from the jaw-droppingly beautiful royal.

That’s why there are hundreds, if not thousands of pictures of her that you’ll likely have seen (and ogled over) many a time.

But in alongside her most famous photos are the real hidden gems – the ones you rarely see.

Yes, while Diana was famous for her stunning evening gowns and perfectly primped ensembles for formal royal engagements, she also nailed cool-girl casual chic like a certified pro.

That’s why we decided to go searching through the archives to find her very best outfits that we’d almost forgotten about – because who doesn’t love an extra bit of inspo from our casual queen herself?

Keep scrolling for an 80s and 90s fashion extravaganza from the one and only Diana.

WATCH: Remembering Princess Diana’s legacy. Gallery begins after video…

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(Image: Getty)

1980s polo

As you’re about to see, some of Diana’s greatest low-key fashion moments occurred on the greens at the polo. This dungarees floral ensemble is just the beginning…

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1983 polo 2

On a sunny day in 1983, the Princess of Wales made all our fashion dreams come true at once – we are obsessed with this glorious high-waisted wide-legged white shirt extravaganza.

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1983 polo 3

Yep, everything about this outfit practically screams chic.

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1983 Polo

That same year, Lady Di opted for a quirky sheep-clad red knit as she casually yarned with in-law Sarah Ferguson.

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1983 Kensington Palace

And once we got over how cute Prince William was during this photo call at Kensington Palace, we couldn’t take our eyes off this chic red-boot-and-cream-knit combo. Mixing textures like a pro!

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1984 polo

Queen of casual, Queen of chic… and Queen of knits indeed. We’re big fans of this chunky white cardi, which the Princess slung over a bright pink linen dress in 1984.

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1985 polo

Back at the polo in 1985, Diana’s baby blue floaty design was perfect for a day in the sun.

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1986 polo

Continuing her perfect polo streak, the Princess went full-blown monochrome chic in 1986 – the sunnies were the cherry on top of a very stylish pie.

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Unknown 1980s

Oh, and can we talk about this polka-dot pants and boots combo?!

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1987 polo

In 1987, Diana went back to her old trusty style, wearing denim dungarees as she and a young William watched Prince Charles play polo.

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1988 Converse

Proving she can literally do no wrong, the People’s Princess decided to add a feminine twist to her ensemble during a 1988 visit to the Royal Hampshire Regiment.

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1988 polo

In 1988, Diana made cow-girl-gone-college chic a thing. If anyone could do it, she could.

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1988 polo 2

That same year, the Princess rocked some major colour in this bright floral dress – love the simple gold jewellery, too.

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1989 Coliseum Theatre in Catherine Walker 2

So we’ve definitely seen this heavenly Catherine Walker number on Diana before, but we just haven’t seen it enough – hence why it’s here once again for your viewing pleasure.

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1989 Coliseum Theatre in Catherine Walker

A style slam dunk if we ever saw one.

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1989 School in London

In 1989, Diana made the school drop off look runway-worthy in this stripy cardi and pleated midi skirt.

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1989 Isle of Wight Escada coat

Channeling a bit of 60s chic, this butter cup yellow Escada coat is iconic on Di, and Di alone.

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1990 Caribbean

During a 1990 Caribbean holiday, the Princess rocked full leopard print in this beach swim dress of dreams.

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1990 Majorca

Royals wear board shorts too! That same year, the Princess embraced holiday chic like no other during a trip to Majorca.

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1990 London school run

And in a sign of things to come, Diana kicked off the 90s with one of the decade’s biggest trends – an oversized jacket.

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1991 West End

In 1991, Diana visited London’s West End in a one-shoulder creation that can only be described as heavenly.

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1992 school run

Back to her casual-cool ensembles, Diana knew how to nail the cable knit and denim combo.

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1993 Leicester Square

On a glitzy engagement in Leicester Square, the Princess’ mint-green off-shoulder gown made the style statement we never knew we needed.

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1994 shopping in Knightsbridge

While shopping in Knightsbridge in 1994, Diana made the off-duty blazer and skinny jeans combo a thing, before it was even a thing.

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1994 shopping in Knightsbridge

And we will be copying this look immediately.

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1994 gym

Known for her iconic work-out style, Diana’s bike-shorts and oversized jumpers will go down in history as a forever mood.

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1996 London

Just casually flinging a midi-length coat over gym gear is something only Diana could truly pull off.

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Diana

Of course, Diana nailed her cruise fashion and this electric cover-up paired with a red beach bag is as bright as her iconic personality.

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Diana

Diana wore this look during a trip to West Berlin, and the tracksuit is something any arty indie kid in Berlin would wear today.

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Diana

This outfit is all about the details as the baby blue dress features floral embroidery, and Diana has styled it with a pearl necklace, bracelet and earrings.

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Diana

Diana opened the Women’s International Tennis Association European Office in 1988, and her tennis dress and cardigan were a cute pastel choice.

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Diana

This look was born so Gen Z’s could run! This ultra-fashionable look was worn by Diana back in 80s.

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Diana

This charmingly preppy look enamours us, and we are especially drawn to those Chanelesque shoes.

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Diana

Diana wore this bright red puffer jacket on a skiing holiday in Austria, and it’s the perfect edit on a trend that usually sticks to neutral colours like black, white or grey.

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Diana

This linen outfit that is the colour of the sun, was a perfect choice for Diana’s time in Cairo, Egypt. If only one could book a flight to Egypt to replicate this ultra laid back but Casablanca movie-inspired outfit.

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Diana

Diana was matching her bag to her skirt and her sweater to her flowers at the polo.

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Diana

Diana’s affinity for the colour red is best encapsulated by this oversized red coat styled with a red hat. For those with a knack for detail, Diana’s purse features a red seam.

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