Long before she became the Princess of Wales, Diana Spencer was a regular teenage girl who was not at all prepared for all the ways her life was about to change. In fact, Princess Diana’s biographer Andrew Morton says she told him on the day she became engaged to Prince Charles, that she “literally had one long dress, one silk shirt, one smart pair of shoes, and that was it." She and her mother "had to go out and buy six of everything.”
Though the two bought more clothing, as it turns out, it was still not enough. “Bear in mind you have to change four times a day, and suddenly your wardrobe expands to something unbelievable,” she told her biographer. “Hence probably the criticism when I first arrived on the scene of having new clothes all the time.”
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As if all that pressure didn’t make getting dressed difficult enough, imagine the added stress of finding something to wear when you announce your engagement to the future King of England, knowing that the picture will be seen by millions around the world. After six months of dating, Diana and Charles became engaged, and her search began. Her first stop was Bellville Sassoon, a fancy British clothing store, where Diana had a moment straight out of Pretty Woman; when no sales associate tried to help her, she left empty handed. (“Big mistake! Huge!”)
All was not lost, though. She continued on her shopping journey to famous department store Harrods, where she was able to find a skirt suit in a very appropriate shade of royal blue (and one that perfectly complimented her sapphire engagement ring). You can even say she inspired Kate Middleton, who also wore blue when she announced her engagement to Prince William. Yes, even back then, we could see a hint of the ways the Princess of Wales’ style would continue to inspire the fashion industry for years to come.
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