Meanwhile, fashion rebel Princess Diana understood the power of the black dress long before she donned her famous Revenge Dress. For example, the ELIZABETH AND DAVID EMANUEL taffeta gown she wore to a recital at Goldsmiths Hall in early March 1981, shortly after her engagement to Prince Charles was announced. Princess Diana herself said, “For me, who was 19 years old at the time, black was the smartest color. That dress was a dress worn by adults.” This change completely changed the media’s image of her. It was chosen for.
“When she stepped out of the limousine in that revealing black taffeta dress,” biographer Tina Brown wrote in her book The Diana Chronicles: It was a theatrical moment, like the scene where Cinderella puts on the glass slipper.” However, Prince Charles seemed to have a different opinion about the dress, and the former princess revealed this to Andrew Morton, author of “The Truth About Princess Diana.” “I went into Charles’ study and he asked me, ‘Are you sure you’re going to wear that dress?’ When I said yes, he said, ‘Isn’t it black! Black is for people in mourning. ‘This is what you should wear.’
Black later became Princess Diana’s signature color, including her Versace tank dress at the Apollo 13 premiere in 1995 and her JACQUES AZAGURY look at the Tate’s 100th anniversary in 1997. These are still talked about as iconic looks that symbolize her.
At the Apollo 13 premiere in 1995, she wore a black tank top dress by Versace.
Photo: Tim Graham/Getty Images
In 1997, for the Tate Gallery’s 100th anniversary celebrations, she chose a glittering piece by Jacques Azagree.
Photo: Getty Images
In the words of US Vogue’s Sarah Harris, Queen Elizabeth’s outfits have accurately reflected messages of “hope, stability, optimism, and diplomatic relations.” But even she has donned black at one point, encouraged by royal couturier NORMAN HARTNELL. The Queen attended a performance of Because You’re Mine in Leicester Square in 1953, wearing a black and white dress by Hartnell. The look became an instant hit, with copies hitting stores across London within 24 hours.
