Some call it peacocking; some call it ‘dress to impress,’ but Diana’s inspiration has named the trend “revenge dress,” and we must confess, we’re on board.
Princess Diana’s “revenge dress” originally made the news in 1994, when she appeared at the Serpentine Gallery following Prince Charles’ admission to conducting an affair with an anonymous lady.
The gown deviated from typical royal fashion, making it a focal point and helping to immortalize Princess Diana’s style.
Diana, in fact, had intended to wear a different gown to this ceremony. Instead, she made a last-minute decision to wear the vengeance gown. Her former hairdresser, Anna Harvey, stated that she wanted to appear “like a million dollars” that night. If the outfit was Diana’s modest act of vengeance, she certainly looked the part.
The Diana revenge dress, for the uninitiated, is defined by a distinct set of sensibilities: dramatization, extravagance, and sheer excess. It’s the type of clothing we haven’t been able to wear in the previous 18 months since we haven’t had anywhere to wear it. One that, we hope, will make up for the time we wasted ignoring our clothes during lockdown when dressing up meant donning a matching pajama set.
The ultimate definitions of revenge attire is black leather boots and off-the-shoulder midis. You may wear this to show off your inner rebellious diva.
