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I often avoid television or filmed Diana shows, especially those using actresses as Diana, for a lot of reasons. These include the speculation and conspiracy allegations around her death, the slut-shaming around her extra-marital and post-marital relationships with men, and the overall sadness in remembering that Diana is gone. But perhaps my biggest reason is Wardrobe.
Naomi Watts played Diana. Sometimes Wardrobe got it kind of right. Sometimes what they got wrong made me a little exasperated. The movie poster was one of those moments. I was offended from the very first time I saw it, which probably what partly influenced me into not seeing the production.
What is wrong? Azure beaded Azagury Swan Lake cocktail dress with that massive sapphire and pearl choker, quasi-80's hairstyle about 10 years out of date to the dress and bizarre, imaginary earrings. Please, people. Don't do this, or the other odd combos from this film with your dolls.
To be fair, they got right the one strap blue Versace gown from 1996, as well as the beaded Azagury gowns; the clothes mostly weren't the problem, but the film makers did do a bit of oddness here and there. It was usually a combination of chronology, hairography and invention, as the song goes "there is always something there to remind me." And on doing some research, I found out why many of the clothes were "right"; according to Vanity Fair, they borrowed some from Diana's own designer, Jacques Azagury.
Here's a Hollywood History site if you'd like to wallow in the rest of them. Be sure to look at the slideshow at the bottom. I didn't bother to see the movie because I read the basic storyline and was appalled. THAT and the poster. I didn't know how much worse it could get. But it did.
In one word: SPENCER. Read on...I'll get there.
In 2016's The Crown, Emma Corrin played Diana in 8 episodes and is not even included as top-billed cast. Again, Wardrobe frequently got it spot on (blue engagement announcement suit, the wedding gown and the silver shot blue ruffled Oldstein gown, etc.) Others they got it relatively identical, such as the Élysée gown.
Sometimes it was kind of right or close, such as the candy pink 2-piece polka dot dress with bow-bedecked chapeau. Where they got it wrong made me more than a little exasperated. Red/Black Shirred One Sleeve gown made into a pastel mess. The pale blue "Grace Kelly" Grecian gown pattern was turned into a purple print with no crimped pleating and no other hint of what it was supposed to be other than the self-fabric stole draped around Diana's neck missing the point of the grecian styled Grace Kelly chiffon gown from "To Catch a Thief" that inspired Catherine Walker to make Diana's gown. The LA Times compares these moments to as being offered like "fashion Easter eggs to Dianaphiles." Nope. Unless they are rotten eggs.
Nearly every publication comparing the show's costumes to "IRL" (Cosmo) makes a few errors in comparisons, simply because there was some sketchy research; for nearly every one of these slips, I bet Diana doll collectors could correct them with years, events, designers, colours, styles, fashion details and accessories. Who ARE these fashion consultants? What are they paid for this sloppy work? How can I sign up because I'll do a better job and I'd be cheaper, plus I probably have versions in miniature.
We are still waiting the see in full The Crown's second actress portraying Diana, as her 20 episodes didn't start airing until November 2022. We have however seen teaser photos. Most especially of what we've seen is the Divorce Dress in all its glory (check this link from People with a good comparison shot) but there have have snippets of other outfits dangled intriguingly on various news outlets. Yeah, they better plan to use those sunglasses A LOT.
Purple gowns. Emma Corrin from Glamour's "Memorable Looks." Whoops. Diana's gown should be the blue "Grace Kelly" gown by Catherine Walker. There's a lot of mélange going on. Emma's purple gown design is the Donald Campbell gown's colour forced into Catherine Walker's adaptation of Grace's To Catch a Thief gown.
Diana left, Emma right
Floral one sleeved. From Glamour's "Memorable Looks." Whoops. Emma's gown should be the ruched red and black one sleeved gown by Catherine Walker (far right), not a pastel blush sleeveless Bois de Rose by Catherine Walker (far left and near right). These mashups make my head hurt.
Diana (both)
In Spencer, Kristin Stewart stars as Diana trapped in a cringey Royal Family Christmas weekend at Sandringham pitching us into Diana's world in a suppositional and deeply disturbing fantasy intruding into what was going on in her head as she was hurtling towards a decision to divorce. I found it deeply offensive, not only to Diana but to women in general. Her wardrobe was imitated and parodied. It was the wardrobe from The Crown on acid. She was repeatedly depicted in psychotic and dystopian scenes on the edge between reality and her perception of it. The gaslighting was real.
They took her red and white naval style Catherine Walker coatdress worn in Dartmouth and copied it in a shade of yellow Diana wore often, modified the coatdress style to a pleated skirt suit and filmed K-Stew standing in a field staring moodily and wistfully around a dismal looking part of what was supposed to be English countryside. Someone thought this was so good, a company has made it available for cosplay (click the yellow outfit photo at the bottom of this page to link to the sales page on AliExpress.) Ugh. Dimposters in human scale.
Tatler magazine has published a really good piece about [How do the costumes compare to Diana's real wardrobe?] focussing on the Chanel branding. They run through some comparisons, then show half a dozen or so outfits side by side and the article reaches the conclusion that while the movie wardrobe was "divine" because of the opportunities to view vintage Chanel, however ends with "the jury is out" about the original question.
It felt like an info-mercial for Chanel and the writer's real feelings popped out at the end and I gather that it would not have been politic to write that while the fashions were great, they mostly were a superficial imitation of Diana. The wedding gown shots are oddly where the gown was well done, but K-Di looks wrong. And it was hardly used.
Use the link above and read the actual article to see the outfits because I could not do a better job than they have. I felt the red coatdress was probably the most egregious example given the setting in which it was filmed and combined with the cosplay product I was doubly offended. (They should have made it red! For crying out loud, it was one of Diana's compliments and inside jokes to her hosts and what the heck does yellow have to do with a Royal Naval college?
Click the photo to view this item on sale. If you dare.
These are just a few from the last few years. I personally think all these shows made an effort, but The Crown despite the mashups does undoubtedly deserve an award for costume design. It's truly a pity that so much went into costumes like the wedding gown and it was only onscreen a short time in a promo. The Crown put much consideration into getting Diana's look, sound and mannerisms right, whether it was her hair, her jewelry or her outfits, however the story was fictionalised for sensation value.
When I first published this page, I mused that the best thing about this is that the human size Halloween costume industry will likely catch up and we can all play Diana dress up without all the faff we went to in the 80s and 90s. Yup. Here we go. See left. I'm not impressed.
My take: You can buy Diana's wigs reasonably priced on Amazon and "normal" clothing cocktail dresses added to replica jewelry from eBay and do better.
All the items in this block would be integral to recreating the Divorce Dress as a costume. You'd still need to add a pair of black evening pumps, an evening bag, sheer black tights and a sapphire engagement ring. This shows it's not impossible.
Dress by Roman Originals (UK)
Jewelry from eBay
Wigs on Amazon
(As availability will vary, no direct links have been provided.)
It has me wondering whether in another decade or two whether we'll be finding dolls copied wearing mistakes such as Naomi Watts with that big fat sapphire choker with the cerulean blue Azagury cocktail dress or Emma Corrin dressed in red tulle spaghetti straps with the Queen's Family Order in imminent danger of a nip-slip or even Kristin Stewart with a chewed pearl necklace.
Please. For me. Don't do this.
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