2 Maroon Dresses

I’m breaking protocol with this page. Normally, my rule is one outfit to a page, but multiple views if Diana styled the outfit with different accessories on other occasions. This time, it’s really about the hat, because I don’t think the dresses were among her best. Don't get me wrong, they were well-made, well-designed, but just too "Extravagant Eighties."

The dress on the bottom was a frou-frou Edelstein frock, overdone with fussy puffs, fussy pleats and a multi-winged fussy neck bow. The fabric is a shiny, narrow stripe and reigns ubiquitous in the outfit, even comprising the bow and wide self-belt. There is no relief from it. It's everywhere except, THANK HEAVENS! the hat.

Diana accessorized it with a half-moon maroon clutch, matching maroon shoes, matching maroon hose, and the only maroon relief is the pearl choker and large pearl/diamond earrings. Don't get me going about the sleeves...It’s just too frou to view. Any one of the features would have done the trick; all four combined with that fabric are jarring.

The dress on top is better, but only slightly. The dress is improved by a white collar echoing the white brim on the hat and breaking up the maroon slightly. The bow is a satin ribbon pussybow, and the leather belt contrasts in texture and slightly in colour, but is really let down by the trend Diana followed and led for wearing tights matched to her outfits in bold hues. Head-to-toe almost solid chocolatey near burgundy.

The earrings were her famous costume bow and puffed hearts from Butler and Wilson, which had interchangeable crystal or pearl drops. For years I believed these to be silver puffed and like these much better.