The navy sweatshirt that once graced Diana’s fitness sessions is making a charitable comeback, and fans are already snapping it up.
Virgin Atlantic took a chance and revived the iconic navy sweatshirt that Princess Diana made her go-to workout top in the mid-1990s. According to Paddle Your Own Kanoo, the limited-edition drop sold out in minutes.
View this post on Instagram
The first run of the sweatshirt, dubbed the “People’s Pullover,” was limited to only 250 pieces. And although it was a recreated piece, it seems as if nostalgia won out when every item was quickly snatched up. Fittingly, a portion of the sales was donated to the the airline’s charity partner, Save the Children.
Apparently, the sale was such a success that Virgina Atlantic is planning to release at least one more drop of this sweatshirt.
What made Princess Di’s sweatshirt so iconic? Virgin Atlantic put it this way, “The first version was unmistakably Diana: relaxed, confident and quietly rebellious.”
View this post on Instagram
rSophie Woodford, Head of Virgin Atlantic’s Creative and Design, added, “Princess Diana’s Virgin Atlantic jumper became an emblem of individuality. Recreating it for Save the Children lets us honour her spirit with a modern twist – combining purpose, nostalgia and a little Virgin flair along the way.”
Of course, there’s always a story behind the story when it comes to Diana. Sir Richard Branson gave it to his dear friend in 1995. Lady Di loved the navy sweatshirt with its vintage Flying Lady motif so much that she quickly stocked up on the item.
Princess Diana told her personal trainer Jenni Rivett that she could not understand why the paparazzi were so obsessed with her that they even followed her to the gym. Rivett revealed, “It wasn’t her who asked for all this. I remember one of her strategies was that she was going to wear the same Virgin Active sweatshirt every single session.”
Can we talk about how Princess Diana was an Insta fashion baddie ahead of her time?
The oversized sweatshirt. The bike shorts. The high socks and chunky sneakers. Yes. pic.twitter.com/tZ6aNbN8JE
— maybe: diane 𐚁₊⊹ (@dianelyssa) January 4, 2021
Ironically, it was the fact that she didn’t want to provide fresh outfits for the photographers that made the sweatshirt so iconic. Branson couldn’t have bought better PR even if he had tried to.
Before she died, Diana actually gave some of them to Rivett. In 2019, the personal trainer then auctioned one of the pieces to benefit a Malawian family. It fetched $53,532, and she was able to give back as Diana so often did in in her own life.
Rivett shared in January, that one of the greatest achievements of her life was “[b]eing personally chosen to train the late Diana, Princess of Wales, for seven years was an incredible honour and a highlight of my career.”
for @grok to make a small video of Princess Diana leaving the gym after a workout in 1995 pic.twitter.com/OyTqi1FTVE
— Michele_Renee_USA🇺🇸🇮🇱❤🤍💙 (@MRM102480) October 22, 2025
The Standard noted that the oversized shirt over her cycling shorts was a favorite look of hers, and that she didn’t just wear it to the gym. William and Harry’s “mummy” wore the outfit formula when she ran errands on the day that the infamous Martin Bashir interview ran on BBC. The one where she shared, “There were three of us in this marriage.”
Yes, it may just be a classic crewneck sweatshirt. It may just have particular emblem and logo on it. But like with everything Diana touched, there’s a story, a heart, and a purpose.
