When Princess Diana Wore a Necklace as a Headband Secured by a ‘Knicker Elastic’

Princess Diana remains a fashion icon long after her tragic passing, inspiring numerous celebrities to replicate her iconic looks both on and off the red carpet. One memorable fashion moment was in 1985 when she wore an emerald-and-diamond choker necklace as a headband during a visit to Australia with then- Prince Charles.

The look continues to live as one of the iconic statements made by the Princess. Her former hairstylist Richard Dalton recently revealed the story behind the unforgettable look of Princess Diana . “I think she had sunburn on her neck so we said, ‘Let’s make a headband of it.’ I asked Evelyn, her dresser, for six inches of knicker elastic, [the kind used by] grannies,” Dalton recalled at the Styling Princess Diana panel at Fotografiska New York on May 21. The event took place on the occasion of People Magazine’s 50th anniversary. Dalton began working with Diana when she was just 17 and styled her for royal tours, special appearances, and red-carpet events. Dalton disclosed her favorite get-up, “My favorite [hairstyle] would be Thailand. [She wore a] purple and shocking pink dress and I said, ‘Why don’t we do orchids?’ I went into the hotel, stealing flowers for the princess. This was my favorite. She loved it,” he said at Fotografiska, recalling the look from 1988.

The iconic headband from Australia’s visit made a reappearance in 2022, when Princess Kate Middleton wore it as a choker necklace at the Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony in Boston, paired elegantly with matching emerald earrings.  Dalton, alongside The Princess Diana Museum founder Renae Plant, is set to publish a new book titled It’s All About the Hair — My Decade with Diana, highlighting the surprising impact of Diana’s hairstyles. “We decided whatever charity she was representing, the hair would sometimes take away from what she was doing. [In] Saudi Arabia, she wanted it short. We would cut it every day by about a quarter of an inch. [After] eight weeks, nobody noticed!” Dalton shared further.

At the gala dinner in Melbourne, Princess Diana’s cerulean one-shoulder gown was designed by her wedding dress designer, Elizabeth Emanuel. Emanuel, who was also present at the People’s event described Diana’s 1981 wedding day as the assignment of a lifetime. “The aim was to make a fairytale princess dress. We were students, we loved drama, we had free rein, nobody told us what to do, and I think that was the fun of it. That was why the dress was so special. There was an innocence about her and us,” Emanuel explained.

Diana collaborated with the Emanuels both before and after her wedding day, starting with a “grown-up” black ballgown in 1980. Speaking about the creative freedom the designer shared, “No feedback from the palace, nothing, no protocol. I don’t think they expected such a reaction, I think they underestimated the effect of Diana,” as reported by Marie Claire .