In researching my book, Diana : The Secrets of Her Style, I combed through literally thousands of photograph of her to select the images featured in its pages, and I did not find one photograph of the princess wearing open-toed shoes or sandals. When she became engaged to Prince Charles in 1981, she wore largely modest two-inch heels thus as not to tower over her husband-to-be. Once she became a royal, she wore enough of low-heeled, brilliantly colored pumps that coordinated with her “ Dynasty Di ” look of the period. And when “ off duty, ” she favored bare flats.
When the couple announced they were separating, there was a obtrusive switch in her appearance including in her option of footwear. She wore higher heels and sexier shoes. Virtually all of the styles were from Manolo Blahnik ( a favored of both Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton, and, of run, Carrie Bradshaw ) and Jimmy Choo ( another frequent footwear option of Meghan ‘s ). none were ever open-toed or sandals .
In an consultation for my ledger, architect Jimmy Choo ( who is no long affiliated with his namesake ship’s company ) told me he made couture shoes for Diana for seven years and was thrilled to see she ‘d chosen a pair of his heels for her appearance at the Christie ‘s auction of her dresses in New York City shortly before she passed in 1997 .
“ Her favored style was high-heel strappy shoes, ” he told me. “ She liked classic styles. She never wore sandals because she did not like them and she knew the Queen did n’t either. The shoes she wore for the auction were four years-old satin pumps and they silent looked bang-up. ”
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Choo would go to Diana ‘s apartment at Kensington Palace for private appointments. Afterwards, the princess would help him pack up his trunks and carry his cases to his cable car. “ She was never busy and never complained. She always paid her bill on time and was very easy to deal with. ” The architect besides remembers his “ favorite node ” as very enthusiastic. “ Whenever I brought shoes to her, she would run to Paul [Burrell, her butler at the meter ] and say, ‘Look at these beautiful shoes Jimmy has made for me ! ‘ ”
As a royal, she was keenly aware of Queen Elizabeth’s preferences when it came to what to wear for official engagements : closed-toe shoes and hosiery. “ She had beautiful legs, ” said Choo. “ She sometimes chose not to wear hosiery, but never when she was appearing at an official event with the Queen. She was always very respectful of her. ”
Choo was to deliver the last couple of shoes he made for Diana—beige grosgrain ballerina flats—on the day after she was scheduled to return from her black tripper to Paris. He now considers them a special remembrance of a her. He told me, “ She was a naturally beautiful woman inside and out and a lady of capital warmheartedness, humility, and compassion. She was a pipe dream. ”
And for more on her unforgettable style, hera ‘s Princess Diana ‘s Secret Jewelry Trick That Fooled Everyone .
Diane Clehane is a New York-based journalist and author of Imagining Diana and Diana : The Secrets of Her Style .
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