Diana Style: Foreword by Manolo Blahnik

This book is written with an intensity which just focuses on the fashion of the Princess; that's a lot to take in. All glossy pages with tons of mix-match photos of Diana intermixed and in no chronological order... This was done so you can how how Diana was slowly developing her own personal tastes throughout all the experiments of getting herself to look good at all times. Diana was very photogenic, and frequently attacked by the public for her plain-jane dressing, flower prints, and general school-marm, somewhat frumpy-looking ensembles. She was so sensitive! And she was just an adorable girl! The cameras couldn't get enough of her. So it occurred to her she needed some expert help. Unfortunately, this began with businesses which just made the dresses, and not necessarily personal stylists. In the beginning there were a few disasters - the worst being the Wedding Dress, which turned into a giant-sized wad of wrinkles once the Princess got in her coach. That dress also ruined the reputation of it's maker. In the end, Diana said she hoped the moths would get to it. This is a book about how the Princess found her style... Not comparing herself to other women, but decidedly going about to create her own unique looks and themes. It was interesting to note how the styles of the 80's were so focused on "building up" the upper part of the female torso, with its puffy sleeves, shoulder pads and ruffles. This was done in order to help make women look "feminine, yet strong". Those styles began to shift in the 90's with dresses made in the sleeveless styles - interestingly, to reveal so many young women with big muscled arms! ; ) Diana came out around that time to reveal her anorexia. Some of these challenges come through in the pieces she was choosing to wear, and yet be healthy. In this book you get to learn everything about the one and only Princess... There was, and will never be anyone like Diana, Princess of Wales. It is everything you want to know about Princess dresses, Princess casual, Princess jewels and crowns, Princess shoes, Princess hairstyles and makeup. I give it four stars, because we do know there was a person under all those things; someone who used her fashion as a tool to navigate herself around the world and make a meaningful impact on the social concerns she found most important. Being married to a prince, and being a princess were just a bonus.

Perfect mini-coffee table fluff book, present for my boss. Something she really likes without me spending a lot of $$ I don't have. Great value.

Although I am still reading through this book, I am enjoying reading details about the fashion side of her life. It's a nice change from speculation about the rest of her life. The pictures of her fashion style bring back pleaseant memories of how I would like to remember the princess, as the beautiful woman she was. The commentaries from the designers are also loving written and offer details about the princess that add something to the pictures.

This is a great book if you are a fan of Princess Diana or just a fan of her fashion. The book is full of great pictures. I highly recommend this book to any Princess Diana fan!