NEWS - Princess Diana, the People's Princess, has been on everyone's mind lately.
Whether I'm scrolling through TikTok, Instagram, or even Twitter: I see her everywhere. Now, I'm not a huge British royalty person, but I do love Diana.
So, here's a deep dive into her wedding gown and how one YouTuber recreated it for roughly $300!!!
This Dress, THE Dress: Has Been A Favorite For Decades.
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Although Diana is no longer with us, her legacy lives forever.
The gown she wore on her wedding day is visually stunning, and the details that went into it will SHOCK you.
What's even more shocking is that a YouTuber by the name of Mia Maples has successfully recreated this wedding dress, and I'm speechless.
Here's the video depicting her garment-making process:
This entire video is awe-inspiring.
You can tell Mia loves Diana, and this is the perfect ode to her legacy. The designer goes on a journey through this YouTube video, creating the world's most iconic dress for around $300.
I Don't Know About You, But I Think This Takes Incredible Skill And Dedication.
According to Mia, she dedicated five eight-hour days to replicating this iconic gown.
That's a combined 40 hours of dress-making: WOW.
Since this YouTuber is pretty new to sewing, it's incredible to imagine taking on such a massive project.
You want to remember that Diana's dress was one of the most massive in Royal history, so trying to "redo" it is no cakewalk.
Seeing this seamstress take on a challenge of this magnitude and do a great job is the perfect fairytale ending.
I'm sure Princess Diana would have loved watching this, and we're happy she still inspires people to do things like this.
Bravo, Mia Maples: you've got a new subscriber!
Princess Diana's Wedding Dress: Explained
For readers who may not share my enthusiasm for Diana or this particular dress, allow me to provide some context and offer a glimpse into the significance of this moment.
Alright, grab some popcorn.
Diana's Wedding Dress Was Made With Six Different Fabrics
One surprising fact about Princess Diana's gown is that it wasn't just one fabric.
This legendary wedding dress was made with six different fabric materials, including 25 yards of silk taffeta, 100 yards of tulle crinoline, and 150 yards of netting for the veil.
The gown she wore on her wedding day was one of THE most anticipated moments.
All other events were overshadowed by the focal point of the occasion: Diana and her dress being prominently displayed.
Her bridesmaids wore ivory silk dresses modeled closely after her own gown.
She wanted each woman standing with her to feel beautiful and confident.
The Princesses' Train Was The Longest In Royal History
Diana's wedding dress had a 25-foot train extending from the back of the dress.
You Read That Correctly: IT WAS 25 FEET LONG!!
The original design was to have the train be closer to 20 feet to mimic the wedding gowns of royalty in the past.
However, designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel chose to reach new lengths for Diana's big moment.
This longer train felt suitable for the Princess. Everything Diana did was unique and unlike previous royals (so why not venture off with the dress, too?).
Another not-so-known fact about this train was that it was SO big that the Princess had trouble fitting with her father into the glass coach waiting for her.
It was a real-life Cinderella story.
Nobody Knew What The Dress Looked Like.
Another fact about Princess Diana's wedding that might surprise you is that nobody (not even the Royals) knew exactly what it looked like until a few days before.
This dress was one of the most protected, secretive wedding gowns IN HISTORY.
Details regarding changes to the dress would be sealed in envelopes and could only be opened “the moment [Diana] stepped into the glass coach at Clarence House."
(Clarence House is a royal residence on The Mall in the City of Westminster, London.)
This is where the secretive envelope trade-offs would happen in preparation for the big day.
I love a secret! So this is very exciting to know.
Diana's Wedding Heels Took Half A Year To Make
Although this isn't technically about the dress, we had to spill the beans.
Diana's wedding heels had to be kept low because she was tall.
Prince Charles didn't want to be the shorter of the pair on the wedding day, which proved to be quite a challenge for the designers.
Many people are unaware that Diana was 5'10" tall.
(Charles was the same height.)
Not only did she look like a model, but she could have been one. Therefore, her wedding day heels were kept very short, almost mimicking a pair of silk slippers.
These heels were covered in 542 sequins and 132 pearls, even with the initials "C" and "D" with a love heart in between painted on the shoes' arch.
It's all about the details of this unique wedding.
Diana Had To Be Sewn Into Her Dress On The Big Day
A little-known fact about Diana's stunning wedding gown is that she needed to be sewn into it on THE DAY OF THE WEDDING.
The Princess lost a considerable amount of weight leading up to the big day, triggering her designers to drop their jaws and grab a needle.
The designers also needed to alter the dress in the week leading up to the wedding, so it's safe to say the entire process was a nail-biter.
Luckily, everyone pulled it off, and nobody noticed the last-minute change.
Princess Diana's Dress Weighed A Combined 20+ Pounds
Lastly, although it looked like a cloud, Diana's wedding dress weighed 20+ pounds with all the accessories combined.
This gown had 10,000 pearls, which many experts claim significantly added to the dress's weight. Imagine wearing TEN THOUSAND pearls? It's crazy to think about.
It's also worth noting that the designers have revealed no exact dress weight.
This 20-pound evaluation comes from various style experts, all guessing what each material would have likely weighed on the gown.
Most wedding dresses weigh six pounds. That should help put this in perspective.
A Royal Fairytale: The Iconic Wedding Dress of Princess Diana
Now that you've seen Mia take on the challenge of the century, what are your thoughts on her work and Princess Diana's wedding dress?
Did you know all of the fun facts I covered? Leave me a comment below!
I also have this article on Diana you might enjoy:
Diana's Daring Fashion: How The Princess Of Wales Revolutionized Style