Menswear for Women: How Diana Broke the Mold with Turnbull & Asser

When most people imagine a princess, they picture tiaras, shiny gowns, and very perfect outfits. Princess Diana didn’t always fit into that image. She understood something early on. If you want to feel strong and modern, sometimes you borrow from the boys.

Diana was one of the first royal women to really wear menswear for women in a natural way. Not a soft copy made for women, but actual menswear. She went straight to the source. One key piece came from Turnbull & Asser, a British brand known more for dressing men like Prince Charles and even James Bond.

Borrowing Style from a Men’s Brand

At the time, Turnbull & Asser was mostly about gentlemen’s clothing. Shirts, tailoring, classic British style. Diana didn’t seem bothered by that at all. She chose a single-breasted blazer made from finely checked wool.

The jacket had soft tones of green, blue, and brown. It looked structured but not stiff. Practical, but still stylish. When Diana wore it, the message was clear. A woman does not need lace or frills to look confident. That idea was pretty bold in the 1980s.

The Outfit That Changed Everything

There is one photo most people remember. Diana at a polo match in Windsor, May 1988. She is wearing the Turnbull & Asser blazer, but not in a “royal” way at all.

She paired it with blue jeans, cowboy boots, and a baseball cap. Under the blazer was a British Lung Foundation sweatshirt. It looked relaxed and real, almost like something any mom might wear on a weekend. This was the ultimate off-duty look, and royals did not dress like this back then.

And it wasn’t just once. She wore the same blazer again and again. School runs with William and Harry. Visits to army barracks. Casual days when she just needed comfort.

Why This Look Still Matters

What Diana showed was simple. You can mix high-end tailoring with everyday clothes. The blazer stayed with her for years, from 1988 all the way to 1994, when she was seen wearing it while leaving a Waterstones bookshop.

She didn’t treat it like a special item. She lived in it. Through marriage, change, and life shifts, that blazer stayed part of her wardrobe. That alone says a lot.

See the Blazer Up Close Today

If you are curious about this piece of fashion history, you don’t need to imagine it. The Princess Diana Museum, run by The Princess & The Platypus Foundation, has the Turnbull & Asser blazer in its collection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bJvfvZCaHs

You can view it online in 3D. You can see the three pockets, the checked wool, and the black silk-blend lining that made it comfortable enough to wear again and again.

Diana broke the mold quietly. And because she did, wearing comfy blazers today feels normal. That story is worth seeing and worth remembering.