Princess Diana's Inappropriate Outfit During An Australia Trip Was One Of Her Most Daring Looks

Princess Diana's wardrobe was always the talk of the town, and it was so iconic in part because it was always evolving. When she first stepped onto the royal scene in the early '80s, Diana's looks featured modest, oversized garments adorned with frills, big collars, and retro-inspired patterns. She was the ultimate Sloane Ranger who fit right in on the streets of Chelsea. But as the years went on and she morphed into the world's most in-demand figure, her clothing followed suit, getting noticeably sleeker and bolder with time. Naturally, Princess Diana's wardrobe changed again after she left the royal family, as her post-marriage months were marked by minidresses and lower necklines. But even when she was still married to then-Prince Charles, she occasionally sported a daring look.

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In November 1985, Diana wowed crowds at the "Burke and Wills" film premiere in Melbourne, Australia, with an iridescent silver dress complete with '80s power shoulder pads. But the real drawing card was the back of the dress, most of which didn't actually exist. The silhouette criss-crossed from behind her neck, leaving the majority of her back exposed. Then, from the waist down, the material came together again, the snug fit hidden by an elegant train. When you compare this to her earlier smocks and polka dots, it seems like an incredibly gutsy choice, especially when you consider that the dress was by British designer Bruce Oldfield. Being on a tour of Australia, royal tradition dictates that Diana should've gone with an Australian designer to honor the country she was visiting. This move makes the outfit more inappropriate than the lack of a back does. In fact, this wasn't the only time that Diana decided to toy with backless dresses.

In June that year, Princess Diana attended the London premiere of "A View to a Kill" in the same Bruce Oldfield backless dress, so we have to assume that the powers that be at the palace had given their approval. There are certainly lots of fashion rules that royals have to follow, but covering the back specifically doesn't appear to be one of them. Even in her pre-divorce '80s era, Diana went backless at quite a few events. In 1985 alone, she wore two other backless gowns, both by Catherine Walker, with one partially concealed by lace and the other complemented with pearls. She also wore a backless pink-and-white number by Catherine Walker in 1989. And if the backless silhouette ruffled palace feathers at the time, they seem to have since changed their tune, with figures like Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Sarah Ferguson boasting backless styles in modern times. Princess Eugenie of York even went backless for her wedding day, and so did Meghan Markle, whose second wedding dress is one of her most iconic Princess Diana-inspired looks.

This style of dress for Diana in particular marked her transition from the shy and timid wife of a prince 13 years her senior to a force to be reckoned with. She stuck with preppy, conservative aesthetics in the beginning, but as her star rose, so did her fashion prowess and her willingness to experiment. And it paid off. Following that 1985 tour of Australia, local outlet The Age noted that Prince Charles, now the king of England, was "eclipsed by her dazzle." For more of the princess' best looks, check out the most iconic Princess Diana outfits that "The Crown" recreated perfectly.