Princess Anne's wildest party dress from the 80s that she still wears today
Princess Anne never fails to impress with her figure-flattering outfits, immaculate tailoring and excellent eye for timeless pieces.
Her secret? Recycling. The Princess Royal, 74, regularly repeats outfits she invested in during her twenties, re-wearing everything from coats to wedding guest dresses, Royal Ascot gowns and sophisticated suit skirts.
Princess Anne's wildest party dress
One of her boldest fashion moments to date occurred in December 1989, when the Princess Royal stepped out for a glittering event at the Royal Albert Hall in London. She was joined by her mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, and both royal ladies chose equally striking dresses for the glamorous affair.
Never one to shy away from colour, Princess Anne opted for a psychedelic-print lilac ball gown. Complete with flowing, petal-like sleeves and a jewelled bodice, the royal's standout dress cinched at the waist before flowing into a rippling full-length skirt.
The print, complete with violet, yellow and pastel blue hues, appeared to represent a blooming flower. Glittering petals and jewels added dimension to the skirt, whilst statement sparkling shoulder caps elevated the whole ensemble.
The mother-of-two, who was 39 years old at the time, accessorised with a black choker, striking pearl earrings and a black clutch bag.
PRINCESS ANNE'S ROYAL STYLE FILE
The Princess Royal's recycled fashion
16 years later, the Princess Royal swapped the choker for a trio string of pearls when she rewore the gown on 10 January 2005, to a dinner at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London to raise money for the Save the Children fund.
Despite wearing the dress more than a decade earlier, the royal looked no less divine as she confidently rocked the loud lilac gown.
There's nothing to say Her Royal Highness doesn't still wear the bright and beautiful frock today, given her penchant for pre-loved fashion and maintained dress size.
Most recently, the Princess chose to wear a dress last worn in her thirties when she joined her brother, King Charles, in hosting the Qatari royal family at Buckingham Palace. Looking spellbinding for the state banquet, the royal slipped into a fitted cream gown complete with ornate floral detailing, a glittering beaded trim and striking gigot sleeves with a puffed shoulder and tapered wrist.
A closer look at Princess Anne's dress showed that the bridal-like gown is the same dress she wore at the State Opening of Parliament in 1985. The royal would have been just 35 at the time, but she rocked the 40-year-old dress like it had been tailored for her yesterday.
At 74, she has gained a reputation for being able to effortlessly style garments she wore in her twenties, often choosing to rewear her favourite clothes time and time again across decades.
When asked why she chooses to recycle outfits the Princess told Vanity Fair in 2020: "Because I'm quite mean."
She added: "I still try and buy materials and have them made up because I just think that's more fun. It also helps to support those who still manufacture in this country. We mustn't forget we've got those skills, and there are still places that do a fantastic job."
