Princess Diana has been recognized as the greatest female style icon of all time, with her fashion legacy enduring nearly three decades after her death. New research indicates that the late Princess of Wales surpassed influential figures such as Marilyn Monroe, Kate Middleton, and Beyoncé in a survey of 2,000 Britons.
Almost a third of respondents believe Diana remains the ultimate benchmark for timeless fashion. Hollywood icons Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn secured second and third place, with 22 percent and 16 percent of the votes, respectively. Catherine, the Princess of Wales, ranked fourth, followed by Beyoncé, Rihanna, Madonna, Grace Kelly, Jennifer Aniston, and Jennifer Lopez.
The research, conducted for British heritage clothing brand Cotton Traders, also named Sir David Beckham as the greatest male style icon, with one in five respondents selecting the former England football captain. Elvis Presley, David Bowie, Sean Connery, Freddie Mercury, and Brad Pitt followed him on the men's list.
Marilyn Monroe's white halter-neck dress from "The Seven-Year Itch" was voted the most iconic dress in history, narrowly beating Diana's well-known "revenge dress."
Jools Dickson, a stylist at Cotton Traders, noted Diana's ability to make fashion accessible. "Many women dream of being a princess for the day, and what Diana did so effortlessly was make that possible for every woman," Dickson said. "She didn't have a stylist or the luxury of the relaxed protocol that royals enjoy today, but she managed to steal the show wherever she went, and her ongoing impact on fashion is as relevant now as it was then."
Dickson highlighted Diana's "simple styling trick" of adding unexpected elements, such as her trademark frill collars under dungarees or pairing a tailored blazer over a sweatshirt and cycling shorts. "These sorts of styling tricks are commonplace now, but fashion in the 1980s was not as individual and free as it is today," Dickson added. "She was a style pioneer long before Instagram and online shopping, and her distinct way of dressing was literally all her own work."
The survey found Diana's influence transcends age groups, with her popularity topping polls among Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers. Key attributes of a style icon identified by respondents included confidence, understanding one's personal style, dressing for one's body shape, and appearing effortlessly elegant. Timelessness, enduring style over decades, and making affordable clothing appear expensive were also considered hallmarks of genuine style.
Nearly nine in 10 respondents believe celebrities from earlier generations were more stylish than today's. Almost a third admitted to copying their favorite stars' fashion choices, with Gen Z being the most frequent adopters of celebrity style. "The fact that people still look to their favorite stars for inspiration shows just how powerful a genuine style icon can be," Dickson commented. "The best looks do not simply belong to one moment in time. They continue to influence what people wear for decades, which is why we are seeing women from Gen Alpha to the Baby Boomers loving these looks today."
The findings come shortly after the 29th anniversary of Diana's death on August 31. She died in a car crash in Paris at the age of 36.