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What do Lady Diana, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn have in common? They are considered classic beauties, and all largely maintained short hairstyles. Lady Diana's (Di for short) hairstyles went through only subtle changes throughout her life; this is one of the reasons her appearance is so firmly cemented in our memories.
1980s Feathering
Lady Di came to fame as a teenager when she and Prince Charles started dating. During this time she had short hair which helped to frame her fresh, innocent face. One of the haircutting methods popular in the 1980s was feathering; the technique used short layers that looked like feathers. When Diana came onto the public scene her hair barely touched the top of her shoulders, and tapered at the bottom. It was full around the middle and covered her ears. The highly feathered hair at her crown came down over her forehead and was parted on the side. The part would stay the same throughout Diana's changing styles.
Early to Mid-1990s Pixie Cut
In the 1990s Diana decided to update her look. To Di, her hair wasn't worth the sensation that it caused. Richard Burton, her stylist for 10 years, said, "She always wondered why people were so interested in her hair." Burton transformed her into a chic, modern woman by doing away with the feathering and using slightly longer layers. Di's hair was changed from a halo shape to one that was cut more closely to her face, exposing her ears in a long, almost shaggy pixie cut.
Late 1990s
Before Diana's passing in 1997, she maintained her hair in an elegant pixie cut that put her pretty face and warm smile on display, but the layers were longer and reserved for the side and back of her hair, rather than the crown area. She had dual-layered bangs that hung down slightly above her eyebrows and that could be straight or pushed to the side.
Accessories
Because Diana wore her hair short, she never wore an up-do style, and rarely wore accessories. There were no barrettes or headbands, which kept her look natural on all occasions. On the most formal occasions, when it was required, Diana wore a crown adorned with white diamonds and pearls, befitting her station as royalty.
Color
Diana was always a blond, although the shade changed slightly over time. Overall, her hair was a sandy blond with a mix of high- and lowlights. In her earlier years her hair was a cool, champagne blond; as she got older the blond changed to a more yellow, honeyed color.
