Thanks to The Crown, the Diana look is back. So what does Peter York, co-author of The Official Sloane Ranger Handbook, make of the new breed?
There is a scene in episode three of the current series of The Crown, when a young Diana Spencer returns to her shared flat in Earl’s Court, west London, with the news that she is engaged to Prince Charles. Enveloped in shrieks and hugs by her flatmates, there is more to this moment than celebration. The four young women – in their sensible knitwear, pie-crust collars, calf-length skirts, silk scarves and tank tops – showcase the Sloane Ranger style. After her engagement was announced in 1981, Diana was photographed by the press, and the look went from SW5 to nationwide.