Like Audrey Hepburn, Princess Diana had been nourishing her dream of becoming a professional ballerina since childhood; and like Audrey Hepburn, Diana's dancer dream was crushed as a teenager because of her height; again like Miss Hepburn, Princess Diana thus became one of the most lasting style icons the 20th century ever saw.

​Since becoming Her Royal Highness, Princes Diana lived under the global scrutiny for almost every single minute of her life, no matter where she went, no matter what she did. The only time she could be a little bit safer from the prying eyes of thousands of paparazzi's cameras, was when she was in the water, wearing a swimming suit. She could stretch, run, jump, in the blithe and graceful dancer's body that she was blessed with, and perhaps even let down her guard, let the sadness show on her face. 

As one of those very few who can pull off any outfits, Princess Diana looked good in almost all types of bathing suits, but when she wore that ballerina leotard inspired black swimsuit with front mesh insert, Princess Diana was wearing her childhood dream again, she became a water sprite, she was Diana the Dancer.

​The "Revenge dress" is a dress once worn by Diana, Princess of Wales. It was worn for the first time at a 1994 dinner at the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens. The dress has been interpreted as having been worn "in revenge" for the televised admission of adultery by her husband, Charles, Prince of Wales.

On 29 June 1994, Princess Diana wore a black silk dress to the fundraising dinner hosted by Vanity Fair magazine for the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens. Diana had originally declined the invitation to the dinner. However, two days prior to the dinner, following several days' publicity of Charles' infidelity revelations, she accepted the invitation.

​The dinner was held on the night that a television programme about her husband Charles, Prince of Wales was broadcast, in which he admitted to having been unfaithful to her after their marriage had "irretrievably broken down". Charles and Diana had separated two years prior to the broadcast of the programme. 

Diana was seen wearing the dress after she exited her car and was greeted by Lord Palumbo, the chair of the trustees of the Serpentine Gallery, before entering the gallery. She accessorized the dress with a pearl choker, a black clutch and a pair of black pumps that matched her dress. The photographer who captured Diana arriving at the event, Tim Graham, said that her arrival lasted only 30 seconds in total, and that Diana would have known a large number of photographers would be present following her husband's revelations. 

Following the dinner, the dress was described as the "I'll Show You dress", the "Serpentine Cocktail" and the "Vengeance dress", as well as the "Revenge dress".

The "Travolta dress" (also known as the "John Travolta dress") is a dress once owned by Diana, Princess of Wales. It was worn for the first time at a gala dinner at the White House on 9 November 1985. It is named after the American actor John Travolta, with whom the princess danced at the dinner.

Princess Diana visited the United States in early November 1985 with her husband Prince Charles. The couple stayed at the White House, where they attended a gala dinner on 9 November. On that occasion, the Princess of Wales wore an off-the-shoulder mid night blue velvet dress. She was photographed dancing with the actor John Travolta to the music of his 1977 film Saturday Night Fever in the Entrance Hall. The photographs and TV footage of them "gliding around the room" were widely circulated around the world, and the gown came to be known as the "Travolta dress".

​Designed by London-born Victor Edelstein, the Travolta dress is an off-the-shoulder midnight blue velvet evening gown. It was inspired by Edwardian fashion, giving it a "slight sweep of costume drama".

​Edelstein recalls the Princess saw a burgundy version of the dress in his studio and requested it be made for her in midnight blue. The fittings for the gown took place in her private apartments at Kensington Palace. After the fitting, the Princess was so delighted with the final result she rushed to show it to Prince Charles. He reputedly told her she looked wonderful in the gown and that it would be perfect to wear with jewels.
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The journalist Jackie Modlinger described it as "dramatic in style" and "regal in fabric".

Shortly before her death in August 1997, Diana requested that the dress be sold in a charity auction. Florida-based businesswoman Maureen Dunkel bought it for £100,000 in New York in June 1997, along with nine other dresses formerly owned by the Princess. The Travolta dress was the most expensive one sold at the auction. When she went bankrupt in 2011, Dunkel was forced to put them up for auction, but the Travolta dress was one of six that were not sold. It was finally auctioned off by Kerry Taylor in London on 19 March 2013, fetching £240,000 ($362,424) and again being the most expensive auctioned dress. It was bought by "a British gentleman as a surprise to cheer up his wife".

In 2019, it sold for £264,000 ($325,317) to Historic Royal Palaces, a charity which looks after royal memorabilia including clothing and artifacts. The dress has joined the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection and belongs to the palace. The dress was later displayed for public in Kensington Palace, after 20 years since it first left the place.