Virgin Atlantic, known for its signature style and attention to detail, is bringing back one of the most iconic items in British pop culture – the navy blue Fly Virgin Atlantic sweatshirt, made famous by Princess Diana in the 1990s.
The replica was released to mark the 30th anniversary of Diana’s first appearance in the sweatshirt – November 20, 1995. The model, which combined British aesthetics, nostalgia, and practicality, was sold out almost instantly. Due to high demand, the sweatshirt is back on sale and now available at Virgin Atlantic’s online store, Retail Therapy, operated by Tourvest.
The model costs $80 for adults and $65 for children. From each unit sold, $14 will be donated to Save the Children, a charity that supports children affected by humanitarian crises around the world.
The story of this item dates back to the 1980s, when Richard Branson gave a sweatshirt to Princess Diana. She immediately fell in love with it and quickly made it part of her everyday look: Diana wore it to the gym, pairing it with cycling shoes. This stylistic technique remains relevant today.
As Popsugar notes, there are two versions of why the princess almost always appeared in the gym in this sweatshirt. According to the first, it was her favorite. According to the second, Diana deliberately chose the same thing to complicate the paparazzi’s work: identical shots sold worse and gradually reduced press interest.
This version is supported by her personal trainer, Jenny Rivett, who later got the original sweatshirt. According to her, Diana believed there were many more important topics in the world than discussing her every appearance and outfit, and that is why she decided to “neutralize” the media by wearing identical clothes.
In 2019, Princess Diana’s original sweatshirt was auctioned, selling for $53,532.