The Reason Princess Diana Called Her Purses 'Cleavage Bags'

Published May 16, 2020

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1:00pm

Before Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle were royal style icons in their own right, Princess Diana was the reigning monarch of fashion. And like any savvy dresser, she had a few sartorial tricks up her own (shoulder-padded) sleeves.

One of our favorites: Princess Diana's "cleavage bags," named for their added utility of maintaining her modesty and covering her décolletage when exiting a vehicle in full-view of photographers and press. Especially in a low-cut or plunging neckline dress, the Princess of Wales was an expert at using her evening bags to keep from showing off any extra skin.

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Designer Anya Hindmarch, the British designer who began working with Diana in 1993 and was a favorite of the princess's, told The Telegraph about the Diana's nickname for these handbags.

princess diana cleavage clutch black dress

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“She was a very loyal customer and a lot of fun,” Hindmarch told the British paper in 2009. “She would come and see us with no bodyguards or any fuss. We used to laugh when we designed what she called her ‘cleavage bags,’ little satin clutches which she would cover her cleavage with when she stepped out of cars.”

Tim Graham/Getty Images

Yep, those perfectly coordinated clutches weren't just for show, but a strategic weapon to battle any immodest paparazzi shots. (Although, royal commentator and etiquette expert Myka Meier knows those clutches are always, always supposed to be in the royals' left hand.)

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Getty Images

As soon as we can wear fancy dresses again, we're totally stealing this Princess Diana fashion hack.

Roberta Fiorito

Director, Branded Content + Cohost, Royally Obsessed Podcast

As Director of Branded Content at Gallery Media Group, Roberta helps oversee the ideation and execution of sponsored content and experiential campaigns across PureWow and ONE37pm, including PureWow’s 24 in ’24. She began her career in editorial nine years ago, and has written and edited countless articles on news, trends, fashion, beauty and the royal family. She’s also cohost of the Royally Obsessed podcast, named one of the best royals podcasts by The New York Times and Town & Country. She cowrote the book Royal Trivia: Your Guide to the Modern British Royal Family.

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