The key to revenge dressing in 2024

How it's done: Natalie Portman, Princess Diana and Maya Jama harness the power of a knockout dress - getty

Revenge is a dish best served looking hot. It’s a style strategy that women the world over have practised – and never has it felt more powerful than in 2024.

It was 30 years ago this evening that the ‘revenge dress’ concept strode into existence when Diana, Princess of Wales arrived at the Serpentine summer party in a Little Black Dress by the Greek designer Christina Stambolian.

It was no coincidence that just as her car pulled up, her estranged husband was appearing on national television confessing to his affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles. Diana, meanwhile, was an absolute knockout - and photographed looking so by the waiting paparazzi.

Diana's famous Little Black Dress was created by the Greek designer Christina Stambolian - Anwar Hussein

“She knew what she was doing that night in 1994, and probably anticipated the impact it would have on headlines the next day,” says Eloise Moran, author of The Lady Di Lookbook.

There’s a way for us all to harness the revenge dressing chutzpah - whether you’re a midlifer who remembers living through the travails of Charles and Diana in real time and you’re now going through your own break-up, or if you’re a member of the TikTok generation who has just discovered the concept.

Few have done it better since than the TV presenter Maya Jama who donned a black velvet AloNuko gown with a thigh-split and sweetheart neckline to the Brit awards in 2020, the year after her split from the rapper Stormzy who also happened to be attending the event. Her stylist Kyle de Volle confirms that the look was directly inspired by Princess Diana’s 1994 outfit, worn a few months before Jama was even born.

After her split from Stormzy, Maya Jama wore a black velvet AloNuko gown with a thigh-split to the Brit awards in 2020 - getty

“Diana is up there with my style icons, I love everything about her but that look especially because it was so different from anything she’d worn before,” de Volle tells The Telegraph. “She just went for it and the whole outfit went completely against protocol, her knees are out, her shoulders are out, it’s a dark colour which royals usually reserve for mourning.”

“My love for that look has trickled down into my styling work,” he continues. “Diana was my reference for that moment with Maya Jama. Obviously [Jama and Stormzy] are back together now and all loved up, but at the time we wanted to make sure Maya looked amazing. She’s so experimental when it comes to fashion and she’s always up for trying things so she was totally in. She said ‘let’s do it’.”

Jama made headlines that night looking powerful, confident and undeniably sexy, exuding “look what you’re missing” energy. Jama is joined by a line-up of famous women who have nailed revenge dressing in recent years.

Jerry Hall, freshly divorced from Rupert Murdoch, relaunched her modelling career last year aged 66 by posing wearing a Thierry Mugler x H&M black mini dress in sultry images which showed her famously long legs with a hint of last laugh insouciance. In recent months, actress Natalie Portman, 43, has reclaimed the press narrative about her split from husband of 11 years Benjamin Millepied by swapping her usual conservatively elegant style for looks spanning an eye-catching red co-ord, blazer mini dress and simple jeans and a white t-shirt, accessorised with a cigarette and Paul Mescal – images which sent the social media wild with speculation about the nature of their relationship.

Natalie Portman has swapped her conservatively elegant style for bolder looks since her split from Benjamin Millepied - getty

Must revenge dressing always involve wearing a conventionally sexy dress? Not necessarily, argues de Volle, reassuring that you can do it to different degrees. “The whole point of revenge dressing is flipping your current style on its head, it needs to be a look no one has ever seen you in before,” he advises. “It could be achieved through a new haircut, an amazing new pair of heels or a new make-up look, there’s so much power even in a red lip. If you want to show someone what they’re missing, you’ve got to amp it up and do something different.”

When you’re not a celebrity looking to send your revenge dressing message in an instantly obvious way, you can be more understated, even if it’s simply wearing a gorgeous outfit in a colour or style your ex didn’t like or might have made a joke about. Or take the lead of Nicole Kidman who, following her split from Tom Cruise, was suddenly seen wearing high heels again after years of not wanting to tower above her diminutive ex on the red carpet.

Nicole Kidman wore heels to the Cannes premiere of 'Moulin Rouge' - getty

It’s worth noting too that revenge dressing doesn’t need to be pointed at your former partner but can be reframed as recovering your individual sense of self and doing something that’s uplifting and empowering for you on your terms. Recently divorced Anita Rani wore a sheer glittering gown at the BAFTAs last month, and later told The Telegraph how “an Asian woman wearing a revealing dress has blown people’s minds”.

Anita Rani wore a sheer glittering gown at the BAFTAs - Shane Anthony Sinclair/BAFTA/Getty

You don’t even need to be enduring a break-up to have a go at revenge dressing. Perhaps you’ve just left a job you hated or have recovered from an illness and you want to feel in control again – indeed, after the pandemic, the term “revenge shopping” was coined to describe everyone who went out on spending sprees to rejoice at being able to shop and socialise freely again.

There are a number of brands that specialise in modern, sensual frocks. “David Koma, Nensi Dojaka or even a little Valentino number if you’ve got the budget for that,” are among de Volle’s recommendations. “For a sexy, sexy number, you’ll turn heads with [Koma],” he laughs.

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One-shoulder, £1605, David Koma; Polka dot, £295, Rixo

Elsewhere, Rixo and Ghost do excellent frocks which are cut on the bias so they skim your figure without being overly clingy and come in attitude-laden prints. You could party your anger away joyously in one of Rotate Birger Christensen or Self Portrait’s form-fitting creations. Black is always a good idea but anything red, lacy or animal print will carry the same stylishly vengeful spirit.

Most importantly though, look to the way Diana stepped out of her car that evening. Shoulders back, head held high and with a big smile on her face. Whatever you’re wearing, arm yourself with that air of confidence and the feeling of sweet revenge is sure to follow.

Three more killer revenge dresses...

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Red dress, £400, Self Portrait; Zebra-print, £260, Rotate Birgir Christensen

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Leopard print, £35.99, Zara

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