Don’t fall for poorly-made Princess Diana Eagles jacket dupes like this Philly TikToker did
Max Kalmes wanted a jacket that looked like Princess Diana's varsity Eagles jacket. But her purchase on Facebook Marketplace prompted her to make a now-viral cautionary TikTok for others.
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For the fashion-forward, the start of fall means the beginning of unofficial “Dress like Princess Diana” season.
Between Princess Di’s classic casual streetwear uniform of crew neck sweatshirts paired with bike shorts or her iconic Philadelphia Eagles varsity jacket, a slight chill in the air means it’s time to reference those timeless looks.
But a new TikTok about a major jacket dupe fail is cautioning shoppers to check their sources before hitting ”purchase.”
Local TikToker receives ‘monstrosity rendition’ of Princess Di’s Eagles jacket
Max Kalmes of Rittenhouse Square has spent the past two years building her vintage sports jacket collection — specifically featuring the Eagles, Phillies, and her alma mater, the University of Iowa. She scours eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Grailed, Mercari, and others looking for the latest additions to her closet. Recently, she had her sights set on Princess Di’s iconic kelly green Eagles varsity jacket — the one she famously sported in 1991 outside London’s Wetherby Prep School.
» READ MORE: How Grace Kelly led to Princess Diana's wearing Eagles gear
“Every Philadelphian knows the iconic Princess Diana jacket,” Kalmes, 26, told The Inquirer. “When the Eagles were really gaining Super Bowl contender momentum last year, I knew I wanted to find something similar.”
So when Kalmes spotted a listing on Facebook Marketplace for a Diana-style jacket for about $40 — much less than the $150 price tags she saw elsewhere — she decided it was worth the gamble. But what she received from the individual reseller was so much worse than she expected.
“My visceral reaction as I unboxed [the jacket] was ‘this is definitely a Cowboys fan pulling a demonic prank,’” she said.
The jacket’s size was far from the listed adult XL. Instead, Kalmes said, a “youth size 14/16 would be generous.” The sleeves were covered in a stiff plastic material and wreaked of chemicals. The whited-out eagle design stitched on the back looked “taxidermic at best,” Kalmes said. The only win was that ”Eagles” was at least spelled correctly, she said.
» READ MORE: From 1991: A jacket to Di for Eagles
Now, Kalmes is cutting her losses, but she’s decided to share her letdown, recording a TikTok warning others to learn from her mistakes.
A viral cautionary tale
“Ladies of Philadelphia, I know it’s getting cold. I know the Eagles are getting hot,” she said in the video, which has been viewed more than 19,000 times. “But don’t do it. Do not go online and buy the Princess Diana Eagles jacket … this is not the jacket you’ll be receiving.”
She continued, “eBay and Facebook Marketplace are oversaturated with these ... monstrosity renditions of that jacket.”
And it’s true. A quick eBay search reveals several listings for the jacket in question. A local Facebook Marketplace search showed at least one jacket that looked like what Kalmes received being resold because the seller said it was too small. Google searches present several listings from sites with poor reviews alleging the product customers received doesn’t match what’s being sold.
Fashion expert and pro-thrifter Virginia Chamlee says if you’re buying a Di-dupe online and the photo on the listing is one of the archival photos of Diana wearing it, not the actual jacket, beware. A real listing should have photos of the actual item from all angles.
As her TikTok picks up steam, Kalmes said others who have fallen for the dupes are “trauma bonding in the comments,” commiserating about similar flops and thanking her for “de-influencing” them.
“I got one of these from Etsy. It’s soo bad,” one comment said. “I ordered vintage Eagles crew necks from an ad. They were atrocious,” said another.
How to spot a good Princess Diana Eagles dupe
Chamlee says it’s going to be especially difficult to find a good Princess Di dupe in Philly because of the higher demand in Eagles territory compared to other regions. She recommends connecting with local vintage sellers, which the city has plenty of, to find something with a similar look instead of buying a new replica.
» READ MORE: Taylor Swift hit the streets in a retro Penn top sourced by this Philly clothing curator
“Shopping vintage is so much better for the environment and also for your wallet,” she said. “Dupes like [Kalmes’] are so low quality you might not get any wear out of it at all. So you’ll waste money on it, but it will also end up in a landfill and perpetuate the cycle of creating cheap clothing.”
If you opt to look for a vintage version of the iconic green Eagles varsity jacket, Chamlee has the following advice:
Look at the embroidery. Is the logo or team name three dimensional and stitched or just printed on? Does the logo appear to be an ironed-on patch or is it sewn-in?
Is there wear? A true vintage jacket was likely loved and worn, so light staining and wear are a good indication that it’s the real deal.
How bright are the colors? Chamlee says the dupe jackets are often neon green instead of the Eagles’ signature kelly or midnight green. “[Neon green] is not a color that was used in authentic jackets of the 1990s and earlier,” she said. “When it comes to vintage, muted tones are generally a good thing.”
Identify the brand. Companies like Starter and Champion are reliable athletic brands that have made varsity team jackets for years. Chamlee also mentioned DeLong, a company that has produced the majority of high school and professional team varsity jackets for years.
If you’d prefer to shop new, the Eagles’ official Pro Shop has several varsity-style jackets, though none perfectly match Princess Diana’s. Philly-based sports apparel company Mitchell & Ness has several Eagles varsity jackets, including its newly-released satin bomber jackets. Local menswear boutique Franklin & Poe announced “fully customizable” Princess Diana Edition varsity jackets in Kelly green.
Whatever you do, Kalmes hopes you heed her warning.
“Just don’t do it. Don’t buy the jacket from the manufactured websites because you will probably not receive it until April of 2024 and there are better things to hash out $150 on,” she said. “There are definitely some treasures to be found on Facebook Marketplace and eBay, just take some extra time to find something you know you won’t be embarrassed to wear in public.”