The term "Diva" has traditionally been utilized to describe celebrities, both their appearance and their "higher than life" attitude. But anyone can be a Diva, not necessarily meaning that you force someone to sort out the colors of M&M's because you only want to eat the red ones, but the powerful attitude that accompanies these women in regards to their appearance. Here are the main 5 steps to dressing like a Diva:
1. The Top: If you're wearing a dress, you've just eliminated a step in the process of Diva Dressing, as #2 and #3 are combined for you. "Tight" and "Low-cut" are two words traditionally associated with our term, but this isn't always the case. The painted on items of clothing that these women wear is sometimes created just for them and/sewn for this purpose (sometimes sewn directly onto them). One word that can describe the top of choice of nearly all Diva's is "seductive". But this term typically means something completely different to everyone, for it's more of a subconscious feeling than an actual description. The color and the style can vary immensely, but the bottom line is this: Nothing has the same affect on everyone. To be safe, a solid color top works best. Red is a power color that grabs attention, while black is considered mysterious. White triggers thoughts of purity (and is why so many Diva's don't wear it a lot, as they usually get ridiculed by the press). Purple is a color of royalty, while pink in all of it's wondrous shades is considered to be very feminine. Blue can make onlookers feel depressed or saddened. Green makes people think of hospitals. But no color will look Divaesque if the top chosen is completely wrong for your body shape. Be open to many different style options, as no Diva would go out looking like a fool.
2. The Bottom: Skirts, gauchos, jeans, slacks- all choices that require your consideration and are all worn by Divas. Unless you have a plastic surgeon to remove every tiny bump or bulge at different times of the month, a personal trainer, or simply don't drink water for a week before you plan on dressing for your occasion, skin-tight might not be the best answer to your undying concern of picking the ideal bottom. The general rule is this: If your top is considered to be "tight-fitting", you might want to go along the lines of a "flowy" bottom. The same is true on the reverse- a tighter bottom will probably look better with a bit of a roomier top. Remember, no Diva looks like a fool.
3. The Shoes: Finally, the most important part of dressing like a Diva. Flats are out, but bring them in case of an emergency, like your car runs out of gas, leaving you stranded on the highway and forced to walk 2 miles in 5-inch stilettos. Not a good scenario. Remember that the Diva's we know, love and admire have employees that will walk the 2 miles for them. We are not that lucky, so we need to improvise. Just pack a pair of flats and keep them in the car. Anyways, sexy high heels like stilettos are the ultra-high, super-skinny heel, and the way to go---as long as you know how to walk in them. If you don't know, learn. Practice for hours before going out for the evening, for no Diva would be caught walking in a pair of sexy shoes that they can't walk up and down stairs in. Shoes of choice can have a bit of bling on them, but you don't want them to be the center of your ensemble. "Oh my God, I love those (well thought out, complimenting to your outfit) shoes!" is a compliment and should be taken as one. "How can you walk in those?" is not really a compliment, but it can be if you've managed to walk gracefully throughout the evening. You just need to figure out if the person stating the comment is jealous or in disgust. It can be tough to tell with females, so good luck.
4. The Hair: When you think of the term "Diva", the first thing that will most likely pop into your head is, ironically enough, hair. No matter which generation you're from, you can identify with the lustrous locks that draw the necessary attention associated with Diva status. Cher and her infamous wigs (does anyone really know what her real hair looks like?); Diana Ross and those carefree curls; Tina Turner and her sophisticated shag; Christina Aguilera , with her blonde bombshell look of whatever she feels like at the time. What do these fine ladies all have in common? A colossal budget specified for doing their doo.
If tremendously-long tresses are what you have in mind, and your current hair style is somewhat short, you have two really have only 3 options: First, you could get hair extensions. The downside to this would of course be the immense cost of creation. With an average cost of $500 (without dying it to the color of your choice), the average budget just won't be able to cover this cost. Second, you could get a wig, but a high-quality headpiece that won't make you look like a clown (or Hulk Hogan) could cost you more than extensions. Thirdly, you could wait to dress like a Diva until your hair gets longer. If none of these ideas are viable options for you, you're going to have to work with what you have.
Every length of hair qualifies as "Diva-able", not just long. Think about Madonna and her pre-Kabala days of short hair, with slightly edgy curls "crazy-glued' to her face. Add a touch of glitter gel or hair mascara (choose a temporary color...just in case you hate it), and BAM! You've got a Diva-Doo! Hair jewels are another thought, but you really need to think of it like your accessories-you don't want to be so "blingy" that you start throwing off the flight patterns of nearby aircraft.
For medium length hair, adding some glitter gel, curvaceous curls, and/or fancy clips will bring some glamour to your style. A bit of contrasting, temporary color won't hurt your cause, either. If you normally part your hair in the middle, part it on the side. If you usually part your hair on the side, why don't you try parting it in the middle? Your hair, just like the rest of you, gets caught in a pattern of what it does, so by altering it, you're adding some zest and fervor to a traditionally tame style. No matter the style or length, be sure to carry a purse-size hairspray to keep your style looking fresh all day (or night).
5. The Accessories: Adding a "bit of bling" to your ensemble goes a long way in your quest for Divahood. Over-doing it is something that the traditional Diva's would be ridiculed for in the press. "Maybe she's trying to flag down the mother ship and get back to her planet of origin" would be a likely comment from the entertainment media, so our respected Diva's have professional help when it comes to this area. Yes, many of them hire someone specifically for this purpose. Unless you have a few thousand dollars hanging around and nothing else to do with it, you're on your own. Here's a bit of advice.
- While "simple" sells, it doesn't exactly put you into the status of Divaness. Think Scarlett Johansson on the Red Carpet when you think "Un-Diva" and Britney Spears, Diana Ross and/or Mariah Carey on it when you think of "Diva". No matter if you can't stand a melodic note that pours out of Mariah's mouth, you have to admit that "all eyes are on her" when she walks into a room.
- If you're going for colossal, rhinestone earrings, keep the necklace of choice in good taste. The same goes for the opposite. If you have a chain of bling that you just need to drape around your neck, the earrings shouldn't be "over the top", especially if your hair is short or in an up-do. Longer hair that covers earrings gives a little extra leeway on wearing diamond-studded dangles or huge hoops.
- Shoes are considered by many to be more than something that keeps your feet enclosed and safe from stepping on glass and other unmentionables. The perfect pair of shoes can be the final accessory to tying together your outfit of choice. Think about that when picking out your bling.
