Things Dita Von Teese Taught Me About Style

Who else loves Dita Von Teese style dresses, shoes and … just everything, really?

I’ve loved Dita’s style for years, and if I was allowed to raid one celebrity’s closet, Dita’s would definitely make the shortlist – and her shoe collection would be #1, for sure. Unlike Audrey Hepburn, and her pared-down look, however, Dita Von Teese style won’t translate to everyone’s lifestyle without a bit of tweaking, but here are some style lessons I’ve learned from the queen of retro glamour…

DITA VON TEESE STYLE AND HOW TO GET IT

RED LIPS WITH EVERYTHING 

Have you ever seen Dita without her signature red lip? I’m wracking my brain here, but I don’t think I know what her natural lips look like – even in the rare shots I’ve seen of her in workout clothes, those red lips are always in place! I’ve no idea how she gets it so perfect, and I know I can’t possibly hope to emulate that level of perfection, but I also know that a red lip goes a long way towards dressing up an outfit. Sure, Dita’s own outfits are always dressed up anyway, but even a pair of scruffy old jeans and a simple white t-shirt can look instantly glamorous if you just add some red lipstick.

HIGH HEELS MAKE EVERY OUTFIT BETTER

I know a lot of women will HATE this one (and that’s fine – these aren’t “rules”, after all, just observations on someone else’s style!),  but you’ll rarely see Dita in flats: they’re just not her style, and while I personally love a good pair of ballet pumps, I also have to admit that when I want to really dress up, heels will win every time. High heels don’t just elongate my short legs and help balance out my longer torso, making my body look more in proportion, they also make me walk taller and carry myself differently – which are all things that play into your personal style.

IT’S OK TO DRESS UP

One the things that bothers me most about today’s style is that “dressing up” is very much looked down upon in some circles. Where I’m from, for instance, people dress casually for absolutely EVERYTHING – they’ll grudgingly “dress up” for things like weddings, and events with a similar degree of formality, but they’ll complain bitterly about being “forced” to do it, and spend a lot of time talking about how they can’t wait to get back into their jeans. I’ve never related to this at all: I’ve always enjoyed dressing up, and I don’t find a dress any less comfortable than a pair of jeans (although I guess this will depend on the dress and jeans in question, obviously!), but over the years I’ve spent a lot of time trying to tone down my tendency to over-dress, just to avoid the curious questions and rude stares I’ll get just by daring to wear anything other than jeans.

Can you even imagine Dita Von Teese wearing jeans, just because everyone else was, though? Of course not! She’d simply raise one immaculate eyebrow, and wear whatever the hell she wanted to: because why on earth not? “Dressing up” is at the very core of Dita Von Teese style, and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be at the heart of YOUR style, too – IF you want to, obviously.

THE CLASSICS ARE ALWAYS IN STYLE

More than any other celebrity I can think of, Dita Von Teese resolutely refuses to follow trends. Now, there’s nothing wrong with following trends, obviously, but one of the things you can learn from studying Dita Von Teese style clothes is that although they’re not “trendy”, they’re the kind of thing that never go out of style. Dita’s own style is very retro-inspired, which obviously isn’t for everyone. You can, however, easily create a classic look without feeling like you just stepped out of the 50s: things like pencil skirts, prom-style dresses and boat-neck tops, for instance, are all so classic that you can wear them in a way that looks totally contemporary – but which will never really “date”.