Great Outfits in Fashion History: Diana Ross' 1982 Black and White Beaded Birthday Gown
There are perfectly good celebrity style moments, and then there are the looks that really stick with you, the ones you try desperately to recreate at home. In 'Great Outfits in Fashion History,' Fashionista editors are revisiting their all-time favorite lewks.
Something about adulting nobody bothered to tell me is that birthdays steadily become more anticlimactic as the years pass. (Hooray, I survived another year on this burning planet.) Maybe it's because what used to be a day of relaxation — especially as a summer baby, Cancer hive rise! — is now one of the most taxing: I'm in charge of planning my own party, sending invites, figuring out a time and place that works for my friends and supplying food... Yeah, birthdays just don't hit like they used to.
The one saving grace through it all is that it's the one time of year I can wear whatever I so please (other than Halloween). As such, there's no better way to find birthday outfit inspiration than doing a fashion deep dive on my style icons. It's how I came across Diana Ross' gorgeous black-and-white James Galanos gown she wore at her 38th birthday celebration.
The halter-neck style has many design elements that catch the eye — sparkly beaded sequins, a two-toned colorway, a dramatic scarf — but the silhouette's simplicity balance out the extravagant details. Where Ross went bolder was with her glam: voluminous curls and vibrant eyeshadow.
The gown may be more than 40 years old, but its timelessness is exactly what any proper birthday 'fit should hope to emulate. Keep scrolling to shop pieces inspired by Ross' outfit, for birthdays and beyond.
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