Diana Ross' Most Dazzling Looks In The '70s

Although Diana Ross first found fame as a member of The Supremes during the 1960s, it was when she released her first solo album, "Diana Ross," in 1970 that she truly reached superstar status. Not only did she start dressing in much flashier clothing, but she also gained quite the reputation for being a diva. However, if you're one of the most talented musicians of all time, and a pop culture style icon as well, then why not embrace the prima donna status? After all, as Ross once said herself (via SiriusXM), "It takes a long time to get to be a diva. I mean, you gotta work at it."

Before she became known for her stunning vocals, Ross had gone to school for fashion design. "[Fashion] has been part of my soul since I was a little girl," Ross told Vogue in February 2018. She wasn't able to afford the clothes she wanted when she was growing up, so she would use her imagination to "[put] things together from magazines and from store shop windows." She hoped to one day indulge her fashion dreams, so, naturally, once Ross had the money for all those dresses she'd been eyeing as a kid, she went for it. 

Ross became known for outfits that featured the kind of over-the-top glitz and glamour only Bob Mackie could create. These days, the singer lists Tom Ford and Vivienne Westwood among her favorite designers, but the '70s remains the decade that featured some of the most dazzling and iconic looks of her career.

If you were a pop star in the 1970s, it was all about glitz — the more, the better. In 1970, Ross rocked this shimmering cape-style top and matching pants, and the ensemble is simply amazing. The varying shades of gold, starting with rose gold at the top of each piece of the matching set and blending into dark gold at the bottom, are absolutely stunning (though potentially blinding if the light hits it just right). If the 1970s were known for anything, it was for being too much of everything.

In 1976, Diana Ross debuted multiple memorable looks during her limited engagement, "An Evening with Diana Ross: The Working Girls." For the event, Ross paid homage to several iconic Black female artists by covering their songs and imitating their fashion. One of the stars she paid tribute to was Josephine Baker, a pioneer of finger waves, one of the most notable styles of curly hair in the past 100 years. 

When embodying the jazz-era musician, Ross wore a Bob Mackie-updated version of Baker's iconic banana costume complete with a flamboyant showgirl-style headpiece. It's this costume that Baker wore during a Paris performance in 1926 that made her one of the most famous women in the world.

Sequins alone weren't enough to satisfy Diana Ross' diva cravings, and in this instance, the star upped the extra factor with huge sleeves. During a June 1976 performance, Ross wore this dress that absolutely leaned into the maximalist trend with its rhinestones and sequins, and when she lifted her arms, the singer gave off major dove vibes — which might have been the point. This costume was part of the aforementioned "An Evening with Diana Ross" performance during the summer of 1976, so all the glitz is once again courtesy of Bob Mackie.

To promote her 1972 Billie Holiday biopic, "Lady Sings the Blues," Diana Ross performed in Paris at the Theatre des Champs Elysees. Ross surely impressed the audience that night in this floor-length red sequined skirt and red and white striped sequined top with a matching jacket. The outfit was stunning and caught the light in all the right ways. To complete her look, Ross wore her gorgeous curls big and natural, looking like she just stepped out of Studio 54. 

While Diana Ross wore a lot of outrageous outfits and looked fantastic doing so, she could also wear something a bit more toned down (by her standards, anyway) and still look fabulous. For one of her performances at the London Palladium in 1978, Ross wore this breathtaking backless blue sequin dress with a halter top bodice and plunging neckline. 

The gown could be an homage to Billie Holiday, who Ross had portrayed on screen just a few years earlier. The cobalt shade evokes the "Am I Blue" singer, and other angles of Ross in this dress reveal she's wearing white gardenias in her hair à la Holiday.

One of the best things about Diana Ross is that even early on in her solo career, she was fearless when making fashion choices for herself. After all, not many would think to wear a sequin dress with a Peter Pan-style collar and massive red flower in the center. Ross famously wore this outfit in 1973 when she performed in Amsterdam and it was definitely a way of rebranding herself and taking her look in another direction for the rest of the decade.

If you want to try out the exposed fashion trend and show a little skin, you can't go wrong with a cutout dress. Although cutout dresses have come and gone in regards to trends, they can always look chic — if you know how to style them. During a portrait session in April 1974 , Ross wore this white halter top dress with a plunging neckline and subtle cutout panels on the sides. Ross completed her look with turquoise jewelry, and it's certainly an accomplishment that she manages to stand out in the photo without being upstaged by the busy decor.

While the rest of us may struggle to figure out the bra situation when wearing a cutout dress, Diana Ross makes the style look absolutely effortless. In 1976, the singer stunned in this white sequin and beaded dress with a prominent cutout in front. Though some would be worried about a possible wardrobe malfunction, Ross has made it a point to trust her stylists, not worry about how she looks, and focus on her performance. This gown's keyhole cutout may be daunting, but the singer doesn't seem phased in the slightest.

Another bedazzled Bob Mackie creation on Diana Ross? You better believe it. In 1970, Mackie designed this sequined fishnet bodysuit for Ross, which she wore on the cover of her second studio album, "Everything is Everything." She wore the outfit again in 1974 for a photoshoot, and it's here that we're able to see just how detailed this bodysuit is, with its varying sizes of rhinestones and sparkle-heavy neckline. They just don't make outfits like this anymore — unless, of course, you have Bob Mackie on speed dial. Then he might be able to help you out.