When she first appeared on American Idol, Kellie Pickler looked like the farm-girl next door, with a sweet smile, long hair and tight jeans. Fast forward a few years (and a few sessions with pro stylists) and the smile is still there, but Pickler is now a glamour goddess, favoring high heels and haute couture gowns. “My hair is a lot shorter now,” she says as she describes her new high-glam style, which includes a variety of sassy hairstyles and more defined makeup. “I just have the greatest team of people around me, and they’ve helped me develop a look that fits me. I’m happy with it, and it’s most important that you’re happy with what you see when you look in the mirror.”

With the wealth of fresh-scrubbed all-American faces making country music these days, Pickler certainly stands out, assuming a sexier Monroe-esque look reminiscent of Lorrie Morgan. Pickler maintains anyone can emulate her style without hiring a stylist or spending a fortune. “As far as makeup and hair and all of that, you can find any shade of lipstick and eyeshadow imaginable, whether you’re going to Wal-Mart or you’re going to an expensive boutique,” she says. Once you get the makeup, it’s all about experimenting until you find a combination you like.

The trick to her asset-accentuating wardrobe, Pickler says, is finding the right fit. “Everything I have, I have altered,” she explains. “I’m really short — I have a long torso and short legs, so I always have to get all of my pants hemmed, and I always have to get my shirts taken in at the waist. I’m awkwardly shaped. The key thing is making sure your clothes fit your body right and complement your figure. Everybody’s shaped differently. Everybody is different colors and different sizes. We’re all different, and that’s good.”