Fashion prude Cheryl Cole

Apr 28, 2009, 4:00 GMT

Cheryl Cole "wouldn't dare" dress like Lady Gaga.

The Girls Aloud singer claims she doesn't have the courage to wear daring outfits and admits she didn't begin wearing heels until her late teens.

She said: "I was a tomboy throughout my teenage years. I used to wear baggy jeans, baggy jumpers and Timberland boots. Then I discovered girly clothes and high heels.

"I don't like to experiment with wacky outfits. I wouldn't dare go out in the stuff Lady Gaga wears, for instance, even though it's perceived as high fashion."

Cheryl, who recently topped UK Glamour magazine's best dressed women list, can't believe people view her as a fashion icon and insists her wardrobe contains both high street and designer items.

The 25-year-old beauty said: "We all make mistakes, it's about growing up. I have to be totally honest, this has all been a learning process for me, this whole wearing clothes business.

"Bizarrely, one of the pictures that's repeatedly used of me is one where I'm wearing a T-shirt that cost £15 from Asos. It's the black and white sailor top with the big bow that you can take off, and it's referred to as 'one of my key pieces'."

Cheryl has also revealed her soccer star spouse Ashley Cole was blown away by the stunning white floral mini-dress she wore to the BRIT Awards in February.

She added to Britain's Hello! magazine: "That was Ashley's favourite. He thinks I look cutest in a casual tracksuit with my hair pulled back at home, but he made a point of commenting on how much he liked me in that beautiful white dress.

"For me there's no bigger compliment in the world than another woman saying, 'My God, doesn't she look gorgeous in that!' That to me is far more of a compliment than a man saying, 'She looks sexy.' "