Cher is Christina Aguilera's fashion icon.

The singer - who is famous for wearing crotchless leather chaps in the video for her 2002 hit Dirrty - has been inspired by the Believe singer's flesh-flashing fashion choices through the years.

Cher, 63, wore a similarly revealing black leather outfit in the video clip for her single If I Could Turn Back Time.

Aguilera - who co-stars alongside Cher in new movie Burlesque - is quoted by website Absolute Now as saying: "I love Cher and I never knew just how much before I made this movie."

Aguilera said she had always had tremendous respect for Cher.

"She is a woman who did everything before anyone else did it. She is an icon and she inspired me through some of my career. We've had similar costumes too," Aguilera said.

In Burlesque, Aguilera plays lead character Ali, who escapes from a small town and heads to Los Angeles where she dances at a neo-burlesque club run by former dancer Tess, played by Cher.

Despite rumours of a rift between the two stars, Cher has revealed she has been impressed with the acting skills of her co-star.

"I'm shocked, but she's really good," Cher said.

"The other day we were hamming it up so badly, so old, like vaudevillian. She was keeping up. She was hot. Her game was good."

The pair's co-star, Kristen Bell, has praised the relaxed attitude adopted by Cher on set.

"I could talk but I was definitely having to take a breath and I was going, 'I'm in a room with Cher right now'," Bell said.