How do I solve 15 across in Times Cryptic 29453?

Question

Accepted Answer

15 across reads "Live singer with a costume representative of her country" (12 letters); the answer is AMBASSADRESS. It's a charade: the answer breaks into parts in clue order, each part clued by a word or short phrase. No indicators needed; watch for standard abbreviations (RA = artist, US = American, IN = at home) and short synonyms. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

Live singer with a costume representative of her country (12)

15A — Live singer with a costume representative of her country (12) — AMBASSADRESS