The red carpet landscape has certainly changed in the last several years. Although actors, actresses and models who flock to the Academy Awards or the Cannes festival still somewhat follow the ‘white tie’ dress code and make sure they put their most elegant and sophisticated foot forward, the VMA has for a long time now been a sort of a competition of who will have the most outrageous and sometimes downright quirky look on the red carpet. Now, after every award show, every look is dissected and thrown into one of the two categories – best and worst dressed. Today, we aren’t here to play fashion police and focus on poor fashion judgments but to celebrate those who shone like true diamonds.
Give it up for Cardi B
With her outrageous videos and general looks that go beyond extravagant and ostentatious, it was highly refreshing to see Cardi B in something more conventional. Aside from the pixie cut that flatters her face so much we can’t even handle the cuteness, the award-winning rap superstar kept her couture as simple as one could possibly expect from someone as peculiar as her. She wore a high-slit purple/pink custom Nicolas Jebran dress with a gorgeous plunging neckline with single strap sandals to match. The dress fits her so perfectly, and the long sleeves and the added length in the back balance out the slit and the very open neckline perfectly, making Cardi look cute, ultra-sexy and classy at the same time. We are definitely here for this look, go Cardi!
A brave man indeed
Long gone are the days when the male stars of the music industry kept their outfits on the low-key side. The male superstars have become more fashion-savvy than most of the ladies on the red carpet, but one of the male looks we simply can’t take our eyes off is one pulled off by Gucci Mane. We would like to call this look party on the top, reserved on the bottom. The rapper wore classic black shoes, trousers, a classic white shirt with a black bowtie, but the jacket added all the pizzazz the outfit needed in order to pop. The heavily embellished pastel pink blazer with navy blue stripes and emerald green embroidery is truly something to behold. Not many men would be able to pull the look off, but as a picture is worth a thousand words, well, you can see for yourself that Mane wore that jacket like he was doing it a favor.
A touch of nineties
Ok, most people wouldn’t even call this look red carpet-worthy, but they forget that everything and anything goes at the VMAs, and we are definitely into the whole late ’80, beginning of ‘90s vibe Canadian singer Jessie Reyez brought to the table. A simple white strappy top and oversized dungaree shorts topped off with an army green puffer jacket and a red beer cup in her hand look is totally VMAs, and while some might put her in the worst dressed category, the nonchalant look is totally working for her and we adore it, especially because, unlike most of the couture, this look is something we can emulate – everything we need can be found in stores, including the killer pair of Nike sneakers and sports socks.
Bling it on
Aside from her epic performance at the VMAs, J Lo made sure she brings her A-game to the red carpet as well. The singer, dancer, actress and overall diva did us proud by showing off her killer body in an equally killer dress. Granted, no dress can do this beauty justice, but this one comes close. The sparkling silver, JLO-signature high-slit dress that hugs her curves just right made the diva look absolutely stunning, and the diagonal ruching only made the dress more interesting. The dress has Versace written all over it, we would know that even if it weren’t for Vogue or E! She let her hair down, as there was truly no need to do anything else in that department. Very few of us would dare rock a dress like this, at least not before spending at least a year at the gym, so if you’re even dreaming of rocking something like this, you better work for it, because Jenny sure does.
Always flawless
When asked ‘whose closet you would raid if given the chance’ most people, celebs included would say Blake Lively. We don’t know whether she became this fashion-savvy thanks to Gossip Girl or if it was in her genes the whole time, but this woman can simply do no wrong. She looks like an ethereal being wherever she goes and always finds a way to look different, yet always like herself. The VMAs were no exception. Lively opted for a gorgeous white pantsuit with incredibly wide-leg pants and kept things totally conservative with a white shirt that was buttoned all the way up. This look only goes to show that modest fashion isn’t going anywhere and that one can be sexy without showing even an inch of skin.
The VMAs have always been and always will be a melting pot of different styles and looks, and while some of the experiments and risks don’t pay off and put some celebs on the worst dressed lists, some risks certainly pay off, especially when you have the attitude to pull them off.
SOUTHERN LACED 