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red-carpet watch
November 25, 2013

The Best, Worst, and Most Outrageous Looks From the AMA Awards Red Carpet

By Sally Holmes and Charlotte Cowles

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Photo: Getty Images

Last night’s American Music Awards were filled with a lot of the sartorial excitement we’ve come to expect from these types of shows: Miley wore underwear onstage (cat-themed, to be precise!), Jennifer Lopez paid tribute to Celia Cruz in a sparkly bat-like muumuu that became a rainbow salsa getup and then a fringed leotard, and Katy Perry chose a racially insensitive costume for her opening act, à la Selena Gomez. But the red carpet was filled with its own style gems, including Nicole Richie in an underwear-defying dress, R. Kelly in a man-tunic, and Miley Cyrus in something completely normal. See the best, worst, and most outrageous looks in our slideshow.

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1 / 22 Photos
Highest Number of Limbs: Lady Gaga We count 16, including the front guy's hidden right hand. Photo: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
Luckiest: Zoe Saldana On anyone else, this patchwork Roland Mouret dress would look like a cute blue bridesmaid's dress that got eaten by a quilt... Luckiest: Zoe Saldana On anyone else, this patchwork Roland Mouret dress would look like a cute blue bridesmaid's dress that got eaten by a quilt. On Zoe, it just looks great. Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Most Philophically Debatable: Taylor Swift If the cleavage cut-out is covered in flesh-toned, opaque fabric, does it still count? Photo: Jason K... Most Philophically Debatable: Taylor Swift If the cleavage cut-out is covered in flesh-toned, opaque fabric, does it still count? Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Worst All-Around: Sarah Silverman Just because you're attractive and can pull off bright yellow does not mean you should try draping yourself in ... Worst All-Around: Sarah Silverman Just because you're attractive and can pull off bright yellow does not mean you should try draping yourself in egg yolks. Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Best One-Up: Rihanna "Hey, Jennifer Lawrence, you think you can wear a sheer floor-length skirt? Have your Dior contract meet my weird lacy ... Best One-Up: Rihanna "Hey, Jennifer Lawrence, you think you can wear a sheer floor-length skirt? Have your Dior contract meet my weird lacy windowpanes under the willow tree after lunch." Photo: David Livingston/Getty Images
Least Likely to be Wearing Underpants: Nicole Richie She and Gwyneth can trade tips later. Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Biggest Surprise: Miley Cyrus Sometimes looking normal is the most unexpected thing you can do. Photo: Jeffrey Mayer/2013 Jeffrey Mayer
Biggest Effort: Lil Mama Want attention? A butt-cape is always a surefire way to get it. Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
Best Redux: Ke$ha Angelina's Right Leg, meet Ke$ha's Thigh Ruffle. The My Little Pony hair keeps it from looking too sophisticated, because God f... Best Redux: Ke$ha Angelina's Right Leg, meet Ke$ha's Thigh Ruffle. The My Little Pony hair keeps it from looking too sophisticated, because God forbid! Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Most Coordinated: Kendall and Kylie Jenner Do you think they flipped a coin to decide who got to show which body parts? Photo: Jon Kopaloff/Film... Most Coordinated: Kendall and Kylie Jenner Do you think they flipped a coin to decide who got to show which body parts? Photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Cutest Accessory: Katy Perry "Don't mind me, I'll just catch up on my reading during the show." Photo: David Livingston/Getty Images
Most Expected: Jennifer Lopez And this is why we love her. Photo: Michael Buckner/AMA2013/Getty Images
Best Color Combination: Jennifer Hudson Like a dress made of Starburst wrappers. Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Most Disappointing: Jaimie Alexander Then again, it's really hard to top this. Photo: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
Most Innapropriately Covered-Up: Heidi Klum Heidi, we know you want to show your legs/abdomen/cleaveage, so why waste time covering up with fring... Most Innapropriately Covered-Up: Heidi Klum Heidi, we know you want to show your legs/abdomen/cleaveage, so why waste time covering up with fringe that looks like a fortune teller's curtains? Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Most Resourceful: Giuliana Rancic Metallics! Lace! This dress is like a shiny red carpet casserole: Throw all your leftovers togther, feed it to ... Most Resourceful: Giuliana Rancic Metallics! Lace! This dress is like a shiny red carpet casserole: Throw all your leftovers togther, feed it to your friends, and hope everyone survives! Photo: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
Most Comfortable: Emma Roberts This roomy, aluminum foil tube dress is the stuff of post-Thanksgiving dreams. Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Most Prominent Belly-Button: Ciara She should have just stuck a gem in it and called it a night. Photo: C Flanigan/Getty Images
Most Eager To Prove Her Spanx-lessness: Christina Aguilera  She's not wearing, them, see? SEE? Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Least Distracting: Alicia Silverstone We love the vaguely gothy girl-group thing going on here, but the dress isn't quite crazy enough to keep us... Least Distracting: Alicia Silverstone We love the vaguely gothy girl-group thing going on here, but the dress isn't quite crazy enough to keep us from wondering why Alicia Silverstone is at the AMAs to begin with. Photo: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
Most Yeezus-Like: R. Kelly The whole dress-over-pants thing's worked for Kanye and Emma Watson, so why shouldn't R. Kelly celebrate with a man tu... Most Yeezus-Like: R. Kelly The whole dress-over-pants thing's worked for Kanye and Emma Watson, so why shouldn't R. Kelly celebrate with a man tunic? Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Most Holiday-Ready: Kelly Osbourne The unofficial rule is that you can start celebrating Christmas after Thanksgiving. But Kelly looks like she l... Most Holiday-Ready: Kelly Osbourne The unofficial rule is that you can start celebrating Christmas after Thanksgiving. But Kelly looks like she listened to a few too many rounds of "Deck the Halls" before choosing this princessy tinsel number. Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images
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  • amas
  • american music awards
  • red-carpet watch
  • miley cyrus
  • rihanna
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