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red carpet
August 27, 2017

The 13 Best, Worst, and Most Prom-tastic Looks on the 2017 VMAs Red Carpet

By Emilia Petrarca@emiliapetrarca

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Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images

Lorde started off Sunday night’s 2017 MTV Video Music Awards red-carpet preshow on a shockingly sophisticated note, despite having the flu. She wore a feathered purple Monique Lhuillier gown, and for a second there, we thought the days of millennial pink, naked dresses, and bad suits were over. Even the evening’s host, Katy Perry, arrived in a low-key outfit — for her.

But alas, this is the VMAs! As the night wore on, we saw all the outrageous onesies, woke T-shirts, and, yes, millennial-pink jumpsuits we expected. The red carpet looked like a parade of bad prom dates, with so many sequins we wish we’d kept our eclipse glasses.

Thankfully, though, the youngest people in the audience, 10-month-old Asahd Khaled and 13-year-old Millie Bobby Brown, give us hope for a better-dressed future.

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See All the Red-Carpet Looks From the 2017 MTV VMAs
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1 / 14 Photos
Best Madonna Tribute: Cardi B in Christian Siriano She's a real material girl. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Most Sophisticated Teen: Millie Bobby Brown in Rodarte She makes everyone else look like children.  Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images for M... Most Sophisticated Teen: Millie Bobby Brown in Rodarte She makes everyone else look like children.  Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images for MTV
Best Naked Dress for Someone Who Loves Being Naked: Paris Jackson in Dior C'mon guys, being naked is no big deal! Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Worst Everything: Jack Lawless, Joe Jonas, JinJoo Lee, Cole Whittle of DNCE Goes to prom once.  Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Best Cape: Jared Leto in Gucci Every stylish man knows to pair his sequin cape with a floral turtleneck. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Best Mob Family: Pink, Her Husband, and Daughter Two words: Bada bing! Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images
Best Dressed Baby: Asahd Khaled in Gucci Another great outfit from the 10-month-old. Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Least Chill: Justina Valentine The first rule of being chill is not wearing “Chill” across your chest. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Most Unexpected: Katy Perry Our host's look was shockingly simple.  Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images for MTV
Best Statement Dress: Mel B in Discount Universe It tells us what we want, what we really, really want. Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images for MTV
Most Early-2000s: Jasmine Sanders in Moschino The model channeled Paris Hilton’s iconic 21st-birthday look. Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Im... Most Early-2000s: Jasmine Sanders in Moschino The model channeled Paris Hilton’s iconic 21st-birthday look. Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Best Accessory: Lil Mama’s Birdcage They said she could bring a plus one. Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images for MTV
Most Millennial Pink: Nicki Minaj A real, life-size Barbie.  Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Actually Best Dressed: Lorde in Monique Lhuillier Melodramatic purple is the new millennial pink. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
1 / 14

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