The 20 Best- and Worst-Dressed Celebs at the 2022 VMAs

We realize that “cool” is an outdated term and we figure wearing head-to-toe leather in August in New Jersey leaves a regular person feeling anything but cool, but we can’t help it. He just looks damn cool. We suspect almost any other guy wearing this wouldn’t look half as good in it. Sometimes, it’s all about the swagger.

If someone had asked us to predict what we’d see on the VMAs red carpet this year, we don’t think we’d ever have predicted that Cavewoman Chic would be a thing. She looks amazing in it, but there’s no way this dress won’t wind up in a “what were they thinking?” VMAs red carpet retrospective in a decade.

This was an adorably retro look and we loved the headband/bangs situation, which was a perfect bit of on-point styling. Unfortunately, the cutouts take this gown to Tacky Town, which is a shame because the rest of the look is so cute.

On any other wearer, an art deco robot girl dress would almost certainly overwhelm, but she not only looks spectacular in it, she also makes it look effortless. The fit is flawless.

It’s a nice enough gown and she certainly looks fine in it, but it feels like a surprisingly underwhelming and disappointingly conventional sort of pick. We guess she wanted to go for elegance–and she nailed it–but it’s not what we’d call a memorable dress.

The “People Watching” singer made his VMAs debut and we’ve got to say, we’re pretty impressed. The look has a soft, femme elegance to it, but the shape and especially those killer platforms give it a real glam rock sort of attitude to it. This is the kind of thing you say as a backhanded compliment, but we mean it in the best way: He looks like one of the most interesting people of the night.

The “In Da Ghetto” singer opted for cool minimalism from the neck down and a killer dye job on top. It’s a pretty stylish look–or it would be, if the suit didn’t look about three sizes too large for him. To be fair, it’s all about the hair.

The queen of TikTok (or one of them, anyway) came to the VMAs in an unexpectedly conventional and low-key look. It’s not particularly exciting, and we think the black pumps are an odd choice for it, but we can’t say she looks bad. The design looks a little generic, however, which is probably the same thing as looking bad on a night like this.

It’s a bold, bright, fun look for the “Numb” singer, with a laid-back feel to it that comes off kind of refreshing in a sea of self-seriousness and edge. We love the party colors and the ease of the look. It feels casually high-fashion, which suits him really well. Don’t love the shoes though.

It’s giving goth Christmas tree and somehow, he’s making it look amazing. Trust Lil Nas X to not only bring back the hoop skirt but to also make it look edgy and hot. He’s a fashion wizard.

We like that she wore a cocktail dress instead of a gown, and we wouldn’t have expected her to show up in something hard and edgy, so we’re all for a little straight-up glam from the “Blank Space” singer. But we’re not really in love with the design here. We realize these are beads, but it looks too much like she ran naked through a display of Christmas tinsel.

The color looks amazing on her and like so many Schiaparelli looks of late, it’s an unusual and unexpected design, but we literally cannot tell what’s going with her left boob, which looks like some sort of string art project gone wrong. To be fair, we can’t stop looking, but that’s mostly because we can’t tell what we’re looking at.

Is there such a thing as Floral Goth? Because if there isn’t, Dove Cameron may just have invented a new look. We want to say we love it, but we can’t get past how much we dislike that floral. The design is great and we love the styling–especially the braids and the insane mani—but that textile looks chintzy to us.

Sexy Nun isn’t the newest idea on the fashion (or Halloween costume) front, but this is a unique take on the idea. It’s very eye-catching and dramatic, but it gives the impression that if she made any sudden movements, it would start sliding off her.

The “PXSSY” rapper did not come quietly and for that, we thank her. This is sexy and fun. The fit’s a little tight in the bust and if we’re being honest, there are way too many string bows on the front of it, but the color looks great and it has a sort of cartoon fashion feel to it that really suits her.

It’s a dress that seems both simple and over-designed at the same time. She looks pretty amazing, but it just feels like this frock is trying to do too much. From the cutouts to the awkward neckline (and even more awkward hem length) to the safety pins and the ruching, it all feels a bit overbaked to us.

The “Not Okay” actor and current Boyfriend of the Internet showed up this cute and fun suit by one of the hottest brands among the male celebrity set, New York–based boho brand Bode. Sure, it looks a little “Grandma’s afghan,” but that’s part of what makes it so fun. In combination with the shades and the gold chains, it feels fresh and a little sexy.