MTV VMAs 2013: Miley! Gaga! Selena! Our top 6 best dressed picks from the red carpet

by Paige Dzenis August 26, 2013

See the MTV VMAs 2013 red carpet photos »

Ah, the MTV VMAs! If there’s one award show that calls for stars to go all out in clever costumery, it’s the VMAs. This is, after all, the event that Gwen Stefani wore a blue fun fur bikini to and where Lil’ Kim made pasties a trending topic before Twitter even existed. Basically, the rule is that you have to become a spectacle at the VMAs if you want to stand out.

Rising to the top of the VMAs 2013 best dressed challenge was, of course, Miley Cyrus. Just a day earlier she had released the ’90s-worthy cover art for her next album, Bangerz, which will certainly be the final step in the campaign to completely forget her Disney upbringing. On the VMA red carpet, Miley opted to keep it skin-tight in a crop top and leggings courtesy Dolce & Gabbana. The bejewelled pieces were vintage and had a slight Carmen Miranda vibe—though any ladylike pretensions were washed away with Miley’s playful (and persistent) tongue wagging. Of course, her red carpet outfit has nothing on what was worn during the actual show. Fun fur forever!

Also competing for red carpet and performance attention were Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, both of whom have albums coming out in September. Lady Gaga certainly won the award for most wigs at the 2013 VMAs. On the red carpet long and sultry black hair complemented Gaga’s vinyl-looking dress by Prabal Gurung, but it was quickly ditched for a series of wigs—and outfits—during her opening performance.

While Katy Perry may have showed off her athletic side during her VMA-closing performance under the Brooklyn Bridge, on the red carpet her feminine feline favouritism was still going strong with a leopard-print dress by Emanuel Ungaro. Compared to the heavily embellished dress, Perry kept her hair and makeup surprisingly simple, with a neutral lip and slicked back hair.

At the other end of the style spectrum was seasoned award show attendee Taylor Swift and her best friend Selena Gomez. Both wore shades of navy-blue with definite va-va-voom appeal. Swift kept a bit of her signature sparkle in a low-cut Hervé Léger by Max Azria gown and her hair—styled in a perfectly wavy faux bob—was a new twist on Swift’s favourite Old Hollywood aesthetic. Selena Gomez, on the other hand, did glamour the modern way at the VMAs, with a cut-out Versace gown complete with a lace bustier. The dress showed just the right amount of skin without looking too risqué—a balance she’s been riding well since ditching her own Disney days.

And finally, rounding out our VMAs 2013 best dressed list is Rihanna—who didn’t walk the red carpet but did provide the best possible reaction to Miley Cyrus’s twerking. Rihanna kept it casual in a pair of baggy boyfriend jeans and a logo tee, but strappy heels and lots of jewels (including a mini grill between her two front teeth) made her look stand out.