By Megan Riedlinger
6:09am PST, Nov 22, 2021
The American Music Awards never disappoint in the fashion department! The biggest stars in music tend to take some serious style risks, some of which pay off and some of which… don’t… and the 2021 ceremony on Nov. 21 certainly served up its fair share of hits and misses. Jennifer Lopez wowed on the AMAs stage, paying homage to her upcoming rom-com “Marry Me” in a bridal look as she performed the movie’s first single, “On My Way.” The cream-colored confection featured thin straps, a fitted bodice, a gold belt detail and a full frothy tulle skirt. She accessorized with matching lace-up boots and a short veil to keep up with the wedding theme.
Keep reading to see more of Wonderwall.com’s top picks for the best and worst ensembles of the night…
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Olivia Rodrigo’s bold David Koma dress left us scratching our heads. The young star rocked a cornflower blue number that featured thin halter straps and an iridescent sheer fabric that culminated in a feathered hemline. Though we loved the color — and those silver sandals — we were disappointed by this strange sheer selection.
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Your eyes aren’t deceiving you — that really is JoJo Siwa, sans rainbow shades or a big bow! The “Dancing With the Stars” season 30 frontrunner arrived at the American Music Awards in this ultra-glamorous confection — an off-the-shoulder ballgown with a pleated tulle skirt that showed off her more mature and elegant side.
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Cardi B, is that you? The host of the evening’s festivities certainly made a statement upon her arrival in this half-classic, half-puzzling ensemble. The strapless black Schiaparelli gown with a sweetheart neckline was all elegance, as were the opera gloves, but things got strange when she added a full golden mask, large earrings and a black veil. Let’s check it out…
Here’s a closer look at Cardi B’s gold face mask. She added even more gold to the mix with those very large earrings — which actually seemed to be dangling from a headband — and topped everything off with a sheer black veil.
Becky G gave us a pretty purple moment on the red carpet, opting for this bold minidress with cut-outs. We loved the long-sleeved frock’s black borders that corresponded perfectly with her pointy-toe pumps, and her equally stunning beauty look. Let’s see it up close…
Becky G added a sleek ponytail, dark makeup hues and some bold hoops to complete her killer AMAs getup. She also added some pretty chunky rings from Anabela Chan.
More iridescent sheer on the red carpet that we didn’t ask for? Mickey Guyton’s fringe moment. The country music star arrived in this strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline, short skirt and floor-length totally sheer top layer that seemed unnecessary and blocked the view of her pretty pointy-toe pumps.
Diplo looked peachy keen on the AMAs red carpet in a jacket and matching pants set with a black turtleneck. The impossibly cool combo was made even more fab by his shoe pick. Let’s take a closer look..
Diplo upgraded his pantsuit pick with these standout animal-print boots.
At this point it would be revolutionary if Billy Porter showed up in something understated. The over-the-top singer-actor dressed up in his best… umbrella hat? He wore a pretty teal pantsuit, platform black boots and a bizarre headpiece that can only be described as rainy-day-ready.
Singer JoJo embraced the edgy cut-out trend at the AMAs in this slinky silver number by Usama Ishtay. Though the look started out strong with the halter neckline and corset-style bodice, it lost us with those hip cut-outs and dangerously high center slit. Despite not loving the frock, we did appreciate her beauty look, which we’ll check out next…
JoJo rocked a super-high ponytail that showed off the sparkly halter straps of her dress perfectly. She also added dramatic eye makeup, a mauve lip and drop earrings for a little extra sparkle. Next up? A look at her amazing shoes…
Despite not loving the dress, we did adore JoJo’s shoe choice! The singer’s spiked Christian Louboutins gave her AMAs look a serious edge.
Another case of cut-outs we didn’t love? That was exemplified by Madelyn Cline’s odd black halter-style frock. Her dress included some very precarious placements down the bodice. And if that wasn’t enough to score her a miss, the addition of leather gloves topped with bracelets from Marli New York certainly sealed the deal.
The gentlemen of BTS always smash it in the fashion department, and their looks at the American Music Awards this year — they all arrived in cohesive shades of black and gray — were no exception.
Though we found Rachel Lindsay’s look a little boring, we have to give it to the former “The Bachelorette” star for rocking the most accessible look of the night: a velvety black sleeveless jumpsuit with button details from the one and only Zara. She accessorized with a coat over her shoulder, layers of necklaces, some bracelets and strappy sandals from Valentino.
Adore! “The Bachelorette” star Michelle Young showed up in style in this killer chartreuse look — a sleeveless frock with a plunging neckline, ruching at the hips and a thigh-high slit. The midi-length skirt also left plenty of room to show off those fab strappy metallic sandals.
Halle Bailey’s velvety chocolate brown gown essentially didn’t have a center. The risky frock included a cut-out with a lace-up detail from her collar to her hips. Despite not loving that element, we did appreciate the way she paired her dress with matching strappy dark metallic sandals. She also added some pretty earrings by Candy Ice.
Another Bailey sister in bold cut-outs! We preferred Chloe Bailey’s pick: this slinky Monsoori confection. The design’s one-shouldered fit, cut-out down the bodice and at the hip, plus a thigh-high slit made this glamorous black look anything but boring. Her stellar heel selection — check out those sparkly straps! — upgraded this look even further.
Nope! Kali Uchis arrived in this lingerie-inspired getup — a blush-hued corset and… not much else, and topped it off with a floor-length robe. The lackluster look scored her a serious miss, and those knee-high gold boots certainly didn’t help.
We love a bold menswear getup and 24kGoldn gave us a totally unique one in this floral-print black-and-white suit. The music star rocked it sans undershirt and added black pointy-toe boots for a cool rock star fashion moment.
Rachel Zegler brought some much-needed glamour to the AMAs red carpet. The “West Side Story” star selected this sweet confection — complete with a halter-style neckline, a triangular cut-out along the bodice and a dreamy tiered tulle skirt in alternating black-and-white layers.
The award for the boldest sleeves on the red carpet? That goes to Tate McRae, who rocked this jacket-style minidress with oversized sleeves that were so excessive, they draped all the way down past her knees. The ivory look wasn’t a hit in our book, but we did appreciate the chunky black ankle boots she added to the mix.
Well, we bet Bad Bunny was comfy all night! The music star arrived at the AMAs in an incredibly casual getup — a mint green puffer cot, a white tee, baggy pale green trousers and some very funky booties.