The 2013 American Music Awards: Standout Looks On The Red Carpet

The 2013 AMAs took place Sunday night, celebrating the most popular musicians stateside. Some overall notes:

– The AMA winners are voted on through Twitter, so it’s essentially an online popularity contest.

– The above isn’t that important to me – I’m not interested in the official wins and losses at this awards ceremony because I don’t listen to the music of any of these celebrities. They do get to wear clothing from some of the best designers, though, so as far as I’m concerned the winning and losing takes place mostly before the show even begins.

– Ariana Grande was all Mariah Carey with the belting and many many runs, but in all seriousness she’s a pretty great singer. And she shares her last name with a Starbucks cup size so she’s alright in my books.

– Lots of celebrities were wearing straight-across bangs (see: Kylie Jenner, Heidi Klum, Kelly Osbourne, Taylor Swift). I tend not to support this hairstyle on people other than Zooey Deschanel.

– During her performance, Miley Cyrus wore a jumpsuit covered in cats while a massive animated cat head sang along with her and cried diamond kitty tears. Lady Gaga’s brand of out-there had her donning a Marilyn Monroe outfit while R. Kelly played John F. Kennedy in an ode to the 50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination. So Miley continues to dominate in the absurdity ring as the cat meme to Gaga’s overwrought Marilyn aspirations. This is the difference between taking yourself too seriously and not taking yourself seriously at all.

– Katy Perry is possibly very racist. She was a caricature of Japanese culture in a sexualized geisha costume during her performance Sunday night – this comes after she told Jimmy Kimmel that she’s so obsessed with Japanese culture that she wants to skin Japanese people and “wear [them] like Versace.” Misappropriation much?

– Taylor Swift pretty much cleaned house, so let’s start with her:

Taylor Swift in Julien MacDonald RTW Fall 2013

Honestly, the dress is a tad on the short side – how she wrangled it into a sitting position remains a mystery. The mesh panel on the bust, where Taylor did go for a bit of modesty, unfortunately doesn’t match her skin tone. On a brighter note, this Julien MacDonald dress is gorgeous with Taylor’s hair colour, and I much prefer her strappy Jimmy Choo sandals to the chunky booties worn on the runway.

Justin Timberlake in Tom Ford

I don’t even like that “Suit and Tie” song, but I can appreciate the appropriateness of the lyrics. Justin Timberlake definitely knows how to rock a suit and (bow)tie – I’m especially a fan of that navy blue jacket with the black lapels. Oh, and he’s wearing Louboutins.

Rihanna in Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2013 Couture

I loved Jean Paul Gaultier’s gypsy-inspired Spring 2013 Couture collection, from the colourful patchwork to the off-the-shoulder draping to the piles of beaded necklaces. It was both whimsical and aggressive. Rihanna’s stripped-down styling of this Jean Paul Gaultier look shows off her gorgeous figure but is void of the glamour and charm of the original runway iteration. And why is her hair wrapped around her head that way? There’s also something about those tan lines that makes her look extra naked.

Heidi Klum in Marchesa RTW Spring 2014

Marchesa’s dreamy Spring 2014 look just doesn’t translate on Heidi Klum. The 20s-inspired fringe look was all dark elegance on the runway – the model’s pale skin, dark red lips and wavy hair all lent to a sense of old-time glamour. Heidi’s tan skin, nude lips and soccer mom ponytail styling (ugh those bangs) are simply mismatched with this dress. Also, the open-toe shoes Heidi chose don’t work, especially with that black toenail polish – I much prefer the shoes the model donned on the runway.

Katy Perry in Oscar de la Renta RTW Spring 2014

Her later antics notwithstanding, Katy Perry was one of the best dressed ladies on the 2013 AMAs red carpet. This ultra-feminine polka dot gown from Oscar de la Renta is a perfect fit for Katy’s quirkiness and hourglass figure. That Olympia Le-Tan ‘Webster’s New World Dictionary’ box clutch is pretty cute, and her styling is right on: bouncy hair, bright red lippy and polka dot nails.

Emma Roberts in Lanvin

Almost every AMA style review out there is trashing this look and I have to disagree with the general consensus – I love it! Emma Roberts looks kind of rebellious and badass is this metallic sack dress by Lanvin (admittedly one of my favourite design houses). Emma’s styling is so gorgeous, too: her hot pink shoes, clutch and earrings are so flattering with this look, and her smoky, metallic eyeshadow ties everything together nicely.

Lady Gaga in Versace

Donatella Versace, is that you? Lady Gaga arrived at the AMAs atop a unicorn of sorts, rocking long, bleach-blonde locks and a lavender gown. The new face of Versace decided to fashion herself a fairy princess moment to go with her gown’s ethereal quality, and I have to admit I haven’t seen Gaga looking so pretty in ages. Nevertheless, this whole “LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME!” thing Lady Gaga does is kind of annoying and makes me want to look at someone else.

Fail of the night: Kelly Osbourne in Rami Al Ali

Once again proving my point that it’s too hypocritical for Kelly Osbourne to be Fashion Police-ing celebrity style on the red carpet, Kelly ruined a perfectly sweet Rami Al Ali gown at the AMAs on Sunday. First of all, the length is making her look dumpy – on the model, the skirt hits mid-calf, and Kelly should’ve had the dress shortened accordingly. Kelly’s hair, stuck perpetually in a My-Little-Pony-grown-old shade, is made even worse by those atrocious, round-looking bangs (Note: have a round face? Skip the bangs). And then, rather than wearing either metallic or brightly-coloured heels (see Emma Roberts), either of which would’ve worked, Kelly chose a pair of outdated nude platform pumps. After learning of the negative consensus about her outfit, Kelly lamented that the dress didn’t look as nice when photographed as it did in real life. I think that that is a poor excuse: the gown is cute – it’s the styling that ruined Kelly’s look. Not classy? Blaming the designer.

Sex appeal: Naya Rivera in Michael Kors and Ciara in J. Mendel

Is it just me or does Naya Rivera get hotter every time I see her? I keep thinking she has reached peak sexiness, but nope I’m wrong. Naya topped herself once again at the AMAs on Sunday in a peekaboo gown from Michael Kors that just loved her shape. I’m also a big fan of those thick gold bangles and the fact that she rocked Victoria Secret-style bombshell hair and makeup. I loved Ciara’s patterned J. Mendel dress on the runway, but a part of me felt like it should have been lined a little more for the red carpet. The bellybutton is throwing me off. That said, it’s still a great dress, and the real offender here is Ciara’s hair, which is giving me 90s Nick Carter vibes.

Gorgeous white looks: Nicole Richie in Emilio Pucci, Christina Aguilera in Maria Lucia Hohan, and Miley Cyrus in Versus Versace

If it’s a battle of all-white looks on the red carpet, Nicole Richie is the winner by a landslide for me. Her gold accessories and makeup are super-flattering and on-trend, and Nicole gets major props for pulling off that unforgiving monikini maxi gown. Christina’s Maria Lucia Hohan gown features similar cutouts, showcasing how amazing her figure is right now, but I find her blinged-out accessories dated. Also, her dress doesn’t seem to have been finished properly (the seams are all bumpy). I was glad to see Miley so clothed and eyebrowed on the red carpet – her white suit is very cute, and it has just enough punk influence with those oversize gold pins. The only thing I would’ve added? Lipstick!

And finally, fierceness incarnate…

Images courtesy of dailymail.co.uk, wwd.com, style.mtv.com, perezhilton.com, uk.yahoo.omg.com, ramialali.com and hollywoodlife.com.

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What was your favourite look at the AMAs? Let us know in the comments!