Top 10 Craziest MTV VMA Outfits of All Time

While most of the stars on our list today definitely chose pretty out-there outfits for the big night, most of them at least went dressed as themselves. In 2001, however, performer and comedian Andy Dick decided to channel his alter ego, Daphne Aguilera, for the red carpet and the awards show itself. Daphne was supposed to be the cousin of Christina Aguilera (naturally) and Dick did a bit during the broadcast where he “attacked” Christina on stage. Don’t worry, though, it was all in good fun.

At her first ever foray into the VMAs, Pink was nominated for the New Artist award and made a splash on the red carpet with a daring outfit. A floor length fur lined coat was paired with a metallic cut out crop top and of course her signature spiky pink hair. Of course, she matched her eyeshadow to her locks. For a first timer, this was certainly a bold look. How exactly did those jeans stay up? All these years later and we may still never know.

Speaking of pastel hued hair... just two years before Pink debuted her brightly colored locks on the VMA’s red carpet, Gwen Stefani was rocking the Marge Simpson blue. Her entire outfit is oh-so-90s, complete with a furry bikini top and a skirt over pants. Her platform flip flops make this entire ensemble look more like something you’d wear on laundry day then something you’d intentionally put together. As if this wasn’t enough, she also sported some stick-on jewels on her face for an otherworldly vibe.

This actress and personality isn’t exactly known for her demure style, but this look was over-the-top even for her. Pamela Anderson made an appearance at the 1999 VMAs alongside Tommy Lee and they both definitely turned heads with their outfits. Anderson wore an oversized pink furry hat (we guess fur was in in the late 90s?) and paired the accessory with bedazzled pants and a corset style top that left little to the imagination. Lee did the exact opposite, covering up in a long trench coat. We probably don’t want to know what he was wearing underneath.

Christina Aguilera offered up some flamenco vibes at the 2003 VMAs. She looked like a tropical bird in this get up, which stood out due to its bright pink hue as well as the feathers it was made with. Also, can we take a minute to remember how tanned people were in the early aughts? You may recall that this was the very same year that Aguilera performed alongside Madonna and Britney Spears in a racy act that was remembered for years to come as one of the most shocking in the show’s history.

Get ready, guys, because this one is about to get a little NSFW. People have been wearing naked dresses to the VMAs for years, but Miley put her own spin on the trend in 2015 when she wore this... let’s just say revealing outfit. The dress she wore (can we call it a dress?) looked as though it was inspired by chainmail, although it definitely wouldn’t have protected her in the case of an emergency. The fact that her hair was in dreads was somehow the least controversial part of her look.

Okay, so this may not seem quite as racy as Miley’s outfit, but keep in mind this took place more than 15 years earlier, so it was surely scandalous at the time. Lil' Kim was actually pretty covered up at the 1999 VMAs, all things considered. She wore a long-sleeved jumpsuit with flared bottoms and sky-high platform wedges. But of course, what really made this outfit stand out was that part of the top of the outfit was conspicuously missing, and the rapper covered up with a nipple pasty.

It’s not like we would ever expect this rapper to go simple with her outfit choices. But despite her reputation, Nicki Minaj still managed to surprise viewers at the 2011 VMAs. She was nominated for three awards that night, taking home the statue for best Hip Hop Video for Super Bass. When trying to parse the inspiration behind this outfit, it’s hard to decide if it’s based in Tokyo street style, rave kid fashion or something else entirely. Whatever it was, you can be sure you’ll never see anything like it again.

While Miley’s 2015 outfit may have been shocking, people had come to expect it from her. Back in 1998, however, Rose McGowan managed to truly make jaws drop when she arrived on the red carpet as Marilyn Manson’s date in a dress that showed off... well, everything. The material was completely sheer, and the back was pretty much nonexistent. Amber Rose’s 2014 VMA outfit was clearly an homage to Rose McGowan’s look, but even all those years later, she still chose a dress that covered her up a little more.





Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.





Macy Gray

“18th MTV Video Music Awards” (2001)





Katy Perry

“28th MTV Video Music Awards” (2011)





Beyoncé

“33rd MTV Video Music Awards” (2016)

You knew this one was coming. While some of the entries on our list made the cut because they were shockingly revealing, this one takes the number one spot because it was quite literally unlike anything we had ever seen before. Franc Fernandez designed a dress for Lady Gaga that was made entirely of raw meat. People took many different messages and meanings from this unusual fashion choice, but we know that Gaga was just born this way. And to think that before this happened we thought her 2009 outfit was crazy!