The Worst Grammys Outfits Ever

worst grammy outfits — (Image credit: Getty Images)

The Grammys red carpet is a chance for stars to break out their most breathtaking couture—and it can also be the site of some very weird and wacky fashion. Performers with larger-than-life personas can feel empowered to lean in, sartorially speaking, on music's biggest night.

Let's note this right off the bat: We love a wild swing and a miss way more than we love a tepid, so-so gown. Even when we're cocking our heads to the side and saying, "...what, exactly, is happening here?" we're also honoring the effort it must have taken and the vision that got us there. What would be the fun in award ceremonies if we weren't all talking about the latest wild creation?

Harry Styles

Harry Styles gives us lots of cool, boundary-pushing outfits on the red carpet—including a lot of jumpsuits. But I admit that these circus overalls made me giggle, which was perhaps not the intended goal here. (I think I would have liked it more with a frilly shirt? Am I wrong??)

Avril Lavigne

We should rock on, you're right, Avril! Seriously, though, I have no issues with the messaging here. It's more that the tape used to create the letters feel quite haphazard to me. That's kind of Lavigne's vibe anyways, but it just kind of muddled the messaging.

Janelle Monáe

Roses, strategically deployed! I absolutely love Monáe's stylings as a general rule: She sticks to a graphic, usually black and white color scheme, and she's constantly innovating in shape and structure. Which is why these rosettes feel a little...underwhelming. (And too heavy.)

Camila Cabello

Old person that I am, I am constantly shouting at my computer screen for young starlets to wear more comfortable clothing. Here, it's probably that I would be constantly tugging at this doily bikini, quietly terrified that I was about to show a lot more than I intended.

Quin and 6LACK

I must admire the boldness and sparkliness of Quin's overall look here, but I also just need it to be like one thing less complicated. I think I might make the skirt either totally sheer or totally opaque, instead of giving us a window of sheer fabric?

Lady Gaga

If you need to take a full look at the top, here you go: Lady Gaga's silent, emphatic response to body shamers is a very cool getup that shows a lot of chest and abdomen. I absolutely admire the sentiment! It's more that I wish she didn't have to make any statement at all against nasty people—as a result, this feels less like her trademark style.

Michelle Zauner

The Japanese Breakfast singer chose a gorgeous color for her Grammys gown (saying she was inspired by a similar gown Rihanna wore in 2015), but I think it either needed a few more "petals" in the body to feel a little more full and luscious, or just a bit less volume in the middle.

Kacey Musgraves

Kacey Musgraves has iconic style, but I confess that the first word that comes to mind from this pink getup is "puppet." Maybe it's the fact that the catsuit isn't showing any skin below the neck? Or maybe the fact that the cape makes her look like a very fabulous Big Bird.

Kim Petras and Sam Smith

I admire the fierceness everyone is giving me in this all-red photo (and also the general commitment to a theme). Kim Petras and Sam Smith, there for "Unholy," were also dressed thematically to the song; Their entourage included icons Violet Chachki and Gottmik. I just feel like everyone in this photo is going to a different event.

Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish is a walking lesson in how to dress to please yourself, and she followed up a billowy black Oscars dress with this all-black caped outfit. Ultimately, it just comes down to the fact that I liked her Oscars dress better, especially in comparison to these haphazard layers.

Justin Bieber

This is certainly not the first time anyone has pointed this out, but the fact that Hailey Bieber and Justin Bieber look...so different here is wild. Justin's platform crocs, very oversized suit, and hot pink beanie would be eye-catching enough, but his posing on the red carpet was extra special.

Summer Walker

I actually love this mega-fuzzy dress and enormous hat—I just feel like it's a high-fashion Met Gala dress, not a Grammy's dress, if that makes sense. Also I think the fact that the hat kind of looked uncomfortable in photos made my neck hurt in solidarity.

Yola

I love the deep and gorgeous purple on display here. But the spiky nails and even spikier headpieces make her look a little like Ursula the sea witch from The Little Mermaid (which was something Twitter immediately picked up on). Please don't be deterred, Yola, and keep bringing this same energy.

Alisha Gaddis

Alisha Gaddis loooooves a wild Grammys look. (Honestly, it was hard to choose which one to put on this list.) But I went with this explosion of pink, in part because it's one of her biggest looks, and in part because the tulle sleeves are simultaneously so much and not matching with the rest of the look.

Eryn Allen Kane

Much of my concern over these looks is genuine worry, I promise: Did you also do a double take where you thought Eryn Allen Kane's dress was literally making her bleed? Me too!! For a second I thought maybe one of those broaches was digging into her skin.

Caroline Polachek

This look is so goth and eerie! I love the idea and effort here, but the trompe l'oeil effect (i.e. optical illusion) makes it look like someone took a bite out of her shoulder. Which was probably the intent—I just screamed more than I applauded, is all.

Grace Jones

Grace Jones was never toned down on her red carpet appearances—and this oversized cage hat was no exception. There are literally photos of people trying to fit under it to pose with her, which means that it perhaps didn't quite serve as a functional fashion item.

Doja Cat

There are naked dresses, and then there are naked dresses. This one is so sheer and cut so low that I can't show it to you from the front. That, plus the even more sheer side panels at the legs and back, just feel like a lot. It's all part of Doja Cat's vibe, though, so more power to her.

Kylie Jenner

It's really the sleeves here that had people confused (some of them jokingly wondered how she might operate her phone—were the gloves touchscreen compatible?). Kylie Jenner always goes bold, but wearing the full runway look might have just been one step too many.

Imogen Heap

We know we're in truly surreal territory when we're looking at a red carpet look wherein the person has an actual plant in her hair (ivy, apparently). It's also got a parasol from Coachella and, I'm quoting Heap directly here, "Gary the Grammy frog.''

Annie Lennox

Annie Lenox has given us such cool and edgy style at the Grammys and elsewhere (remember when she dressed as a man, scandalizing approximately everyone at the time?). But she also inexplicably gave us this Minnie Mouse outfit. It feels...highly twee.

M.I.A.

I admit that going to the Grammys on your literal due date is...a pretty cool move. But I feel less enthused about the semi-sheer polka dot outfit that accompanied M.I.A.'s decision. Perhaps because, as a formerly pregnant person, I would guess that this was not comfortable.

Blac Chyna

If crows terrify you, prepare to see this Black Chyna look in your nightmares. I appreciate the going-all-in attitude here, what with the feathers and the beading and the headpiece and the gloves—but by the time we get to the face crystals, I'm spent.

Girl Crush

Oh my god, she's a gumball machine. Girl Crush also drew comparisons to a ball pit, naturally, and jawbreaker candies. I love its fun and whimsical mindset—my quibble comes from the fact that it looks like some of the balls are falling off as she wears it.

The 'Lady Marmalade' Ladies

Everyone in this photo looks like they regret their fashion choices, to be honest. I can't fault Pink, Christina Aguilera, and Mya for getting on the '00s style bandwagon—belly chains, chokers, and crop tops, oh my—but I remain extra-confused by the makeup.

Ceelo Green

Imagine seeing this terrifying mask on the red carpet. (runs away screaming) Apparently Ceelo was debuting his alter-ego, Gnarles Davidson. As usual, Twitter was quick with the comparisons, from a Power Rangers villain to a Ferrero Rocher chocolate (lol) to C-3PO from Star Wars.

Kat Graham

There is just so much here. The draped front with sheer fabric underneath that makes the dress look more revealing than it is. The beaded ascot that made me do a double-take. The gloves. The pin that, when viewed from far away, looks like a smudge. I need to lie down.

Tayla Parx

Ok, but I giggled, so—mission accomplished? Tayla Parx is, by her own admission, cosplaying as Bowser from Super Mario Bros. (Yes, that is a spiky ball at the end of her hair!) I feel like, yes, this is the outfit to get noticed, but perhaps not the outfit for this event?

Sheryl Crow

Awww, Sheryl! This early look from the singing superstar is probably, if I had to guess, just a case of wanting to wear your OTT performance outfit to the Grammys, including floor-length denim jacket and lace-up everything. The '90s and '00s were a weird time.

Alicia Keys

I don't know where to begin, so let's start with a compliment: I like the rainbow lashes! But I cannot parse this sheer hooded, bunched, beaded...dress(?) just hanging out over jeans and a tee. Keys' style ended up being awesome, so clearly lessons were learned.

Shania Twain

Apparently, Shania Twain is wearing a red wig because she felt she "needed to add a little bit of a splash of color.” Shania, I am absolutely certain that your sequin polka dot 101 Dalmations suit did not need anything extra to get people's attention.

Dawn Richard

It's a whole tree. Dawn Richard is wearing a tree. According to her, it's a celebration of growth, and I totally get that, but I am also astounded. She has a tree! On her dress! Is everyone else seeing this? It's so cool and scary and over-the-top that I'm literally speechless.

Explore More

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.