LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — On Feb. 2, the most glamorous night in the music industry took place: the Grammys. The night saw historic wins for artists like Kendrick Lamar, Beyonce, Chapelle Roan and Charli XCX. Aside from the exciting performances and awards of the night, countless stars showed up to the red carpet and either wowed or let us down with their looks. Read on to find out our staff writer’s opinions on this year’s attire.

Sabrina Carpenter (JW Anderson)

Sabrina Carpenter’s stunning first look of the night, designed by JW Anderson, definitely set a high bar for the following ensembles. With her powder blue gown in creamy silk and an unexpected pop of ostrich feathers, Carpenter’s outfit was not your typical satin slip. Staying true to her recent pastel arrangements from her “Short n’ Sweet” tour, her chosen blue of the night was no surprise. 

However, the aspect of the look that personally solidified it as my favorite of the night was the Chopard necklace that connected to the silk knotted halter top and ran down Carpenter’s back, ending with a large silver pendant. The addition of the elegant jewelry gave the perfect element of shimmer to the smoothness of the rest of the dress.

Sabrina Carpenter (Atelier Versace)

On her second look of the night, Carpenter appeared on the stage as she accepted the award for Best Pop Vocal Album for her album “Short n’ Sweet.” She switched from her cool baby blue JW Anderson backless gown to a sparkly floor-length strapless Atelier Versace gown. This look definitely became one of my favorites of the night due to the simple elegance of the dress, which was accompanied by the classic style of hair, makeup and jewelry.

Her bouncy blond hair, which strongly resembled Barbie along with her heavy pink blush, displayed a strong resemblance to Old Hollywood simplicity and elegance. It seemed that Carpenter took heavy inspiration from starlets like Shirley McClaine and Marilyn Monroe. 

The shimmer that covered the golden dress caught my attention right away; the color shifted from a pearly white to a rainbow assortment. The sweetheart neckline provided an interesting silhouette at the top, while the fit made clear the high quality. In addition, I appreciated Carpenter’s simple but classic diamond that accompanied her look.

Sabrina Carpenter (Dolce & Gabbana)

During her performance of a medley of her songs “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” Carpenter sported a black bedazzled bodysuit coated in Swarovski crystals, designed by Dolce & Gabbana, for her last look of the night. In a nod to her recent album cover, the back shoulder of the bodysuit sported a red lipstick kiss. 

For her second performance look, the tuxedo tore away to reveal a glittering, corseted blue bodysuit. The baby blue color of her corset seemed like a nod to her similarly-colored red carpet dress earlier that night. Carpenter is known for her excellent color coordination, so it was no surprise that her outfits seemed to present a cohesive unit. 

I loved this Old Hollywood look — it seemed completely in keeping with Carpenter’s trademark glitzy glam style and her vaudevillian act. The detailing on both outfits was exquisite, particularly her second strapless look, which seemed to drip in jewels.

J Balvin (Dior)

J Balvin, who won Best Musica Urbana Album, wore an all-black men’s Dior suit with a lengthy suit jacket. While I can applaud the Colombian singer for daring to break the mold, this outfit fell flat.

The silhouette seemed to swallow him, reminding me a bit too vividly of the dress robes Harry Potter wore to the Yule Ball. The jacket seemed as if it couldn’t decide between being a suit jacket and a trench coat: It boosted a silk material, yet an almost poofy floor-length shape.

Although this look was one of the more original men’s outfits of this year’s Grammys, perhaps simply adding a pop of color to a traditional suit would have been better. 

Chappell Roan (Jean Paul Gaultier)

Chappell Roan, the breakout pop singer who won Best New Artist last Sunday, wore a tulle vintage 2003 John Paul Gaultier dress, depicting the famous Degas painting “Dancer with a Bouquet.” Paired with her dress, the singer wore a feathered headpiece and lace-up Fluevog boots to add some of the artist’s traditional camp to this elegant dress. 

I loved this kitschy yellow look precisely because it is not for everyone and really reflects Roan’s style. The artist is known for her colorful and unique fashions (see her Statue of Liberty tour look among others), and I applaud her creativity.

Jaden Smith (Louis Vuitton and Dora Abodi)

American rapper and son of American actor Will Smith, Jaden Smith wore a classic black and white tuxedo and an interesting headpiece. His Louis Vuitton suit was accompanied by an Abodi castle-shaped black headpiece that provided a horrible visual display for the audience and those sitting behind him.

The castle was truly decorated as authentically as possible with pointed roofs and small displayed windows, with his face acting as the door. 

While some see this expression of style as avant-garde and experimental design, I see this look as being incredibly obnoxious and, to put it plainly, in bad taste. The sheer size and look of the headpiece falls short of Smith’s original goals and just caught negative attention from the audience. I felt sorry for the people who had to endure the Grammys ceremony sitting behind him.

Olivia Rodrigo (Versace)

Pop star and “GUTS” singer Olivia Rodrigo attended the Grammys with her nomination of “Can’t Catch Me Now” in Best Song Written for Visual Media. She wore a vintage black halter-neck gown with various geometry cutouts. Her styling remained simple, with her dark brown hair slightly curled and a simple application of Tiffany and Co. diamonds. 

Despite its simplicity, I appreciated the classic but interesting twist Rodrigo gave to the classic black dress. And for the Grammys, in comparison to other red carpet looks that fall extremely flat (Jaden Smith), I can appreciate the timeless nature that Rodrigo embodies through her red carpet look’s interesting variation.

Clairo (Miss Claire Sullivan)

Clad in polka-dotted drapes and puffed sleeves, Clairo’s look stood out both for its more conservative approach as well as its simple elegance. From its high neckline and dotted fabrics, it was giving a 50s housewife (but in a glamorously modern way). The dress was structured with a polka dot corset and a chiffon crème base. It was a masterpiece with meticulously draped fabric around the front of the dress and ribbing texture to the back.  Although different from your typical red carpet look, it stunningly brought a fresh approach that fit Clairo’s vibe perfectly. 

The dress, in particular, was custom-made for the singer by designer Miss Claire Sullivan. For her first time on the red carpet, Clairo definitely made a splash in the waters of Hollywood couture. If I could describe Clairo’s gown in two words, they would be absolutely darling. 

Miley Cyrus (Saint Laurent)

While the design of singer Miley Cyrus’ red carpet dress was absolutely stunning, the choice of fabric was decidedly not. While the top of the pleather-looking gown gave the dress a riveting center cutout and overlapping straps, the bottom of the dress was altogether disappointing. Although the black leather fits Cyrus’ recent vibe, this particular outfit of hers was just not it. With the bottom slit and tight fabric, the gown simply looked uncomfortable for Cyrus herself. 

Moving on from the mistake that was her red carpet dress, Cyrus’ hair and makeup made up for the pleather mistakes. With her recent bangs and highlights, the singer’s hair absolutely astonished the audience. Her perfectly on-point eyeliner proved to be another success for Cyrus. 

Taylor Swift (Gucci)

As always, Taylor Swift’s Grammys outfit dazzled the red carpet (although this time, she kind of blended in). With her iconic red dress, lip, shoe combo, she looked absolutely stunning. The perfect scooped neck with a one shoulder strap completed the shimmering mini dress. And in true Swift fashion, within her dress, she left hidden clues for her fans to decipher.

With the inconspicuous addition of a red bejeweled chain with a “T” on her upper thigh, Swifties speculate the jewels are a reference to Swift’s lyrics “what if he’s written ‘mine’ on my upper thigh” from her song “Guilty as Sin.” The initial, meant to be a connection to Swift’s current boyfriend, Travis Kelce, also might relate to the “Call it What You Want” lyric: “I want to wear his initial on a chain ’round my neck.” However, others theorize the “T” could be a sign of the possible release of “Taylor Swift Taylor’s Version” that fans have long been awaiting. 

All in all, the stars that arrived certainly put an interesting twist on the annual event. Some rose high and met our expectations, and others… not so much. As award events continue to progress, we can’t wait to see the Oscars red carpet in March!