The biggest names in music showed up Sunday night for the MTV Video Music Awards, which of course means it was an equally major night for celebrity fashion. Noughties trends have been all the rage, so I definitely should have seen one of the VMAs’ biggest looks coming. Taylor Swift, Charli XCX, Tyla and more were sporting super-low drop waists. I’m actually surprised nobody brought the belly chain action.
Now, when it comes to fashion from the ‘90s and 2000s, low-rise jeans are a trend I’m fine with leaving in the past. However, that’s probably because there’s no way I could pull off an outfit that shows so dang much midsection. Tyla, meanwhile, didn't have that issue Sunday, playing “Limbo” with her blue snakeskin skirt that had me asking, “How low can you go?”
Don’t miss that belly ring, either, as the singer clearly agrees with Amanda Seyfried that the trend never went out of style. Tyla really stuck to the snake theme, because in addition to the bra and pencil skirt two-piece, she added a thick blue snakeskin choker and white snakeskin heels.
Not to transition from snakes right into Taylor Swift, but the Artist Director Honors award winner also featured a drop waist — but in a way that didn’t require her to show as much skin as many of her counterparts. Her outfit from Tamara Ralph’s couture collection included a sheer black corset top with a high neck, paired with a shimmering silver skirt that hung on her waist at an angle.
Her last VMAs appearance in 2024 also featured black and silver looks from the artist, and while many thought she was dressed for revenge on that night, this year’s look was more celebratory, as she debuted the “Patient Zero” music video from her recently released The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore.
Charli XCX, who helped Madonna open the show, dressed in an all-black two-piece that featured a long-sleeved crop top and floor-length skirt that showed off her toned stomach:
Not to be left out, JoJo was another artist to sport the bra-and-low-rise-skirt combo to the MTV Video Music Awards. Her halter top featured black diamond-shaped sequins, and the waistline of her skirt also featured a bedazzled black and white pattern:
It wasn’t just the ladies getting in on the Noughties drop-waist trend, either. Sombr, who participated in the tribute to George Michael, wore black pants that fell well below his belly button and were secured with a black belt.
I gotta have faith that his belt was up to the task, too, given the size of his huge "SEX" belt buckle and his multiple wallet chains attached to his pants pockets. The standout piece for this outfit, however, was probably the black-and-white ERL faux fur coat that enveloped the artist’s thin frame.
You can always count on the VMAs to deliver big musical moments in pop culture, but the awards show is also always worth tuning into for the fashion. If you missed any of the Sunday action, you can stream the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards with a Paramount+ subscription.
