Ashlyn: I think it’s fair to say that my style and Chappell Roan’s style are completely different. Well, I guess the princess hat she wore when receiving her Grammy was nearly identical to the one my mom made for me for Halloween in 2010. Like, so identical that there’s a 90% she got the inspiration from me. Anyway, I usually don’t like her outfits, but I appreciate that she seems to have a defined style or “brand.”

The high-low ballgown, huge feather hair piece and shoes that scream bowling alley would not be my first choice. However, I think it’s not only smart for artists to have their own defined style but also impressive. Roan has achieved the feat of stepping on a red carpet and having everyone know who she is without any introduction. 

The vintage gown also aligns with her personal beliefs about fast fashion and her goal of keeping her clothing sustainable, which sends a powerful message to her Gen Z fans. As someone still mourning the loss of having recently finished her favorite 2010s crime show, “White Collar,” the Degas-inspired skirt that matched a painting integral to the series was my favorite part of her look. I’m also forever jealous of her seemingly always-perfect curls.

Vera: Grammy viewers, please welcome your favorite artist’s favorite artist, Chappell Roan. Roan stunned in four different outfits throughout the awards show, but the Jean Paul Gaultier dress she entered the red carpet in was easily my favorite. Swathed in robin’s egg blues and deep yellows, she looked like she had just stepped out of a painting onto the awards show scene, complete with her classic makeup look. Roan’s outfits never fail to capture the imagination of viewers and stand out in the crowd, and she succeeded on both fronts with this dress.

Roan also wore a light blue Thom Brown piece inside the awards show, standing out with raised shoulder pads. Her onstage performance had her wearing a custom look from Zana Bayne. Bayne described the look as having “…special details to bring the rodeo clown princess fantasy into reality…” and that truly sums it up.

Finally, Roan donned a beige Acne Studios dress to accept her Best New Artist Grammy. This would have been the least exciting of her outfits if not for the towering, conical princess hennin hat atop her head. Both the hennin and her speech championing fair labor practices in the music industry made a powerful statement. 

Ashlyn: Troye Sivan’s lavender suit was a breath of fresh air, literally, as most of it was sheer. The pastel-colored outfit stood out among the dark tuxes, and the light fabric brought a new look to the carpet beside the stiff, structured suits. It was unique and looked great on him. 

I loved that as a Prada ambassador, Sivan had a hand in designing his look. The purple fabric and the scarf unironically gave me Daphne from “Scooby-Doo” vibes, but he still pulled it off. After all, she is supposed to be the best-dressed character, right? 

If I had to change one thing, it would be changing the sheer dress shirt to a different shirt in that same color but just in a different fabric. I’m also curious about what it would have looked like with shoes that were different from his bold, dark dress shoes.

Vera: Troye Sivan’s Mac Forne look was exactly what I want to see more of in menswear on the red carpet. Too often, men on the red carpet restrict themselves to the same simple black tux and, on occasion, maybe dare to try navy; I was so happy to see him in various shades of pastel purple, and I loved how his look played with different textures of fabric. His purple combination sash and scarf added fabric with a separate level of opacity from the rest of his outfit. 

The contrast given by his black shoes wasn’t exactly my favorite, but I am willing to overlook it in less than a heartbeat for how Sivan took an original approach to his red carpet-look. His suit is a perfect example of how menswear on the red carpet can still be colorful, fun and unique.

Ashlyn: As someone who rarely listens to rap, I was unfamiliar with Doechii prior to her Grammy performance and win. Her business casual outfit didn’t catch my eye right away, but looking back now, I’m sort of indifferent. 

I can’t decide if it would look better or worse without the addition of the white shirt. On one hand, I hate the white shirt, but on the other, I feel like it completes the look. Maybe the early 2000s thumb holes are throwing me off? Regardless, I did like the pinstripes and the subtle, yet probably way too expensive for me jewelry. 

What I thought was interesting was how her red carpet, performance and acceptance outfits all seemed to coordinate with each other. It seems as though many artists’ quick changes are completely unrelated, but I’m a fan of the coordination. While Doechii’s outfit didn’t stand out to me, the moment she took to recognize herself as only the third woman to win Rap Album of the Year did.

Vera: Business-casual met couture in the outfit of “Alligator Bites Never Heal” artist Doechii. The artist had many different outfit changes throughout the night, but each new look not only kept the same theme but brought out a different, fun silhouette. From the exaggerated hips on her Thom Browne dress to the ballooning, curvy pants that she wore while accepting her award for Best Rap Album, Doechii dressed to make an impact, and she succeeded in more ways than just her clothing when she because just the third woman to win her Grammy. 

I love the red and white detailing featured on her outfits, and despite my original mixed feelings about the white button-up worn under her original dress, I fully appreciate it now. There’s no doubt it completes the look, and combined with the pinstripe pattern of the dress, it directly steers the viewer’s mind towards a business suit. I admire celebrities who are unafraid to go in a unique direction on the red carpet, and Doechii did just that. 

Ashlyn: When I say something every year about all the guys on the red carpet needing to spice things up from the classic black tux look, this is not really what I had in mind. The suit itself, made by Louis Vuitton, looks classy and fits well. The castle headpiece, not so much. 

It feels as though everyone outside of the Grammys red carpet is missing the context of either one of Jaden Smith’s inside jokes or a bet that he lost. Looking into it a little bit further, the designer of the piece, Dora Abodi, had a deeper meaning in mind. According to an Instagram post of Smith’s look, Abodi explains that it acts as a way to “retain a sense of playfulness and borderless creativity.” 

While that did not cross my mind at all, Abodi has a point. How many other celebrities showed up with a castle on their head? Smith’s look was my least favorite, but he did spice up the classic black tux look. 

Vera: After seeing Jaden Smith’s outfit for the first time, I had many questions. I appreciated the attempt at creating a more stand-out male outfit, but was a nearly $4,600 castle headpiece the way to go? Designed by ABODI, inspired by Transylvanian history and called the ‘Vampire Castle’ headpiece, it provided an interesting connection to Smith’s past love of vampires.

All I could think about was how uncomfortable it must have been to wear for the entirety of the awards show. There’s no way Smith was truly able to rotate his neck around while his face was sandwiched between towers. I respect an avant-garde outfit, and the headpiece certainly drew eyes Smith’s way. However, maybe the drawbridge should’ve remained closed on this Grammys outfit.

Ashlyn: I was continuously refreshing MTV’s Instagram page to catch the latest outfits prior to the show, which unfortunately did not feature Janelle Monáe’s look. Turning to Vouge instead, I wasn’t wowed by her outfit. There were a few things I liked, but I certainly wasn’t a fan of the whole thing put together. 

The navy suit was different from the other attendees’ outfits and the color looked great on her. I love a good suit. The pairing of the gold accents with the navy was a good choice, in my opinion, but I felt as though there were a few too many accessories. The rings, necklace and even the chain around her shoulder that connects to the jacket looked good. The hat and the watch worn on her sleeve were really what threw me off. I’m getting slight flashbacks to my Fisher Price Little People police officer I had when I was a kid.

Monáe didn’t stay in that outfit for long as she changed into a Michael Jackson-inspired look to sing “Don’t Stop’ Til You Get Enough” to honor its producer, the late Quincy Jones. The sequin-lined suit and the “I love QJ” shirt underneath was a fun look that included special elements to honor Jones. While certainly a big night for the talented artist, her outfit wasn’t my favorite. 

Vera: I love, love, loved Janelle Monáe’s red carpet outfit this year. Maybe it’s just my propensity towards appreciating a good power suit; maybe it’s my adoration of navy blue, but something about her baggy Area-designed suit jacket and pants paired with chunky gold jewelry absolutely won me over. While the hat may have been a bit too much of a head-turner for some, I enjoyed the round addition to her silhouette. 

I was less of a fan of the sparkly outfit she donned during her tribute to Quincy Jones, but I admired another addition to her monochromatic outfit catalog, especially with the dark sunglasses and the Quincy James shirt she wore underneath. Monae also gave us the fun moment of throwing her suit jacket into the crowd, where one Taylor Swift picked it up. While her second outfit was middle-of-the-pack, her stellar first look more than made up for it.