Sabrina Carpenter, Suki Waterhouse Embraced Old Hollywood Glamour at the VMAs

For their latest red carpet appearances, the pair reached into the past for outfit inspo.

Sabrina Carpenter and Suki Waterhouse / Monica Schipper/Getty Images and Gilbert Flores/Getty Images

Much as we expected, the MTV Video Music Awards red carpet was a lesson in high-fashion styling. Without a set dress code or theme (this isn’t the Met Gala, after all), the Sept. 11 event gave the celebrity attendees the leeway to embrace their own unique senses of style.

For some, the style of choice was edgy chic. Taylor Swift, for her part, showed up to the event in a yellow and black gingham look. She was joined in the edgy esthetic by the likes of Chappell Roan and Camila Cabello, among others.

But there were a handful of celebrities who, instead, reached into the past for outfit inspiration. Musicians Sabrina Carpenter and Suki Waterhouse walked the VMA’s red carpet in outfits that were undeniably old Hollywood-inspired.

For Carpenter, that meant a fitted full-length gown composed completely of white sequins. The addition of a red lip and Marilyn Monroe-inspired blonde curls enhanced the glamour of the vintage look.

Sabrina Carpenter / Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

In Waterhouse’s case, the inspiration was somewhat less obvious, but present all the same. She wore a stunning black sheath dress with a gauzy overlay and daring cut-outs. The obvious touch of old Hollywood came in the form of a black feathered jacket that wrapped around her neck and covered the length of her arms. It was a classic choice for the popular musician, who regularly incorporates feathers into her on-stage garb.

Suki Waterhouse / Noam Galai/Getty Images

Of course, there’s no right way to dress for an awards show red carpet. But, if there were, Carpenter and Waterhouse would undoubtedly be on the right track.