Sabrina Carpenter Hosts MTV VMAs Party in a 50-Year-Old Cher Look

The 2025 MTV VMAs was filled with so many incredible style moments, from the red carpet to the stage. A large part of that was due to Sabrina Carpenter, who stepped out in a parade of archival fashion.

The 26-year-old pop star’s awards show wardrobe capped out at five (yes, five) looks with the grand finale being an archival Bob Mackie ensemble that is twice her age.

Following the Sept. 7 show, the “Tears” singer slipped into a bodysuit made with neon straps decked out in mirrored embellishments, to host her VMAs afterparty. The outfit was originally made for Cher in 1975 for the superstar’s performance of “Shame Shame Shame” with Tina Turner, who wore a shorter version of the design.

Mackie’s memorabilia was actually sold by Julien’s Auctions in their 2018 Icons & Idols: Hollywood And More auction for $6,400, while Turner’s costume was auctioned off for $8,960. It’s not confirmed yet where Carpenter and her glam team sourced her number for the VMAs.

Carpenter actually pulled the ultimate style flex earlier in the night when she revealed her fourth look of the night to be a a similar colorful Bob Mackie creation. On Instagram, the costumer revealed that the singer chose “The Swamp Dress” from the label’s 1986 Spring collection, describing the look as a “fully embellished cocktail dress” made with multicolor sequins and navy bugle beaded on black silk.

During her performance for “Tears,” Carpenter appeared to nod to another pop star great — Britney Spears. Her dance break was made all the more epic when she stripped down to a bedazzled bra seemingly nodding to a Bob Mackie diamonds burlesque set that Spears famously wore on her 2001 Dream Within a Dream Tour (can you sense a theme here?).

Much like Cher’s ’70s archive, Spears’ custom outfit — complete with a bra, arm cuffs and undergarments — also sold at auction for a whopping $78,000 in April 2025.

Although, despite all the history Carpenter displayed during the night, she kept things fresh in a custom Valentino by Alessandro Michele red gown with strategically-placed detailing on nude fabric. She accessorized the look with a lilac boa leaning into her recent glam choices.

Carpenter took home three awards: Best Pop Artist, Best Album and Best Visual Effects. In her acceptance speech for the accolade earned for Short n’ Sweet, she thanked the VMAs and expressed her appreciation to her fans for listening to her music. 

She also addressed how often the world can be “full of criticism” for her work and how grateful she is for the opportunity to be a musician.

“This world, as we all know, can be so full of criticism and discrimination and negativity,” she said. “So to get to be a part of something so often, more than not, that is something that can bring you light, make you smile, make you dance and make you feel like the world is your f—ing oyster, I am so grateful, so grateful to do that.”