The 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards red carpet delivered exactly what a music-industry carpet should: sequins, exposed underwear, experimental tailoring, cowboy hats, enormous hair structures and several outfits that appeared to have been assembled during a power outage. Held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 17, the ceremony was hosted by LL Cool J and honored Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey and Nelly with special career awards.
Unlike the Oscars, this event does not demand polished old-Hollywood glamour. Musicians can dress casually, strangely or theatrically. However, creative freedom does not automatically create a successful outfit. A daring look still needs balance, intention and enough visual harmony to prevent the accessories from filing for separate representation.
Editorial note: Fashion rankings are subjective. This list critiques garments, styling, proportions and red-carpet presentationnot anyone’s body, talent or personal worth.
What Made a Look “Worst Dressed”?
The weakest looks from the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards generally suffered from one of four problems: too many competing ideas, awkward proportions, unfinished styling or clothing that felt disconnected from the occasion. Some celebrities took admirable risks but could not persuade every element to join the same band.
Several outfits below were praised by other fashion writers. That disagreement is part of the fun. A successful red-carpet look should start a conversation; unfortunately, a few of these looks started several conversations simultaneously and then forgot what any of them were about.
27 Worst Dressed Stars at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards
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1. JoJo Siwa
JoJo Siwa unquestionably won the evening’s visibility contest. Her crystal-covered denim Versace set exposed a pink bra and underwear, while gemstone eye makeup and a towering custom headpiece competed for attention. Each detail might have powered its own outfit; together, they resembled three finales occurring on one person.
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2. Tori Spelling
Tori Spelling combined a white crop top with a voluminous baby-blue overall dress, black Converse sneakers and extremely long braids decorated with butterflies. The fairy-tale concept was clear, but the proportions shifted from whimsical to costume-like. It was less red-carpet fantasy and more Dorothy taking an unexpected detour through Coachella.
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3. Chanel West Coast
A leopard-print tube top, faded skinny jeans, cowboy hat, cream boots and stacks of Western jewelry gave Chanel West Coast’s outfit plenty of personality. What it lacked was an editor. Removing any two elements might have rescued it, but the completed combination felt like an entire country-themed karaoke bar arriving at once.
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4. Cheryl Burke
Cheryl Burke’s monochromatic red ensemble featured a netted overlay worn over a fitted jumpsuit, finished with matching heels. The problem was not the colorit was the absence of contrast. Different reds, textures and layers competed without creating depth, leaving the outfit somewhere between dance costume, beach cover-up and Valentine’s Day emergency.
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5. Amanda Reifer
Amanda Reifer paired a sheer sage gown with metallic accessories and her signature sculptural updo. The dress had an ethereal quality, but the barely there fabric and stacked hairstyle fought to become the focal point. A stronger lining or less architectural hair could have let the look breathe instead of levitate.
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6. Ariana Madix
Ariana Madix chose a metallic gold minidress with a structured shape, belt and coordinating heels. Gold should look expensive under flash photography, yet the fabric appeared wrinkled and stiff in several angles. The dress seemed to be wearing her rather than cooperating, like a luxury candy wrapper refusing to lie flat.
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7. Ambré
Ambré took an adventurous route with a voluminous red top, oversized black leather shorts, tall boots and chunky silver jewelry. The contrast between inflated sleeves and broad shorts distorted the silhouette instead of exaggerating it elegantly. The outfit had fearless energy, but every garment appeared determined to occupy the most space.
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8. Andrea Mora
Andrea Mora’s floor-length dress mixed blue, orange, red and black in a tie-dye-style print, adding multiple cutouts around the bodice. The vibrant palette deserved a cleaner shape. With print, cutouts and body-conscious construction all competing, the gown looked like it had clicked “select all” in the trend menu.
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9. Lika O
Lika O committed fully to neon green with a bright dress and coordinating extensions, then added a silver clutch and neutral heels. Commitment is admirable, but the unbroken highlighter shade overwhelmed the styling. A darker shoe, metallic belt or contrasting hair choice could have transformed the color from radioactive to deliberately electric.
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10. Jade Starling
Jade Starling mixed a gold minidress with fishnet tights, glittering fingerless gloves and chunky platform shoes. The individual pieces referenced several different decades, from disco to Y2K clubwear. Unfortunately, they never settled on a shared destination. The gloves in particular added texture where the outfit already had texture to spare.
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11. Nana Delrey
Nana Delrey’s brown gown featured mixed fabrics, an asymmetrical hem and a dramatic hip cutout. The tonal styling and glossy hair were appealing, but the dress looked unresolved. The skirt, cutout and fabric panels seemed to belong to separate sketches that had been stapled together shortly before the fitting.
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12. Sasha Anne
Sasha Anne wore a delicate white satin minidress with darker ankle boots. The dress itself was simple and potentially effective, but the footwear interrupted the line of the outfit and made the styling feel heavier than necessary. A sleek sandal or pointed pump could have provided the polish that the satin was requesting.
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13. Blu DeTiger
Blu DeTiger’s sheer striped black minidress delivered rock-star confidence but little surprise. Against a carpet filled with theatrical silhouettes, its minimal styling felt closer to an after-party outfit than a complete awards-show statement. A dramatic coat, stronger jewelry or more distinctive footwear could have elevated the familiar little black dress formula.
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14. Hunter Daily
Hunter Daily embraced retro style in a polka-dot micro-mini with a bubble hem, black tights and boots. The idea was playful, but the tight neckline and extremely short skirt compressed the proportions. Instead of a polished mod revival, the dress appeared to have shrunk during its journey from the 1960s.
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15. Brittany Cartwright
Brittany Cartwright selected a fitted oxblood tube gown with a leather-like finish, wet-look hair and a logo-heavy Fendi bag. The color was rich, but the rigid fabric and limp hair created competing moods. A structured hairstyle and quieter clutch might have turned the dress from severe to sleek.
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16. Janet Caperna
Janet Caperna arrived in a brown cutout dress resembling another look seen on the same carpet. Her minimal jewelry and tiny statement earrings did not provide enough contrast or individuality. The result was not disastrousjust curiously unfinished, like a stylist had planned one more accessory and then missed the delivery notification.
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17. James Charles
James Charles emphasized the waist with a fitted upper half but paired it with boxier trousers that disrupted the intended silhouette. The outfit wanted to be sculptural and relaxed simultaneously. A more tapered pant or a deliberately oversized shirt would have clarified the message instead of leaving the proportions in a group chat argument.
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18. Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish’s deliberately casual style is central to her identity, but her understated appearance beside Finneas felt unusually subdued for this carpet. Personal style should never be replaced by generic glamour; still, the look needed one memorable element. It read more like rehearsal arrival than awards-night nonchalance.
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19. Nikki Glaser
Nikki Glaser wore a sheer silver crystal turtleneck gown from Stella McCartney over a bra top and hot pants. The sparkle photographed well, but the visible foundation garments and long-sleeved mesh construction felt more familiar than fresh. It was glamorous in theory, yet oddly reminiscent of premium mall partywear.
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20. Becky G
Becky G’s matching bra top and skirt were covered in oversized gold sequins. She looked confident, but the set relied almost entirely on shimmer without delivering an equally interesting silhouette. On a carpet already experiencing a severe sequin surplus, the outfit needed sharper tailoring or an unexpected accessory to distinguish itself.
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21. Doechii
Doechii’s Miu Miu ensemble combined a bra top, pleated skirt, varsity jacket, socks, heels and a matching handbag. Many critics loved the playful collegiate concept, and the styling was intentional. For this ranking, however, the school-uniform references and lingerie proportions felt overly literala fashionable costume rather than an effortless outfit.
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22. Gracie Abrams
Gracie Abrams wore a dark green floor-length Khaite dress with sheer black gloves and delicate jewelry. The deep color was elegant, but the minimal column shape looked unusually heavy and muted under the step-and-repeat lighting. The gloves added intrigue, though the overall result whispered when the occasion allowed at least a tasteful shout.
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23. Bad Bunny
Bad Bunny’s black V-neck styling layered a crisp shirt, leather tie, gloves, tailored pants, glossy boots, crystal glasses and a flower-filled handbag. Every item was luxurious, yet the combined look leaned more eccentric librarian than music superstar. Fashion-forward? Absolutely. Visually harmonious? The jury remains buried beneath the accessories.
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24. Jenny McCarthy
Jenny McCarthy’s metallic Genny dress featured a cowl neckline, embellished torso, sheer floor-length overlay and champagne minidress underneath. The materials created movement, but the plunging sides, chainmail effect, mesh and wet-look hair pushed the styling toward overload. The gown needed either less fabric drama or less beauty drama.
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25. NLE Choppa
NLE Choppa appeared in an open, matching leather ensemble that emphasized skin and attitude. The fit delivered confidence, but the sparse styling made the look seem incomplete rather than intentionally minimal. One tailored layer, stronger footwear or a statement necklace could have converted the leather set from backstage-ready to red-carpet-ready.
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26. Benson Boone
Benson Boone paired a sheer black lace shirt with a cream collar, narrow tie and high-waisted white trousers. The contrast was memorable, but the blouse-like lace, formal collar and bright pants created a slightly awkward visual split. It looked like a cabaret singer and a yacht-club waiter had agreed to share one outfit.
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27. AJ McLean
AJ McLean layered a distressed red-and-blue plaid overshirt over a black graphic T-shirt, adding a baseball cap, tinted glasses and multiple pearl necklaces. The grunge-meets-glam idea suited his personality, but the print, splatter effects, graphics and jewelry produced visual static. One quieter layer would have improved the signal.
Why So Many 2025 iHeartRadio Red Carpet Looks Missed the Mark
More Details Did Not Always Mean More Fashion
The evening repeatedly demonstrated that maximalism needs hierarchy. A giant headpiece works when the clothing becomes quieter. A sparkling dress works when accessories allow it to dominate. When hair, makeup, jewelry, underwear, footwear and fabric all demand first billing, the wearer disappears behind a committee of styling decisions.
Fit Was More Important Than Price or Designer
Several celebrities wore recognizable luxury labels, but an expensive garment cannot correct awkward proportions. Boxy trousers, compressed necklines, stiff metallic fabric and mismatched lengths affected the final impression more than the name on the tag. Proper tailoring remains the least exciting red-carpet secret and the most dependable one.
The Informal Dress Code Became a Trap
The iHeartRadio Music Awards encourage relaxed fashion, but “relaxed” should not mean incomplete. Billie Eilish’s casual styling and Blu DeTiger’s simple minidress showed how quickly an intentionally low-key outfit can appear underdeveloped beside photographers, logos and theatrical competitors.
What Reviewing the 2025 iHeartRadio Fashion Really Feels Like
Reviewing a red carpet like this one is a useful reminder that first impressions are unreliable. The outfit that looks outrageous in a single social-media thumbnail may become more interesting when viewed from several angles. Conversely, a sparkling dress that appears spectacular from a distance can lose its magic when close-up photographs reveal awkward seams, wrinkled fabric or accessories that have nothing to say to one another.
The best method is to examine the complete silhouette before obsessing over individual pieces. Start with proportion: Where does the eye go first? Does the clothing create one clear shape? Does the hem work with the footwear? After that, consider color and texture. Sequins, leather, lace, denim and mesh can coexist, but they need a visual leader. Without one, the outfit becomes the fashion equivalent of five people singing different choruses.
JoJo Siwa’s look demonstrates the challenge perfectly. The rhinestone denim could have created a playful pop moment. The pink underwear could have provided cheeky contrast. The crystal mask could have become the dramatic beauty detail. The enormous headpiece could have been the entire story. Combining all four made the look unforgettable, but memorability and elegance are not identical twins.
Tori Spelling’s outfit produced a different experience. Its pastel palette, tulle skirt, braids and butterflies clearly belonged to one fantasy world. The issue was not confusion but intensity. Every detail repeated the same childlike theme, leaving no sophisticated counterpoint. A sharp jacket, sleek hair or grown-up shoe might have created the tension needed to make the whimsy feel intentional.
Some looks improved after closer inspection. Doechii’s Miu Miu styling was disciplined, referential and carefully coordinated. Even readers who dislike the schoolgirl concept can recognize its coherence. Bad Bunny’s layered designer outfit also rewarded examination because its unusual accessories reflected a broader interest in challenging conventional menswear. These ensembles may appear on a worst-dressed list, but they are far more valuable than forgettable clothes.
That is the most enjoyable lesson from reviewing celebrity fashion: a “bad” outfit can still be successful entertainment. Red carpets would become painfully dull if everyone wore a perfectly fitted black gown or traditional tuxedo. The most memorable celebrities accept the possibility of failure. They experiment with shape, gender, nostalgia, humor and exaggeration while millions of viewers conduct unpaid focus groups from their couches.
The fair approach is therefore to criticize execution rather than ambition. A strange outfit should not be condemned merely for being strange. The better question is whether its strangeness communicates an idea. JoJo Siwa communicated maximal transformation, even though the result was overwhelming. Chanel West Coast communicated Western glamour, although the styling relied on too many clichés. Cheryl Burke communicated monochromatic drama, but the shades and textures lacked separation.
After studying the entire carpet, the strongest practical takeaway is simple: remove one thing before facing the cameras. Lose the unnecessary glove, swap the clashing boot, simplify the hair or leave the logo bag at home. Many of the night’s weakest outfits were only one thoughtful edit away from becoming successful. Unfortunately, red-carpet photographers do not provide an undo button.
Conclusion: Fashion Failures Still Make Great Pop Culture
The 27 worst dressed celebrities from the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards did not fail because they lacked confidence. Most failed because confidence arrived with too many accessories, complicated proportions or competing themes. Yet the evening’s questionable outfits also made the carpet entertaining, debatable and impossible to forget.
JoJo Siwa delivered the biggest spectacle, Tori Spelling embraced full fairy-tale styling, and Chanel West Coast brought enough Western references for a small rodeo. Whether these outfits deserve applause or a polite styling intervention depends on personal taste. One fact remains certain: safe fashion rarely generates this much conversation.