The celebrities came out in full fashion force last Thursday night for the MTV Video Music Awards. Back in New York City after a two year stint in Miami, the awards show provided the perfect opportunity for music artists to rock their glamorous city style. Of course, those styles were as varied as the stars who wore them. However, a few major themes united the diverse looks on the red carpet.

Glamorous Gowns

The divas of the music industry made their presence known in show-stopping dresses fit for royalty. The ever-fashionable Beyonce donned a white, slim-fitting floor-length dress with jewel-encrusted straps, daring side cut-outs and dazzling embellishments. In keeping with her 1940s Hollywood vibe, Christina Aguilera showed up in a slinky nude-colored Versace gown. The eye-catching dress featured a low v-neck and a glittering array of beads and sequins. Her red lips and platnium locks completed the look. Colombian songstress Shakira also looked quite elegant in a strapless, floor-length black dress with a multi-tiered bottom.

White Hot Numbers

Several stars took advantage of the last day of summer by showing up in a multitude of white dresses and suits. Rihanna, for instance, wore a white satin dress which featured a band of silver sequins around her waist and another silver band around the bottom of the dress’s short skirt.

New to the music industry, but alas, not the music awards show, Paris Hilton showed up in a strapless white dress with a tutu-like bottom. A black, flower-adorned belt and black booties accented the look.

Several male artists also partook in the white trend. Sporting a newly shaven head, rap star Ludacris wore a white blazer on top of his olive green vest and plum shirt, while Wyclef Jean donned a black polka-dotted ascot under his white collared shirt. Gray pants and a white fedora completed the ensemble.

Short and Sassy Dresses

Never out of style, short dresses overwhelmed the VMA red carpet. Cassie sported a nude, Bohemian-styled slip dress with an embellished overlay by Blumarine and Bottega Veneta woven leather heels. Jessica Simpson showed off her toned gams and a new, shorter hairstyle, wearing a simple black mini dress which she glammed up with black peep-toe pumps and o-shaped diamond earrings.

Former Laguna Beach star L.C. also did not fail to impress, donning a sweet coral halter dress and strappy sandals. Three of the girls in P. Diddy’s new supergroup Danity Kane selected dangerously short dresses in attention-grabbing prints, while Nicky Hilton wore a v-neck, floral-printed kimono dress. And, never a fashion disappointment, Jennifer Lopez sported a unique style with a glittering gold head wrap, matching long-sleeved mini dress and over-the-knee leather boots.

Suave Suits

The men proved to be just as stylish as their female counterparts in a variety of suits and blazers. Justin Timberlake brought “sexy back” in a three-piece gray suit, while Nick Lachey kept things simple with a white tee shirt, black blazer, and dark jeans. Will.I.Am of the Black-Eyed Peas looked handsome in a brown velvet blazer, accented with a striped dress shirt and orange tie, jeans and a brown fedora. And of course, P. Diddy looked like the hip-hop mogul he is in a tailored gray suit with a black lapel.

Hip-Hop Duds

Rap and hip-hop stars also made an impression on the red carpet in a mix of street wear and, as always, multi-million dollar bling. Pharrell chose a white tee shirt with pink lettering, a red baseball cap and a dramatic array of gold chains from Jacob the Jeweler. Meanwhile, the fashion-conscious Kanye West sported a similar style in a white YSL tee shirt, gray leather jacket and a thick gold chain around his neck.

Many viewers look to MTV’s Video Music Awards for the latest trends in fashion. This years show certainly did not disappoint. VMA style revealed a wide variety of options, whether they were fashion-forward or fashion flops.

The outfits of the stars were attention grabbing – just like the stars themselves.