MTV Video Music Awards 2011 Fashion Recap

The buzz prior to the airing of this year's MTV Video Music Awards may have started off mostly surrounding Britney Spears, who was honored with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, but it was quickly overshadowed by Adam Levine bashing the ceremony and then later by the "secret" reveal that Kanye West and Jay-Z would be performing. At the actual show Lady Gaga helped honor Spears, but stole her thunder in character as her male alter ego Jo Calderone, which she'd taken on for her show-opening performance earlier in the night and kept through the ceremony puzzling both the audience and viewers at home. The biggest show-stealer? Beyonce, who not only looked stunning on the red carpet and while performing, but revealed that she and husband Jay-Z are expecting their first child.

Moving from attention-grabbing celebrities who favor glitz and glamour to one who relies more exclusively on her fantastic voice, Adele. The singer, who nabbed a number of awards, opted for a Burberry dress with an embellished neckline and 60s-inspired waves and a dark eye, which worked together to leave her looking sophisticated, but memorable at the same time. Also keeping it simple and chic was Katie Holmes in an Azzedine Alaia halter dress.

Black was a big trend of the night with Kelly Rowland opting for a black Falguni & Shane Peacock dress, Britney Spears going with a black Moschino romper, Zoe Saldana going with a black Barbara Bui mini embellished with gold, silver, and leather, and Selena Gomez wearing a black Julien MacDonald Fall 2011 dress.

There weren't too many flops, but a notable outlier was Miley Cyrus who wore a long-sleeved printed Roberto Cavalli gown that would have been better suited on someone a decade her senior and Nicki Minaj who looked as though a tshatshke store threw up on her.