Award shows come and go, but the best and most memorable trends are forever (or at least until the internet loses interest). At the 2017 Billboard Music Awards Sunday night (May 21), we saw anything but the average gown–and most of the time, there was very little gown covering at all. From 71-year-old Cher’s epic and daring two-song performance donning a clear bodysuit with mesh covering her breasts–and then changing into a fishnet-and-thong one piece–to Hailee Steinfeld’s crop top and boy short with a crochet-like overlay, the three biggest trends proved to be skimpy, see-through and boldly unafraid.
Mesh
The night saw an endless supply of mesh outfits, whether they were expertly crafted performance get-ups like Halsey’s custom wide-leg pant designed by Bryan Hearns, Lea Michelle’s mesh gown or Lorde’s multiple mesh outfits (her laid-back black bodysuit paired with Levi’s and Adidas for the performance, a red one for sitting with Mom.) And of course, who could forget Cher…
Lorde and Sonja Yelich attend the 2017 Billboard Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena on May 21, 2017 in Las Vegas. Kevin Mazur/BBMA2017/Getty Images for dcp
Latex
You may have noticed the rubbery material is making a huge comeback on–and off–stage, transitioning from once-taboo fetish pieces to full-blown works of haute couture. While we wouldn’t say latex made a couture comeback at the night’s show, it definitely found ways to make statement after body hugging statement.
Z LaLa attends the 2017 Billboard Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena on May 21, 2017 in Las Vegas.John Shearer/Getty Images
Thongs
Sisqo’s “Thong Song” wasn’t nominated for anything Sunday night, but it probably should’ve been. Everywhere we looked–from the magenta carpet to the seated audience or on the Vegas stage–we saw boy shorts and thongs galore. Rita Ora‘s was the first to catch our eye, but not the last. Vanessa Hudgen‘s wore a few different see-through skirts with boy shorts underneath while hosting, but once again, Cher, the ultimate fashion queen herself, stole the show donning all three of the night’s biggest trends in her “Believe” outfit.
Rita Ora attends the 2017 Billboard Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena on May 21, 2017 in Las Vegas. Gustavo Caballero/BBMA2017/Getty Images for DCP