Sabrina Carpenter Serves Britney Spears with Her Head-Turning Looks at the 2025 VMAs

The "Espresso" singer stole the spotlight with a dazzling throwback style that left fans gasping and drawing comparisons to a legendary superstar.

Sabrina Carpenter lit up the 2025 VMAs with dazzling, Britney Spears-inspired looks that had fans raving online. From sequins and sparkle to daring flashes of skin, the singer's show-stopping style left audiences declaring, "She did it better!"

The 26-year-old singer lit up the stage during her sultry performance of “Tears” on September 7, delivering bold, body-baring looks that paid unmistakable tribute to Spears' most iconic early-2000s moments.

Carpenter stepped on stage in an embellished fringe top paired with a matching miniskirt. But halfway through the performance, she ripped it away to reveal a show-stopping ensemble that had fans doing a double-take.

The stage look featured a bedazzled halter bra top, sequin micro shorts, and glittering tights — a striking nod to Spears' legendary crystal look from the 2001 "Dream Within a Dream tour." Spears famously wore a dazzling bra and underwear set with armbands.

Just like Spears, Sabrina Carpenter embraced a soaked-through aesthetic, with her clothes, hair, and body glistening as she danced.

Before she even hit the stage, Carpenter had already stirred the pot with a jaw-dropping red carpet look. She walked the red carpet in a sheer, custom Valentino gown, dripping in floral sequin panels placed just so to leave very little to the imagination.

The gown had an uncanny resemblance to Britney Spears' risqué 2001 VMAs red carpet appearance, where the pop princess turned heads in a navy-blue lace mini dress layered over a push-up bra and matching underwear.

Carpenter's homage, spanning both her outfits and dancing style, didn't go unnoticed, sparking a wave of fiery online chatter. One admirer couldn't help but exclaim, "Looks like a new version of Britney Spears! But [sic] same dancing style!" Another person called the performance unforgettable, "It was amazing! Definitely Britney vibes!"

A different voice leaned into the comparisons, saying, "Sabrina was very Britney coded." For some, the night was about who did it best. One person bluntly stated, "She did it better." More people echoed that sentiment, "Sabrina did it better than Britney."

Not all the comments circled back to Spears, though. Someone pointed out, "She looks like young dolly parton [sic]." The star's outfit also earned its share of praise, "What a beautiful dress, it fits her perfectly." And of course, in true internet fashion, there was at least one playful remark, "Omg she has clothes on 😮."

From red carpet drama to glittering performance flair, Carpenter made sure all eyes were on her, and the comparisons to Spears only added fuel to the fire.

During the 2025 Met Gala, Carpenter also made a headline-grabbing entrance when she appeared on the red carpet in an outfit that featured no pants. Her fashion choice quickly drew attention online, sparking widespread conversation and mixed reactions.

She wore a burgundy structured blazer adorned with gleaming silver buttons and a dramatic, flowing train. Underneath, she paired it with a matching corset top and a daring high-cut bodysuit that put plenty on display.

The singer completed the jaw-dropping look with towering platform heels and styled her platinum blonde hair in soft, cascading waves, creating a silhouette that was nothing short of show-stopping.

According to her Vogue red carpet interview, the bold ensemble was a custom creation by Louis Vuitton under Pharrell Williams' direction. Carpenter confessed that walking the Met Gala carpet dressed by the "Happy" hitmaker had been a lifelong dream, and this year, it finally came true.

The standout pantless design was no accident. Carpenter revealed it was Williams himself who came up with the daring idea, joking, "You're quite short, so no pants for you."

She took the comment in stride, embracing the cheeky twist with her signature confidence. And while the sky-high platform heels sealed the look, the star admitted they came with their own risks, especially when navigating the iconic Met steps.

Netizens reacted swiftly, with comments ranging from amused to critical. One netizen said, "Kindergarten children's clothing." Another wrote, "disappointing." A third asked, "Why do people think wearing next to nothing is sexy?????" while a fourth commented, "Oh my, she forgot pants."

More netizens shared a range of reactions. One remarked on how the overall look made it seem like Carpenter had no visible neck, while another echoed the sentiment, suggesting that wearing her hair up would have balanced the high-collared blazer more effectively.

Another netizen appreciated Carpenter's beauty but expressed fatigue over her frequent choice to go without pants. Someone else made a lighthearted comparison, likening the outfit to a dream where one accidentally leaves the house without bottoms.

Still, not all feedback was critical. One netizen enthusiastically called it the best look they had seen, while another praised Carpenter's look as flawless, suggesting she fully met the fashion expectations of the event.

Whether praised for her confidence or critiqued for pushing boundaries, Carpenter succeeded in doing what the Met Gala often demands — making a statement.

In an October 2024 interview with Time, Carpenter reflected on the criticism that continues to follow women who embrace sexuality in their performances. Responding to whether she has avoided the kind of backlash that earlier pop stars faced, she said, "No, I definitely get that as well."

She shared how difficult it can feel when she's the only one facing criticism for things others seem able to do without backlash.

To manage that pressure, she holds on to advice that helped shift her perspective, "Whenever I would get upset or feel like I'm the only one getting criticized for something other people are able to do seemingly so freely: I'm the one that's seeing all the negative [expletive] about myself. My friends don't see that."

She credited artists like Madonna, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, and Rihanna for making space for performers like herself. Still, she noted that judgment hasn't disappeared.

"You'll still get the occasional mother that has a strong opinion on how you should be dressing. And to that I just say, don't come to the show and that's OK," she added.

For Carpenter, what's most unfortunate is that such criticism continues at all. "The scariest thing in the world is getting up on a stage in front of that many people and having to perform as if it's nothing. If the one thing that helps you do that is the way you feel comfortable dressing, then that's what you've got to do," she shared.

That outlook shaped her most recent tour wardrobe, where she leaned into expressive femininity. "Femininity is something that I've always embraced. And if right now that means corsets and garter belts and fuzzy robes or whatever the [expletive], then that's what that means," she said.

Her stage outfits expanded on that vision with lingerie-inspired designs, lace bodysuits, and crystal-embellished sets. She also wore tights printed with rotating lyrics for each performance.

She had duplicate versions of her costumes — a practical change from earlier tours, when she had to repeat outfits even if they were stained or worn.