Sabrina Carpenter revives Madonna’s iconic style at 2026 VMAs

Sabrina Carpenter brought a nostalgic fashion moment to the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards by giving Madonna’s iconic 1980s style a fresh and modern update.

The “Manchild” hitmaker turned heads at the awards ceremony, held at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, September 27. Her striking outfit paid tribute to the bold fashion associated with Madonna’s early career while adding Carpenter’s own playful twist.

The fashion moment became even more meaningful when Carpenter joined the 68-year-old pop icon on stage to open the show. The two singers performed their duet, “Bring Your Love,” which later earned them the Best Collaboration honor.

Their performance brought together two different generations of pop music, but Carpenter’s outfit made the connection between the two stars even more obvious. Her look appeared to draw inspiration from the fashion that helped define Madonna during the early years of her career.

Sabrina Carpenter’s Madonna-inspired VMAs look

Carpenter stepped onto the VMAs stage wearing a black beret, a white button-down shirt and a black lace bra. She left the shirt open, creating a layered look that mixed classic pieces with a more daring style.

She completed the outfit with black sequined boyshorts, suspenders and tights. The combination gave the singer a glamorous yet rebellious appearance while keeping the playful energy that has become part of her fashion identity.

The look immediately reminded fans of one of Madonna’s memorable early fashion moments from the 1980s.

Madonna’s style during that period often combined traditionally feminine clothing with edgy and rebellious details. Lace, lingerie-inspired pieces, oversized shirts, suspenders, bold accessories and layered outfits were among the elements that helped create her distinctive image.

Carpenter’s VMAs outfit followed a similar formula but updated it for a modern pop-star appearance.

The Madonna look that inspired Carpenter

One of the clearest similarities came from a 1982 photoshoot featuring Madonna before the release of her debut album.

In the photoshoot, Madonna wore a simple oversized white T-shirt paired with thick black button-front suspenders and dark, high-waisted trousers. She completed the outfit with a military-style black beret, creating a simple but instantly recognizable combination.

Carpenter appeared to recreate the same fashion idea while making several noticeable changes.

Instead of wearing an oversized white T-shirt, Carpenter chose an open white button-down shirt and added a black lace bra underneath. The change made the outfit more revealing and gave the classic look a contemporary feel.

She also swapped Madonna’s high-waisted trousers for sparkling black sequined shorts. The shorts, combined with tights and suspenders, added a glamorous touch while maintaining the rebellious character of the original outfit.

The black beret remained an important part of Carpenter’s look, helping create an immediate visual connection to Madonna’s 1980s style.

A modern tribute to an iconic era

The similarities between the two outfits showed how an older fashion trend can be transformed for a new generation. While Carpenter did not copy Madonna’s look exactly, she kept several of its most recognizable elements and reshaped them around her own style.

The combination of the beret, white shirt, black lingerie-inspired layer and suspenders created a strong nostalgic effect. At the same time, the sequined shorts and modern styling made the outfit feel more suited to a major 2026 music event.

The fashion tribute also added another layer to Carpenter and Madonna’s VMAs appearance. Their collaboration already represented a meeting between two generations of pop music, and Carpenter’s outfit visually reflected that connection.

By blending Madonna’s rebellious 1980s aesthetic with her own modern, playful approach, Sabrina Carpenter turned a classic fashion reference into one of the memorable style moments of the 2026 VMAs.