There’s a well-known theory that women typically don’t dress for men, they dress for each other —and, of course, themselves. The same could be said of Black folks. From uptown Saturday nights to sanctified Sunday mornings, there’s a clear reason the term “show up and show out” was coined with us in mind.

Keke Palmer attends the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Los Angeles, California.
(Photo: Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic)

Case in point: The 2022 BET Awards, which took place in Los Angeles on Sunday night. The evening was full of surprises (we’re looking at you, Mariah and Ye), with a red carpet as diverse — and occasionally random — as the evening’s lineup of talent. And while some of the sartorial choices were confounding, there were definitely a few standouts.

Keke Palmer

What can we say about Keke Palmer, other than she is an absolute delight to watch? She’s also become quite the style star, giving the BET Awards some summer freshness in a mixed-print halter dress with dramatic train by Connor Ives.

Marsai Martin

If going lyric-for-lyric with the Sean “Puffy/Diddy/Love” Combs tribute brought some of us back to the golden days of our youth, a look at a now 17-year-old Marsai Martin brought us hurtling back to the realities of middle age. Granted, we literally watched this wunderkind grow up on television via black-ish, but seeing last night’s YoungStars Award winner as a bonafide ingenue might take a little getting used to. Nevertheless, she’s already got impeccable taste and looked absolutely stunning.

Black-ish actress Marsai Martin was last night’s YoungStars Award winner at the BET Awards. (Photos: Getty Images)

Novi Brown

The category is Black Excellence, and Novi Brown clearly understands the assignment. For the BET Awards, the Sistas star donned an asymmetrical, strapless, cowrie shell-beaded gown by “queen of cowries” La Falaise Dionn, paired with a matching choker and earrings and sculptural braided updo. “On behalf of my ancestors,” wrote Brown on Instagram. We score her look 10s across the board.

Novi Brown attends the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo: Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for BET)

Matthew A. Cherry and Daniel Kaluuya

We love a “who wore it best?” moment, but it’s rare that men give us the pleasure. Proving that great minds (and great stylists) think alike, Oscar winners Matthew A. Cherry and Daniel Kaluuya twinned on the red carpet, both wearing suits in Alexander McQueen’s blue sky cloud print. While the looks were obviously from the same label, they were not, in fact, actually the same; Kaluuya opted for the double-breasted jacket, while Cherry sported a single-breasted cut — and, thankfully, it’s a really great suit, either way. (Of course, we’re also thankful Cherry made a wardrobe change before he hit the stage as one of the night’s presenters.)

Acclaimed director-producer Matthew A. Cherry (left) and Academy Award-winner Daniel Kaluuya (right), both sporting Alexander McQueen.
(Photos: Getty Images)

Who else made a stylish statement at the BET Awards? Check out our roundup of the good, the bad and the inexplicable from “Culture’s Biggest Night” below.

Maiysha Kai is theGrio’s lifestyle editor, covering all things Black and beautiful. Her work is informed by two decades’ experience in fashion and entertainment, great books and aesthetics, and the brilliance of Black culture. She is also the editor-author of Body (Words of Change series).

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