Rihanna's 2005 VMA Look Was Everything You Wanted

With the 2016 installment of the VMAs fast-approaching on Aug. 28, it seems like the perfect moment to take a trip down memory lane and rediscover some of the award ceremony's most iconic moments, like Rihanna's first VMA look in 2005. While there may exist more controversial looks than her first MTV Video Music Awards red carpet appearance as a fresh-faced 17-year-old, her ensemble featured every item of clothing you could've possibly wanted at the time.

The award ceremony is well known for inspiring celebrities to think outside the box when it comes to red carpet looks, and is often considered (by us mere mortals) one of the most fun events in the A-list calendar. Although Lady Gaga's infamous meat dress and Lil' Kim's boob-flashing sequined catsuit have gone down in the history books, I can't blame Rihanna for playing it fairly safe for her first outing at the awards ceremony.

Pre-fashion icon status and long before she secured her fashion line with Puma, collaborated with Dior on sunglasses, designed a line of stilettos with king of heels Manolo Blahnik, or began sporting amazingly colorful faux fur and fetish boots, Rihanna had a wardrobe that (surprisingly) resembled something closer to our own — minus the fact her looks probably still came with a hefty designer price tag, of course.

Even if we didn't own the items she was wearing, I know I speak for many Millennials when I say that we certainly wanted to. Flash-back 11 years and Rihanna's 2005 VMA debut epitomized everything most of us knew about fashion then. The waist belt, the chunky bangles, the oversized hoops, the sequins: It was all too much in the best of ways.

While I was always too much of a messy gal to pull off white jeans without spilling my morning coffee or dropping some of my lunch down them, Rihanna's low-rise denim definitely remains indicative of the coveted summer wardrobe of the mid '00s.

Although I doubt you would've seen me sporting a super-embellished, tiny waistcoat, her cropped tank undeniably remains timeless. And if you don't own a pair of gold mega hoops from the mid '00s that can be found at the back of your jewelry box today, you're missing out. My pair still creeps its way into my modern-day wardrobe on the regular.

I can't remember the last time queen of the super heel Ri Ri wore anything less than four inches tall on her feet, either, but it's a refreshing change to see her dressed-down in this look from yesteryear.

Personally, I wait with baited breath to see what she turns out for the 2016 awards, where she'll hopefully be seen picking up the Vanguard Award for her impact on the entertainment industry. If nothing else, though, it's fun to remember a pre-"Bitch Better Have My Money" Rihanna and a time when sartorial choices were simpler for most of us.