IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Why does Saweetie’s dress to the VMAs have a bone in it?

Saweetie's dress had a prehistoric accessory.
Saweetie
US rapper Saweetie arrives for the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on September 12, 2023. Angela Weiss / AFP - Getty Images

You could say it's "Flintstones" meets "Barbie." You could say it's giving "spare rib."

No matter what you call it, Saweetie's get-up to the 2023 VMAs red carpet was unforgettable.

Saweetie's sparkly pink dress came with unusual accessories: Two large bones.

At the red carpet pre-show, Saweetie explained the reasoning behind the bones, one of which drapes near her neck and the other near her waist.

Image: 2023 Video Music Awards - Arrivals
Saweetie, bones and all.Jason Kempin / Getty Images

People had questions.

"wait so is that bone in saweetie’s dress supposed to mean something?" A commentator wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"WHY does saweetie have a mammoth bone on her neck??" another wrote.

People also had questions about what she was doing with said bone. "Why on earth is Saweetie licking a bone?" another wrote.

Saweetie had answers — at least, about the dress.

“The inspiration behind this is fashion when it first started: Cavemen," Saweetie said.

The dress first debuted in the AREA Fall Winter 2023 collection. Design Scene characterized the collection, which was replete with bones, fur and animal patterns as evocative of another era — one long, long ago.

"Embarking from an epoch where bones and fur were elemental survival tools, AREA skillfully navigates through the centuries where these materials transitioned into markers of aristocracy, wealth, and modern-day opulence," Design Scene wrote.

Saweetie appeared to be having fun with her dress on the red carpet, kissing the bone.

Image: 2023 Video Music Awards - Arrivals
Why not?Jason Kempin / Getty Images

People had (almost) as much fun online with memes and tweets about the dress.