When Jessie James Decker graced the crimson rug at the American Country Music Awards on Thursday, May 8, she hit a sartorial high note in a gold-sequinned showstopper by Retrofête.
Before the country pop superstar and the New York Times best-selling author hosted the red carpet, she spoke to Us Weekly exclusively as she got gussied up for country music’s big night.
“[This is] so much fun!” she gushed to Us. “I haven’t been to an awards show in a hot minute. The last time I was early-on pregnant with Denver, (her adorable 15-month-old, who she shares with her husband, Eric, along with their three older children: Vivianne, 10, Eric Jr., 8, and Forrest, 6). “So this is my first one back in a while. We’re glamming up, getting ready.”
While sitting pretty in her suite at the Hall Park Hotel, Decker, 37, sipped on Mountain Valley Spring Water (a.k.a. the official water of the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards). The boost of hydration added to her lit-from-within glow as she chatted up chart-topping artists, including the award nominees, before the ceremony aired live via Amazon Prime on Thursday.
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She also revealed that the aforementioned gold dress she donned on Thursday was actually her second choice, as the one she had chosen (a green Alex Perry design) broke at the last minute.
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Decker took it in stride. “It’s funny; I had a cute green dress to match Mountain Valley Water, and it busted. My boobies are too big, I guess, so that was awesome,” she said in her signature deadpan sense of humor. “So I always, no matter what, bring a backup outfit.”
“I’ve been through way too many scenarios where I wish I had,” she continued. “The zipper busted in the back because it fit my waist and my hips really well. It was just, like, my boobs are big.”
This was hardly Decker’s first red carpet rodeo, and even the most seasoned celebrities have suffered a wardrobe malfunction mere hours before high-profile events, like the ACM Awards.
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“I always like to be super prepared for those scenarios!” Decker said with a laugh.
Just ask the singer herself, who was quick to admit: “So, I’ve actually had that happen once where the back busted. [Eric] had to give me his coat, and I had to wear it the rest of the night.”
It may have been her second choice, but the metallic Retrofête column was a 2025 ACM Awards red-carpet style win, complete with intricate embellishments and sheer panels, a bold back slit and barely-theres straps. It fit like a glove and hugged her enviable figure in all the right places.
“The backup dress is pretty and very classic,” she said as her team put the finishing touches on her awards night beauty look, which was admittedly flawless. “I think [the gold] will look pretty with the carpet setting. It’s going to pop really well. And I’m a gold girl. I love gold.”
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Given the high-shine garb, Decker was wise to opt for low-key glam. “Because the dress is gold, there’s a lot going on,” she explained. “I wanted to keep everything very effortless. I didn’t want an intense updo. I wanted to feel super natural and the makeup to feel like that, too.” (Think: soft, finger-raked waves, invisible foundation and a healthy swirl of peach-toned blush.)
Or as Decker put it, a brand of red-carpet glam that’s “super relaxed and kind of like we rolled out of bed.” She had legendary beauty references in mind, too. “I love a 1990s Cindy Crawford, bronzy J. Lo look,” the country pop singer shared. “That’s always my go-to. It just works for me.”
