Lady Gaga's sequin-encrusted black gown at the 2012 Grammy Awards

Lady Gaga - who dressed as a nebula last year and arrived encased in an egg the year before - almost seemed to have toned down her outfit for this year's awards.

She did not show off her dress on the red carpet, instead slipping through the back door into the Staples Centre in Los Angeles. But indoors the Born This Way singer revealed a sequin-encrusted black gown with structured elements on the shoulders and torso as well as a gold a black walking stick.

It's the kind of dress we could imagine being worn by a host of stars - which by Lady Gaga's standards makes it seem positively unoriginal.

more pictures after the break...