Miranda Cosgrove's Kids Choice Shopping Spree

With the Kids Choice Awards less than a week away, Nickelodeon star Miranda Cosgrove scouted some of L.A.'s trendiest stores in search of the perfect red carpet ensemble. The iCarly star-who is nominated for the Favorite TV Actress and Favorite TV Show trophies-could barely contain her excitement as she browsed the racks at Satine, Milk, and Tarina Tarantino. And as if finding the right dress, shoes and accessories wasn't challenging enough, Cosgrove had to keep in mind a Kids Choice-specific style requirement. "Is this slime proof?" the actress laughed as she tried on a plaid Beckerman dress at West Hollywood's Milk boutique.

-Lindzi Scharf

Stylists Sammy and Judy of The Kids joined the 15-year-old actress to help her scout for sophisticated yet age-appropriate ensembles-and to have some fun playing with hair accessories at Tarina Tarantino. "In my real life I dress for comfort, so I'm looking for something fun and cute," Cosgrove said of her strategy for finding the perfect red carpet outfit. "Some of my girlfriends are coming with me. They are the ones that are really going crazy with the outfits! They'll be out shopping and call me with updates."

The best fashion advice the iCarly star says she's gotten? "Only wear stuff that you're really into," said Cosgrove, who chatted with two young fans before heading out of Satine boutique. The actress even admits that her personal style influences what's seen on her small screen alter ego. "The wardrobe stylist and I are like best friends, so we go through magazines to pick out new looks for the character. Plus, my friends tell me what the kids at school are wearing and I'll sometimes try it out on the show."

"I love that this dress is girly, but a little rocker-ish," said Cosgrove of the '80's-inspired Sonia Rykiel dress she spotted at Milk. "I love black and white and the hearts are so cute." The actress says she counts No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani among her style icons. "I don't dress like her at all, but I love her style," Cosgrove said. "She's so cool."

"I love wearing a lot of jewelry like bracelets and a ton of necklaces," said Cosgrove, who led her entourage to Tarina Tarantino's pretty pink boutique on Melrose Avenure. The actress, who has admitted that she's too squeamish to go under the gun in order to wear earrings, may even have found the perfect motivation to face the pain. "These make me want to get my ears pierced," Cosgrove giggled when she spotted a pair of sparkly heart-shaped danglers.

After two gorgeously girly dresses, Cosgrove tried a rocker chic look on for size, pairing her own LF! tank top with Subi jeans and an Alexander McQueen belt and shoes at Satine. "They have every color of those Subi jeans," the self-confessed denim addict sighed. What are some of the star's other favorite labels? "I love Marc Jacobs and the LF! store in L.A. is my new favorite. I go to Nordstroms a lot. It's also fun to just walk around the mall," she admitted.

"I love the color," said Cosgrove of the deep green Berliner dress she spotted at Satine. "It would definitely hold up against the slime." Another plus-two thumbs up from mom. "She was all over that dress-she loves anything with bows or flowers," Cosgrove explained.

Between wardrobe changes, Cosgrove gravitated towards the accessories case at Milk. "I love the headbands," she exclaimed. While only one of the dresses and a few of the accessories she tried on will make it to the Kids Choice red carpet, Cosgrove was already planning for her future wardrobe needs. "I get to go to the White House Correspondent's Association Dinner in Washington this year, so maybe I can wear something I found today to that," she wondered aloud.

Watch the 2009 Kids Choice Awards live on Saturday, March 28th and stay tuned to InStyle.com for full coverage of all the KCA fashion and fun!