The Best and Worst Looks of This Year's Met Gala
After a year and a half break from practically all classic social events due to COVID-19, the Met Gala is back, and while for dramatic effect it would be nice to say “and better than ever,” that would be a lie. The theme, “In America; a Lexicon of Fashion,” led to the pieces being either unnecessary political statements or a complete disregard of the theme. Another issue with the 2021 Met Gala was the attendees. This is not to say there were not some incredible stand-ups that left viewers in awe, but as a general consensus, the show was a let down. Instead of hosting a group of A-list celebrities like Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Zendaya Coleman, and Katie Perry, the Met Gala replaced them with social media influences like Addison Rae, Dixie Damelio, Madison Beer, and Nikkietutorials, each of them arriving with slightly more underwhelming outfits.
And with that, let's dig into the worst and best looks of the 2021 Met Gala.
Disclaimer: I am not at all qualified to write this piece. My only qualifications are that I watched the Met Gala and am a major Project Runway fan. These are purely my opinions. Also, this is not a negative review on the physicality of ANY one of these celebrities, simply their outfits. Everyone looks beautiful.
Rating Rubric:
Beauty: Do I want to wear this dress? Does it combine art with clothes, as the Met Gala should? (50%)
Creativity: Is this dress exciting? Does it fit the theme? Do I have questions about this piece? (30%)
Accessories: How is the hair? Makeup? Shoes? Jewelry? Do the accessories add or take away from the quality of the look? (20%)
Top 6 WORST 2021 Met Gala Outfits
There were tons of really ugly outfits on the Met Gala’s 2021 red carpet. And while the choice to pick the WORST five was truly difficult, here are my least favorite looks of the 2021 Met Gala:
Jordan Alexander in Christopher John Rogers: 3.8/10
Though this dress does not stand out like a total eye-sore on the runway, when taking a closer look at it, the ugliness of this dress begins to shine through. While I applaud the hair, makeup, and jewelry, as well as the corset bodice of the dress, the bottom half of this dress in all of its peculiarities strongly diminish the beauty of the look. The colors do not match at all (why black?) and the shape looks unfinished. It looks almost as if Rogers did not complete the look in time, leaving Alexander wearing a half-finished dress that was missing a few seams. Furthermore, the colors of the diamonds do not align with the colors of the dress, creating more chaos in this already overdone look.
Natalia Bryant in Conner Ives 1.6/10
Despite my regular admiration for an avant-garde dress that works to defy the typical ideas of women's fashion— form-fitting and somewhat scandalous— this dress does all of this in the wrong way. So, let's analyze this look from top to bottom. First, the hair, which looks far similar to Lena’s look in Teen Beach Movies ”Cruisin’ for a Bruisin” due to the intentional hair bump and overly hair-sprayed bangs. From the confetti design to the literal balloon shape, this dress is all kinds of wrong, and the train does not at all fit the aesthetic of the outfit. The only good thing is the shoes, which I applaud her for not tripping in.
Kim Kardashian in Balenciaga 3/10
The oddness of this dress speaks for itself; Kim Kardashian, a classic met gala attendee, showed up this year in a look that closely resembled dementors from Harry Potter and led people to wonder if it was even her underneath. While I, along with many others, was waiting for an extraordinary explanation to how this could possibly relate to the American theme, Kim Kardashian claimed it was to represent a “black t-shirt,” the most American article of clothing apparently. This look did meet the expectations of intersecting clothing with art, but it is a little over the line.
AOC with Aurora James, in Brother Vellies 2/10
Though politicians are not typically part of the Met Gala list, I was excited to see AOC’s name on the released list. And yet, I was deeply disappointed. This dress is merely tacky. This is not to say I disagree with the statement, or that there is no way to express a political statement in this social situation, it is just that this is not the way to do it. The dress is flashy and obnoxious, especially at an event filled by multi-millionaires. All I have to say is: time and place.
Serena Williams in Gucci .7/10
After seeing this look, I had a flashback to my close elementary friend's bedroom when we were younger, who had a zebra ceiling and hot pink walls. I was also reminded of a pink ombre shirt I had from Justice. And at the Met Gala, those are two things you do not want your look to be compared to. This outfit is childish, and while Met Gala looks should be loud, it must also be tasteful, which this is not. So while my American Girl doll would rock this look, it is far from fitting at the most high end fashion event of the year.
Kim Petras in Collina Strada 0/10
Assuming that Petras was aiming to bring the “horse girl” joke to the next level at the Met Gala, she succeeded. But, if she had any other hopes, she has undeniably failed. This look is so bizarre. From the overly long, Rapunzel-esque braid to the literal plastic horse sticking out of her chest, this look does not register as high fashion at all. I do like the pattern of the waist and the shoes, but again, that is me grasping for any positive thing about this horrid look. I feel the terribleness of this piece speaks for itself.
Dishonorable mentions
ASAP Rocky (AKA Captain crunch), Lily Rose Depp in Chanel, CL in Alexander Wang, Anja Rubik in Saint Laurent
Now, after all of that negativity, lets dig into the looks that left me in awe from head to toe.
Emma Chamberlain in Louis Vuitton 9/10
WOW. WOW. WOW. Though I may be biased as an Emma lover, I truly believe this look is stunning. First the makeup, my personal favorite of the gala, is gorgeous; the electric green eyeliner is truly otherworldly, and the earrings are stunning. But the star of this look is obviously the dress. I adore the asymmetrical design of the dress, the open back, and of course the glam of the dress's material. Emma looked stunning, and for her first time at the Met Gala, it was truly a win. I can not wait to see her future looks.
Lili Reinhart in Christian Siriano 9.4/10
While this dress is stunning on its own from the beautiful light pink underlayer, to the diversity of colors in this flower, what really makes this dress incredible is its relation to the theme. Each of the 50 flowers on this dress is a state's flower; every single state being represented. This is the perfect way to tie in a theme while still staying classy, tasteful, and stunning. Well done, Lili Reinhart!
Emily Ratajkowski in Vera Wang 9.2/10
This dress is simply stunning: perfect draping, an encapsulating red color, and a simple makeup look to accompany an extravagant dress.This is everything I expect from a Met Gala runway. And while in a typical gala scenery, I would not love the giant rose coming from her neck, I do believe this dress needed something over the top and slight avant-garde to be Met-worthy. My only critique is that I wish the train was longer to add to the dramatic effect.
Kendall Jenner in Matthew Williams's Givenchy 10/10
To no surprise of any regular Met-Gala viewer like me, Kendall Jenner arrived on the runway looking out-of-this-world stunning. Dripping in diamond from head to toe this piece is slick, sophisticated, sexy, and everything Kendall. I appreciate the slicked back hair and simple makeup because this look is definitely a lot, but in the best way possible. Basically, if I looked anything like Kendall, I would LIVE in this dress for the rest of my life. Perfect.
Lil Nas x in Versace 1000000000/10
Saved the best for last. This look, or rather these three looks, are exactly what we expect from a Met Gala attendee. Beginning in a royal garment detailed with fur and gold lining, I was already impressed with this look, not ready for what was underneath. Layer two: full fledged golden classic armor, looking like a boujee knight in shining armor coming back to live. And lastly, my personal favorite outfit, the final slick and bedazzled tight suit lying under the fabulous layers. This look deserves applause from all the way around and is a demand for everyone to step up their game.
Honorable Mentions:
Normaini in Valentino, Quannah Chasinghors in Dundas, Kristine Forseth in Tory Burch, Michaela Coel in Balenciaga, Julia Garner in Stella McCartney
By Ruby Kaufman