Kayla Crittle 
The Met Gala is back to its regularly scheduled programming as it made a return on the first Monday in May yesterday evening.
Annually, attendees are judged on not only how they look or who they’re wearing, but more importantly–if they chose to follow the theme.
The theme of the night was Gilded Glamor–a tribute to the Gilded Age which spanned from 1800 to 1900. The Gilded Age (coined by American writer, Mark Twain) was a reference to how wealth, privilege, and glamor were used to secrete civil unrest during that era.
While there was a theme in place, Vogue’s dress code for the Met Gala will always remain white tie which gives space to those who want to create their own interpretation of the theme (or not follow the theme at all.)
With that being said, I feel there’s truly only one way to judge Met Gala outfits, and that’s by separating everyone into four categories: Those that nailed the theme, those that attempted to follow the theme, those that failed, and those that clearly didn’t care about a theme but still looked great!
Let’s take a look at the attendees of the night that did their research:
The Theme Followers:
*Cynthia Erivo in Louis Vuitton
As a Black woman, I wondered how Black attendees might interpret this theme due to the fact that the Gilded Age was even worse for us than it was for the rest of the world. Most Black Americans weren’t wearing the glamorous dresses and hats that gilded fashion entails. It was refreshing to see Cynthia draw reference to the fashion that Black people would wear during the time period and still make it look elegant.
*Billie Eilish in Gucci
If you Google a picture of Gilded Age fashion, her exact dress silhouette will come up! In regards to the theme, her look was the most precise.
*Normani in Christian Siriano
This was the most unconventionally accurate look of the night. Although she is wearing a crop top, the puffed shoulders, headpiece, and silhouette of her skirt are all Gilded Age style. The best Met Gala looks are the ones that follow the theme, but also aren’t too literal and I think this look was exactly that.
Now for the girls that did partial research…
The Attempters:
*Cardi B in Versace
This look wasn’t exactly Gilded Age, but it was glamor and she looked great!
*Kim Kardashian in Marilyn Monroe replica dress
This was another look that didn’t fit the time period of the theme, but was still glamorous. The dress was worn by Marilyn Monroe as she sang “Happy Birthday Mr. President”. Kim K changed into a replica after making her entrance. It was an iconic moment.
*Megan Thee Stallion in Moschino
Gilded is also defined as being covered thinly with gold leaf or gold paint. Megan’s dress was exactly that but the silhouette didn’t fit the theme–still looked great though! A+ for effort.
*Janelle Monae in Ralph Lauren
The mermaid train was gilded age style, but it definitely wasn’t 18-1900’s. This was still one of the most glamorous looks of the night though.
And the ones that fell short…
The Lackluster:
*Chloe Bailey in Area
This pains me to write. The sequence, the shape of the dress, the wing choker, and everything about this look was a miss for me. I’d put her in the rebel category, but her look was far too disappointing because I expected more. I’m still looking forward to her future Met Gala looks though.
*The Kardashian/Jenner sisters
Nothing exciting. I expected more from Kendall and Kylie since they’ve attended previously, but it was an overall disappointment.
*Future
I have no words.
The Rebels:
*Gunna in Thom Browne
I’m pretty sure Thom Browne has his own personal artistic interpretation of this outfit, but I personally do not get it. However, most men do not follow the theme and I appreciate how Gunna is not afraid to look different and wear what he likes.
*Jack Harlow in Givenchy
He obviously didn’t care about the theme, and there isn’t much to be excited about here, but he looks dapper nonetheless.
*Lori Harvey in Michael Kors
This was definitely a look–just not a Met Gala Look.
*Nicki Minaj in Burberry
I honestly think they tried to go with the theme here with the feathers, but I can’t tell. She could’ve done without the hat but in a way I feel like the look would have felt incomplete without it. Her glam was great though so it was still exciting to see.
What do you think of the night’s looks?
By Kayla Crittle, University of Kentucky Alumni
Instagram / Twitter: kaylamarieily
