The Second Monday in September | Met Gala 2021
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After skipping the last two Mondays in May, the Met Gala finally had its long-awaited return last night on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And we loved every second of it.
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The Met Gala is one of my favorite nights of the year. My mom (Laurie, the woman we all know and love) has instilled in me a love of fashion, art, and design from an early age. I have spent so many first Mondays in May curled up on the couch with my mom and eagerly devouring all the red carpet looks eating popcorn in our sweatpants.
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One of our most important criteria when choosing our best dressed is dressing. to. the. theme. The Met is not a runway show, it is a costume party, and we appreciate people who commit to the theme. This year's theme was In America: A Lexicon of Fashion, and there were some guests who completely nailed it.
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I've rounded up my best dressed guests of the night for you, so put on your sweatpants, put up your messy bun, and enjoy.
Billie Eilish in Oscar de la Renta
Billie emulated Marilyn Monroe in old Hollywood glamour perfectly, and this train is just fabulous. 10/10.
Timothée Chalamet in Haider Ackermann
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It's Founding Fathers meets streetwear, and he can do no wrong in my eyes. And there is nothing more American than a pair of Chucks.
Lili Reinhart in Christian Siriano
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Upon first glance, this is a beautiful floral showpiece, but appears off-theme. However, after doing some research, I found out that Lili Reinhart's custom Christian Siriano gown includes the state flower from all 50 states. Now it's one of my favorites from the night.
Carey Mulligan in Valentino
It's Barbie + Audrey Hepburn + Disney Princess, and best of all: it's a CAPE. I'm going to need a pink cape in my wardrobe right this second.
Ella Emhoff in Stella McCartney x Adidas
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Aside from being the Vice President's stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff's red streetwear moment is so of-the-moment in America. She perfectly captures the New York streetwear look everyone is trying to channel right now.
Amanda Gorman in Vera Wang
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We loved her already, but this star-spangled blue Vera Wang gown made us love her even more.
Natalia Bryant in Connor Ives
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It's mod, it's 60s, it's Twiggy, but also like nothing we've seen before. Kobe Bryant's oldest daughter nailed her red carpet debut in this fun and young number by Connor Ives.
Regina King in Michael Kors
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Regina King is giving us a strong-shouldered 1980s corporate power suit, and it is working. This one stopped my mom and I right in our tracks.
Kate Hudson in Michael Kors
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Kate Hudson took those Y2K outfits we all cringe about now and made it look better than we ever did. This look is so 2002 LA.
Lupita Nyong'o in Versace
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Denim. That's all.
Ciara in Peter Dundas
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If you want to talk about dressing to the theme, Ciara crushed it. And even better, she dressed as her own husband Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks, and sported his SuperBowl ring and a football clutch. It's all in the details.
Honorable Mention: Rose Leslie in Oscar de la Renta
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Even though we can't quite figure out what she was going for theme-wise, she gets an honorable mention because look. at. that. dress. I bend the knee.
Loving the Met Gala as much as we are? Check out some of our favorite books and documentaries about the event. It's *almost* as good as being invited yourself.
The First Monday in May documentary
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty by Andrew Bolton
Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between by Andrew Bolton
About Time: Fashion & Duration by Andrew Bolton
Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination
Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology by Andrew Bolton
Bill Cunningham: On the Street: Five Decades of Iconic Photography
Check out some of our other Met and fashion posts >