Marked in the calendars of every fashion and art lover, the first Monday of May is a sacred holiday, where all those without an invite scrutinize the looks of fashion’s biggest night of the year — the Met Gala. 

In continuing the Met Museum Costume Institute’s two-part exhibition on the “In America” theme, the 2022 Met Gala marked the opening of “In America: An Anthology of Fashion.” Designs in the Gilded Age featured jewel tones, silks, satins, intricate embroidery and, of course, gold. The more extravagant the looks, the better. 

This year’s dress code, “gilded glamour,” allowed guests to take inspiration from New York’s Gilded Age, which ran from the 1870s to the early 1900s. The Met released specific instructions to its guests that the event would be white tie, a more formal dress code compared to traditional black-tie attire. 

Best Dressed Guests

The night kicked off with co-host Blake Lively, who shocked the crowd when she donned not just one but two jaw-dropping looks. Being one of the first to walk the carpet, she had to set the tone for the night — and she did not disappoint. 

She wore a New York City-inspired Versace floor-length copper gown with intricate beading from head to toe. She later said that these designs were inspired by the top of the Empire State Building. Atop her head was a bejeweled crown with seven spikes, the same number of spikes on the Statue of Liberty’s crown. 

The gown also had a long train that tied around her waist. As she walked up the red carpet steps, she untied this copper train, revealing a new light blue train with gold embroidery reminiscent of the oxidation of the Statue of Liberty. If the crown didn’t already tell you, she emerged as the queen of this year’s Met Gala.

Dripped in gold and serving a look that was not only gilded but very much glamorous, Megan was the epitome of a gilded goddess.

Stepping out in true gilded couture, Grammy award-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion lit up the red carpet in a glittering Moschino gown. A nod to the industrial boom that took place during the Gilded Age, the elaborate, floor-length dress featured head-to-toe beading and gold embellishments. 

Arriving with designer and creative director of Moschino Jeremy Scott, Megan explained how he wanted her look to exude “old Hollywood, with a hot girl twist.” With a thigh-high slit, sheer cutouts and flowing train, she did exactly that. However, it was her golden wings that stole the show. Draped over her shoulders to resemble America’s national bird — the bald eagle — her shawl became the centerpiece of the ensemble, subtly tying in the theme of American fashion anthology. Dripped in gold and serving a look that was not only gilded but very much glamorous, Megan was the epitome of a gilded goddess.

Emerging as one of the best dressed at the 2021 Met Gala, Billie Eilish had high expectations to meet this year — and yet again, she killed it. If anyone came dressed as if they were in the 1870s, it was her. Wearing a Gucci dress made entirely with refurbished fabric, her eco-friendly gown hit the theme right on the head, from the corset to the draping of the skirt to the flower pinned to the front. She looked almost identical to the Madame Paul Poirson portrait by John Singer Sargent. Her “gilded glamour” continued with a diamond choker and matching earrings, and her hairdo conformed to the theme’s time period perfectly, giving her an effortless, classy look.

It’s sad to have to point out Amy Schumer among those who missed the mark at this year’s Met Gala.

Never ceasing to disappoint with her ever-glamorous looks, Lizzo continued her hot streak at this year’s Met Gala. The singer donned a gorgeous Thom Browne black satin corseted gown underneath a stunning cloak coated in hand-embroidered gold flowers. If the cloak didn’t already scream royalty, it was also accented by a large gold choker and her finger-weave hairstyle. To top it all off, Lizzo surprised everyone by pulling out a gold flute and playing it while walking the carpet. After all, it wouldn’t be a true Lizzo look without her iconic flute in hand.

Missed the Met Mark

There were dozens of show-stopping looks that truly captured the essence of this year’s theme. However, some guests didn’t quite get the “gilded glamour” memo. 

Kylie Jenner and her sisters are always a much-awaited arrival on the Met Gala carpet, as they are known for their iconic looks. However, all of them really missed the mark this time — especially Kylie. 

She wore an Off White wedding gown designed by Virgil Abloh, who passed away last November. On her head was a white snapback hat with a fishnet veil over her face. Although paying homage to Abloh was a wonderful gesture, this look did not fit this year’s theme and would have more appropriately matched the Met Gala’s 2019 theme, “camp.”

Lacking color or other gilded elements, Kourtney’s reconstructed version of her fiancé’s fit looks like she is on set of “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

The skirt of her dress is beautifully textured, but the top looks like it came off the clearance rack of Forever21 — especially with the “OFF” label embroidered on the front. It doesn’t look like she did anything with her hair, and there is nothing about the look in general that would tell someone she’s embracing the theme of the Gilded Age. The look is overall confusing, and definitely not late 19th- or early 20th-century attire, but at least it has people talking.

It’s sad to have to point out Amy Schumer among those who missed the mark at this year’s Met Gala. People love to hate her, so it feels like a cheap shot. Wearing a black trench coat dress with braided ropes hanging down from the sides designed by Gabriela Hearst, Schumer finalized her look with oversized sunglasses and strappy heels. 

Her dark look didn’t make sense with the Gilded Age theme, but it seems that was the point. On the carpet, Schumer reportedly remarked that she thought the “gilded glamour” theme was “ridiculous.” Though her outfit was unflattering, not on theme and definitely not white tie as instructed by Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue and co-chair of the Met Gala since 1995, Schumer was successful in boycotting the theme she so clearly did not like.

Marking their first appearances on the Met Gala red carpet, Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker made waves with their complementary looks. The new couple was clad in menswear by Thom Browne with matching pleated skirts, extra-long shirt sleeves and piqued collars. 

We’re not sure how this look fits the theme of “gilded glamour.” Aside from abiding by the white tie requirements, the couple missed the mark for the standards of the Met Gala. Lacking color or other gilded elements, Kourtney’s reconstructed version of her fiancé’s fit looks like she is on set of “Pirates of the Caribbean.” 

She even stated during an interview on the red carpet that she “didn’t really think about the theme” when deciding on her Met Gala debut outfit. Yikes. For their first invitation to the Gala, this was an overall underwhelming look that has set the tone for the couple’s upcoming appearances.

Not only was this an unsavory use of her platform, but her look overall did not capture the essence of the Gilded Age, though it was glamorous.

A review of the 2022 Met Gala would not be complete without talking about the spectacle that are the looks from Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson. Paying homage to Marilyn Monroe, Kim donned the gown that Monroe wore in 1962 when she sang “Happy Birthday Mr. President” to then-President John F. Kennedy. 

We have a lot to unpack here. First, the reference to Monroe is confusing since the actress was not even born or alive during the Gilded Age. Although referencing America (by referencing an American?), Kim’s inspiration was about 70 years off the mark. The look raised plenty of eyebrows, especially after Kim revealed in an interview that she lost 16 pounds in three weeks in order to fit into the dress. Not only was this an unsavory use of her platform, but her look overall did not capture the essence of the Gilded Age, though it was glamorous. 

As for Davidson, his tux was underwhelming and could not be differentiated from any other time period. Also, what was up with so many celebrities wearing sunglasses on the carpet this year? The theme was “gilded glamour,” not “cool and casual.”

Looks from this year’s red carpet will be remembered for turning heads, for better or for worse. A veteran of the event, Lively has continued to bear the name of the “Queen of the Met Gala.” Alongside the returning guests were some new faces to the Met, including Phoebe Bridgers, Sydney Sweeney and Conan Gray, and their looks set a precedent for their future appearances. This year’s theme was an interesting concept that was interpreted differently by each guest; however, nothing will top the themes of years past — “heavenly bodies” and “camp” have raised the bar for Met Gala looks, and they will surely serve as the standard for years to come.