Over the past couple months, there hasn’t been a lot to look forward to. Basically every event is canceled, so whether you’re into sports, live theatre and concerts, or just like, drinking somewhere that’s not your house, things have been bleak. And amidst all the disappointment, today is especially depressing. Normally, the Met Gala, held on the first Monday in May, is the most exciting time in the world of fashion (and making fun of fashion), but sadly, this year’s event is indefinitely postponed. But that doesn’t mean we can’t entertain ourselves by looking back at some of the most tragic Met Gala looks from years past.
Remember, the Met Gala is not just about who wore the cutest dress. Every year, there’s a theme, and it is the time to be creative, fashion-forward, and over-the-top. When considering what makes a Met Gala look bad, some of these celebs’ outfits were just fugly, but others fundamentally misunderstood the assignment. Here are the worst Met Gala outfits of all time.
Kris Jenner, 2019
The 2019 theme was Camp, which basically begged people to make bizarre choices. But Kris Jenner managed to look weird even given this theme, which is kind of impressive. I know we all joke that she works harder than the devil, but nobody was working hard on this outfit. But maybe that was the problem. Was she so tired of everyone calling her the devil that she decided to dress as Glinda the Good Witch? This is truly upsetting. She looked like a cross between the Tooth Fairy and the Fairy Godmother, which I guess would make her the Fairy Godmomager. Also who did her spray tan, Tan Mom?
Ashley Graham, 2019
Remember, the theme was CAMP. Do something crazy. This was not the time to come in a Gucci logo dress, lookin’ like your grandma’s strawberry sucking candy. Ashley looked gorgeous, and her body is obviously to die for, but that’s not the point. Where is the DRAMA? I’ve been wearing a top with no pants for the last 55 days, it’s called quarantine chic. This was a swing and a miss.
Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen, 2018
The 2018 theme was Heavenly Bodies, and the Olsen twins didn’t fully miss the memo. But they’ve been dressing in mysterious cloaks and capes for like, what, a decade now? So I was kind of hoping to see a little more from them. Instead, they’re both serving middle school pottery teacher realness. I’m willing to bet on my most-liked Instagram photo that at least one of them was wearing Birkenstocks underneath all of that. Also, why is one twin aging exponentially faster than the other??
Shailene Woodley, 2018
I actually could warm up to this look if someone could please confirm that Shailene Woodley purposefully showed up to the 2018 Met Gala in a Sexy Lord Farquaad costume. Like, go off sis, I love Shrek too! Sadly, I don’t think that’s what she was going for, which makes this outfit totally inexcusable. The more I look at it, the more uncomfortable I get, and from the look in her eyes, I think she knew it was bad, too.
Jennifer Lopez, 2017
Jennifer Lopez is always one of the most stunning people at the Met Gala, but dressing to the theme is not her strong suit. In 2017, the Met Gala celebrated the work of Rei Kawakubo, one of the most influential avant-garde designers. And you know what’s pretty much the opposite of avant-garde? This beautiful flowing blue caftan. J.Lo is basically dressed like Patricia from Southern Charm, and while Patricia is chic AF, she couldn’t be further from the theme.
Madonna, 2017
Madonna always puts in effort at the Met Gala, and for that I am grateful. But I’m sorry, I f*cking hate this dress she wore in 2017. The camo material? Hate. The literal plastic buckle on her belt? Nope. All of the jewelry? Absolutely not. The cape/shawl made out of a different, even worse camo material? The matching CANTEEN that she carried on the carpet?? I’m done. Maybe this worked for the theme, but it didn’t work for my eyes.
Kanye West, 2016
Say what you will about Kim’s outfit, but she looks glam as f*ck, and she’s dressed to theme. Kanye West, however, showed up to perhaps the fanciest even in the world wearing RIPPED JEANS AND A T-SHIRT. His jacket is totally sick, and I think the outfit is cool, but this was at the MET GALA. Fashion’s biggest night! It’s a disgrace.
Emma Stone, 2016
The 2016 theme was about the relationship of fashion and technology, which for most people, just meant wearing metallic dresses. Emma Stone, however, came dressed as an extra from any movie set in Ancient Rome, except I guess the corset is metal? Idk, it’s not anything special, and this look sits at the tragic intersection of basic and ugly. That’s about the worst place to be when Rihanna is a few feet away, shutting down the red carpet.
Donatella Versace, 2015
I have many questions about this outfit. This year’s theme was “China: Through The Looking Glass”, and I have no idea what that has to do with this dress. There’s just so much going on. Why are there 18 kinds of netting material? What are those glittery symbols all over? Why does her hair look like that? I really want to jump through the computer screen and trim her bangs. Donatella is iconic, but this look is a total mess.
Kris Jenner, 2015
Pull the lever, Kronk! pic.twitter.com/7JGeAHzGQR
— LADbible (@ladbible) May 5, 2015
We started this list with Kris Jenner, so why not bring things full-circle? Her 2015 Met Gala look was basically just a red silk robe with shoulder pads, complete with a chunky gold belt and some of the largest earrings I’ve ever seen. She looked a little ridiculous, honestly, but it’s probably not as bad as last year’s Tooth Fairy couture. But most importantly, this look was the source of all the “pull the lever, Kronk” memes, because Kris’ botox situation looked absolutely insane. I’m sure a lot of stars get a little, um, touch-up before the Met Gala, but Kris may have gone a little overboard.
Obviously, fashion and taste are subjective, but I feel pretty comfortable sh*tting on these outfits. And if you liked them, sorry, but it’s really not that big of a deal. Sadly, we won’t get a new crop of outfits to roast tonight, but hopefully Miss Rona hurries the f*ck up out of here, so we can still have a Met Gala at some point this year. After all that’s been taken away from us, we deserve to see some Rihanna glam.
Images: Sean Zanni / Contributor (2), George Pimentel (2), Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Contributor / Getty Images; Sky Cinema / Shutterstock.com, Ovidiu Hrubaru / Shutterstock.com (2); ladbible / Twitter
If you haven’t checked your calendar recently, just know that the end of 2019 is rapidly approaching. We still have like, 50 days left in this year, but people have started looking ahead to 2020, which makes me both excited and stressed. Oscar contender movies are coming out left and right, the Grammy nominations are getting released in a week, and today, the theme for the 2020 Met Gala was announced. It’s not as confusing as Camp was last year, but it still sounds artsy AF.
This year’s theme for the 2020 Met Gala and costume exhibition will be “About Time: Fashion And Duration,” which immediately makes me wonder…who is going to show up to this thing literally wearing a clock? My money is on Lady Gaga, but it could really be anyone. According to the Met Costume Institute, the exhibition will showcase 150 years of fashion history along a “disruptive” timeline, so I guess they’re just putting the clothes out of order? Idk, I’m definitely still gonna go. Curator Andrew Bolton said that the exhibition is “a reimagining of fashion history that’s fragmented, discontinuous, and heterogeneous.” Cool cool cool cool cool. Tell me what Rihanna’s gonna wear and then we can talk.
While the theme this year definitely isn’t as difficult to explain as Camp (Mom, stop asking me if random things are camp), I’m still not sure exactly how this theme will be interpreted. Will someone be dressed as Cogsworth from Beauty & The Beast? Will Anna Wintour do Hermione Granger cosplay and carry a time-turner? I can already picture Kim Kardashian dressed as Princess Jasmine coming inside of a gigantic hourglass, and I’m gonna be disappointed if she does anything less extra. Actually, knowing Kim, she’s just going to show up in a corset and call it “time”, but I’m really hoping for Jasmine.
The 2020 Met Gala will take place on May 4th, and this year’s co-chairs are Nicolas Ghesquière (the creative director of Louis Vuitton), Lin-Manuel Miranda, Emma Stone, Meryl Streep, and Anna Wintour. While I’m guessing this means Emma Stone will wear a boring Louis Vuitton dress like she always does, I’m intrigued by Meryl Streep’s selection. She’s not the kind of person that goes to the Met Gala every year, so I really hope she goes over-the-top for her big night. Maybe she’ll dress up as Miranda Priestly and move at a glacial pace? That would thrill me.
While we still have to wait approximately seven months to see the ~timeless~ looks at the 2020 Met Gala, we can take this time to look back at some of the most iconic Met Gala themes and looks ever. As I mentioned before, many people were confused by last year’s theme “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” but co-chair Lady Gaga obviously knew exactly what to do. Her gigantic pink dress, followed by a series of outfit reveals, were instantly iconic (and camp).
In 2018, the theme was “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” and some of the looks were seriously stunning, While some people are determined to be boring and just look pretty, Cardi B fully went for it, despite being super pregnant at the time. It’s been almost two years, and I’m still not over that headpiece.
If anyone has made the Met Gala their bitch in the past decade, it’s Rihanna. While she sat out last year, she’s shut down the red carpet several other years with looks that only she could pull off. While her avant-garde Comme des Garçons look and her Pope couture were spectacular, my absolute favorite thing she’s worn is this stunning yellow gown by Chinese designer Guo Pei. The whole theme in 2015 was “China: Through The Looking Glass,” and Rih was one of the only stars who wore a look from an actual Chinese designer. You go, bad gal.
So yeah, there’s going to be a high bar when it comes to next year’s looks, and I really hope all these celebs don’t let me down. In the meantime, we have the whole award season’s worth of red carpets to judge appreciate fashion, and I’m so ready.
Images: Shutterstock (4)
