The Met Gala is fashion’s biggest night, an event where the most influential people in the world from all walks of life, walk a red carpet take pictures and attend the annual fundraiser for the Met’s Costume Institute. What sounds like an average Hollywood night has become a cultural phenomenon. It has become a battle of who wore it best.
The year’s theme was Camp: Notes on Fashion, and no, there were no sleeping bags, tents, and smores. Camp means exaggerated fashion, something outlandish that can potentially make commentary on our culture as a whole — it is all about taking it to the next level. (While the theme is central to the whole event and what is worn, many guests in past years have chosen to ignore it. Well, this year I am happy to report that most people actually followed the theme! Now, that’s a first!)
Throughout the night, we have been sharing the looks with our readers on Instagram, and they have been voting and voicing their opinions on who should reigning supreme as the best dressed, and whose looks are so terrible that they should be swept under the rug not to be seen again.
Best Dressed – Reader’s Choice
1. Billy Porter in the Blonds New York
Courtesy @theebillyporter/Instagram
Billy Porter has become a showstopper on the red-carpet scene lately form his show-stopping tuxedo gown at the Oscars to this; Billy shows that he knows how to deliver a look. Billy rated among our readers the highest score of the night with a staggering score of 9.9. Our readers loved his creativity in his look and his whole presentation.
2. Serena Williams in Versace
Courtesy @SerenaWilliams/Instagram
One of the first stars to grace the carpet was Serena Williams dazzling in this gorgeous yellow Versace affair. Tennis superstar Serena proved she is the queen of serving on and off the court. Many of our readers commented the colors of the gown and how the floral detailing contrasted so well. Our readers thought this answered the theme, yet it was still extremely elegant. Serena ranked 9.3 among our readers.
3. Laverne Cox in Christian Siriano
Courtesy of @lavernecox/Instagram
Laverne Cox stunned in this elegant all-black number, a custom Christian Siriano creation. She captioned her photo with the hashtag #TransIsBeautiful, the transgender actress has been a vocal voice in the LGBTQ+ community for transgender rights, and we love that here at Affinity. We love people who stand up for their beliefs and are fearlessly themselves! The actress looked simply ravishing at the Gala, and our readers couldn’t agree more, ranking Laverne an 8.75 for her look.
4. Janelle Monáe in Christian Siriano
Courtesy of @Csiriano/Instagram
Janelle’s look was the very definition of CAMP; she delivered on the theme and did not disappoint. Her fun, playful look perfectly took control of the Gala theme while remaining very on brand for her. The multi-talented singer and actress wowed our audience, with Devon, one of our readers, commenting that her look “was the best combo of old camp and avant-garde.” This showstopping piece ranked an 8.5 with our readers.
5. Lady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell
Courtesy of @LadyGaga/Instagram
The very queen of camp, Lady Gaga came to the Met Gala, and stopped the show with her four looks! Not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 looks, all executed perfectly with seamless reveals. Gaga for sure takes home the cake for the best reveals. Her looks emulated very The Fame Monster Gaga that we all grew up with. Lady Gaga ranked 8.4 in our reader’s poll.
Worst Dressed – Reader’s Choice
1. James Charles in Alexander Wang
Courtesy of @JamesCharles/Instagram
James Charles, social media superstar, is known for turning looks, whether or not his barely-there Coachella outfits are your cup-of-tea, you have to admit he tries. But with the Met Gala being such an important fashion event, the beauty guru’s look fell flat. Many of our readers did not like this look at all, with over 100 people in our poll ranking his look a 0.0. Many were upset with James’s “lack of effort,” with one reader, Bailey, stating that she thought Charles “barely even tried.”
Many also commented that this looked like a James Charles Coachella outfit, with another reader, Tiana, commenting, “James Charles…it’s not Coachella, dear even the makeup is boring, do better.” However, some of the most positive reviews appreciated that James tried to follow the theme and did a better job than most of the other men in attendance. (Personally, I liked this look! I think it has strong elements and would be an amazing look for a different event, maybe just not the Met Gala. Speaking as a fellow teen, I am rooting for him, as he’s one of the biggest Gen Z stars in the game!) Overall, James Charles scored a 2.4 among our readers.
2. Shawn Mendes in Saint Laurent
Courtesy @ShawnAccess/Twitter
The young Candian singer has been madly successful, hitting number one with his most recent album and selling out arenas all over the world, but one thing our readers were not madly in love about was this look! The main sentiment on Shawn’s look was that it lacked character, with many thinking it was boring. One reader, Dev, commented that Mendes “was boring when compared to the others. It is not a bad suit, but other’s looks were better.” Shawn ranked 4.9 among our readers.
3. Any Man In a Black Suit
Courtesy of Shade Management
While our readers disliked Shawn’s and James’s look, many at least appreciated that they did something. A resounding number of readers when asked who had the worst look of the night said “Any Man In a Black Suit!” The Met Gala is a place for avant-garde styles, a place where you can break the rules of social conventions regarding fashion. Any Man In A Black Suit ranked a solid Do Better in our readers’ poll!
Honorable Mentions – Best Dressed.
Zendaya in Tommy Hilfiger.
Courtesy of @TommyHilliger/Instagram
Best presentation of the night goes to Zendaya; her presentation became an iconic moment almost instantly. The technology behind the dress is truly fascinating. The presentation with her fairy godfather is the theatrics we watch the Met Gala for! Zendaya scored an 8.35 in our readers poll, with many commenting that she had the best look of the night.
Dua Lipa in Versace
Courtesy of @DuaLipaHungary/Twitter
This print-crazy dress perfectly embodied the theme of CAMP. Dua truly made an impact on her first Met Gala carpet. The singer scored a 7.95 among our readers.
Well, that was this year’s Met Gala, and I think all of our readers can agree that this year’s affair was a smashing success. With the choice of such an exquisite theme with so much room for creativity, the best looks were iconic, and even the ‘worst’ looks were still splendidly solid. Now if only more events had a theme of CAMP…
Let us know what you think of our reader’s opinions, do you agree/disagree with their picks? Let us know in the comments.
Featured Image via Instagram
