On Monday, May 2, celebrities dressed to the tee at the most exclusive fashion gala of the year. The party served as the opening celebration of the Met’s fashion exhibit. This year the theme of the soiree was Gilded Glamor, commemorating a period in American history during the late 1800s of economic prosperity and wealth. Maroon is taking it upon ourselves to rate the best and worst of celebrity looks this year according to theme and style. 

Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian, reality TV star, Skims, and KKW beauty and fragrance mogul, and aspiring lawyer arrived at the Met in Marilyn Monroe’s iconic, 1962, Jean Louis, dress from when she sang, “Happy Birthday Mr. President” to JFK. Kardashian revealed she lost sixteen pounds in 3 weeks in order to get the dress on and was still not able to completely zip the back, so she covered the dress’s seam with a white fur coat. The famous dress is undoubtedly glamorous and gorgeous and a memorable piece of fashion in American history. Additionally, Kardashian bleached her hair to the same blonde that Monroe famously sported, herself. So, the look gets major points for creativity, historical significance, and glamor yet it does not match the Gilded Age time frame so for that Maroon gives it a 9/10. 

Kylie Jenner

Kylie Jenner, reality TV star, and Kylie cosmetics, skin, swim, and baby mogul attended the gala in an Off-White, white wedding dress with a mesh t-shirt underneath accessorized with a  baseball cap-veil. The look itself was atrocious and completely off theme. Yet, Jenner used this year’s Met to commemorate the late Virgil Abloh, American Fashion designer and creative director of the brand Off-White, who died tragically of cancer this past November. Jenner was supposed to attend the last Met with Virgil but did not end up attending because of COVID-19. So, since this was a very thoughtful tribute to a dear friend of hers, Maroon will rate her look a 4/10. 

Hailey Bieber

Hailey Bieber, American model, and media personality showed her face at this year’s gala in a YSL, white high-neck silk dress with a thigh-high side slit. She paired black tights, black strappy shoes, and a floor-length white feather trim coat. She wore her hair slicked back into a bun and looked flawless. She was on theme enough since she looked glamorous but her dress has no direct connection to the Gilded Era and it was a very typical, expected silhouette for Bieber to wear. Just recently, she sported a floor-length, white silk gown to which the Grammys. So, because Maroon would have wanted Bieber to step a little more out of the box we award her a 7/10.

Jack Harlow:

Jack Harlow, American singer/rapper, dressed to impress at the Met. He wore a dark brown, Givenchy, silk suit with a matching tie to the banquet. His hair looked as per usual, messy and curly. This posh look was moderately on theme since again it embodied glamor and prosperous America yet made no direct reference to late 1800s fashion. Overall, Maroon gives Harlow a 9/10. 

Shawn Mendes 

Shawn Mendes, Canadian singer/songwriter, arrived at the Met Gala wearing a Tommy Hilfiger suit and peacoat. Many compared this look to that of Beauty and the Beast’s villain, Gaston, which only contributed to his correlation with the theme. Mendes was one of very few to truly nail this theme, as the suit truly looked as if it were something pulling right out of the Gilded Age. Overall, Maroon would give him a 9/10.

Blake Lively:

Blake Lively, American actress, did not fail to impress at this year’s Met Gala. Lively wore Versace, with the intention of imitating Manhattan’s architecture. When she first walked down the carpet, she wore a rose gold gown with a large bow, which was said to be modeled off of the Empire State Building. The bow then unraveled to reveal a long blue train inspired by the decor at Grand Central station. In addition, she wore a gorgeous seven-tier crown, which was meant to signify the Statue of Liberty’s seven rays. Lively made appearances on almost every best-dressed list and Maroon most certainly agrees and would give her a 10/10 overall rating.

Kendall Jenner

With her black two-piece Prada set, Kendall Jenner, 818 Tequila founder, and American model wowed millions. While Maroon loved her dress, the bleached eyebrows may have been a little too bold. In terms of theme, Jenner really outdid herself; she had a modern play on the theme where the bottom of the dress was elegant and fitting but added a more “trendy” piece on top. While we believe that some of her past looks topped this one, it is still worthy of a rating of at least a 7/10. 

Gigi Hadid 

American model Gigi Hadid shocked many with her bold fashion choice at this year’s Met Gala. Hadid wore a Versace bright red leather jumpsuit which was cinched at the waist with a corset on top. Layered on top, she wore a voluminous, show-stopping maroon coat. Hadid mentioned that her intentions were to express the idea of balance to her daughter, so in order to do so, she wore her hair in a messy bun, which truly pulled the look together. Maroon would have preferred her playing on the theme, as it provided so much potential for her to amaze viewers. Considering this, Maroon would give Gigi Hadid a 7/10.

This year’s Met Gala did not fail to live up to its standards. Although there may have been a handful that failed to follow the theme, the looks were breathtaking, regardless. The Met has continued to keep viewers in awe for the past 74 years, and will certainly continue to do so onwards. Maroon looks forward to what is to come at the Met Gala 2023!