The Best and Worst Met Gala Red Carpet Looks

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Happy Met Monday to all who celebrate. Here at the Cut, we are spending fashion’s biggest night doing what we do best — judging celebrity red-carpet looks and yapping about them on the internet. Who won best dressed? Which red-carpet looks should be burned immediately? Who nailed this year’s Black Dandyism theme (and who thought they could get away with cultural appropriation without us calling them out for it)? We weighed in below. Keep scrolling to see our editors’ picks for the best, worst, and most on-theme Met Gala red-carpet looks of 2025, as well as everything to know about this year’s theme and guest list.

What is the Met Gala 2025 theme?

The 2025 Met Gala theme is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” which is said to be an expression of Black Dandyism. It is inspired by the work of Monica L. Miller, a professor and chair of Africana Studies at Barnard College, and her 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. Miller describes Black Dandyism as “a strategy and a tool to rethink identity, to reimagine the self in a different context. To really push a boundary — especially during the time of enslavement, to really push a boundary on who and what counts as human, even,” according to Vogue.

The dress code is “Tailored to You,” which is a “nod to the exhibition’s focus on menswear,” according to Vogue, that was “purposefully designed to provide guidance and invite creative interpretation.”

Who is attending the 2025 Met Gala?

This year’s co-chairs Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and Anna Wintour will, of course, walk the red carpet.

Vogue announced that the event has a hosting committee for the first time since 2019, which gives us more insight into whom we can expect to see on the red carpet. Hosting committee members include Simone Biles, Angel Reese, Sha’Carri Richardson, Ayo Edebiri, Audra McDonald, Jeremy Pope, Doechii, Usher, Tyla, Janelle Monáe, André 3000, Grace Wales Bonner, Edward Enninful, Olivier Rousteing, Dapper Dan, Spike Lee, Tonya Lewis Lee, Regina King, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Jordan Casteel, Rashid Johnson, Kara Walker, Jeremy O. Harris, and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.

The best, worst, and weirdest Met Gala 2025 red carpet looks

➼ Best Looks
➼ Worst Looks
➼ Weirdest Looks

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The Best Met Gala 2025 Looks

Rihanna

She’s always worth the wait, especially when there’s a pregnancy reveal involved.

Diana Ross

We collectively gasped when Ms. Ross hit the Met Gala red carpet for the first time since 2003 in this gown and cape, embodied with the names of her children and grandchildren.

Doja Cat in Marc Jacobs

Our problematic fave really ate the girls up tonight. The proportions are gag-worthy.

Pamala Anderson in Tory Burch

She knocked this out of the park — from the blunt bob that perfectly compliments the sharp shoulders of her structured gown to the thin brows and natural makeup.

Megan Thee Stallion in Michael Kors

This ponytail alone could earn Meg a spot on our best-dressed list. The sequined gown and white fur coat are great, too — old Hollywood glamour in the best way.

André 3000 in Burberry

This king has a strong back and an even stronger point of view. Potentially the best-dressed man of the night.

Lauryn Hill

This color is a breath of fresh air, and we love the addition of a sculptural train onto her blazer.

Imaan Hammam

Behold, the definition of super-fine tailoring.

Lorde in Thom Browne

Safe to say Lorde summer starts now.

Cardi B

This tailored coat feels especially cool and unexpected coming from Cardi, who usually wows in opulent gowns with long trains and embellishments. Bonus points for the glam.

Doechii in Louis Vuitton

She is potentially the only person on the entire guest list who could pull off this look, which makes us love it even more.

Bad Bunny in Prada

Our boyfriend does not play about the Met Gala. No notes, just one question: What do we think he has in that duffel bag?

Lewis Hamilton in Louis Vuitton

Alert! Alert! Alert! Hot man in a beret.

Zendaya in Louis Vuitton

Pretty but underwhelming.

Jennie in Chanel

Our queen giving the perfect amount of drama for the Met Gala and a reimagined suit that’s so on-theme.

From left: From top:

Colman Domingo in Valentino and Boucheron and Omega jewels

It’s fitting that what seems to be the first André Leon Talley nod of the night comes from Colman Domingo, one of this year’s co-chairs and a true modern dandy. Quickly after arriving, he changed into a second Valentino look, a delicious mix of prints and textures.

Pharrell Williams in Louis Vuitton

Honestly? I was expecting a bit more from him, but it’s still incredible and expertly tailored. The slightly flared pants are perfection.

Myha’la in Luar

My personal best-dressed of the night. It strikes the right balance of being on-theme but also so impactful and memorable — the perfect choice for her Met Gala debut. Oh, and those thigh-high Timberlands? Beyond.

Janelle Monáe in Thom Browne

The theme, but make it camp.

Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz

This is how you do a coordinated couples look.

Whoopi Goldberg in Thom Browne

Proof that there are a million different ways to do a suit.

Reverend Al Sharpton

So Dandy! So dashing! So happy to be here!

Ayo Edebiri in Ferragamo

Tore, as usual.

Nicki Minaj

Even though the fit is slightly off, we love the silhouette and flower-adorned shoulder.

Emma Chamberlain in Courreges

Year after year, celebrities try (and fail) to choose a look that’s on-theme and true to their personal style — but Emma Chamberlain succeeded with this deconstructed pinstripe-suit dress.

Paloma Essler in Ferragamo

Finally, some color!

Zoë Saldaña in Thom Browne

It’s understated but so elegant and on-theme. The hair is sort of a miss, but we’ll look past it.

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The Worst Met Gala 2025 Looks

Shakira in Prabal Gurung

If you’re not even going to try to be on-theme, you really need to bring it in every other category: fit, styling, silhouette, etc. This is bad all around.

Sydney Sweeney in Miu Miu

Great gown, beautiful gown. That’s all.

Kim Kardashian in Chrome Hearts

Once again, Kim looks extremely uncomfortable on the Met Gala red carpet. Do we think she can see?

Chappell Roan in custom Paul Tazewell

We get it; it’s certainly tailored to her. But the combination of neon pink, silver, and sequins make it look costume-y, not fashion.

Cynthia Erivo in Givenchy

Oof. This would be ten times better if the skirt were closed in the front.

Kendall Jenner in custom Torisheju

While we love that Kendall took the opportunity to platform a Black designer, this look is far too simple for the Met Gala.

Kylie Jenner in Ferragamo

Proof that not even a billionaire can make a corset with mesh panels look expensive.

Dua Lipa in Chanel

This is a rare miss for Miss Dula Peep.

Anne Hathaway in Carolina Herrera

She got the tailoring and suiting part of the theme, but the extravagance of Dandyism is missing.

Gigi Hadid in Miu Miu

We are confused about this one. Dandy, where?

Sabrina Carpenter in Louis Vuitton

The pantless look was not that great when Kendall Jenner did it a few years ago, and it’s not that great now.

Gayle King

Not a strong follow-up to her controversial trip to space.

Deborah Roberts

Detached cuffs are never a good idea.

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The Weirdest Met Gala 2025 Looks

Amelia Gray in custom Valentino

Girl, a durag? Be so for real.

Shaboozey

Wait, the blue grill is … kind of a vibe?

From left: From top:

Teyana Taylor in Marc Jacobs in collaboration with  Ruth E. Carter

While this embodies the opulent and exaggerated nature of Dandyism, it could use some editing. We prefer it without the feathered top hat, which she took off on the red carpet to reveal a matching red durag.

Hailey Bieber in Saint Laurent

Now … why would she wear this to the Met Gala when she wears this literally every day of her life? It’s so normal, it’s weird.

Joey King

You know what? I’m going to hold my tongue, just this once. The internet trolls have already put this poor woman through enough.

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