Best of: Met Gala-inspired, upcoming fashion trends
Putting together an outfit is a work of art: from choosing a color palette, to adding the perfect amount of detail to — most importantly — acknowledging that people will interpret that art in their own way.
The Met Gala, which occurs on the first Monday in May each year, is a gala held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City that helps fundraise for the Met's Costume Institute. Each year, a specific theme is selected and all the A-list celebrities and influencers strut the red-carpet with their interpretation of the theme.
This past Monday, the theme was Gilded Glamor, which refers to the Gilded Age in the 1870s, when bows, frills and puffy sleeves were on trend and Vogue Magazine had just been founded.
No matter the theme, seeing the most avant-garde and over-the-top couture creations led to two things: lots of criticism and lots of copy-cats. Back in 2019, Harry Styles wore pearl-drop earrings to the camp-themed Met Gala, which sparked the Pearlcore trend — turning your grandmother's pearls into a fun and lively fashion statement.
I won’t pretend I didn't harshly critique each and every look while I sat on my couch in my sweatpants, grabbing another spoonful of lemon ice cream. But I also saw a lot of trends that I could easily envision students wearing as they roam campus or dance the night away at The District Lounge.
So without further ado, here are the five best trends of the May 2 red carpet event — all of which are sure to soon become the next fashion staples for your closet.
For a visual guide to plan your next Instagrammable outfit, check out The Panther’s Pinterest board, where we manifested the Met Gala’s top themes and trends into accessible fashion that can be added to your wardrobe.
Trend #1: Corsets
Given that the theme “Gilded Glamor” immediately elicits images of "Pride and Prejudice,” it would be a surprise if corsets didn't make an appearance.
These binding undergarments have been trending online since the 2020 debut of “Bridgerton” season one and became further popularized by the Urban Outfitters Modern Love Corset — a product that was quickly viralized on Tiktok. Nevertheless, the Victorian-inspired garment remained a hit at the Met Gala.
Viewers saw corsets on singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, actress Sydney Sweeney and Evan Mock, an actor and model, which reaffirmed this trend is nowhere near finished.
Trend #2: Puffy sleeves
Many guests channeled their inner Captain Jack Sparrow with puffy sleeves that mimic the classic pirate shirt. Looks from YouTuber Emma Chamberlain, popstar Lizzo, model Gigi Hadid and rapper Bad Bunny showed that turning into the Michellin Man might just be a new goal trendsetters should reach for.
Trend #3: Feathers
Wearing a feather boa may bring back memories of your awkward 16th birthday party photo booth, or singer-songwriter Harry Styles donning the signature, green accessory at the Grammys. But feathery adornments are the new, fluffiest trend.
Model Hailey Bieber and actress Emma Stone showed the flirtiness feathers can add to the bottom of a dress or as a shawl. Also, actresses Ashley Park and Sarah Jessica Parker displayed how using darker feathers can add a dramatic effect to a look.
Trend #4: Hot Pink Anything
I can confidently say I am comfortable with wearing the color pink; my childhood bedroom looked like Pepto Bismol was smeared along the walls and all over my closet. But, lucky me, the color is trending now.
At the Met Gala, actor Sebastian Stan turned heads by wearing a head-to-toe pink outfit made by Valentino. The suit was complete with an oversized puffer jacket and pink sneakers that featured matching pink laces.
Pink was a popular color palette for many other stars such as Glenn Close and Tessa Thompson. Though some spectators have critiqued the bold color choice for being unconnected to the evening’s “white tie” theme.
Trend #5: Opera gloves
Even though the accessory used to be the pièce de résistance for styling a glamorous outfit, opera gloves are making a comeback in contemporary attire — no matter the occasion. According to Harper's Bazaar, when users search "Opera Gloves" on TikTok, there are over 515,000 videos with the hashtag, and Instagram has nearly 16,000 posts featuring the accessory.
On the Met Gala carpet, Blake Lively and Karlie Kloss were spotted wearing gloves, which positions the trend to skyrocket further. For a further touch of sophistication, singer Kacey Musgraves showed up to the red carpet wearing a diamond band atop her black, satin gloves; and if there’s one takeaway from her look, it’s that there’s no such thing as too many accessories.
These celebrities could strut the carpet in a brown paper bag, and we as the public would consider that the next haute couture item of the decade. Which is why, despite some of the event’s celebrities steering away from the “Gilded Glamor” theme with their outfits, the fashion exhibition remains symbolic of trends to look out for.
While it’s important to remember that style should be dictated by individuality — our own wardrobe and our own aesthetic, the pop-culture universe will always be dangling new trends in front of us that we simply cannot resist.