Since 1948, the Met Gala has been hosted annually at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, giving A-list celebrities the chance to flaunt for a charitable cause rather than in vain. The Met Gala began and continues as a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, but draws in so much publicity from the household names of their invitees, as well as the consistently flamboyant dress code of those guests. On May 5, the theme of the 2025 art exhibit was presented alongside some of the biggest names in Hollywood; ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style’ had every ten dressed to the nines for one of the most prestigious fashion events of the year.
The dress code, ‘Tailored to You,’ is a nod to the book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, which explores the concept of Black Dandyism and provides impeccable insight on the internal perception of this phenomenon. Black Dandyism refers to the proclivity of the wearers to always be pristinely groomed and dressed, which has been observed since the 18th century. The theme requested for guests to come dressed in glamour tailored by their own creative impulses, as well as one of the twelve pillars of “dandy” style: Ownership, Presence, Distinction, Disguise, Freedom, Champion, Respectability, Jook, Heritage, Beauty, Cool, and Cosmopolitan. The dress code was designed for creative interpretation that still applies to the levels of class and elegance reflected in Dandyism. Fortunately, given each guest’s familiarity with upscale fashion, the resulting wardrobe did not disappoint.
For co-chairs Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamiliton, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, and Anna Wintour, representing this year’s theme was especially important as they served as the faces of the event. The four male co-chairs dressed in some sleek but repetitive variation of a suit or tuxedo. Queen of the Met Anna Wintour did not contradict much in her white, floor-length business dress paired with a similarly floor-length turquoise blazer. The styles of these five somewhat set the tone for the night, as many other celebrities showed up in slightly varied formal evening attire. To many spectators, this suggested failure to execute a theme that strived for individuality, or, in short, made for a boring display. However, given the inspiration for the Gala this year is based in Dandyism, a fashion that calls for a refined and well-kept appearance that also expresses a unique aspect of a person’s character in a more abstract way than words can, the same stars criticized for their boring looks are the ones who best represented the theme. While there were many classy and interesting outfits, the same rotation of a suit decked out with different bells and whistles did tire quickly. Shoulder pads, tights, and decadent hats made the 2025 Met Wardrobe look strikingly similar to 1985’s, and if not that, a monocle, cane, or cape homage to 18th century Dandies. Some notable outfits came from actress Angela Bassett, singer Sabrina Carpenter, and actor Jeff Goldblum, all standouts for their ability to convey something unique in a room full of repeats. Comedian Cole Escola’s yellow suit was disturbing and delightful, earning him a spot in the favorable few. Then, of course, singer Dua Lipa served the usual elegant period piece. Apart from her, all other outfits listed involved a sort of blazer.
One piece of headwear, however, gained a tremendous amount of attention for its conspiratorial reputation. Zendaya’s second dawning of an oddly large hat on a grand red carpet sparked much curiosity in the internet community for its grandeur as well as its mystique. First, a black jumbo fedora in 2014 to another show, and most recently, a more modest but still as immense white sun hat at the Met. Some sources suggest that Zendaya is hiding something very unusual beneath the brim of those hats, and coincidentally, no one can deny that Zendaya’s long-term boyfriend Tom Holland is conveniently never in the same room at the same time as them. Although it is physically impossible for the English actor to fit underneath Zendaya’s hat, the theory still captivated many spectators, well encapsulating the basic goal of the Met Gala and all other red carpet events. Thanks to Zendaya, the 2025 Met Gala has a reason to go down in history.
“Tailored to You,” was well executed in the sense that the guests of the Met Gala showed up in their dandiest attire that no mere common folk could pull off without criticism, but did not apply the same effort to making each outfit stand out from the next. Nevertheless, the 2025 Met Gala still drew in as much attention as all past showings, and no doubt as many charitable benefits for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, letting the event retain its status as one of the most important and honorable in fashion history.
