an 18-year-old's inner thoughts

image credits: ELLE Decor

I know I’m a little late to the party, ok? Like two months to be exact. BUT, I’m a die-hard MET Gala enthusiast. I seriously might be the biggest fan, so much so that I actually tried to get myself invited to the annual writer’s preview of the event this year (spoiler alert: it didn’t work). So, I thought I’d share my thoughts about this year’s carpet.

For those of you who believe the MET Gala to be just another red carpet event where celebrities showcase how much money they have, let me clarify the event for you. The MET Gala is a fundraiser organized by the MET Costume Institute and Vogue Magazine to raise money for the Costume Institute so they can continue to buy and curate iconic archival fashion to display in the museum. The idea of a theme and dress code is all a way to attract viewers and help the event gain popularity so more celebrities will want to come. And of course, the spectacular outfits serve as an outlet for fashion designers to create and display their more extravagant work on celebrity models of their choice.

Anyways, I love the event sooooo much, that naturally I was devastated to hear so much criticism this year.

People really had a lot to say about the theme of the ball. This year, the theme was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”. I thought this was genius, and a great way to celebrate Black designers and fashion icons that might go unnoticed. “Fashion influencers” on Tiktok and Instagram, however, weren’t as awe-struck as me.

A lot of people thought that the theme was “boring” and lacking whimsy. Ouch. I consider myself a whimsical person and I really loved this idea.

But, upon further investigation, I realized that the theme was not the problem. It was celebrities interpretation of it, and their reflection of the theme in their outfits.

Tailoring is the name of the game. It’s in the theme title, so naturally it is a main focus of the night’s dress code. But, to my understanding, the idea wasn’t to have everyone show up in perfectly tailored suits. Like most themes, there is quite an open interpretation. After all, the 2019 theme of “Notes on Camp” showed us how open a theme can really be. This year, tailoring meant two things: suits, and the idea of tailoring being fitting something to you.

In other words, yes, tailoring did entail suits and showcasing precision regarding the fit of one’s costume. But, it also meant taking classic black fashion and aspects of it, and tailoring them to fit in with your outfit. “Tailoring Black Style” was a great way to allow people of all races to appreciate elements of black style in their own way.

Of course, not everyone saw it this way. Many people, like Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner (sorry Kenny), saw tailoring and ran with the idea of finely fit suits. While the outfits were beautifully crafted, lets face it, they were boring. There was nothing whimsical about them. Kendall did at least have her outfit designed by a young black designer, Torishéju Dumi, who is extremely talented and definitely worth the watch in the next few years 🙂

Left to Right: Hailey Bieber in Saint Laurent (photo from Us Weekly) and Kendall Jenner in Torishéju Dumi (photo from Us Weekly)

Outfits like both of these demonstrated the importance of looking deeper into the theme. The whimsy that viewers craved was so easily achievable, if celebrities played into a main focus of the night: dandyism.

Dandyism is a concept named after the notorious dandies of the the 18th and 19th century. Dandies were people, specifically men, who placed large importance on their outward appearance and manners. They often wore expressive and extravagant yet proper clothing as a means of portraying a polite and polished demeanor.

Black dandyism began as a movement in the early 20th century. Black people found empowerment in portraying themselves as polished individuals, and their creativity and fashionable fearlessness during this time heavily contributed to the inspiration behind this year’s Gala theme and exhibit.

Although dandyism relies on being polished, it also incorporates lots of color and flare into basic clothing. Celebrities that chose to exemplify the looks of dandyism where the ones who truly succeeded. Looks like those of Doja Cat and Janelle Monae combined both tailoring and, for lack of better words, wow factor.

Left to Right: Janelle Monae in Thom Browne (photo from the NYT) and Doja Cat in Marc Jacobs (photo from Harper’s Bazaar)

I am THE Thom Browne fan. I love him forever. This suit was everything and more. The red was electric and absolutely wowed me. The visible stitch lines and the fact that the suit sort of resembled an in-progress sketch was genius and really showed how meticulous tailoring can be. 10/10.

Doja. I know she’s had some questionable MET moments, but she really did her BIG one. This zoot-suit inspired get-up is exactly what I wanted to see from her. It’s quintessentially Doja while still being incredibly on theme and chic chic chic! These outfits are perfect for the Met Gala because they incorporate the theme while having a creative interpretation.

Before I get into my favorite looks, I need to talk about one thing: where. were. the. lettuce. hems??????? When I first started to introduce myself to the theme, I thought about elements of black fashion that I use in my own life. I went all the way back to the 70’s and thought about Stephen Burrows, the black designer who popularized the lettuce hem. I see lettuce hems in my own style often, and I love the look of them. Although it is such a small detail, the integration of these details from so long ago into my own modern teenage fashion showed me just how much this theme was universal and how, once again, the fashion is for everyone.

I didn’t notice any outstanding lettuce hems on the carpet. I know this might not have been considered by designers, but I really would’ve loved to see a lettuce detail on a suit or dress shirt. I just think it could’ve been a really cool touch and another way to make the theme one’s own.

Ok, now it is time for the best part. Please buckle up while I show you my favorite, most gobsmacking, jawdropping, awe-striking, crazytown looks. These are my for sure top three (in no particular order).

1.) Jennie in Chanel (photo from Billboard)

This was it for me. The pure care and quality that Chanel takes for every look they create is unmatched. Everything about this was perfect, all the way down to the pockets. The hat was a perfect accessory because it balances out the femininity of the silhouette by providing a traditionally masculine shape. I’m beyond obsessed.

2.) Tyla in Jaquemus (photo from Red Carpet Fashion Awards)

Tyla really did it for me last year too with her Balmain sand dress. To be honest, I didn’t think it could get much better; I was wrong. This is so chic and almost story-telling? The dress is beautiful and the pinstripes are chef’s kiss and the oversized coat is to die for. Those aren’t my favorite parts, though. It’s the hair. Holy hair. Tyla. It’s so moody and undone but also perfectly kept and the color is insane. It’s almost masculine? She slayed.

3.) Zendaya in Louis Vuitton by Pharell (photo from Vogue)

No one can do it like Zendaya can and I fear no one ever will. To say this is perfection is an understatement. The silhouette is so perfectly tailored to her and this is a fantastic example of the precision that goes into tailoring. Some people say its too plain; I say, Zendaya is the one person on the carpet who is allowed to do plain because she does it well. And, again with the hats!!! The drama. I love it.

So, to wrap it up, this year’s theme was intelligently and wonderfully thought out, and those who executed it well really incorporated both history, and high fashion (my two favorite things). Those who didn’t do as well, well I suppose there’s always next year! (Unless you’re not invited back and you have to watch the event on E! from your couch like the rest of us).

Okay, that’s all I have to say about this year’s MET Gala. I hope you enjoyed reading all about my opinion because trust me, there is more to come. See ya next MET Monday!