For the last decade, no matter the theme — flamboyant “Camp,” “Heavenly Bodies,” “Manus x Machina” — many ladies at the Metropolitan Museum’s annual Costume Institute Ball (aka the Met Gala) have displayed more skin than fabric.
Emily Ratajkowski, Janelle Monae, Kim Kardashian, Lily James, Zoe Kravitz, Amanda Seyfried, Kendall Jenner, Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez have all donned such sheer gowns they could have swooped in from the Victoria’s Secret runway.
Last year’s “Garden of Time” theme inspired the singer Tyla to don a Balmain dress made of sand. Only sand.
The theme for Monday’s Met Gala is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” (with a dress code of “Tailored for You”), based around the history of the black dandy, and head honcho Anna Wintour has tapped an all-male lineup to chair the event: Colman Domingo, ASAP Rocky, Pharrell Williams and Lewis Hamilton.
Some wags have worried the theme could prove problematic — either because of a risk of committing cultural appropriation or because of the menswear remit. After all, there are only so many vintage Yves Saint Laurent “Le Smoking” tuxes to go around.
But, in truth, the timing couldn’t be better.
“At Paris Fashion Week [in March], the power suit for women was the big news,” author and red carpet expert Bronwyn Cosgrave told The Post. “Men’s fashion is having such a moment, with new style icons like Pharrell Williams, Timothée Chalamet and Colman Domingo, it had to affect womenswear. Plus, breaking out ball gowns in the current world economic situation seems inappropriate.”
Fabulous options include Saint Laurent’s big-shoulder numbers worn with ties, Haider Ackermann’s sleek seductive suits for Tom Ford and Thom Browne’s impeccable suiting favored by Janelle Monae and Doecchi.
Nick Wooster, a menswear creative consultant, pictures female stars finally turning against the gala’s earliest sexy stereotype: Cher’s 1974 Bob Mackie naked dress.
“If there’s ever been a moment of stylish women to be decked out in menswear, this is it,” said Wooster. “The Met’s the perfect venue to show off the imagination happening in modern menswear. Women will be so comfortable, they won’t want to go back!”
Celeb stylist and THR artistic director Alison Edmond loves “the idea of the ladies going down the masculine route — a collared shirt and silk tie finished with a bowler or chic top hat, and heels … it can be very sexy if worn by the right celebrity. I’d be excited to see classic British menswear tailors like Ozwald Boateng or Dunhill suiting up the women ascending the Met stairs.”
Parsons professor of fashion journalism Vincent Boucher has a starrier vision: “I’d love to see some actress revive that backwards Dior suit Céline Dion wore to the Oscars in 1999! With the tilted white hat?
“Women can really play with the dandy theme, even if it’s all traditional black and white. Valentino couture was filled with sharp cuts mixed with frills. And no doubt someone will have a great Sarah Burton Givenchy moment — those tux jacket mini dresses!”
The Post has heard rumors that Zac Posen is whipping up a custom GapStudio look inspired by 17th-century silhouettes and romantic poets for one lucky lady: a suit … with a train?
“My hope is, we’ll see highlights from female fashion history — [from] Edwardian and Victorian shapes to Chanel’s first tweed suit in 1923, to Dior’s New Look jackets,” said red carpet expert Melissa Rivers. “But I do think this year men are finally going to steal the show. They’ve been building up to it for years.
“Still, somebody will always do skin. It’s Met Ball tradition.”
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