The stars def didn’t sleep on freeing the nipple this year.
To some, the first Monday in May is probably just like any other Monday: meh. But to the celeb- and style-obsessed, it can only mean one thing: The Met Gala is *on*.
For the 2024 event, the theme was much more straightforward than in recent years, which could explain why so many stars showed up in similar looks. In honor of the Costume Institute’s new exhibition, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” the dress code this year was dubbed, “The Garden of Time.” Think dreamy, ethereal, and fairy tale-esque.
Of course, there were lots of florals (groundbreaking), plenty of princess vibes, and even a few fairies. However, one undeniable trend on the Met carpet was naked dresses, and it was done in a few different ways.
There’s the Dove Cameron way, which incorporates sheer fabric with floral details (the rosette trend doesn’t look like it’s going away any time soon), and the J.Lo way, which leans into a sheer look with all-over glitter and crystals. Either way, the red carpet dresses were whimsical, stunning, and yes, barely there.
Though most celebs did the naked trend in one of the above two ways, a few stars like Tyla and Doja Cat were able to stand out despite still going with a no-dress dress. Here are a few faves:
Kim Kardashian
“Cardigan” and “Kim Kardashian” in the same sentence? Now that’s actually groundbreaking. All jokes aside, Kim definitely pulled something different with this year’s Met Gala look by Maison Margiela Couture.
The top portion of the gown gave sleepy vibes with the cozy cardigan look and the bottom half was all naked dress. The gorgeous silver leaf appliqués perfectly draped along mesh fabric for the ultimate naked illusion.
Kim kept the makeup look light with natural-looking lashes and light brown shadow and her signature nude lip.
Doja Cat
It’s giving glam wet T-shirt contest in a way only Doja Cat could pull off. The “Paint the Town Red” singer wore Vetements and actually changed from a towel to this oversized wet T-shirt gown just before hitting the carpet.
Her makeup look brought the drama with a mascara-stained tear look.
Emma Chamberlain
Emma Chamberlain looked like she was covered in storybook vines and the dark and sultry makeup screamed evil queen main character energy.
This gown was by Jean Paul Gaultier and hairstylist Sami Knight used the Emi Jay Angelstick smoothing balm to get the perfect wet look bun.
Dove Cameron
Dove Cameron served fairy godmother realness with this floral and nude gown by Diesel. Her gown featured nude mesh sleeves in line with the naked dress trend, though the floral details kept it from looking OTT scandalous.
Her gorgeous makeup look began with Danucera, the skin care line by celebrity esthetician Danuta Mieloch, and Beautyblender, thanks to MUA Kale Teter.
Kelsea Ballerini
Like Cameron, it was all about the floral details for Ballerini. She wore couture Michael Kors, keeping right on theme by looking like she just emerged from a garden. The inspiration? Peep the poster for American Beauty.
Making their Met Gala couple debut, Ballerini stood alongside BF Chase Stokes, who got in on the naked vibe with a sequin suit, sans undershirt. Though they didn’t exactly coordinate, both Stokes and Ballerini were baring some midriff. Goals.
Emily Ratajkowski
Emily Ratajkowski took the naked dress to new heights by also freeing the nipple. Her look was vintage Versace FW01 Haute Couture.
Although the top half of the gown was still sheer, the bottom half really brought the naked trend home by spreading out the beaded details so more mesh fabric can show through.
She kept her makeup look simple with a matching naked/nude lip and smokey eye.
Keke Palmer
Goddess alert! Keke Palmer showed out with this Sergio Hudson gown. Palmer and Hudson are longtime fashion collaborators, and this year offered a twist on the naked dress.
Instead of mostly sheer fabric to create a naked illusion, it looked like Palmer was wrapped in silver fabric strips with “naked” openings here and there.
If you look closely, you’ll notice the silver sequins were attached to sheer mesh fabric and the jewels on the hairline leading up to the high ponytail pulled the look together.
Tyla
Like sand through the hourglass, so are the Met Galas of our lives. Tyla went naked with a twist — her dress by Balmain makes it look like she’s a mermaid who just stepped out of the sand and onto the red carpet. The hourglass bag accessory is everything — all that’s missing with this look is water, but her song by the same name more than makes up for it.
Phoebe Dynevor
In custom Victoria Beckham, Phoebe Dynevor also went with a naked look. She had floral appliqués on the top half of the dress and what appeared to be lace and floral undies underneath.
The mesh fabric cascaded down her waist into a train of floral details that looked effortlessly whimsical.
Jennifer Lopez
Last year, J.Lo rocked Ralph Lauren on the Met Gala carpet; this year, she went with custom Schiaparelli Haute Couture — a definite change from her usual Americana vibe. Schiaparelli is known for its intricate details using sculptural designs in the neckline and metal hardware.
The Met Gala co-chair’s cascading neckline created a whimsical ensemble in line with “The Garden of Time.” She looked like she stepped out of an enchanted world that’s glittery, fairy-like, and well, naked. The sheer fabric draped her perfectly and allowed for the silver details to shine through.
