I Almost Didn't See the 6 Best 2026 Met Gala Secret Outfits— But Sabrina Carpenter and Beyoncé Filled Me In
Changing looks inside the museum is a time-honored tradition for a select few guests.
I'm going to let you in on a little secret I've learned in my years as Marie Claire's senior fashion news editor and a Met Gala red carpet fashion correspondent: the night's best-dressed list never ends when dinner is served inside the museum. While everyone who wasn't invited chooses their favorites from every look on the Met Gala red carpet, the A-list guests inside pull off some of the best outfit changes we're lucky to see the next morning.
Slipping into something slightly more comfortable is a time-honored Met Gala fashion tradition—but we're used to seeing it unfold on the museum's steps. (Remember when Zendaya wore three looks up the stairs?) But it's inside where stars like Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter, and Nicole Kidman decide to pull off even bigger flexes, away from the sea of paparazzi.
Luckily, a photographer or two managed to mingle with guests and snap the 6 best secret outfits from the 2026 Met Gala. Take a look, then tell me you agree: These pieces deserved a front-and-center spotlight on the actual carpet. And if stars wanted an early night, they could have made the after-party best-dressed list, too.
Sabrina Carpenter wearing Versace
Sabrina Carpenter's first of two fresh looks inside the Met Gala.
Fashion's equivalent of a shot of espresso? A secret Versace outfit change—and Sabrina Carpenter, actually singing "Espresso." The Host Committee member changed out of her Dior red carpet dress and into a Spring 2018 gown referencing a Gianni Versace design from 1995.
But there are archival layers to this look: That Marilyn Monroe print nods to Andy Warhol's silkscreen prints of the actress from the 1960s—one of Carpenter's references for her current era of "Sabrinawood" styling with Jared Ellner.
Sabrina Carpenter wearing Bob Mackie
Sabrina Carpenter changed looks once again for a touching duet with Stevie Nicks.
Oh, you thought Sabrina Carpenter's secret outfits were set with her Versace dress? Think again. She combined a legendary designer (Bob Mackie) with a legendary performer (Stevie Nicks) to sing a heartfelt rendition of "Landslide." Bob Mackie has been a fixture in Carpenter's performance style, but the king of gilded, showgirl maximalism has deep Met Gala history, too. At Cher's first Met Gala, she wore a tinsel-spangled Bob Mackie naked dress that was controversial for its time. But really, she was just paving the way for next-gen stars like Carpenter to pay tribute decades later.
There's a nod to another performer at play here, too: Carpenter's dress was first worn by actress and singer Mitzi Gaynor.
Beyoncé wearing Robert Wun Couture
Beyoncé's style got even more glittery inside the Met Gala.
Beyoncé's only red carpet competition is herself—even when she's considering a secret outfit change. Shortly after shutting down the official carpet in beach waves and custom Olivier Rousteing, she zipped into a spangled Robert Wun couture gown to kick off the official gala. Named the "Stargaze gown," her dress creates a celestial motif with 318,000 gilded stiches—the most the brand has ever applied to a garment, according to a press release. The night-sky shimmer wouldn't be complete without teeny-tiny Swarovski crystals, which took 4,340 hours of handwork to place.
Nicole Kidman wearing Chanel
Nicole Kidman revisited her Met Gala red carpet designer for a speech inside the event.
One Chanel red carpet dress just wasn't enough for Practical Magic 2 star Nicole Kidman. Taking the stage for her official remarks as Met Gala co-chair, she peeled off the second-skin custom gown Matthieu Blazy designed for the red carpet, and stepped into another Chanel find. This time, her dress hailed from the Fall 2026 runway—and dialed up the appliqués with a mix of sequins, feathers, and 3-D florals. I can't blame her for wanting to give this intricate gown its own moment.
Kendall Jenner wearing custom GapStudio by Zac Posen
Kendall Jenner's Gap red carpet dress got a glow-up inside the event.
Okay, Kendall Jenner's custom GapStudio Met Gala dress didn't completely come off once she entered the official event. But it's worth shouting-out how she and Zac Posen continued their tribute to "Winged Victory of Samothrace," one of the Louvre's most famous Greek sculptures, after the step-and-repeat. The pair had hinted on the red carpet that there were "surprises" ahead at the Met Gala, and seeing Jenner's full plumage unfold certainly made it seem like Nike, the Goddess of Victory herself, was in the room.
Doja Cat wearing Saint Laurent
Doja Cat kept the Met Gala's naked dress tradition alive.
On the whole, the 2026 Met Gala red carpet favored trompe-l'oeil anatomy over true naked dresses. But Doja Cat, a member of the Host Committee, kept the baring-it-all tradition alive. Once inside the Met Gala, her secret outfit change involved shedding her latex Saint Laurent dress for a sheer, draped gown, reminiscent of the Hellenistic statues within the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
