The Best Met Gala Outfits of All Time, According to 'Marie Claire' Editors

To a fashion novice, determining the best Met Gala red carpet looks of all time sounds like an impossible task. There are nearly six decades of events; hundreds of celebrities; and dozens of hard-to-interpret dress codes to sift through. With guests hoping to out-flex one another with rare archival fashion and towering headpieces—not to mention the outfit changes they pull off in real-time on the carpet—how does anyone choose?

Here's the thing: my fellow Marie Claire fashion editors and I have been covering the Met Gala red carpet for years, tracking down designer credits and interviewing the stars for insight behind their custom gowns. In other words, we know the annual Costume Institute benefit inside and out. When I asked the team to share their Hall of Fame-worthy picks from all of Met Gala history ahead of the 2026 installment, they didn't hesitate. Within seconds, our Slack channel lit up with reminiscences on stars who packed several looks into a single appearance (from Zendaya and Lady Gaga) and guests who redefined what "naked dressing" could mean (like Beyoncé and Zoë Kravitz). We also immediately remembered the looks that did more than ace the theme—they created pop culture history, with a tie-in to major moments in music and film. (Taylor Swift and Solange, we're looking at you.)

One glance, and you'll understand exactly why these looks instantly came to mind. Ahead, discover Marie Claire editors' expert votes for the best Met Gala looks of all time.

Cher wearing Bob Mackie at the 1974 Met Gala

"Before Chappell Roan wore sheer fabric dangling from nipple piercings, before Rihanna covered herself in 230,000 Swarovski crystals and barely anything else, there was the ultimate naked-dressing duo: Cher and Bob Mackie. The music icon and incomparable fashion designer collaborated on countless see-through statement looks during the ‘70s and ‘80s. Cher herself is partial to her nude-illusion gown adorned with silver beads and white feather cuffs from the 1974 Met Gala, which she re-wore on the cover of Time the following year." —Emma Childs, fashion features editor

Naomi Campbell wearing Versace at the 1995 Met Gala

"In most cases, I’m an advocate for minimalism—except on the Met Gala red carpet. The Costume Institute's annual event calls for opulence and eccentricity, which is exactly what Naomi Campbell delivered back in 1995. To honor the 'Haute Couture' theme, the supermodel dazzled in a Versace column gown. Carefully stitched with scintillating sequins, the dress commanded attention and earned a permanent spot on every best-of list—including my own." —Lauren Tappan, fashion editor

Princess Diana wearing John Galliano for Dior at the 1996 Met Gala

"Any outfit Princess Diana wore for her only Met Gala appearance would be worthy of red carpet royalty. But there was something especially thrilling about the navy blue, lace-lined slip she chose for the 1996 ball, designed by John Galliano for Dior. As the designer recalls in the Hulu docuseries In Vogue: The 90s, the late Princess of Wales had originally agreed to wear a version with a corset sewn in. But by the time she walked the carpet, Galliano was shocked to see she'd removed the waist-cinching construction from inside the dress. The overall effect? She was 'liberated,' Galliano said—fitting for a time in her life when she was forging a new path beyond the monarchy." —Halie LeSavage, senior fashion news editor

Liv Tyler wearing Stella McCartney at the 1999 Met Gala

"It's time everyone shopping the upcoming H&M x Stella McCartney collaboration got a fashion history lesson. The hand-drawn 'Rock Royalty' tee in the collection isn't a new design; it's a re-creation of the slashed top McCartney designed for Liv Tyler's walk up the Met Gala steps in 1999. Though, 'designed' is a loose word: In an interview with Vogue, McCartney describes taking Hanes tank tops to a shop in Little Italy for customized studs and laces. But the last-minute creations worked: Tyler and McCartney looked like they'd made their own merch, in perfect harmony with the 'Rock Style' theme that year." —Halie LeSavage

Sienna Miller wearing Burberry at the 2006 Met Gala

"This look meant a lot to me in 2006. It didn't hold up, exactly—though Miller did re-wear it with more modern styling in 2019—but at the time, this was peak mid-2000s British fashion: sparkly minidress, tights the same black as the shoes, a tiny bag, a deep (and in my case, decidedly unnatural) tan. I'm pretty sure I channeled this outfit for every sweet sixteen I attended that year." —Jenny Hollander

Mary-Kate Olsen wearing vintage Chanel and Balmain at the 2013 Met Gala

"For 'PUNK: Chaos to Couture,' Mary-Kate Olsen took an approach that's almost unthinkable by 2026 styling standards. Instead of committing to a full-look policy by a single designer, The Row's enigmatic co-founder paired a vintage Balmain duster with a vintage Chanel dress. In a fashion world where red carpet IOUs are everything, what's more punk than layering exactly how you want to—and with pieces you already owned, too?" —Halie LeSavage

Solange wearing 3.1 Phillip Lim at the 2014 Met Gala

"Before, as Beyoncé sang, 'shit went down in the elevator,' Solange Knowles walked the 2014 Met Gala red carpet in this structural 3.1 Philip Lim gown—complete with a matching sherbet manicure and pedicure. This dress earned its place not just in fashion history, but music and pop culture history, too. (See: the dress still looking pristine as it emerged from the afterparty. Others, not so much)." —Jenny Hollander

Lupita Nyong'o wearing Prada at the 2014 Met Gala

"2014 was The Year of Lupita Nyong'o. This Prada dress—which was controversial at the time, lighting up Twitter when it was still Twitter and lighting it up was a fun and thrilling thing—is exquisite. That vibrant shade of green, the embroidered stones, the feathers, the matching headband and shoes—like it or hate it, you never forgot it, am I right?" —Jenny Hollander

Rihanna wearing Guo Pei at the 2015 Met Gala

"As far as I’m concerned, there is only one correct answer here: Rihanna, on the 2015 carpet, in a mile-long imperial yellow cape by Chinese designer Guo Pei. Trimmed with matching yellow fur and embroidered with intricate flourishes and scrolls, the look took the couturier two years to make. Not to mention the Fenty mogul cites the sensational stole as her all-time favorite Met Gala moment: 'Nobody will ever forget that,' she told British Vogue ten years after her 2015 look. As ever, Rihanna’s right—because here I am, ahead of the 2026 Met Gala, still thinking about that distinctly fabulous shade of yellow." —Emma Childs

Beyoncé wearing Givenchy at the 2015 Met Gala

"My favorite Met Gala moment debuted in 2015, long before naked dressing became a fixture on and off that iconic staircase. Beyoncé was ahead of her time—like she is in the music industry, too—wearing an almost entirely sheer gown from Givenchy. (The French label still hasn’t lost its sheer touch.) Multicolor gemstones shielded only what was necessary, before turning more sporadic atop her sleeves and skirt. Over 10 years later, Bey is still the blueprint for Met Gala guests taking the naked risk." —Meguire Hennes, fashion staff writer

Taylor Swift wearing Louis Vuitton at the 2016 Met Gala

"Ten years later, Swifties are still trying to decode Taylor Swift's 2016 Met Gala dress. She co-chaired the 'Manus x Machina'-themed event in a cut-out, metallic Louis Vuitton mini dress and ribboned platform heels—plus, a surprise bleach job. In hindsight, this 180-swerve from her bubblegum, pop star styling was the start of her moody Reputation era. (Rumor has it, events inside the phone-free Gala also inspired the album's cult-favorite track 'Getaway Car.' Swift hasn't taken a fashion swing this dramatic since, but I'm still crossing my fingers she'll surprise us with another hard-launch on the Met steps soon." —Halie LeSavage

Frances McDormand wearing Valentino at the 2018 Met Gala

"Only Frances McDormand could make the Met Gala’s most over-the-top room look a little sleepy in comparison. For Heavenly Bodies, she skipped the obvious halos, crosses, and Catholic-school cosplay, arriving in a Valentino cape and Philip Treacy headpiece that felt more like wearable art. It was also a reminder that fashion doesn’t have to be formfitting, conventionally flattering, or even “pretty” to be beautiful." —Sara Holzman, fashion director

Lady Gaga wearing Brandon Maxwell at the 2019 Met Gala

"I love Lady Gaga and her penchant for drama, so I remember eagerly waiting for her to arrive at the Met Gala when the theme was 'Camp: Notes on Fashion.' She was a co-chair that evening, so I knew she was going to wear something fabulous. When she first stepped foot onto the pink carpet in that fuschia pink cape gown by Brandon Maxwell, I gasped. Her whole entrance onto the carpet, complete with a very stylish striptease, remains in my memory as one of my most favorite fashion moments. It was the right girl at the right event with the right designer. You could tell how important that moment was to them both—as with everything Maxwell touches, it was full of heart." —Julia Marzovilla, fashion commerce editor

Zendaya wearing Tommy Hilfiger at the 2019 Met Gala

"Zendaya is a fashion icon now, but I remember the 2019 Met Gala as one of the first moments where her distinctive style took shape. She had made a few appearances on the carpet before and, while I loved her Joan of Arc-themed gown in 2018, I found her Tommy Hilfiger dress so sweet in a way I hadn’t seen before. When it lit up on the carpet, I remember feeling so happy to be working in an industry where these moments were possible. The Met is the one event where you can wear a light-up replica of Cinderella’s gown without it feeling overwrought or silly. She met the moment with playfulness that felt perfectly on theme for 'Camp: Notes on Fashion'." —Julia Marzovilla

Zoë Kravitz wearing Saint Laurent at the 2021 Met Gala

"Years before a bedazzled cut-out exposed Zoë Kravitz’s bottom at the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscars Party, she went even sheerer for the 2021 Met Gala. Her then-stylist, Andrew Mukamal, secured a dress code-defying chainmail gown from Saint Laurent. The halter-neck, naked dress didn’t exactly nail the 'In America: A Lexicon of Fashion' theme, but her peekaboo bralette and matching thong deserved a free pass. Kravitz coated herself in Jessica McCormack diamonds, which shined just as brightly as her dress’s fishnet rhinestones. See? She fell for McCormack’s designs years before the London label possibly designed her engagement ring from Harry Styles."—Meguire Hennes

Blake Lively wearing Atelier Versace at the 2022 Met Gala

"Blake Lively was on a hot streak of memorable Met Gala looks that reached another level during 2022’s event, when she served as co-chair. She took the year’s dress code of 'Gilded Glamour' literally in a rose gold Versace gown covered in Art Deco-patterned crystals, complete with opera gloves and a massive bow at the waist. The real kicker arrived when Lively climbed the Met steps—and revealed almost an entirely new look with a teal ombre train and matching blue gloves underneath. All of the nods to New York City, from the bronze-to-teal colorway resembling the Statue of Liberty’s patina to the constellation-designed train taking after the Grand Central Station ceiling, is what cemented this ultra-glam look as one of my all-time favorites." —Brooke Knappenberger, associate commerce editor

Elle Fanning wearing Vivienne Westwood at the 2023 Met Gala

"Elle Fanning’s Vivienne Westwood look treated the Karl Lagerfeld theme as a walking archive. The daisy crown nodded to one of her earliest Lagerfeld shoots, and the bridal silhouette was an homage to Chanel’s famous finale brides. It was equal parts sentimental and biographical. A+." —Sara Holzman

Tyla wearing Balmain at the 2024 Met Gala

"I was utterly floored when I saw Tyla step (or should I say, waddled?) onto the 2024 Met Gala red carpet. Her strapless gown, courtesy of Balmain, was made out of shimmering sand and perfectly molded to her body. Complete with an hourglass clutch, the look was a nod to the sands of time, which I thought was the most genius take on the year’s 'Garden of Time' dress code. Later in the night, Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing cut the dress into a mini length, giving Tyla a whole new look and a bit more mobility. I’ll forever be impressed by the moment, especially considering it was Tyla’s Met Gala debut." —Brooke Knappenberger

Doechii wearing Louis Vuitton at the 2025 Met Gala

"Part of what makes this Louis Vuitton outfit so special isi that it served as Doechii’s Met Gala debut. Created in partnership with Pharrell Williams, the custom look featured a logo-adorned tuxedo jacket and matching checkerboard shorts—both of which beautifully symbolized the concept of Black dandyism and made subtle nods to hip-hop culture. This outfit is particularly meaningful to me as it reminds me of how my own ancestors have utilized fashion as a powerful form of resistance, which is something that I’m incredibly proud of." —Lauren Tappan