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16 Celebs Who Missed The Mark On This Year's Met Gala Theme

It's me, the theme (and fun) police.

Natasha Jokic
by Natasha Jokic

BuzzFeed Staff

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Listen here, if I were invited to an event where tickets were around $75,000, I might try to actually stick to the theme! But, as long as there is a Met Gala, there will be people who treat Fashion's Biggest Night as Ah, Another Black Tuxedo Opportunity.

Jennifer Lopez and Zendaya at the Met Gala
Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Yes, I know designers have most of the say and folks don't tend to pay for their own outfits, blah, blah, I'm writing this in sweatpants. 

This year's dress code is "The Garden of Time," based upon the 2024 Costume Institute's exhibit, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion. The underlying idea here is of "fleeting beauty," and, given its broad scope, it would actually be pretty easy to argue that an outfit is on theme (like, wearing a cravat would be on theme).

Gold sequined dresses on display, detail focus on beadwork and fabric texture
Getty Images

 You can get a full breakdown of what this means here.

So, here are the folks who presumably went, "Nah, I'm good" this year:

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1. Chris Hemsworth

Chris Hemsworth
Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images

Listen, I was a bit baffled when I heard that Chris was a Met Gala co-chair this year. This look does not help that bafflement. As far as I can tell, it is just a nice Tom Ford suit. 

2. Matt Damon

Matt Damon and Luciana Barroso
Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

It apparently took him "five minutes" to get ready. 

3. Zoe Saldaña

Zoe Saldaña
Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images

The Daily Mail has argued that this look is on theme as she looks "fairylike." I would argue that it's just promotion for Chloé's Fall 2024 ready-to-wear collection.

4. Greta Gerwig

Five people standing together at an event, dressed in elegant outfits ranging from black to cream tones
Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Honestly, I'd put all of the Chloé girls here. At least Greta's look is custom, unlike the other ready-to-wear looks, but I'm not getting "Garden of Time" beyond "black and a bit flowy." 

5. Seth Meyers

Seth Meyers and Alexi Ashe
Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

To be fair to him, he told Vogue on their livestream that he's wearing a "regular tuxedo," adding, "Our theme every year is two parents who left their kids at home."

6. Jimmy Fallon

Jimmy Fallon standing in a suit with a bow tie at an event
Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

This man has been to OVER 10 MET GALAs and has worn a black suit every single time. 

7. Nicholas Galitzine

Nicholas Galitzine at the Met Gala
Jamie Mccarthy / Getty Images

I saw a tweet saying he had the opportunity to do the funniest thing ever and wear Harry Styles's "Camp: Notes on Fashion" look. If only. 

8. Linda Evangelista

Linda Evangelista
John Shearer / WireImage

“The one thing I really wanted to do was push myself out of black, and that’s what we’ve done,” Linda said of her Khaite dress. Congratulations.

9. Cara Delevingne

Cara Delevingne
Jamie Mccarthy / Getty Images

Pat McGrath Labs makeup artist Rachel Goodwin said that this Stella McCartney look was "Joan Of Arc-meets-Twiggy." Now, Stella did mention that her Met Gala looks featured sustainable, lab-grown gems, but that personally doesn't swing it. 

10. Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran in a blue suit posing with photographers in the background at an event
Taylor Hill / Getty Images

Another Stella McCartney look, this time compared to Troy in High School Musical 3 (by the internet). 

11. Stefon Diggs

Stefon Diggs
Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Now, I don't think that this custom H&M suit looks like a trash bag. That doesn't make it on theme, however.

12. Kaia Gerber

Kaia Gerber in a strapless white gown with textural embellishments on a themed event backdrop
Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic

This is a white Prada dress.

13. Naomi Campbell

Naomi Campbell in a shimmering fringe gown at an event
Taylor Hill / Getty Images

But what a lovely color on this Burberry gown, eh?

14. Rachel Zegler

Rachel Zegler
Jamie Mccarthy / Getty Images

Saying that, she is a princess. This look is Michael Kors.

15. Taika Waititi

Taika Waititi at the Met Gala
Taylor Hill / Getty Images

I'm sure that he was very, very warm in this Marni suit. 

16. James Corden

James Corden and Julia Carey at the Met Gala
Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images

What if I told you that James has been to most of the Met Galas in the previous decade?

Honorable Mention: Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez in a sparkling silver gown with a plunging neckline and a long train, standing on steps with photographers in the background
Jamie Mccarthy / Getty Images

J.Lo argued that this Schiaparelli gown was on theme as her dress wings resemble a butterfly's, and a butterfly "sleeps, wakes up." However, I am being extra critical of Jennifer as she is a co-chair this year. It really just looks like another nude dress, which is something J.Lo has done before on the Met Gala carpet. Also, her Tiffany jewelry is of birds, which makes the whole thing feel a tad muddled. 

If you want to read about the celebs who were on theme, click here.

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