Worst-Dressed Met Gala Moments That Could've Been Saved By One Simple Tweak

You need only say these five words to whet the appetite of fashion obsessives everywhere: "The first Monday in May." That's when New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art hosts its annual, star-studded fundraising gala. And while there's no shortage of memorable Met Gala looks that have entered the fashion hall of fame, many celebs have landed on the Met Gala worst-dressed list — but some looks could've been saved by one simple tweak. 

You know (and have been undoubtedly frustrated by) the outfits we've got in mind. They're not exactly the worst outfits in Met Gala history, if you could just adjust this or get rid of that. So, let's pretend we can go back in time with a pair of fabric scissors and some imagination, and tackle Joey King's clashing prints in 2025, Olivia Wilde's bizarrely proportioned embellishment in 2023, and Lena Dunham's tornado of red feathers in 2026. Trust us, we see the potential.

The 2021 Met Gala was pushed from May due to COVID restrictions, and so Diane Kruger showed up for the affair in September instead. The "Inglourious Basterds" actor donned a bubble-skirted minidress in a vibrant highlighter yellow-green. You could side-eye several elements of Kruger's Prabal Gurung dress, like the proportions and the color, which is fun but intense. Where this look really suffered, though, is in the placement of the capelet, awkwardly tacked onto the star's shoulders in a way that felt messy and like an afterthought. Had the train flowed cleanly behind her, it would've read much chicer. 

Olivia Wilde walked the famous steps of the Met Gala in May 2023 rocking a gown that could've been cool and ethereal were it not for the huge, oddly-placed guitar emblem. The Chloé dress was a reimagining of a 1983 Karl Lagerfeld design; that year's gala was meant to celebrate the late fashion designer. We can appreciate the homage, but the guitar-shaped element felt too large and out of sync with the rest of the garment. We wish it was smaller, and more detailed and defined. Instead, it ended up looking like a strange, nondescript stamp in the center of Wilde's abdomen.

Armor-like breastplates have found plenty of favor on the red carpet in recent years; it's a total art-meets-fashion move. So, it makes sense that Kim Kardashian would've worn a burnt orange version to the 2026 Met Gala as the theme was "Fashion Is Art." Pop artist Allen Jones helped her create the structured piece, which was quite striking, but where the 'fit fell apart was at the half-skirt thing. Had Kardashian opted for a full skirt in that same luscious brown leather, perhaps adopting some dreamy, marble statue-like draping, it could've been a real winner.

Mary J. Blige is famous for knowing how to rock a killer pair of statement boots, but the ones she wore to the 2018 Met Gala were the wrong choice for her powder blue and gold custom Versace gown. The matching thigh-high boots weighed down the airy dress and killed what should've been an effortlessly ethereal moment. Instead, it read heavy and forced. Plus, the singer lost the effect of the hip-high slit. Imagine this dress with a Grecian strappy gold sandal instead!

Joey King attended the 2025 Met Gala dressed for the "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" theme in an olive green Miu Miu suit covered in teeny ornate mirrors. That was funky and just the kind of fun a rising Hollywood star should have with fashion. But did we also need the checkered button-up shirt, whacky tie, and yellow scarf? The prints and colors clashed — and not in a good way — and only distracted from her suit. Nixing the scarf and opting for a super skinny tie, maybe in the same shade of brown as her belt, would've been better.

La La Anthony attended the 2025 Met Gala and took a wild style swing that didn't quite pay off. Anthony reached for a half-jumpsuit, half-ballgown situation imagined by the late designer Virgil Abloh for Off-White. We respect the homage and the try at a hard-meets-soft hybrid moment, but the tulle overwhelmed her and ended up looking sort of silly, like she was clutching a comforter. We wish the tulle felt like a more seamless extension of the jumpsuit. Had the volume been reduced around the neck and the two fabrics connected with a cummerbund, it might have worked.

Margot Robbie usually gets it right, but she suffered a rare slip-up when she attended the 2023 Met Gala. The actor donned a chiffon tunic-style Chanel gown with a plastic corset that was an interesting idea, but when it came to execution, ended up looking stiff, inexpensive, and trendy instead of special. The plastic piece took away from the lightness offered by the rest of the draped dress. But the gold detailing was charming and would've worked better with mesh, lace, or even leather if Robbie was looking to play with texture.

To be sure, there aren't any hard and fast rules around color, but the bubblegum pink hue of Shakira's Prabal Gurung gown from the 2025 Met Gala felt not quite right on her. The dress itself with its dramatic train was pretty (although the cutouts are dated), but the particular shade of pink clashed with her caramel-colored hair and read a little too junior, like what a teenager would wear to her debutante ball. Had Shakira reached for a richer, jewel-toned shade like a raspberry or ruby red, it would've elevated the whole look.

Serena Williams attended the 2024 Met Gala in a Balenciaga gown, crafted from gold-coated silk taffeta. The fabric treatment created an eye-catching metallic effect, and the draping was feminine and well-done, but the accessories kept this look from being great. The black opera gloves, stockings, and pumps were too traditional and created a harsh contrast against the gold material. We wish she would've either played up the eccentricity of the gold with funkier accessories — say, red or royal purple — or let the fabric sing with barely-there gloves and tights, in a creamy chocolate brown, maybe.

Lena Dunham was one of the worst-dressed celebs at the 2026 Met Gala. Her Valentino gown — with its poofs of blood-red feathers — was skewered across headlines and timelines. And for good reason. Dunham comically looked like she could barely see above the overgrowth. The solution for how to save this look is a frustratingly simple one. Had Dunham gotten rid of the ridiculous plume of feathers around her face and traded them for, say, a clean sweetheart neckline, we would be having a totally different conversation, one where phrases like "Old Hollywood glamour" might show up.