The Met Gala is always the year’s biggest night in fashion. Celebrities turn out in the most daring, beautiful, and in many cases, outrageous, over-the-top looks. While the focus is usually primarily on the outfits that they wear for the actual event, this year, the after-party looks also drew quite a lot of attention. The 2022 Met Gala after-party looks saw the return of naked fashion. The theme seemed to be outfits that didn’t leave much for the imagination.
The 2022 Met Gala Return of Naked Fashion
The Met Gala is like the Olympics of celebrity fashion. Looks are bold, beautiful, and daring. For the 2022 Met Gala, the theme was Gilded Glamor and White Tie. Celebrities did not fail to turn up in gorgeous gowns. A chillier night, many looks included various styles of jackets and coats to keep out the cold air. For the after parties, however, celebrities didn’t seem to care about a few chilly breezes. (1)
The theme for the Met Gala 2022 after parties apparently was, unofficially, the naked look. That is to say, all things are sheer, revealing, and barely there. Celebrity stylist Mirando Holder says that naked fashion is not new. It’s always been “in”, it is just seeing a bit of resurgence in recent years.
“Whether they are full sheer wet look or body con, the naked dress comes in all forms and is designed to get attention,” she explained. “It became more popular in the late 1990s and was used as a shock tactic to generate headlines. As an audience at home we have almost became blaze towards celebrities bearing a little or a lot of flesh.”
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A ‘Wow’ Factor
In the new post-pandemic world, celebrities are all wanting to step out in something that makes people say “wow”. A boundary-pushing look, something beautiful but edgy, classy but sexy, extravagant but risque. They certainly achieved this at the Met after parties.
For example, at the Gala itself, Cara Delevigne wore an incredibly bold outfit of red pants, gold body paint, and chunky gold body jewelry. No top, not even a bra – just paint. (2)
Kendall Jenner wore coral-colored undergarments with sheer black lace pants and a top combo over top. Hailey Bieber wore short black leather shorts, an open black blazer, and a shimmery revealing silver bralette. Addison Rae wore a black, flowing dress that not only showed a lot of skin but was also completely see-through.
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Vanessa Hudgens, too, chose an elegant, Victorian-era-style black gown for the Gala. The only difference between hers and those of the era that it harked back to was that her gown was see-through. Finally, Bella Hadid also apparently took some inspiration from the Netflix hit Bridgerton, however, opted for more of a Bridgerton in the bedroom look. She wore a custom lingerie-inspired black lace dress.
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It’s Just A Body
Wearing garments that are almost like a second skin rather than a piece of clothing is something celebrities have been doing for quite some time. Beyond just creating a ‘wow’ factor or making sure their outfit is talked-about, many have also spoken up about embracing the body. After all, many of our ideas of modesty come from religion and very long-standing ideas of morals. This is especially true for the female body. Many female celebrities have chosen to wear revealing or shocking outfits to strike back against the thought that a body is something that needs to be hidden or covered up.
“Actress Zoe Kravitz has worn this style many a time before and hit back at commentators saying: ‘Being uncomfortable with the human body is colonisation/brainwashing. It’s just a body. We all got ’em.’” said fashion commentator Karine Laudort.
It is certainly not a new movement, either, for celebrities to use their fashion and their platform to start conversations about issues important to them. For many who choose to wear barrel-there or highly revealing fashion, it is often about taking back control of their bodies. For female celebrities, especially, whose bodies get spoken of relentlessly. The idea for many of them is to say “hey, this is my body, a human body. If that makes you uncomfortable, then that says more about you than it does about me.”. As we move toward the summer months in much of the world, it will be interesting to see what more naked fashion looks come out.
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Sources
- “Met Gala 2022: The rise of ‘naked’ fashion.” Metro Edaein O’Connell. May 3, 2022.
- “15 Met Gala 2022 After-Party Looks — See Photos.” Teen Vogue. Aiyana Ishmael. May 4, 2022.
