The Met Gala: The Good, the Bad and the Boring

The first Monday in May means only one thing to the current crop of A-listers and the fashionistas who dress them: The Met Gala. The beautiful people and their glam squads have once again descended upon Manhattan's Upper East Side for Anna Wintour's very exclusive gala to benefit the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.

The specifics of the gala are typically top secret, being revealed gradually as the night draws near. The co-chairs of the gala were Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya, Chris Hemsworth, and Bad Bunny. The guests were selected by Wintour, who is responsible for every detail of the event from the seating plan (one never table hops at Anna's event) to her approval of the outfits. Even the arrival of the guests is coordinated to happen with the precision of military time.

Wintour prohibits the use of celery, garlic, and chives in the menu simply because she doesn't like them. She also bans smoking, the use of cell phones and making posts to social media, leaving one to wonder what the Kardashian Klan did all night without a phone. Imagine the Konversations at that table.

Every year the gala, which is scheduled to coincide with the opening of the Met's annual fashion exhibit, has a theme which is, of course, selected by Miss Wintour. This year the exhibit is titled "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion." The official dress code for the event was "The Garden of Time," which was inspired by J.G. Ballard's 1962 short story of an elegant couple in a villa who had a garden of crystal time flowers. The interpretations of this theme were as varied as the outfits themselves. Fortunately, some just went with the glam look of an upscale gala at the Met, complete with beads, feathers, fabulous frocks, and enough orange spray tans to rival any finale of "Dancing with the Stars."

Since most of us were not included among the 400 guests, all we get to do is talk about the show that was happening on the biggest red carpet night of them all. Let's get to it. In no certain order withing each category, these are the good, the bad, and the boring at the Met Gala 2024.

The Good

Zendaya (Look One)

Despite a hat that would've been more appropriate for a royal wedding in London, this co-chair was perfection in the blue one-shoulder couture gown by designer Maison Margiela. The always fashionable young star knows how to turn it out on the red carpet. If only she'd stopped at one look. (Scroll down to Worst Dressed)

Jennifer Lopez

J Lo has been a fixture on the best-dressed list for a long time now. Tonight was no exception with her sparkling, silver, custom Schiaparelli gown complete with a train that, hopefully, husband Ben didn't step on. This dress highlighted all of J Lo's best assets, including her rocking body. The woman is hot and this dress turned up the heat on the carpet.

Ariana Grande

All is forgiven for that billowy pink mistake she wore to the Oscars. Her custom Loewe gown with a mother of pearl bodice and flowing pleated skirt was pretty much the best red carpet look she's ever worn. Young, flirty, and yet so sophisticated.

Kendall Jenner

She's the model of the Kardashian clan and tonight she showed us why. She crushed the competition (yes, they're all competing for attention on this carpet) with a tight-fitting, sexy, sparkly 1999 Givenchy designed by Alexander McQueen. The toned-down look revealed far less skin than her usual choices, and it proved to be a winner.

Nicole Kidman

This woman could have an exhibition of her own red-carpet styles. Tonight, she was movie star elegance as its best. When complimented on her Balenciaga dress, the Oscar-winner said that the night was "a celebration of the artisans that made it. I see the work that they put in. It's their craft and I get to wear it." Brava, Nicole Kidman.

Shakira

The sexy singer stopped traffic in her fiery red dress with cutouts in all the right places, a thigh-high slit to show off some of the best gams in the business, and a voluminous train that said, "I have arrived." Wow, that's an entrance!!!

Janelle Monae

The singer stunned in a sheer Vera Wang gown with flowers made from recycled sustainable plastic bottles. She worked that carpet with the poise, confidence, and mystique befitting a star. Everyone should look this good when they're going green.

Kerry Washington

In a sea of sparkles and muted tones, Kerry Washington was a welcome sight in her purple custom Oscar de la Renta gown with a plunging neckline and purple orchids that descended into a dramatic train. The always-fashionable actress turned heads while reminding us all of jewel tones.

Cardi B

Oh Cardi B, just when we thought we couldn't love you any more than we already did, you put on a show that makes it possible. Not sure if the dress was best-dressed list worthy, but the event of her arrival certainly was. Dressed in what had to be thousands of yards of black tulle, with a 360-degree train that required 8 men to work it, Cardi B earned her place on this list! And we didn't even mention the hat and the jewels.

Bad Bunny

Maybe it was the custom Maison Margiela suit with red stripes and stitching, the hat, the leather gloves, the little sunglasses, and the furry shoes that landed you on this list. Or maybe it's just the fact that you're Bad Bunny and you're co-chairing the Met Gala. Either way, Bad Bunny was one of the night's best.

The Bad

Kim Kardashian

The Met Gala veteran wore a silver custom Maison Margiela gown that barely covered her breasts. Normally this would've landed her on a best-dressed list, but she also wore a sweater that looked like something her nana (or maybe her nana's housekeeper) could've made for her. She clutched it on the carpet like she was shivering, despite the 67-degree temperature at the time. And her skin was as orange as the hair of her friend, the former president. You should've sat this one out, Kim. Blame it on the sweater.

FKA Twigs

Not sure who this is, but her Stella McCartney outfit looked like it was missing the skirt or even a pair of pants. The white loop cape was pretty cool, if only she'd worn something underneath it.

(Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

Sydney Sweeney

Apparently, she was going for the edgy princess look. Pick a lane and stick with it, Sydney. The blue tulle princess dress was beautiful. But the black hat, hair, and leather gloves turned it into a Halloween costume. Not quite what you were going for. Big miss.

Serena Williams

It's highly unlikely that anyone envisioned this gold foil couture Balenciaga dress would end up looking like a high-end toga with a train, but it did. And the black opera gloves made it worse. It's a costume gala, not a costume party.

Doja Cat

The white wet-look gown looked more like an oversized white t-shirt you'd wear in a wet t-shirt contest. You lost. Even the glittery tear makeup can't keep this outfit from looking like something you would wear around the house.

Cynthia Erivo

How does one go from an edgy badass in green leather at the Oscars to this? The Thom Browne 'suit' might have stood a chance if not for the rose petals and the pink purse. At least the shoes, nails, and jewelry are perfect as always. You consistently go for the homerun, Cynthia. Sometimes you strike out but keep stepping up to the plate. You are indeed a fashion badass!

Sarah Paulson

Ouch. This one hurts. Sarah Paulson is a great actress – recently got a well-earned Tony nod for her performance in "Appropriate." She's usually a red-carpet favorite too. But this Prada ribbon dress is anything but pretty in pink. It looks like a crafting project gone awry. Please, would someone else dress her for the Tonys.

Lizzo

Oh Lizzo, she's had such a rough year. Who did this to her? She looks like a character from the "Be Our Guest" number in a Disney show. The color is awful. The fabric is not at all flattering. Apparently there are dried roses embedded between the fabrics and if you stood next to her, she smelled like roses. One talking head said, "it only took three weeks to make." I would've guessed three hours and a hot glue gun.

Alton Mason

It looks like this supermodel had a sleeping bag rolled up into one of the jackets he was wearing but it slipped out when he hit the carpet. The entire outfit is a hot mess, but he looks good in it. He is, after all, a supermodel.

Zendaya (Look Two)

Imagine being on the best and worst-dressed list for the same event. Well, nobody in history of the Met Gala has ever gone up the carpet into the event only to turn around and come back out with a second look until now. J Lo is probably pissed she didn't think of it first. But alas, it wasn't worth the effort. The black vintage John Galliano dress and the Alexander McQueen hat looked positively Dickensian, even on Zendaya. It felt like a grab for some additional attention on a carpet she owned just a few hours earlier. Not a good look.

And The Boring

Camila Mendes

Calling all stylists: This was her first Met Gala. She desperately needs help for next time. Her allegedly romantic, ethereal dress with a wilted rose was just boring. It looked like something from the formal wear section of a J. Crew catalog. Perfect for bridesmaids at a boring wedding. For the Met Gala – no.

Pamela Anderson

Come on, you're Pamela Anderson. Okay, you've toned it down a bit, maybe quite a bit. But a nude dress, nude lipstick, feathers in your hair? We haven't seen this much nude Pamela Anderson since the video. Just a little pop of color next time. You're beautiful and you're aging beautifully. But a little color for a big fashion event would be wonderful, please.

Camilla Cabelo

The singer's shimmering Ludovic de Saint Sernin dress was shredded along the bottom as if she had run through a bed of thorns. Her purse was a frozen block of ice with a gold rose inside. It was designed to melt when she got up to the top of the stairs of the carpet, where she would be holding the gold rose. Not sure how it played out, I got bored with the whole production.

Sarah Jessica Parker

The perennial favorite on the Met carpet, SJP as people who claim to know her claim they call her, was sort of frumpy and dowdy in this structured Richard Quinn dress. The Philip Treacy fascinator sealed the outfit's fate as something that would be much more appropriate for Royal Ascot, in England of course.

Chris Hemsworth

Come on, you're Chris Hemsworth. You can just stand there and look good. But you're one of the co-chairs at the Met Gala. A white Tom Ford suit? You can do better than that.

The Take-Away

And if you've read this far, you must be dying to know the Best, the Worst and the most Boring.

Best Dressed:
Nicole Kidman

Worst Dressed:

Should be Zendaya and Kim Kardashian as they know better.
Worst Dressed: Lizzo

Most Boring:

Sarah Jessica Parker