Janelle Monae looked beautiful in a futuristic, sequined, caped dress. They certainly looked glamorous and were committed to their personal theme of black and white clothing and a red lip. The top half of the dress with the hood was super cool. The bottom half of the dress wasn’t as great, but it didn’t take away from the look at all. And honestly any look is elevated by that great face. Janelle told the Associated Press their look was “gilded glamour from the future; [they] came here from the future” and that tracks they always do look like they were beamed in from another (cooler) planet. She even had a bejeweled manicure to match the dress and some cool wrist cuffs. (When I zoomed in to look at the detailing, I noticed Janelle’s pits were unshaved, rock on).

As a New Yorker, I am absolutely biased towards Alicia Key’s Ralph Lauren look and I don’t care who knows it. (Shoutout to Hell’s Kitchen)! The dark silver (pewter?) sequined column dress would be boringly pretty on its own, but it was necessary so the black cape bejeweled with the NYC skyline could take center stage. In the front, her hair is a nod to the Gilded Age and then it’s a futuristic party in the back. That pony makes me think of the Jetsons cartoon. Alicia is sticking with her minimal makeup thing and looks nice. I also love the emerald jewelry (another reason I’m biased toward this look). And I like that Swizz Beatz went full Bronx with his varsity bomber and Yankees cap. At least it wasn’t a boring tux! I like that they both paid homage to New York.

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This was Maude Apatow’s first Met Gala and she wore Miu Miu. I’m a bit perplexed by the polka dots on the sheer fabric and the fact that it seems to be a full-length flapper dress with fringe at the bottom. I guess I’m used to seeing those knee- or tea- length flapper dresses. Looking closely at the dress, it looks like there’s some intricate detailing on the torso, but it’s hard to see behind the distracting polka dots. The velvet part of the off-shoulder sweetheart neckline is a bit heavy for May (even though it was chilly in NY today). I do really like her lipstick and hair and jewelry, especially that choker. She reminds me a bit of Troian Bellisario in these pics.

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Emma Corrin was also in Miu Miu and I find their look a bit more fun. The oversized plaid peacoat and ribbed tights are cute and have the added bonus of being perfect for today’s weather. They look comfy! And I like the accessories (another emerald ring) and styling. I saw on Twitter that their look “seem[ed] to be inspired by Evander Berry Wall, also known as ‘The King Of Dudes,'” an American socialite who lived during the Gilded Age. For those reasons, I do think their look subtly nails the theme, even though it doesn’t scream “gala.” It reminds me of SJP’s look in 2016 for the Manus x Machina Met Gala. A lot of thought went into both looks and they’re very on theme and stand out among a sea of gowns.

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Photos credit: Avalon.red, Getty, and Instar