Gender Reflections. Exploring Fashion at the Met Gala
"Gender is not something that one is, it is something one does, an act... a doing rather than a being."
- Judith Butler, Undoing Gender
The Met Gala, also known as the Met Ball, is a yearly event held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. It was first held in 1948 with the purpose of the event being to raise funds for the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute. What initially started as a ‘Midnight supper club’, has now transformed into a mecca of high status, and what is regarded as one of the biggest nights in fashion. The event is assigned a different theme each year. These themes range from simple and undescriptive prompts such as the theme for the 1986 event, which was simply ‘Dance’ to more illustrative and detailed concepts such as 2016’s ‘Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology’.
Consumerism
Consumerism impacts those who view the Met Gala, The attendees of the gala have a significant influence on societal perceptions of beauty and identity. While the Gala showcases extravagant fashion, it can also reinforce a consumerist culture. Those who cannot attain the same level of luxury as what is seen, this then perpetuates a cycle of comparison and discontent. Consumerism can also create unsustainable production practices. This can then turn into a trend cycle..
Woman at the gala
Hailey Bieber
Kim Kardashian
Emma Chamberlain
Kim Kardashian 2022
Kim Kardashian's 2022 gown caused shockwaves, as she was wearing Marline Monroe’s 1962 dress from John F. Kennedy's 45th birthday party. Kim sparked controversy as she stated she lost 16 pounds for the Met Gala to fit into the dress saying, “I haven't had carbs or sugar in about three weeks” (2022). Kim reinforced the dominant discourse around body image, “Western women are subject to a great deal of pressure to conform to the thin ideal of feminine beauty” (Harper & Tiggemann, 2007). Kim broadcasting her weight loss for the Met embodied the dominant discourse around the female gender and needing to be skinny, or thin to be feminine and an attractive woman.
Men at the gala
Austin Butler
Jack Harlow
Ryan Reynolds
Austin Butler 2022
In past years males who have attended the Met Gala have been praised for outfits most would view as 'basic'. Especially when comparing these outfits to the outfits worn by the women in attendance. For example, in 2022, Austin Butler rocked a black suit on the Met steps and was a part of US Weekly's 15 best-dressed men. Although Butler took a slightly different take on the classic black tux, he still, however, did not stray far from the classic basic male suit. Guiza states that suits are a “symbol for hegemonic masculinity” (2020) and further goes on to unpack how suits reinforce masculinity. This is because suits have become a symbol of financial success, as men in high-paying jobs traditionally typically wear suits to their places of work. Additionally, suits are said to imply power and dominance.
Common Gender Trends Found
By looking at the comparison above, we can see the trend that men often go for is a classic suit look while women tend to wear revealing dresses. Although this juxtaposition appears to reflect 'more' traditional ideas of masculinity and feminity, the Met Gala on an annual basis tends to showcase a shifting cultural landscape where these traditional ideas are being questioned. Thus, highlighting the gala's role as a beacon of fashion and ‘making statements’.
These ‘statements’ then go on to have a possible impact on societal gender norms. This is because, constantly viewing traditional gender roles on the huge platform that the gala provides, can heavily impact our society. Thus, the gala has broader implications for our everyday lives that can both positively and/or negatively shape our reality.
BREAKING THAT BARRIER
Celebrities at the Met Gala either choose to fit into gender stereotypes or challenge them. “When we say gender is performed, we usually mean that we've taken on a role or we're acting in some way and that our acting or our role playing is crucial to the gender that we are and the gender that we present to the world” (Judith, Butler 2007).
Jared Leto 2019
The contrast between some male celebrity's outfits and costumes is a prominent one. On one hand, you have male celebrities, who as discussed earlier, choose to wear 'basic' suits and ties, and then you have those who challenge this. Jared Leto arrived at the 2019 Met in a red Gucci dress with crystal armour. In society, men are not seen to wear dresses. The theme being camp was very fitting as he was carrying a wax figure of his head as an accessory. Vogue stated, “Leto styled his piece with a high-neck red gown (another daring choice)” (2019). Leto was praised and admired for his out-of-the-box look as it challenged the dominant gender norms of the fashion world.
Kristen Stewart
In recent years, many women attending the Met Gala have broken the previously discussed "trend" of typically wearing 'revealing' dresses. While a woman wearing a suit is not seen as as controversial in the modern day as a man wearing a dress, mainly due to hegemonic beliefs surrounding femininity being 'bad', Women who have done so such as Kristen Stewart in 2023 have been the cause of much discussion. This is because through wearing a piece of clothing commonly worn by men, these women are not fulfilling the societal expectations of them to 'perform' femininity.
Gender theorist Judith Butler discusses this idea of femininity, and gender as a whole as a performance, by stating "The gender reality is created through sustained social performances means that the very notions of an essential sex, a true or abiding masculinity or femininity, are also constituted as part of the strategy by which the performative aspect of gender is concealed." (1988, 528).
Therefore, by wearing a traditionally masculine piece of clothing such as a suit, women at the Met Gala are not "sustaining" their "social performance" of femininity.
Social Media and its Impact
As stated previously, the Met Gala has come to be known as one of fashion’s biggest nights. This has only become more true in the age of social media, where content from the event is published on these platforms almost as instantly as it is happening. This, therefore, has led to a culture of instantaneous critique and judgment. A few notable examples of these critiques going viral include tweets comparing Kendall and Kylie Jenner to the ugly step-sisters from Cinderella and Natalia Bryant to an inflamed testicle. Although, in some ways, by attending these events celebrities open themselves up to this sort of criticism. This does not mean, however, that the critique becoming an ‘event’ itself cultivates healthy discourse, especially surrounding gender.
While male attendees might garner flack for being ‘plain’, female attendees garner criticism for both being plain and/or unconventional. Therefore, showcasing the societal double standard that is present when it comes to perceptions surrounding men and women. This idea is discussed by Dr Yuxin Peng, who states "Cyber shaming of women's outfit choices is not just a matter of individual taste or preference but is rooted in deeply ingrained gender stereotypes and expectations that constrain women's freedom of expression and limit their opportunities for self-determination. " (2024, p. 225)
Conclusion
In conclusion, while the primary aim of the Met Gala might be to fundraise for the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute, the event has grown over time to mean much more than that. As discussed, the Met Ball in some ways promotes a culture of consumerism through its sometimes 'excessive' glamour and affluent aesthetics. This culture of consumerism manifests itself through the conforming to and the creation of 'trends'. While some trends present at the Met Gala such as men wearing suits and women wearing 'revealing' dresses are also common within 'regular' society, the breaking of these 'norms', as we sometimes see at the Met Ball, is not.
This breaking of barriers, as well as, the entire event itself, tends to in some ways unintentionally cultivates an environment of critique. This critique is especially prevalent online and is particularly pervasive when it comes to women. Thus, showcasing the double standard women are held to when it comes to performing gender through fashion.
References
Big Think. (2011). Judith Butler: Your Behavior Creates Your Gender. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo7o2LYATDc
Butler, J. (1988). Performative acts and gender constitution: An essay in phenomenology and feminist theory. Theatre Journal, 40(4), 519-531. https://doi.org/10.2307/3207893
Harper, B., & Tiggemann, M. (2008). The Effect of Thin Ideal Media Images on Women’s Self-Objectification, Mood, and Body Image. Sex Roles, 58(9-10), 649–657. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-007-9379-x
Nast, C. (2019, May 6). Jared Leto Wins For Wildest Accessory of the Night at the Met Gala. Vogue. https://www.vogue.com/article/jared-leto-met-gala-2019-gucci
Peng, Y. (2024). Gender-based double standards and inequalities in online culture: Objectification of feminine sexuality, self-expression and appearance, and Cybershaming. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media, 50(1), 225-236. https://doi.org/10.54254/2753-7048/50/20240949
The Power of the Suit – Confluence. https://confluence.gallatin.nyu.edu/context/first-year-writing-seminar/the-power-of-the-suit
Vogue - CAMP - Met Gala. Vimeo.com. Retrieved May 9, 2024, from https://vimeo.com/448958811
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