The Stylish Men of the Met Gala 2022 Piled on the Gilded Glamour

The Met Gala is back to its regular date. For some time now, on the first Monday in May—also known as fashion’s biggest night, also also known as the Oscars of the East Coast—figures in the worlds of movies, music, sports, politics, and more walk up the steps of the Metropolitan Museum in a parade of wild and wonderful fits. Most of the time, those figures stick to the theme of corresponding exhibition curated by the Costume Institute. This year, the museum is celebrating “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,” a continuation of the same showcase that debuted last September, the first time the Gala deviated from its set date. We had the pandemic to thank for that.

Where the first part of the exhibition largely honored burgeoning names in American fashion, the second half centers on “Gilded Glamour,” the styles of the Gilded Age, which spanned from 1870 to 1899. It was the era of white ties and voluminous ball gowns. (It was also, it's worth noting, the era of absolutely out-of-control income inequality. Riz Ahmed highlighted this point, saying on the live broadcast that his fit was an "homage to Gilded Age workers that kept the Gilded Age golden.") But as we have come to expect from the Met Gala throughout the years, the theme is just the starting point. Folks like to riff. To reinterpret. To make the theme their own. So tonight, the stars piled on the pomp and pageantry, stepping out in styles that take risks and push boundaries. Ahead, we rounded up some of the best of 2022. Enjoy.