Kim Kardashian's Stunning Met Gala Looks, Ranked

Kim Kardashian first attended the Met Gala in 2013, marking the start what would become a long and stunning tradition of seeing what epic look Kardashian would wear to the next Met Gala. Some looks have been drab — she wasn't as daring in the early years — and some have been utterly fabulous. 

Still more have had their quirky elements. Kardashian has worn anatomically-challenging corsets and gravity-defying heels. Then, of course, there was the Marilyn Monroe "Happy Birthday" dress that required a punishing workout routine to fit into, followed by controversy over whether Kardashian ripped it. According to dress owner Ripley's, she didn't. 

Kardashian isn't the only one to test fashion's limits at the Met Gala – Rihanna has an incredible catalogue of boundary-pushing Met Gala outfits. Like her contemporaries, Kardashian has gotten bolder over time, and she's made some dramatic changes year to year. Some of those fashion risks paid off, while others garnered harsh criticism. But one thing's for sure: Kim Kardashian has made some serious statements with her Met Gala looks.

While her hair and makeup was flawless, Kim Kardashian's 2014 Met Gala look was the worst of all of her outfits for the New York event. It was only her second time at the event, and it's clear from how subdued she looked that Kardashian wasn't yet comfortable strutting down the red carpet. She attended the Met Gala with Kanye West, only a few weeks before the couple's wedding in Florence, Italy. 

While it was all very romantic and sweet, Kardashian's look was disappointing. She wore a blue and black strapless gown by Lanvin that featured a thigh-high slit. The fact that the gown had pockets also made it a little too casual for such a big event. She paired it with strappy black heels. 

The theme of the gala that year was "Charles James: Beyond Fashion," to celebrate the work of fashion designer Charles James, who was famous for his inventive, sculpture-like design. Kardashian's Lanvin gown didn't feel like a nod to the theme, which is one more reason why it's her worst Met Gala look.

The theme of the 2017 Met Gala was "Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between," to celebrate the eclectic style of Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo. Guests showed up dressed in outrageous, playful designs ... except for Kim Kardashian. The reality star arrived in an off-the-shoulder white dress by Vivienne Westwood with a middle part and a sleekly styled lob. 

While Kardashian carried off the all-white outfit, the overall effect was surprisingly casual for someone so committed to glam. Her outfit looked like something fans would see her in around the house during a filming of "The Kardashians." On top of that, her Met Gala look didn't align with the ostentatious designs that other stars wore.

To be fair, Kardashian was just coming off the heels of the infamous Paris robbery on October 3, 2016, where thieves stole millions of dollars worth of jewelry while holding her hostage. Needless to say, the event was traumatizing, and Kardashian was in a more subdued space following the robbery.  "Her vibe has been super clean and relaxed recently and she wanted to take that into the Met Ball as well, since that's how she's feeling right now," makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic told People. It's understandable that Kardashian didn't want to stand out that night.

One of Kim Kardashian's most unusual moments at the Met Gala was in 2021, when she arrived in black from head to toe — including black fabric over her face. The theme of the year was "In America: A Lexicon of Fashion," and Kardashian wore a custom Balenciaga t-shirt dress with a long train, a face mask, and black boots and gloves. She had a long ponytail peeking out of the back of the head covering. 

While she and Kanye West were estranged at this point — not a huge surprise given the red flags in their relationship — the outfit was a nod to her former husband. "This look on Kim is like a new subculture and fashion statement," a source told People. "No logo, no face, but everyone knows it's her. Kanye gave her the courage to push creativity and people's imagination through art. It's the ultimate confidence."

While it was certainly a daring look for Kardashian, it wasn't her best Met Gala look of all time. She didn't use the opportunity to make a political or social statement. Rather, the provocative outfit was a self-referential statement, one that was simply meant to show the all-encompassing power of her own fame. Even completely covered, Kardashian was recognized.

While Kim Kardashian was widely criticized and memeified for her 2013 Met Gala look, it has stood the test of time. It was Kardashian's first ever appearance at the Met Gala, and she walked the red carpet with Kanye West while she was pregnant with their first child, North West. Kardashian wore a floral dress by then-Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci, complete with matching gloves. 

Although Kardashian was crushed by the criticism and jokes she saw online after the Met Gala, her opinion of the outfit has since evolved. "I was crying the whole way home," Kardashian told Vogue about her initial response. "And now I love it. Now it's sick, like I look back and I'm like, wow they had the vision." Kardashian added that Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen approached her that night and raved about her outfit, which lifted her spirits. Ultimately, the look aged well. 

For the 2015 Met Gala, Kim Kardashian wore a sheer feather dress by Roberto Cavalli. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail to keep the focus on the ostentatious gown. Kardashian's inspiration for the gown was the similarly see-through dress Cher wore to the Met Gala in 1974, which had jaws dropping.  

"I just met [Cher] and told her this photo was my inspiration for my dress tonight," Kardashian wrote on Instagram (via Express). "She is so beautiful. So happy I met her. We spoke about our amazing Armenian journeys. And that Bob Mackie gown she wore to the Met 1974." 

The dress did look remarkably similar to the iconic dress that Cher wore in 1974,  years before the sheer clothing trend took off. Mackie later shared that people were scandalized by Cher's "naked" dress, but it clearly proved inspirational decades later for Kardashian. Although this dress didn't really match the Met Gala theme that year, "China: Through the Looking Glass," it's still a good look. 

Kim Kardashian's 2019 Met Gala dress was designed by Thierry Mugler to look like a "California girl stepping out of the ocean," she told Vogue (via Harper's Bazaar). The theme of the year was "Camp: Notes on Fashion," and Kardashian really delivered with her fitted, latex dress that looked dripping wet. 

In a behind-the-scenes video for Vogue, the Mugler team explained that they worked with Mr. Pearl, allegedly the best corset maker in the world, to give Kardashian an exaggerated silhouette for the occasion. Addressing Anna Wintour, the co-chair of the Met Gala, Kardashian joked that she wouldn't be able to participate in dinner because the corset was so tight. "Okay, so Anna, if I don't sit down for dinner, now you know why," Kardashian said. "I'll be walking around, mingling, talking, but I cannot hardly sit."

Kardashian rocked a longer version of the highly-popular hydro bob for the occasion. Everything looked soaked, thanks in part to the hanging crystals on the dress and Kardashian's clear shoes. It was an epic production and very impressive. 

Kim Kardashian hasn't always dressed for the themes of the Met Gala, so in 2016, when she arrived looking like a hot space alien, she really made an effort. The theme that year was "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology," and her silver look was on point. Kardashian even bleached her eyebrows for the occasion, a look that was supervised by long-time makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic. "The look is very Kim Kardashian in the future," he told W Magazine. "We kept it true to her tones and her style, but a little more futuristic."

Kardashian's silver dress was by Balmain, with silver heels and asymmetrical earrings, one dramatic, and one a simple stud. As Kardashian walked the red carpet with then-husband Kanye West, she told E! News that daughter North West approved of the look. "Leaving the house, my daughter was like, 'Mommy, I need that dress!'" Kardashian said. "I was like, 'As soon as I'm home, you can have it ... I just need it tonight, then it's [yours]. You can wear it prom!"

Kim Kardashian had no shortage of pearls at the 2023 Met Gala. She arrived in a Schiaparelli gown designed by Daniel Roseberry that was made from 50,000 freshwater pearls and an additional 16,000 crystal pearls. On top of that, it took 1,000 hours to make. The theme of the year was "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty." "I wanted pearls," Kardashian told Vogue. "I thought, 'What is more Karl?' You know, the iconic Chanel pearls is what I always thought of. So we wanted to just be dripping in pearls." The glamorous look was certainly on theme.

Kardashian wore her hair in a glamorous updo, and donned an exaggeratedly long shawl. As if the pearls weren't enough, Kardashian also wore a massive, glitzy choker. Kardashian even noted that some of her pearls fell off in the car on the way to the event, prompting her daughter North West to pick up them up and hold them in her purse. If you want to rock your own pearls, check out even more inspiration for reinventing the accessory.

At the 2018 Met Gala celebrating "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination," Kim Kardashian looked absolutely stunning. She arrived in a gold chainmail gown made by Versace, embroidered with crosses. The metallic dress was perfect for Kardashian's skin tone, and her long, smooth hair didn't distract from the gorgeous creation. 

Her makeup was dramatic, harking back to Italian actor and model Monica Bellucci. Her over-lined lips were very '90s supermodel, and the final effect was jaw-droppingly sexy. In keeping with the theme of Catholicism, Kardashian also wore two small, gold crosses layered around her neck. 

Kardashian's gold dress was fitted and tight, in keeping with her personal style, but she still looked sleek and sophisticated. While it took up less room than some of the other gowns on the red carpet that night — we're thinking of Blake Lively's massive, burgundy gown by Versace — Kardashian wowed all the same. The gold dress has gone down in history as one of her best Met Gala looks ever. 

The 2024 Met Gala theme was "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion." With an emphasis on florals, Kardashian arrived in a sheer, silver dress featuring leaves and foliage from Maison Margiela by John Galliano. She wore a simple, grey sweater over her shoulders and rocked a bleach blond hair color. 

The look was supposed to be a mix of styled and disheveled effects. "This is like the wildest night of my life in a garden," Kardashian said of her look that night, per Harper's Bazaar. "And I just ran out and grabbed my boyfriend's sweater and threw it on. And had to get to work. My hair's all messed up."

While the look confused some, it was a perfect reflection of Margiela's spring 2024 couture collection. Once again, Kardashian wore a corset to give the illusion of an unnaturally small waist. She had to learn how to breathe with such a restrictive corset, and called it "an art form" in a behind-the-scenes video for Vogue. Kardashian is never one to go easy on herself for the sake of fashion, and in this case, it paid off. 

While incredibly controversial, Kim Kardashian's historic look at the 2022 Met Gala was undoubtedly a bold statement. The theme was "In America: An Anthology of American Fashion," and who better exemplifies the glamor of American history than Marilyn Monroe herself? Kardashian pulled strings to wear the original gown that Monroe wore to sing "Happy Birthday" to President John F. Kennedy in 1962. 

It was incredibly difficult to get permission to wear the dress, owned by "Ripley's Believe It or Not!" "I flew all the way to Florida to try on the Marilyn dress at Ripley's," Kardashian said on an episode of "The Kardashians" (via People). "They were not gonna let me wear this dress, they were not even gonna let me try it on until Kris Jenner calls ... And I was like, 'Please mom, if you make this happen I'll marry you.' I would've done anything." 

Apparently, Kris Jenner can make anything happen, because her daughter was able to wear the iconic dress, but only on the red carpet. Once inside, Kardashian switched into an exact replica of the dress so as to mitigate any damage that might have happened over the course of the evening. Kardashian was respectful of the significance of the gown, making it a historic, and memorable, moment.

We ranked Kim Kardashian's best Met Gala looks based on a few criteria. Since the Met Gala has an annual theme, and guests are expected to dress accordingly, we assessed each look based on Kardashian's adherence to the concept of the night. Looks ranked higher the more Kardashian's outfit and styling aligned with the motif of the evening. 

Secondly, we assessed each of her Met Gala looks on its ability to wow audiences. The less memorable the outfit, the lower the ranking. Since the Met Gala is all about self-expression and going over the top, the expectation is that red carpet getups are daring, glamorous, and unexpected. When Kardashian delivered on these notes, we ranked the ensemble higher. While she always looks great, some of Kardashian's Met Gala looks were also more fashionable than others. We wanted to celebrate these exceptional feats of style delivery.