At theMet Gala, attendees took the2026 dress codeand ran with it, turning out daring looks that celebrated not just "the dressed body," as per the theme, but also theundressed body.
Beyoncé,Kendall and Kylie Jenner,Gigi Hadid,Doechii, Irina Shayk, Tyla,Simone Ashley,Vittoria Ceretti,Alex Consantiand Isla Johnson were among the celebrities who walked the steps of New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art in styles that hinted nudity and nodded tothe "fashion is art"dress code, which encouraged guests "to express their own relationship to fashion as an embodied art form and celebrate the countless depictions of the dressed body throughout art history."
The "Costume Art" theme is tied to the Met'sexhibitionof the same name, which intersperses garments and artwork from the museum's collection. "Costume Art" is organized by "thematic body types," with categories including the "naked body," the "classical body," the "pregnant body" and the "aging body," according to the museum'spress release.
"Even the nude is never naked. It's always inscribed with cultural values and ideas," Costume Institute curator-in-charge Andrew Boltontold Vogue.
Here are the standout nearly-naked looks from the 2026 Met Gala.
Beyoncéwas a bedazzled skeleton in Olivier Rousteing
Beyoncé did not disappoint in her first Met Gala appearance in a decade.
The evening's co-chair was in head-to-toe rhinestones, courtesy of a dress from Olivier Rousteing that involved skin-tone mesh and numerous diamond-like gems that formed a silver skeleton. The details even went to the tips of her fingers.
'Surreal':Beyoncé on her family's Met Gala outing
The whole look was finished off with a silver headpiece and feathery coat with a long train that stretched down the cobblestone-like carpet.
Kendall and Kylie Jenner wore similar faux-exposed looks
The Jenners incorporated the same motif in their respective outfits, with both gowns featuring the silhouette of nipples (or, in Kendall's case, just one).
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Kendall's "Nike of Samothrace" statue-inspired ivory piece fromGapStudio, designed by Zac Posen, draped around a nude-colored bra. Meanwhile, sister Kylie's strapless Schiaparelli gown featured a skin-colored corset that severely cinched her waist and gave way to a massive embroidered skirt.
Gigi Hadid's sheer dress was 'built on the body'
Hadid, boldly donning a sheer black dress that showed off a pair of underwear and hinted at bare breasts, was back in custom Miu Miu for a second year in a row.
The gown was made from a patchwork of elements from the designer's past collections, Hadidtold Vogue.
"We all sat in a hotel room two days ago, literally, and Scotch-taped the patches onto me in a way that felt celebratory," she said. "It’s built on the body. The body is the canvas."
Tyla's Valentino dress was held up with beading
"Water" singer Tyla, memorable for hermesmerizing Balmain dressfrom the2024 Met Galathat looked like she was covered in sand, left little to the imagination in a custom Valentino outfit.
Ropes of beads and sequins draped over her upper body, partially obscuring her glistening torso but leaving her sides bare. Her teal skirt hung low at the waist and had a long slit up her left thigh, showing off matching heels.
Sheer and naked styles have been popular on red carpets, past Met Galas
Revealing fashionhas been in vogue for the past few years, withHailey Bieber,Jennifer Lawrence,Teyana TaylorandHeidi Klumbeing just a few A-listers who have stepped out in see-through outfits this year.
Chappell Roan's Grammys look– a sheer, wine-colored custom Mugler gown that was held up by nipple rings and put on show her underwear and collection of temporary tattoos – reigns as one of the most shocking looks to grace a red carpet in 2026.
The2024 Met Galaalso had a moment for sartorial choices that emphasized women's bodies, with celebrities from Kim Kardashian to Kendall Jenner and Jennifer Lopez among those who decided to spotlight their rear ends in their interpretation of the theme, "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion," and dress code, "The Garden of Time."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Met Gala celebrated 'naked body' with Beyoncé, Kylie Jenner dresses
