The first Monday of May might as well be a national holiday for all fashion enthusiasts. Fashion’s biggest night of the year, the Met Gala, will be held on Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York City at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and it already has people talking.
The Met Gala, an exclusive event where designers and celebrities showcase theme-based outfits, is an annual fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, and they just announced the theme for the next exhibition: Costume Art
This recent announcement leaves everyone pondering the same question: How will this theme translate to the outfits? Although the official Met Gala 2026 dress code hasn’t been announced, the dress code will most likely be an interpretation of the exhibition’s theme. With billions of views across all platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Twitter each year, everyone is eager to know what to expect at the 2026 gala, and I’m here to share a few of my predictions.
1. Silhouettes
Silhouettes have been prominent in ancient artworks and peaked in popularity during the 18th and 19th centuries. Silhouettes are an essential part of fashion as well, so it’s very likely we’ll see some outfits drawing inspiration from silhouettes in art. There are many types of silhouettes, fitted, loose, straight, exaggerated and more, so the possibilities are endless and I can’t wait to see designers’ takes on this.
2. Nudity
When walking into an art museum, one thing you’re guaranteed to see is nudity. The nude human figure has been part of art since ancient times to express human experience, beauty and emotion. It wouldn’t be surprising to see nudity on the Met Gala carpet this year.
Nudity in fashion has become more prominent in recent years, a cultural shift towards body positivity and empowerment. For example, Kendall Jenner’s nude-inspired look at Schiaparelli Paris Fashion Week 2025 showcased how high fashion is embracing this trend, so this is definitely something I’m expecting to see at the gala.
3. Sheer Fabrics
Another trend absolutely taking off in recent times is sheer fabrics and I’ll bet we’ll see plenty of it at the 2026 gala. As mentioned in the previous section, nudity is a prevalent part of art and using sheer fabrics is a way to compromise this idea without going fully nude. Given how popular sheer fabrics are on current runways, they’re likely to inspire some of the night’s most memorable looks.
The naked look has been very popular on red carpets in recent years, and with the theme being an interpretation of “Costume Art,” I can say we can certainly expect many variations of the naked look in our 2026 Met Gala outfits. Not only can we anticipate these three trends, but I also hope to see nods to famous artworks. An official dress code will most likely be announced in the next few months, closer to the time of the event.
Fashion is art after all, so I’m excited to see what designers and celebrities will create with this year’s theme.