Sabrina Carpenter Is Already Dressing for the Met Gala Theme

Sabrina Carpenter wears a black lace dress — (Image credit: Backgrid)

We all know what happens on the first Monday in May, but what about the first Sunday? As it turns out, there's an event that's even more exclusive than the Met Gala: a dinner party at Anna Wintour's house. While the Metropolitan Museum of Art can hold hundreds of guests, the Condé Nast executive’s private residence naturally accommodates a much smaller group. An invitation, therefore, is hard to come by, but Sabrina Carpenter made the guest list.

At first glance, Carpenter's Sunday night outfit might seem like your standard dinner party fare, but I noticed one small if-you-know-you-know detail that made it align perfectly with both the 2026 Met Gala dress code and the theme of the museum's new exhibition. Both are concerned with the interplay between fashion and art. And what's arguably the most famous accessory ever featured in a work of art, you might ask? The titular jewelry from Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, of course! And that's exactly what Carpenter wore to Wintour's house last night. Coincidence? I think not! Scroll down to see her outfit, and stay tuned for Who What Wear's 2026 Met Gala red carpet coverage online and on Instagram and TikTok.

Sabrina Carpenter As "Girl With a Pearl Earring"

Sabrina Carpenter dresses according to the 2026 Met Gala theme

Re-Create Her Outfit

Jennifer Behr

Iris Earrings

Ronny Kobo

Maribeth Top

Reformation

Layla Silk Knee Length Skirt

Steve Madden

Leena Bag

Tony Bianco

Baz Pointed Toe Slingback Pumps

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Erin got her start as a Who What Wear intern in 2011—back when the site only published a single story per day. (We have since increased that number twentyfold.) She graduated magna cum laude from USC and lives in Los Angeles. In college, she also interned at Refinery29, where she was promoted to editorial assistant and then assistant editor. After nearly three years at R29, she came back to WWW in 2015, where she is now the Associate Director of Fashion News. From the Oscars to the Met Gala, she leads the site's entire red carpet coverage strategy. She specializes in celebrity and fashion news but also enjoys writing travel features and runway reports. She frequently contributes to WWW's social accounts and has a sizable following on her personal TikTok.