I've Spotted the Chic Jacket Trend That Dominated the Met Gala All Over Zara, H&M and Mango

Sourcing your look for fashion's Olympics on the high street wasn't on our 2025 bingo card...

An image of the best waisted blazers on the 2025 Met Gala red carpet.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

As fashion’s elite suited up for the 2025 Met Gala, taking over the decadent blue carpet of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in their (super) finest tailoring, I couldn’t help but notice from the comfort of my lounge room that the one high street trend I had been seeing everywhere in London was suddenly spotted all over the prestigious Manhattan steps.

For this year’s edition, style luminaires across film, television, music, sports, theatre and culture were tasked with adhering to the dress code “Tailored For You” to celebrate and accompany the theme of the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”. The display was an homage to the rich and resilient motifs of the cultural and aesthetic stylings of Black Dandyism. But between the nods to André Leon Talley, Dapper Dan, Josephine Baker and Bianca Jagger, there was one particular trend that piqued my interest: the waisted blazer.

An image of Lupita Nyong'o wearing a waisted blazer to the 2025 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Lupita Nyong'o wears custom Chanel to the 2025 Met Gala.

The reason this trend caught my eye was because the shape is currently unavoidable, stocked to the brim at expensive-looking high-street stores like Zara, Mango, H&M and Aligne. We here at Who What Wear UK pride ourselves on being ahead of the sartorial curve, so it would be remiss of me not to mention the fact we first noticed the fitted blazer on the rise all the way back in 2024.

Now, it’s earned the approval of the most influential and in-the-know people in the industry today. For the uninitiated, the waisted blazer is a jacket cut that hugs the figure and cinches in at the waist, creating a contoured and hourglass silhouette synonymous with '80s power dressing and '90s minimalism. On the red carpet, the flared outline was interpreted in many ways. The A Complete Unknown breakout star Monica Barbaro’s recreation of Christian Dior’s original 1947 Bar Jacket ensemble to Zendaya’s all-white Louis Vuitton zoot suit.

An image of Zendaya wearing a waisted blazer to the 2025 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Zendaya wears custom Louis Vuitton to the 2025 Met Gala.

Sabrina Carpenter and Doja Cat both put short n’ sweet twists on the trend, looking to ultra-cropped and defined waisted blazers to offset their more risqué pantless looks. Hailey Bieber did the same, wearing a Saint Laurent mini blazer dress that nipped in at the midpoint of her torso.

Surprisingly, I’d have to award the best waisted blazer prize to Kendall Jenner, who wore a ruched grey waisted blazer and matching elongated pencil skirt from independent British designer Torishéju. According to an interview with VOGUE, Jenner was inspired by the queer nightclub singer Gladys Bentley, who crooned all over Harlem at gay speakeasies wearing traditionally masculine dress. How’s that for a history lesson?

An image of Kendall Jenner wearing a waisted blazer to the 2025 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Kendall Jenner wears custom Torishéju to the 2025 Met Gala.

Of course, with waisted blazers showing no signs of slowing down, consider their red carpet debut as an official invitation to invest in your own. Ahead, see the best waisted blazer moments from the 2025 Met Gala and the best styles to shop.

The Waisted Blazer Trend as Seen on Celebrities at the 2025 Met Gala

An image of Sabrina Carpenter wearing a waisted blazer to the 2025 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Sabrina Carpenter wears custom Louis Vuitton to the 2025 Met Gala.

An image of Hailey Bieber wearing a waisted blazer to the 2025 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Hailey Bieber wears custom Saint Laurent to the 2025 Met Gala.

An image of Laura Harrier wearing a waisted blazer to the 2025 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Laura Harrier wears custom Gap Studio by Zac Posen to the 2025 Met Gala.

An image of Doja Cat wearing a waisted blazer to the 2025 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Doja Cat wears custom Marc Jacobs to the 2025 Met Gala.

An image of Monica Barbaro wearing a waisted blazer to the 2025 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Monica Barbaro wears custom Dior to the 2025 Met Gala.

An image of Imaan Hammam wearing a waisted blazer to the 2025 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Imaan Hammam wears custom Magda Butrym to the 2025 Met Gala.

Adut Akech wears a waisted blazer to the 2025 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Adut Akech wears custom Swarovski to the 2025 Met Gala.

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SEO Writer

Ava Gilchrist is the SEO Writer at Who What Wear UK. Born in Sydney but now based in London, Ava has worked at some of the most prestigious women’s luxury and lifestyle publications including ELLE, Marie Claire and most recently GRAZIA where she held the title of Senior Fashion Features Writer. Ava has five years of industry experience, beginning her writing career after graduating with a Bachelor of Communication from the University of Technology, Sydney. Her words fuse style with substance, bringing readers insightful commentary on the latest fashion trends, runway shows, celebrity red carpet offerings, must-have shopping pieces, beauty hacks and pop cultural moments. As an editor, Ava has interviewed everyone from Kendall Jenner, Margot Robbie, Zendaya, Emma Corrin and Stella McCartney.