The Met Gala Naked Dresses Everyone *Still* Talks About

Zoe Kravitz wears a sheer dress on the Met Gala red carpet — (Image credit: Getty Images)

If a celebrity wears a naked dress to a regular old movie premiere, it might not garner all that much attention. If they wear one to the Met Gala, however, it will instantly enter the fashion lexicon. Sheer and illusion dresses have become recurring headline-makers on those museum steps, and we have Cher to thank for that. She wore a bedazzled Bob Mackie number to the event in 1974, causing quite the stir. These days, the trend is not as controversial as it was back then, but it's no less memorable.

No one did it quite like Beyoncé at the Met Gala in 2015, when she arrived in a barely there Givenchy gown embroidered with glittering embellishments that caught the light (and every camera angle) perfectly. That’s exactly why this year feels primed for a full-circle moment. Beyoncé is officially back at the Met for the first time since 2016—and this time, she’s a co-chair. Expectations are, understandably, high. But she’s not the only one who’s delivered a memorable take on the look. At the 2024 gala, Elle Fanning offered her own version with a glass-like gown that was a true work of art. Scroll down to revisit other sheer moments on the Met Gala red carpet.

Kim Kardashian in Jean Louis, 2022

Cher in Bob Mackie, 1974

Beyoncé in Givenchy, 2015

Zoë Kravitz in Saint Laurent, 2021

Kendall Jenner in Givenchy, 2021

Blake Lively in Chanel, 2011

Blake Lively wears a Chanel dress to the Met Gala in 2011

Greta Lee in Loewe, 2024

Elle Fanning in Balmain, 2024

Rita Ora in Marni, 2024

Rachel Brosnahan in Sergio Hudson, 2023

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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.