Met Gala’s Sheer Dresses Over the Years: Beyoncé in Givenchy’s See-through Look, Kim Kardashian Dripping in Mugler and More

Renan Botelho
·2-min read

The sheer trend has been consistent on the Met Gala red carpet since the early noughties when see-through fabrics were trending on the runway, as seen in collections from Marc Jacobs, Versace, Alexander McQueen and Calvin Klein. The style, also known as naked dressing, recently resurfaced in the fashion world, being featured in the spring 2024 collections of Prada, Givenchy and other luxury brands.

On the red carpet, sheer dressing has been a popular choice among celebrities. The style was trending during awards season, with see-through outfits on the Oscars, Grammys and Emmys red carpet this year.

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With the 2024 Met Gala taking place on Monday in New York City, WWD looks back at some of the sheer dressing moments in the event’s history. See the list below.

Met Gala 2003: Nicole Kidman

tom ford for gucci dress, sheer dresses trend, see-through style outfit fashion trends, NEW YORK - APRIL 28: Actress Nicole Kidman arrives for "Goddess: Costume Institute Benefit Gala" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art April 28, 2003 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Mainz/Getty Images)
Nicole Kidman at the “Goddess: The Classical Mode” Met Gala.

Nicole Kidman wore a custom silver-sequined sheer dress by Tom Ford for Gucci at the 2003 Met Gala.

Met Gala 2011: Rihanna

stella mccartney, sheer dresses trend, see-through style outfit fashion trends, lace, NEW YORK, NY - MAY 02: Rihanna attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
Rihanna at the “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” Met Gala.

Rihanna donned a one-sleeved black lace dress by Stella McCartney for the 2011 Met Gala.

Met Gala 2015: Beyoncé

givenchy, sheer dresses trend, see-through style outfit fashion trends, NEW YORK, NY - MAY 04: Beyonce attends the 'China: Through The Looking Glass' Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)
Beyoncé at the “China: Through The Looking Glass” Met Gala.

Beyoncé went sheer in a Givenchy Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci custom-made gown at the 2015 Met Gala.

Met Gala 2019: Kim Kardashian

thierry mugler, sheer dresses trend, see-through style outfit fashion trends, NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 06: Kim Kardashian West attends The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 06, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
Kim Kardashian at the “Camp: Notes on Fashion” Met Gala.

Kim Kardashian wore a Thierry Mugler sheer gown that took eight months to create at the 2019 Met Gala.

Met Gala’s Sheer Outfits Through the Years: The See-Through Style Trend on the Red Carpet [PHOTOS]

NEW YORK - APRIL 28: Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham (C) poses with designers Stefano Gabbana (L) and Domenico Dolce during "Goddess: Costume Institute Benefit Gala" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume April 28, 2003 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Mainz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - APRIL 28: Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham (C) poses with designers Stefano Gabbana (L) and Domenico Dolce during "Goddess: Costume Institute Benefit Gala" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume April 28, 2003 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Mainz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - APRIL 28: Actress Nicole Kidman arrives for "Goddess: Costume Institute Benefit Gala" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art April 28, 2003 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Mainz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - APRIL 28: Actress Nicole Kidman arrives for "Goddess: Costume Institute Benefit Gala" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art April 28, 2003 in New York City. (Photo by Mark Mainz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - MAY 01: Supermodel Gisele Bundchen attends the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala: Anglomania at the Metropolitan Museum of Art May 1, 2006 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - MAY 01: Supermodel Gisele Bundchen attends the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala: Anglomania at the Metropolitan Museum of Art May 1, 2006 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images)

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Met Gala 2023: Janelle Monáe

thom browne, sheer dresses trend, see-through style outfit fashion trends, NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 01: Janelle Monáe attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Karl Lagerfeld)
Janelle Monáe at the “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” Met Gala.

Janelle Monáe changed outfits on the 2023 Met Gala red carpet, swapping a black-and-white patchwork jacket for a whimsical sheer dress by Thom Browne.

See more sheer looks on the Met Gala red carpet in the gallery below.

rihanna, kendall jenner, met gala red carpet sheer dresses and outfits, celebrity see-through fashion trends at met gala
rihanna, kendall jenner, met gala red carpet sheer dresses and outfits, celebrity see-through fashion trends at met gala

Launch Gallery: Met Gala's Sheer Outfits Through the Years: The See-Through Style Trend on the Red Carpet [PHOTOS]

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