Another Met Gala, another night of jaw-dropping, mind-blowing menswear. This year’s blockbuster — in celebration of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s imminent spring exhibition, “Costume Art” — once again earned its given mantle of fashion’s biggest night, with all manner of dripped-out celebrities gracing the (metaphorical) red carpet with their designer-clad presence.
Despite an opaque, if not outright confusing theme in “Fashion is Art,” there was brilliant style on display this year, especially on the menswear side, championed by seasoned Gala veterans — A$AP Rocky, Bad Bunny, Colman Domingo — and first-time debutants à laHudson Williams and Connor Storrie (of Heated Rivalry fame).
Met Gala 2026 Red Carpet: See All the Celebrity Looks From Last Night
Regardless of whether celebs stuck to the “Fashion Is Art” dress code, fashion’s biggest night deliveredI’ve done some Tuesday morning quarterbacking and from the dozens of looks — all of which you can find here — have identified my favorite ten of the night, ranked by form and fit, commitment to the theme and general levels of best-dressedness. From Paul Anthony Kelly to Jeremy Pope, find the best-dressed men of the Met Gala below.
10. Paul Anthony Kelly
The Met Gala is, first and foremost, a spectacle, and who better to show off than the Canadian actor who played America’s most eligible bachelor? Given that breakout star of Love Story Paul Anthony Kelly practically oozes leading man charm, Jonathan Anderson’s fantastical Dior is a perfect pick; The deep burgundy velvet tailcoat — Kelly told GQ he was going for “Clark Gable meets Dracula” — is a show-stealer, and the color-coded accessories (including a slinky retro Vacheron Constantin) are exceptional. The only thing missing is a Josh O’Connor-esque bowtie brooch.
9. Nicholas Hoult
Is Nicholas Hoult in a perfectly cropped leather Prada suit, complete with accompanying leather tie and a freshly shaved head on theme, per say? Jury’s out. Does it look phenomenal? Absolutely. It may not have been the most “art” or “body” centric ensemble of the night, but on any other red carpet, it’d be the standout.
8. Joe Alwyn
Vogue reporting suggests that Joe Alwyn’s fit channeled Roman sculpture. In reality, the custom Valentino suit — a ropey, taupey, layered situation — looks more akin to something you might see in the Jedi temple, or maybe the Arrakian desert. Still, the sci-fi Cleopatra vibe does not take away from the complexity and artistry that clearly went into creating the look, or the perfectly tailored fit and drape of the pleated top, and it’s a wholly unique take on “Fashion is Art.” Serious points for trying something different.
7. Troye Sivan
It’s hard to know what to make of Aussie Troye Sivan’s Met Gala outfit. On the one hand, jeans (even if they’re Prada) on the red carpet just feel wrong, especially for fashion’s biggest night. On the other hand, cosplaying legendary NYC fashion photographer Robert Mapplethorpe is just about as fashion-meets-art as you can get.
6. A$AP Rocky
A$AP Rocky’s inclusion on a “best-dressed” list is mandatory at this point, and the rapper-actor-style god did not disappoint. Designed by creative director Matthieu Blazy and requiring a reported 200 hours of work, Rocky’s custom, soft pink wool Chanel tuxedo trench was one of the biggest tailoring flexes of the night; for a coat finished with satin lapels and detailing, and paired with bejeweled papal jewelry, it was shockingly refined, aided by an otherwise subtle tuxedo shirt and dark pleated trousers. Sure, it subverts the theme, but it’s hard to be mad at Rocky.
5. Bad Bunny
Bad Bunny — king of the daring Met Gala ‘fit — making a splash at this year’s festivities was about as predictable as it gets. Bad Bunny dressing up as a (custom Zara-clad) abuelito? Not on my Met Gala bingo card. Without the old guy makeup — created by Mike Marino, the process involved both product and prosthetics — the look, a trim blacked-out tuxedo with an oversized bow, might have been boring. With the 53-year age up, though, it becomes far more interesting; a clear nod to the exhibit’s “The Aged Body” section, it was the night’s biggest swing at the theme, and a valiant effort.
4. Hudson Williams
Custom Balenciaga is not for the faint of heart. But then, leaving the Carlyle Hotel in a $400 bathrobe and guy-liner inspired by Black Swan isn’t either, is it? From walking at Milan to mogging the Met, the accent of Heated Rivalry golden boy Hudson Williams has been both rapid and spectacular, a spirit reflected in his baby blue bolero suit (sans shirt, naturally), complete with train, inspired by the label’s namesake Cristóbal Balenciaga and designed by Pierpaolo Piccioli.
3. Sombr
If you weren’t already tapped into pop sensation Sombr, now’s the time to start. Styled by Cosmopolitan Fashion Director Brandon Tan, the twenty-something musician’s hand-sewn Valentino flex, designed by Alessandro Michele and requiring over 500 hours of work, featured a velvet-shouldered chiffon cape worn over a lamé lace top and silver embellished trousers, a glam rock-cum-regency vibe that’s decidedly on theme with both the Gala and Sombr’s personal aesthetics.
2. Colman Domingo
It should come as no surprise that Colman Domingo features near the top of this list, given his general stature as the current king of red carpet menswear. His custom Valentino — a diamond-patterned Jean-Michel Basquiat reference — is playful without slipping into clownish, and the golden jewelry and Omega Constellation timepiece add intentional character without distracting. No notes.
1. Jeremy Pope
There’s a wildcard topping this year’s list. Jeremy Pope may not have been on your Polymarket radar for best-dressed, but the The Beauty actor’s Vivienne Westwood is undeniably, a beauty. An archival style from the label’s fall 1996 collection, the beaded, corseted dinner jacket works on every level — as a sex-meets-sophistication red carpet banger and a tasteful homage to the themes of both fashion as art and the human form (literally, given the top’s impressive physique), but also, as a part of the broader exhibit. The spectacular piece, dubbed “Slave to Love,” is actually part of a set — its twin, “Martyr to Love,” is featured in the Costume Institute’s forthcoming “Costume Art” collection. Bravo.
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