The Met Gala
Bringing it home: How to make camp a style staple for the summer
This year’s Met Gala theme was ‘camp,’ and our favorite celebrities and style icons certainly did not disappoint. While many of us would find it challenging to find an occasion appropriate to wear the elaborate outfits, there is no reason why we cannot take inspiration from the red carpet to inject a bit of camp into our wardrobes on our own terms.
Kim Kardashian graced the red carpet this year with a wet-look ensemble that made her appear to be dripping with pearl-like dew drops. This look can be easily transformed into something appropriate for everyday work and social events. By utilizing a glowing base of makeup, as achieved by a dewy primer and illuminating highlight drops, you can too achieve a similar look to Kim. To commit fuller, perhaps for an evening out, invest in some wet-look gel and slick your hair back away from your face, whether in an updo or straight down behind your shoulders. Not only will you channel all things Kardashian, but you will also look professional and effortlessly sleek in the process
Since leaving One Direction, Harry Styles has quickly become an emblem of how girls don’t have to have all the fun. By styling a masculine silhouette with delicately feminine features, Harry has become a fashion icon of his generation for playing with gender norms. Through painted nails, lace collars and meshed ruffles, Harry doesn’t surrender his masculinity but instead makes it his own. To do the same in a subtle manner still appropriate for the office, try painting your nails a neutral nude or grey. If you are more interested in taking the Met gala-themed plunge, try a darker shade of grey, navy or black that will compliment your work attire. By matching to your outfit and jewelry, nail painting can bring a sleek, professional edge to an outfit without any of the difficulty.
Lucy Boynton’s take on camp was far more muted than some of the other styles on the red carpet, but was no less stunning. By pairing her pastel, beaded dress with her light blue hair and whimsical makeup, she showed that pastels do not have to be dull at all. By utilizing the muted color palette with just enough sparkle to make it pop, Lucy shows us that a delicate shade range matched with something more daring, such as glitter or beading, can bring an element of flirtation to an outfit without it becoming overbearing. To do the same yourself, accessorize a simple, pastel outfit with elements similar that Lucy utilizes to get the look without overdoing it. A pair of daring shoes, a luxurious jewelry set or even a delicate shimmer eyeshadow on your eyelids could create an outfit perfectly on trend but with an individualistic twist.
Through her young and colorful outfit, Elle Fanning shows that good vintage never dates. Taking classic 60s staples of light blue eyeshadow, pink lips, and color blocking, she shows how to modernize a vintage look without becoming lost in it. By focusing on one key color in a monochromatic look, such as Elle does with coral, you can then wear bright nails and eye makeup by balancing out the look with clean-cut lines and muted face makeup. If you find that this is too much, replace one of the elements with something more neutral or straightforward and build up the look to whatever point works for you.
Rami Malek’s understated outfit shows that camp doesn’t always have to be over the top. His outfit is classically stylish through the pairing of black trousers, a dark glittery shirt, and a black velvet blazer. By injecting a bit of extra fun into the outfit through red and black striped embellished boots, Rami shows how one small detail can make a look. By adding a bright accessory to a classic ensemble, you can infuse an everyday outfit with a bit of fun and show that sophistication and camp can truly come hand in hand.
Lady Gaga’s four outfit changes of the night were all stunning and on theme, but it could be said that the supremely camp element of her appearance at the event was not in fact the outfits she wore, but how she wore them. By embodying the spirit of camp with her cheeky poses, exaggerated facial expressions, and her tuxedo-wearing escorts, she showed us the best way to wear any outfit is with confidence. While this could often be easier said than done when wearing a particularly nerve-wracking outfit, by acting more confident than you are, people are guaranteed not to notice the difference, and you will look great in the process.