(Culture)
The Met Gala is to fashion what the Oscars are to film, what the Super Bowl is to football, and has been for the past 60 years. Each spring, people anticipate the over-the-top, costume-style outfits — one regular attendee's, in particular. Blake Lively's Met Gala looks have made her a mainstay at the annual event, so here's a look back at her 10-year reign.
This actor's style has evolved so much since her Serena van der Woodsen days. Running around in her early 20s with that impeccably messy blonde hair and outfits that looked like they could have been plucked from the Gossip Girl set, she was every designer's dream girl (and still is).
While still as much of a fashion icon as she's always been, Blake Lively circa-2019 is pretty different, you can't deny. Now a symbol of elegance, sophistication, and timeless style, the actor is simply a refined version of her younger self. She's a fine wine that just keeps getting better with age.
The 31-year-old's evolving aesthetic is evident when you look at her Met Gala looks over the years. From the bright-blue Marchesa mini she sported as a single lady back in 2010 to the Versace masterpiece she debuted in 2018, now married to Ryan Reynolds with two kids, this timeline of Lively's Met Gala fashion is a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
Ahead, all of Lively's past looks to get you hyped for the May 6 ball.
2008
Lively arrived at her first ever Met Gala more than a decade ago and with Gossip Girl costar Penn Badgley on her arm. Being a rookie and all, the actor played it safe in a strapless black Ralph Lauren gown with feather detailing on the skirt and matching glove accessories.
2009
The following year, the actor started to show off that bold style she's widely known for now. Lively flaunted a daring asymmetric-sleeve Versace dress in a stunning blue hue, the perfect fit-for-the-runway look for the theme, "The Model As Muse."
2010
The stark contrast between Lively's 2010 Marchesa dress and the long Versace gown from the year before made it totally acceptable to sport two blues in a row. This peacock-draped mini with allover ruffled detailing is perhaps one of the actor's most iconic Met Gala looks to date.
2011
Now, nearing the end of her Gossip Girl career, the then-24-year-old starts moving away from Serena van der Woodsen's style and developing an aesthetic of her own. Wearing her hair down in tousled waves and an elegant, drapey Chanel gown, this is a glimpse of the Blake Lively you know and love today.
2013
After sitting out the 2012 Met Gala to visit then-boyfriend Ryan Reynolds' hometown of Vancouver, Lively returned to the red carpet the following year (this time as a married woman) wearing full-length gothic feathers, courtesy of Gucci, adhering to the "Punk: Chaos to Couture" motif.
2014
2014 confirmed Gucci as a running theme in Lively's Met Ball looks, but instead of punk, the actor opted for a dreamy princess number this time around. Her romantic, sparkly, blush-colored gown featured a whimsical cape and sweeping train.
2016
Pregnant with her daughter Inez, Lively's growing baby bump called for something flowy. Burberry had just the thing. Red flowers adorned the sweeping cape of her fairytale-esque dress, which featured a touch of futuristic organza to fit the "Fashion in an Age of Technology" theme.
2017
In 2017, the fashion event of the year was centered around Paris-based Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo, founder of Comme des Garçons. Kawakubo's creations have a reputation for being extreme and Lively celebrated her with an over-the-top gold Versace gown decorated with the most colorful peacock feathers on the red carpet.
2018
Nobody would argue that the A Simple Favor actor's most recent Met Gala dress was her most memorable yet. Guests and the designers who dressed them pulled out all the stops for the grand "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination" theme and Versace's creation for Lively did not disappoint. Her gown reportedly took 600 hours to make and was so big she had to make her red carpet arrival via party bus.
