Taylor Swift's Met Gala Looks Through the Years — See Photos
Will we get a Taylor Swift Met Gala 2025 moment? Potentially with Travis Kelce? We are not quite sure, but what we are sure of is that Taylor Swift has Met Gala history, and we have been manifesting a Met Gala return for a while. Over the years, we've seen Taylor Swift's fashion sense evolve from that of a sweet teen singer to a sophisticated red-carpet knockout, and that's certainly been reflected in her Met Gala choices.
ICYMI: Taylor Swift attended her first Met Gala back in 2008, which had the theme of "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy." The star skipped 2009 but came back for two consecutive years in 2010, later skipping 2012 and coming back for a two-year spell in 2013 and 2014.
Seeing as Swift loves an easter egg, we thought we had cracked a pattern when she skipped 2015 and returned in 2016 but, lo and behold, she's been notably absent from the event since 2016 when she served as co-chair with the theme “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.”
Fans of the superstar have been hoping for her return to the Met for years, but we don't know when that will happen. However, we can't help but revisit all of her looks from the event every time the Met Ball night inches closer every year. As we patiently await the next Met Gala and hope for a Taylor Swift appearance, we decided to revisit the star's previous red-carpet looks.
Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.1/6Taylor Swift at the Met Gala 2008
Swift first graced the Met Gala red carpet when she was still sporting her long, tight blonde curls. Despite her squeaky clean image, she touched upon the fantasy part of the night’s “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy” theme with a slinky gown from Badgley Mischka, which was reminiscent of a mysterious, gilded mermaid.
Photo by Rabbani and Solimene Photography/WireImage.2/6Taylor Swift at the Met Gala 2010
Swift went for an understated look for her second appearance at the Met Gala, which had “American Woman: Fashioning A National Identity” for theme. Her shoulder-baring dress from Ralph Lauren showed off her more sophisticated, adult side (she was only 20 at the time!), while her signature red lip was an indication of her own identity as an American woman.
Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage.3/6Taylor Swift at the Met Gala 2011
By the time Swift showed up on her third Met Gala red carpet in 2011, she was a full-blown style darling — and she brought it in this jaw-dropping J. Mendel gown. The lace, the mesh, the layers, the train: She pretty much nailed the “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” theme.
Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images.4/6Taylor Swift at the Met Gala 2013
Swift fully embraced 2013's “PUNK: Chaos To Couture” theme in this edgy black J. Mendel gown. Complete with dramatic cutouts and a jeweled collar; the dress was a departure for the singer — especially when paired with those smoky eyes and uncharacteristic nude lips.
Photo: Getty Images5/6Taylor Swift at the Met Gala 2014
In a complete 180 from the year before, Swift brought old Hollywood glam to the 2014 Met Gala red carpet with the theme "Charles James: Beyond Fashion." This Oscar de la Renta dress was the perfect combination of soft and subtle in the front and dramatic and head-turning in the back — a quintessential Met Ball dress.
Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images.6/6Taylor Swift at the Met Gala 2016
As co-chair for the 2016 Met Gala, Swift fully committed herself to the technology-inspired “Manus x Machina” theme. She arrived on the red carpet in a custom Louis Vuitton design that felt darker and more daring than looks she had worn in years past. Her then-newly-dyed platinum hair, lace-up sandals, and plum lipstick gave the dress a brazen edge.
