
Tragically, only four KarJenners have ever been invited to fashion's night of nights: Kris, Kim, Kendall, and Kylie. The world has thus far been robbed of a Kourtney Kardashian Met Gala Balmain moment (but there's always next year).
But which sister (or momager) does it best? Since 2013 we've been treated to a wide variety of red carpet looks from Calabasas, varying in quality and adherence to those tricky, tricky Costume Institute themes. A definitive ranking of every glittering gown, below.
#21 Kendall (2014)
She's obviously stunning, but Kendall's Topshop gown looks a lot like this off-brand Barbie dress I had as a child. Like, it was a cheap knock-off, not produced by Mattel, and it never fit the dolls' proportions quite right. You get what I'm saying. To be fair, it was her first time on the red carpet.
#20 Kim (2014)
After being compared to a couch at her first Met Gala, in 2013, Kim played it safe with this Lanvin gown the next year. She looks disgustingly beautiful, but there isn't much drama.
#19 Kendall, 2016
If I had these abs then I'd be into cut-outs, too, but this tiny scrap of Versace definitely has a distinct synchronized swimming team costume energy that doesn't quite work.
#18 Kris Jenner (2017)
It's Balmain, it's very shiny, and that's about it.
#17 Kendall, 2017
Here's Kendall wearing actual lingerie by La Perla. Only Rihanna can get away with this move, unfortunately.
#16 Kris Jenner (2015)
A red Balmain gown to go with that year's Chinese theme, plus a regal wave.
#15 Kendall, 2015
Kendall had this green Calvin Klein moment in 2015, and again a sponsorship deal gets in the way of her having any fun. She was the face of #MyCalvins at the time, which meant she couldn't do much to address that year's "China: Through the Looking Glass" theme.
#14 Kim (2017)
This chill Vivienne Westwood dress in no way adhered to 2017's Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons theme, and is maybe a tad too casual for the Met Gala.
#13 Kim (2015)
A Roberto Cavalli naked dress. Beyoncé and J.Lo both rocked the exact same trend that year, so Kim was in good company.
#12 Kylie (2016)
Kylie's pre-billionaire bobbed hair phase! Sometimes I miss it. This was her first Met Gala, and she went with this very passable Balmain look.
#11 Kim (2016)
Pretty much everyone did some variation on this metallic look in 2016, when the Met Gala theme was "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology." This is Balmain, and it's decent, especially when paired with Kanye's low-key rhinestone cowboy look.
#10 Kris (2018)
Hands on hips like the boss she is! Kris is wearing Tommy Hilfiger here, and studiously sticking to the Heavenly Bodies theme.
#9 Kendall, 2018
This white Off-White suit looked amazing on video and presumably in person, but unfortunately didn't photograph well. It was a huge step up from Kendall's sponcon looks of previous Galas.
#8 Kim (2019)
This clever beaded latex Thierry Mugler dress visually matched Kim's dripping wet hair. It was very her, but was it Camp? The ghost of Susan Sontag says no.
#7 Kylie (2018)
Were Kylie and Travis on theme last year? Absolutely not. But they were in love, and very cute. Also, the tiny sunglasses were inspired.
#6 Kim (2018)
Remember Kim's 2018 Cher phase? This is very that. Out of context this looks fantastic, although last year's red carpet had so many ultra-dramatic looks (Rihanna as the Pope, Katy Perry as an actual arch angel) that it got a bit lost in the mix.
#5 Kendall, 2019
A victory. In matching Versace with Kylie, Kendall was on-theme and looking like a rare rain forest bird.
#4 Kris Jenner (2019)
EXCUSE ME? This is the best she's ever looked. The jumpsuit is Tommy Hilfiger, and Jenner told Vogue she was channeling David Bowie.
#3 Kylie (2019)
I mean... how? It honestly hurts to look. In Versace, Kylie adhered to this year's Camp theme while staying true to her pastel-hued, ultra-contoured self. Bonus points for matching with Kendall and creating many fun Jenner sister photo ops.
#2 Kylie (2017)
It's not your grandmother's Versace. This is about the moment everyone realized how powerful Kylie was. We've pretty much been living in fear ever since.
#1 Kim (2013)
This was Kim's first Met Gala, and yesterday she recalled how nervous the event made her. This dress quickly became a meme back in 2013, drawing comparisons to living room furniture. In retrospect, though, this is the crucial Kardashian outfit that re-introduced Kim to the world. She married Kanye, swapped the club clothes for Givenchy couture, and never looked back. It's one of her all-time greatest looks.
A Bonus:
A baby Kylie leaving a 2014 Met Gala after party.
Photos via Getty
From Your Site Articles
- The Met Gala 2020 Has Been Canceled for the Rest of 2020 - PAPER ›
- The Met Gala Theme for 2021 Has Been Revealed - PAPER ›
- Looking Back on the Infamous "Notes on Camp" Met Gala - PAPER ›
- See Which Celebrities Will Co-Host the 2021 Met Gala - PAPER ›
- "America" Is a Great Met Gala Theme, If Guests Want It to Be - PAPER ›
- Kim Kardashian's 2021 Met Gala Look Becomes a Meme ›
- Kendall Jenner Wanted to Go Topless to 2022 Met Gala, Had Pee on Her Foot ›
- Behind the Scenes at the 2020 QuarantQueen Met Gala ›
- PAPER’s Guide To Dressing for the 2024 Met Gala ›