Forget the Obvious—This Elegant Neutral Ruled the Met Gala Red Carpet Instead

May 6, 2025 / Swedan Margen /

I’ve been covering red carpet events for fourteen years now and one thing I know to be true is that black dresses will always make an appearance at them. However, the Met Gala is no ordinary red carpet. It’s a night where the A-list outfit rulebook that so many stars adhere to across the other 364 days in a year is thrown out of the limousine window. A night where more original style choices are favoured. And 2025’s Met Gala was certainly no exception to this, with one specific neutral colour trend eclipsing black (and cream and beige) entirely.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Those who regularly follow Met Gala happenings will know that the theme changes each year and 2025’s take was Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, which celebrated the rich history and cultural significance of Black dandyism. The accompanying exhibition at the Costume Institute delves into how tailoring has been used as a form of self-expression within Black culture, with the dress code, Tailored for You, encouraging guests to look past beyond pretty but basic looks and dig deeper into the theme itself. The colour black might be synonymous with suiting, but there’s another hue that feels just as relevant in the tailoring remit: slate grey.

Ashley Graham wears a slate grey dress to the 2025 Met Gala

Standing out with its understated elegance, I spotted so many slate grey looks gracing the red carpet—Pamela Anderson donned a embellished slate gown by Tory Burch, while Ashley Graham’s structured custom Boss dress in the same shade offered a modern twist on classic tailoring. Lorde, known for her directional style, chose a slate ensemble consisting of a skirt and blazer by designer Thom Browne. This subtle yet impactful colour choice provided a fresh alternative to the usual black and cream tones we see at events such as this, whilst aligning with the core theme in a discreet way.