The Best Met Gala After-Party Looks of the Last Decade  

After the Met Gala wraps, guests don’t head home and turn on Netflix. For most, the ball is the beginning of a night of lavish celebrations; dozens of after-parties, cocktails, and designer fêtes begin the moment that stars exit the museum. Given the unwieldy nature of most gala looks—imagine dancing on a tabletop in that 55 pound Guo Pei cape Rihanna wore back in 2015—an outfit change is usually order. Celebrities rush to make a quick switch at their hotels or in the backseats of their SUVs, all so they can dazzle the paparazzi once more. This tradition of wearing multiple fashions is relatively new (in the ’90s and early aughts, guests were comparatively low-key), but these days there is always a secondary designer piece waiting in the wings.

The most fabulous after-party looks of all time adhere to a relaxed philosophy. You have to be able to move, breathe, and most importantly, dance in them. Forget the giant gowns, mini skirts and patterned pants make more sense—especially when you’re carrying the night’s theme into the wee hours. Attendees can do a complete 180 (Gossip Girl-era Blake Lively switching from ruffled Marchesa on the red carpet to a T-shirt and leather skirt combo for the party at the top of the Standard Hotel in 2010), change tack slightly, (Lady Gaga’s reveal of a crystalized jumpsuit beneath her Balenciaga by Alexander Wang cape in 2015) or step out with a daring skin reveal (Rihanna’s jaw-dropping backless slip dress in 2014). For the gala’s most risk-taking stars, the only rule is to go boldly or go home.