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By Samantha Grindell, Insider
- Taylor Swift has attended Met Galas since 2008.
- Some of her six Met Gala looks have fallen flat, while others solidified her fashionista status.
- Her 2016 look was her most iconic to date, particularly because of its significance in her music.
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Taylor Swift's dress for the 2010 Met Gala was too simple.
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Swift looked angelic in this white Ralph Lauren gown, with its off-the-shoulder sleeves and ruffled hem.
But the dress was too simple, and instead of elevating it with accessories, Swift instead wore minimal jewelry and kept her hair in a demure updo.
The look also didn't speak to the "American Woman: Fashioning A National Identity" theme, making it a bit of a letdown. It didn't make enough of a statement to be considered iconic.
The singer's dress fit the "Savage Beauty" theme for the 2011 Met Gala, but she could have done more with the look.
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Swift upped her game for the 2011 "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Gala, arriving in a one-shoulder J. Mendel gown with a mermaid skirt.
The dress fit the theme thanks to its mix of sheer fabric, layered skirt, and contrasting colors.
But Swift again kept her hair in a simple updo, which held back the overall effect. A more over-the-top hairstyle or dramatic makeup look could have taken this ensemble to the next level.
Swift's semi-sheer gown for the 2013 Met Gala was eye-catching.
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In one of her most daring looks up to that point, Swift sported another J. Mendel gown for the 2013 "PUNK: Chaos to Couture" Met Gala.
The bodice of the black, floor-length gown was covered in cutouts of sheer, webbed fabric.
A jeweled collar and dramatic, smokey eye makeup completed the daring look, which was well-suited to the punk theme.
Swift's dress for the 2008 Met Gala was iconic because it hinted at her sophomore album, "Fearless."
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Swift attended her first Met Gala in 2008 wearing a gold, ombré gown from Badgley Mischka.
The dress was suited to the event's theme, "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy," as the head-to-toe embellishments and shape nodded to a mermaid tail, as Teen Vogue noted. She paired the look with her signature curls worn loose.
But the look is iconic because it seemed to have acted as an Easter egg for Swift's album "Fearless," which was released in October 2008.
The cover of the album had golden tones, on which Swift was photographed with her hair flowing around her as she spun her head — which Swift modernized for "Fearless (Taylor's Version) in 2021."
Her Met Gala gown had the same color scheme and her hair had a similar look, setting the tone for the release of Swift's second album later that year.
Swift stunned in an Old Hollywood-inspired look at the 2014 Met Gala.
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The theme of the 2014 Met Gala was "Charles James: Beyond Fashion." Popsugar reported that it had a white-tie dress code, meaning celebrities were expected to dress formally.
Swift arrived in a soft-pink Oscar de la Renta gown that was embroidered with delicate flowers. The column dress had a low back and a dramatic train that flowed out from an oversized bow.
The elegant dress was modern but evoked the glamour of Old Hollywood, and unlike in years past, Swift matched the look of the dress with her hair, which was swept to the side in soft waves.
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Swift not only honored the theme with her 2016 Met Gala look, but the ensemble came to be culturally significant for her fans.
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Swift was a co-chair of the 2016 Met Gala, so it's no surprise she embraced the "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" theme.
She walked the Met Gala red carpet in a metallic dress that was custom-designed by Louis Vuitton. It had a scaled pattern and daring cutouts along the stomach. Swift paired the dress with heels that wrapped all the way to her knees.
Bleached hair and black lipstick completed the futuristic look, and the departure from Swift's typically softer looks made it a standout.
But the look became truly iconic because the 2016 Met Gala proved to be significant for Swift personally and in her music.
She was first romantically linked to Tom Hiddleston at the Gala, with a video of her dancing with him in the Louis Vuitton dress going viral.
And the 2016 Met Gala was also where fans speculate Swift met longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn.
Fans also suspect her interactions with both Hiddleston and Alwyn at the Gala served as inspiration for two songs on her album "Reputation" — "Dress" and "Getaway Car."
The silver-toned look she wore to the Gala also mimicked the coloring of her "Reputation" cover, again connecting the album to the event.
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