What is this year's theme?

The Met Gala is returning on the first Monday in May and ahead of the biggest night in fashion, there are a few things we need to know. This year's theme is a lot more specific than previous years, In America: An Anthology of Fashion, and is the second part of last year's theme, In America: A Lexicon of Fashion. Co-chaired by Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, it's set to showcase America's history with fashion. Last year, the biggest take on the theme was the golden age of Hollywood, but this year is a lot different. According to Vogue, the theme is all about "gilded glamour, white tie." If you haven't heard of this dress code before, white tie is a step up from black tie. It is the most formal dress code there is, so we can only assume all the stops will be rolled out. Gilded glamour is specifically referred from the Gilded Age of New York, which existed from 1870 to 1890 where the upper class residents of the city gave a more over the top look at fashion. As this was amidst the industrial revolution, there were more technological developments and it meant those with money could afford to spend money on more clothes than ever before. Women's clothes were very extravagant during this period, with bright colours, various different fabrics and dramatic accessories to coincide with the look. Certain formal events from this era had more specific dress codes, with women being requested to wear tulle gowns that exposed their cleavage, white gloves were a major thing and men always wore top hats. While the information on this era of fashion is readily available, we won't know until the red carpet itself who will interpret this theme the way it is intended, or who will sway a different way, with many anticipating some will take a more Bridgerton approach to the theme. One thing we do know, it will be far different than last year's gala, with almost a century between the two eras shown. Another thing that is almost for certain is there will be an abundance of American designers at the helm, paying homage to those from that era.