All of Taylor Swift's Met Gala looks, ranked from least to most iconic

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.

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.

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 attended her first Met Gala in 2008 wearing a gold ombré gown from Badgley Mischka. 

The dress suited the event's theme, "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy," as the head-to-toe embellishments and shape nodded to a mermaid tail. 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 "Fearless" album released in October 2008.

The album cover 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.

The theme of the 2014 Met Gala was "Charles James: Beyond Fashion." The event 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.

Swift was a Met Gala co-chair in 2016, 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 custom-designed by Louis Vuitton. It had a scaled pattern and daring cutouts along the stomach. Swift paired the dress with heels that wrapped 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 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 Joe Alwyn, who she dated for six years. Swift and Alywn split in February 2023, and she's been dating Travis Kelce since the summer of 2023.

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.