Met Gala exhibit to include clothing worn by Washington, Lincoln

Each year, societal elites show off their fashion prowess at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s high-profile Costume Institute Gala ⁠— and this year, a few founding fathers will be among them.

This year’s gala theme, “In America: An Anthology of Fashion,” or “Gilded Glamour,” honors the second volume of the Costume Institute exhibition, the first part of which opened in September. The full display will feature looks worn by the country’s most notable leaders, including former Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Upon entering the American period rooms of the exhibit, attendees of the elite bash will come upon a coat some say Washington wore to his inauguration, as well as a coat designed by Brooks Brothers that Lincoln was wearing when he was assassinated, which is only partially intact, according to Vogue.

The pieces serve to showcase the realities of fashion throughout the country’s history, even if some are a far cry from the fantastical imagery the Met Gala has become associated with.

This year, the gala has returned to its traditional date on the first Monday in May after being upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 installation of the classic New York event, to celebrate the opening of the first part of the exhibit, was held in September due to a coronavirus-related postponement.

Around 600 guests will attend Monday night’s festivities, co-chaired by Regina King, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Lin-Manuel Miranda.