May 22, 2015

{Bookish} Style Files: Met Gala 2015 Edition

Last year, inspired by a Twitter conversation, I shared my first ever {Bookish} Style Files featuring some of my favorite looks from the Met Gala! The Met Gala has always been one of my favorite events, mostly because I love seeing what the people in attendance choose to wear. The outfits have always covered a range of looks, everything from classic, regal elegance to sassy, unexpected choices, and this year is no exception.

Here are fifteen of my favorite looks from this year, paired with the characters I could see rocking them at a fancy affair! (Plus, a special thank you to Hannah of So Obsessed With for helping me out this year!)

[All book covers are from Goodreads, while outfit photos are from Vogue & Harper's Bazaar.]

Amarantha in A Court of Thorns and Roses || Julianne Moore in Givenchy
The minute I spotted this gorgeous black dress, my thoughts went straight to Amarantha. As a villain, black would suit her; as a queen, the classic cut and subtle sparkle would be a perfect match. I could totally see her dressed like this, sitting on her throne as she orders more torture and murder.

Laia in An Ember in the Ashes || Anne Hathaway in Ralph Lauren
I'll be honest - it's the color of this unexpected fashion choice that first led me to consider this pairing. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Laia would prefer to keep as much of herself hidden as possible, but because of her role in the revolution, she'd be likelier to stand out. A cross between demure and bold, this outfit would suit her just fine.

Eona in Eona || Sarah Jessica Parker in H&M
I just really, really wanted to include this outfit, because Sarah Jessica Parker takes risks and they usually pay off in a big way. It was the color combination and that amazing headdress that led me to link it up with Eona, a brilliant, strong character who has studied all her life to be a Dragoneye.

Scarlet in Lion Heart || Keri Russell in Altuzarra
I recently binge read this series, thoroughly swept up in Gaughen's imaginative take on Robin Hood. Scarlet experiences so much growth from start to finish, and the instant I saw this dress, I knew it was meant for her! It captures all facets of her life, from her time in the forest with the band to her recognition as a lady.

Wilhelmina in The Orphan Queen || Lily Aldridge in Carolina Herrera 
The thing about Wil is that, in spite of leading the Ospreys and being a master at fighting and subterfuge, she's also a princess. I can imagine her making a grand entrance at a ball in this stunner, exuding beauty, power and grace.

Gretchen in Prisoner of Night and Fog || Lily Collins in Chanel
How classy and stylish does Lily Collins look in this outfit? The style feels timeless, a throwback to a different time period... which led me to Gretchen as this look's perfect (book) match. It's an outfit that would suit Gretchen's particular style, and if she and Daniel had the chance to go out dancing, she'd probably wear something like this!

Alison in Rebound || Dakota Johnson in Chanel Haute Couture
Alison is feisty, fashionable and formidable - and this outfit is a perfect match to that sort of person. The instant I saw this outfit, I knew it had to be in this post. And I really think that Alison could pull this one off! She'd totally have Adam's eyes on her the whole night - everyone's eyes, really.

Alina in Ruin and Rising || Olivia Munn in J. Mendel
There were a lot of options for Alina this year, since many attendees chose to wear red. But the instant I spotted this unique look on Olivia Munn, I knew I had a winner. Apart from perfectly matching the beautiful cover, it really does remind me of Alina - all aspects of her personality. She'd light up the room with this dress on!

Suzume in Shadows on the Moon || Bee Schaffer in Alexander McQueen
Whenever I think of Suzume, my mind immediately goes to her when she's become an accomplished courtesan. I could totally see her donning something like this dress for a special occasion, drawing everyone's attention with her beauty and grace. Bonus points for the flowers on the dress resembling the ones on the book cover!

Lilac in These Broken Stars || Fan Bingbing in Christopher Bu
I knew from the start I wanted to include this incredible outfit in this year's post, but it took a while before a match was found. Lilac is a high society gal, the kind I imagine would be invited to plenty of fancy affairs and dinner parties. I could see her simply walking into a room, allowing this fabulous look to claim everyone's attention before she even spoke.

Kami in Unspoken || Alexa Chung in Erdem
I wanted to include Kami in the line-up of characters this year, as she's one of my new favorites! This dress is the perfect mix of feminine and sassy, plus the color combination is excellent. I think Kami would totally rock this look, whether for a red carpet event or even a school prom.

Ismae in Grave Mercy || Shu Pei Qin in Tommy Hilfiger
This fiery red dress matches Ismae's spirit, if you ask me. She's not only a trained assassin, but an intelligent, thoughtful young lady who knows how to handle herself at court. I could see her attending court occasions on Duval's arm in this number.

Sybella in Dark Triumph || Karlie Kloss in Versace
Sybella is tough and vulnerable, a capable assassin and a girl who has been hurt one too many times. This dress definitely feels like it would match both sides of Sybella's personality, and I think black would definitely be her color of choice for a formal occasion.

Annith in Mortal Heart || Claire Danes in Valentino Haute Couture
I cannot even tell y'all how much I adore this dress for Annith. It's a dress that would suit her practical capabilities as an assassin nun, is a color I could see her wearing, and it still manages to be classic and stylish - two things I'd imagine Annith would be when choosing a dress to wear to a party.

And now, here's my favorite look + book pair for this year's edition:

Isra in Of Beast and Beauty || Amal Clooney in Maison Margiela
There are just no words for how perfectly this dress would suit Isra, the princess and heroine of this novel. Not only is it a dress fit for royalty, it also manages to capture the imagery of a rose with its curves and design, and that in itself is significant to this story already. And, though Isra would certainly rock it, I've got to hand it to Amal Clooney, who completely pulls it off.

There you have it, friends, my top fifteen looks from this year's Met Gala, with books to match. Tell me which looks you liked best, and share your pairings if there's a look you loved that I wasn't able to include in this post! 

8 Comments:

  1. AHH THIS IS JUST BRILLIANT. I think my favourite look in here would have to be Lily Collins and Lily Aldridge. BUT the one that stole show for me was Zendaya's. I got so much Alina Starkov vibes from this.

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  2. THIS POST IS AMAZING ALEXA!!! They are the perfect pairings. LOVE IT!

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  3. This is such a cute feature! Totally made my Friday morning =) I loooove the Claire Danes dress, and Anne Hathaway's gave me total fantasy novel vibes (and I've been dying to read Ember!)

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  4. I love this post so much! I'm sooo glad you included Fan Bing Bing's AMAZING dress, it was definitely my favourite and I definitely approve of your choice! Shu Pei Qin was another favourite and now I really want to read Grave Mercy soon! But wow yes Amal's dress does look like a rose! I can't believe I never noticed that haha. Thank you so much for a wonderful post Alexa.

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  5. Oh, excellent choices/pair-ups. The Met Gala always brings out the craziest outfits, lol. I guess I'm too plain jane bc I liked Claire and Keri's dresses best. Although Bee's dress is stunning, too.

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  6. This is perfect! I absolutely love these posts, and I think your pairings are spot on. The dresses are stunning, and the books your paired them up with are some of my favorites, so I was excited to see them ;)

    Can't wait to see you at BEA!

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  7. PERFECT. Your picks are so spot-on. I especially love the ones from Eona, Lion heart, Ruin & Rising, Grave Mercy, Dark triumph and Mortal Heart.

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  8. alexandra @ twirlingpagesMay 28, 2015 at 1:29 AM

    alexa, i LOVE this post! your choices are spot on and it makes drooling over the met gala dresses so much more reasonable. (; fan bin bing's dress was definitely a personal favorite of mine. <3333

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