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There is no denying that Chris Hemsworth looks great on the red—well, green, but whatever—carpet at the Met Gala. In a cream Tom Ford three-piece suit with a shirt unbuttoned down to here, he’s delivering A-list vibes in spades. His jewelry and watch from Chopard shine in a gold that matches his perfectly tousled hair. His scruff is impeccably manicured. In fact, with a smoldering glance directly into the camera’s lens, he bears a striking resemblance (in vibe, if not actual physical specifics) to the legendary designer whose name is on that suit of his.
And yet. And yet. I’m feeling conflicted about Hemsworth this evening. Were it any other night, this would not be the case. But it’s the Met Gala. And when it comes to the Met Gala, the theme is a pretty big deal. This year, in honor of the Costume Institute’s exhibition “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” that theme is “The Garden of Time.” And even if you don’t want to get too ornate with it, there—right there, in the name!—is an escape hatch for guys who don’t want to be too fashiony.
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“Garden.” Plants! Flowers! Throw a botanical on it, man. Wear a little vining brooch. Incorporate an extremely subtle print. Pin on a literal boutonniere. Hold a rose. I dunno, man. Just play up the theme.
There is, of course, the argument that Hemsworth is doing exactly that. “The Garden of Time” isn’t too far a leap from “the sands of time.” And the color of that suit may read “cream” on first glance, but it’s not entirely unreasonable to assume that it’s a reference to all that stuff that sticks to your sandals when you hit the beach. He’s also not the only guy wearing the shade; Donald Glover notably arrived in an earthy, tonal outfit.
Riffing on the idea of sand is actually a pretty cool move, in theory. Given the ubiquity of floral motifs, it’s a way to zig while everyone else zags. But “sand” is more than a color. And without a little something more—texture, first and foremost, would help enormously—the look isn’t landing like it could. So, yeah. He looks great. But that’s not the whole point, is it?
