The first Monday in May NYC’s Met becomes the most exclusive party in the world with the world's strictest bouncer Anna Wintour. For months designers create elaborate looks to dress the most influential names in fashion and entertainment watching every detail right down to the bra and underwear. As a longtime fan of the Met Gala I have only ever focused on what the camera sees on the outside - the hand beaded ball gowns and ornately decorated suits perhaps even a cool makeup look or two. So I never would have thought that the underwear worn the day of was an international point of conversation in both Paris and New York that would eventually lead to a 3 hour shopping trip of NYC’s luxury department stores. So basically here is everything you need to know if you ever find yourself in the position of shopping for the elites undergarments or just want to be able to say that you have an item worn at the Met.
Bergdorfs, Saks, Bloomingdales
Our search for gala worthy lingerie resides in none other than the holy trinity of luxury department stores. After receiving an urgent email from the Paris and NYC VIP manager I must buy every mesh bra in existence in Bergdorfs, Saks, and Bloomingdales. No seriously. Every. Last. One.
As the determined intern I am I headed out with the corporate credit card ready to do some damage. In my mind I thought I am about to experience the most glamourous shopping experience of my life. How could it not be? I was shopping for the met! In my mind I was about to have store employees pulling beautiful bras from the back room and me saying ah yes I will take them all! Turns out people who work in lingerie are far and few between and possibly as old as sliced bread. Props to them always but also I felt the pressure of one of the largest fashion companies in the world depending on me to pick out some good bras and underwear. I began to load up my arms with every mesh bra I saw that was an A or a B and searched for an employee to help me on my hunt.
The Mafia Buys Bras
Turns out the mafia also decided today was the day they would be bra shopping. (To be honest they were probably just foreign but saying they were in the mafia adds pizazz so we will now accept this as the truth). Rich italian women shouted at the 80 year old sales associate demanding more sizes as their uninterested husbands handed over their card. By the time I finally got the attention of a sales associate I no longer cared if corporate approved I handed over every option I had and rang up $1500 in bras and thongs. For a brief moment leaving Bergdorfs I felt like the main character. In my mind I was the rich and glamorous NYC girl with bags overflowing off my arms experiencing the dopamine rush of spending someone else's money without a care. However reality hit the moment I stepped out those doors and was met with the blistering heat and humidity of NYC and the grossest animals NYC has to offer- the lingering eyes and calls from men on the street. But nevertheless the show must go on. I trekked across manhattan to Bloomingdales then to Saks doing the same process. Pull everything in sight, purchase, run to the next store and hope you are doing this task fast enough. By the time I arrived at Saks, two hours had gone by and so had $2000 dollars.
Corporate Card Declines and 6 Year Olds Pick Out Boob Tape
As I loaded my arms once again and presented my haul to the sales associate the lovely card reader read ERROR. Frantic I tried again and the same message rang up. My anxiety screamed you messed up, you spent too much, you are gonna get this whole long lecture when you get back so it may just be best to hide in this Saks for the rest of your life. I called the NYC headquarters and they said it would be about 30 minutes for them to figure out why the card wasn't working so I decided to make myself cozy and people watch. To my left, teens stripped mannequins of their slip dresses hoping to find the perfect Y2K look and to my right a mother was demanding that the sales associate find her better options for her event. Far from her mother, her 6 year old daughter ran around saks going "mommy look these panties say missy on them" "mommy look boob tape" "mommy do you want this boob tape". This was now hour 3 of this shopping trip and the moment I saw the text that the corporate card was back up I was ready to go. I once again watched her scan 1600 dollars worth of lingerie and ran back to the NYC office. As I unpacked 3600 dollars worth of underwear in the showroom the VIP manager said it was a good start and they would order even more options for the fitting. At this point the celeb could change bras every 30 minutes of the gala and still not wear them all but I felt some satisfaction in knowing that I could technically say I helped create the outfit worn for fashion's biggest event.
So What Were My Best Purchases?
To quote my roommate, "if it is good enough for the met it is good enough for me". From in budget finds to splurge pieces here are the best things I bought in case you want to match entertainments elite this September.
CHANTELLE
Champs Elysees Lace Demi Bra
Was $110 now $38
COSABELLA
Soire Confidence Molded Bra
$68
LA PERLA
Maison Contouring Underwire Balconette Bra
$210
SKIMS
Underwire Mesh Bra
$44
CUUP
The Balconette
$68
Xx
Lauren