Ah, the aughts. An era both cringe and endearing to millennials, whose fashion choices will never again reflect such blissful ignorance—we’re much too jaded a generation to gleefully wear ripped jeans under pink and brown paisley dress. It’s too bad, because life would be much funnier if we all dressed like we were on our way to the 2003 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards.  

Enter the 2021 Met Gala. For decades, the renowned annual fundraising event has been a stage for the world’s tastemakers to show off the work of both classic and innovative designers. Every gala has a theme, and this year’s was ‘America.’ Some responded to the theme with literal interpretations, while others took the opportunity to get political or conceptual with it. Many simply wore fashion staples by American designers, and there were more than a few who seemed to ignore the theme completely. As one Twitter user pointed out, there were zero attendees repping the early 2000s, one of the most iconic historical moments for American fashion. Where were the low-rise jeans? Where was the glittery frosted lip gloss? Where were the collared halter tops? Thankfully, we have this glorious thread to help us imagine what the 2021 Met Gala could have been.