A stat has been floating around about Anne Hathaway's 2025 Met Gala red carpet outfit that bears repeating. Her custom Carolina Herrera look, inspired by one of the designer's close friends, the late André Leon Talley, included more than 200,000 beads and embellishments. It's the kind of piece that dazzles on the red carpet beneath a stark white button-up and Bulgari necklace with a sapphire the size of an egg—but also one that might weigh a star down on the after-party circuit. So Hathaway and stylist Erin Walsh had a plan to make at least half her look last all night: They'd swap her skirt with the ever-present capri pants trend.
When celebrities from Sabrina Carpenter and Jenna Ortega to Hailey Bieber and Zendaya hit their hotels for an outfit change, Hathaway followed suit. She didn't reach for a sparkly mini dress or vintage Mugler, however. The star simply took off her Bulgari necklace, tied up her red carpet Carolina Herrera shirt, and pulled on a pair of black capri leggings. Sparkly pointed-toe heels and oversize Bulgari shades completed the glamorous nighttime 'fit. By the time she headed out for a soirée at New York City's Zero Bond, Hathaway was a walking tutorial in how to style capri pants.
This outfit change resonates with a fashion editor like me for two reasons. First, it allowed Hathaway to make at least half of her red carpet look last beyond the Met Steps. Her custom button-up just needed a more relaxed counterpart to take on the Met Gala after-parties, and flexible capri pants delivered in spades without looking any less elegant. Sometimes, being the best-dressed is taking the elegantly understated route.
Second, it gives another proof-of-concept for the capri pants trend's resurgence. Celebrities from Hailey Bieber to Zoë Kravitz have lately ditched their Levi's 501s for tight-hugging pedal pushers. More often than not, they've styled their test-drives with Miu Miu windbreakers and down-to-earth ballet sneakers. Hathaway is one of the few who's championed the look as party-wear. She follows the footsteps of Bella Hadid, who paired a vintage Fendi bag with a capri jumpsuit for her sister Gigi's 30th birthday earlier this spring.
I've written about the capri pants trend before with some skepticism. (The length always struck me as a little old-fashioned, until I saw the modern ways it could be styled.) Now, I have yet another template to copy alongside Zendaya's rainy-day, morning-after outfit. Anne Hathaway's Met Gala skirt-alternative might be the most pleasant surprise of the entire night: a relatable look anyone can wear beyond fashion's biggest night.
