The Met Gala theme and dress code are inspired by the 2009 book "Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity."

For a Met Gala theme as historic as this year's, the first Monday in May's procession of celebs was a sea of monochromatic tones and surprisingly conservative attire. The evening’s theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” centered on Black dandyism — its origins,