Kim Kardashian Divides Social Media Over Her Marilyn Monroe Dress

By Brenda Alexander

If you ask any of the Kardashian-Jenners if they ever get anything right in the public's eye, they'll tell you no. Today is no different as Kim Kardashian has spectators split on her Met Gala look. Kardashian is known for her ever-changing style and showing off her curves, and she's also been the subject of much scrutiny for her fashion choices at times. Her decision to pay homage to Marilyn Monroe at this year's ball has received much more attention than her 2013 floral ensemble that was turned into a social media meme; or her 2019 hip-hugging Mugler custom corset dress that she admitted she couldn't even use the bathroom in. 

This time around, Kardashian dyed her hair blonde like the Hollywood icon and donned same Jean Louis gown Monroe wore in 1962 to sing "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to John F. Kennedy. Aside from Monroe's white dress, it's her most notable look. The Skims founder chose Monroe's look for this year's "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" theme, a continuation of 2021's exhibit with a "gilded glamour" dress code.

The dress is covered in 6,000 crystals and for the curvier Kardashian, she shed 16 pounds in three weeks to pull it off. As the first person to wear the gown since Monroe in 1962, she took it as a true job. "I'm extremely respectful to the dress and what it means to American history," Kardashian told Vogue ahead of the Met Gala. "I would never want to sit in it or eat in it or have any risk of any damage to it and I won't be wearing the kind of body makeup I usually do."

In the end, Kardashian wore the gown for only a few minutes on the carpet. She changed into a safer-to-wear replica for the actual gala.

Social media users are split on the whole thing. From the extreme weight loss to others saying Kardashian didn't deserve such an honor, here are some of the thousands of reactions.

Is that even the dress

Others found it difficult to come to terms that the dress was the same as Monroe's. They also didn't find the Met Gala the appropriate place to wear it.

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Not on the same playing field

Monroe has vocal about the backlash she received in Hollywood for her look and persona, and Kardashian too has shared that she's felt immense pressure to prove herself. But, others say Kardashian hasn't proved herself to be on the same level and status as Monroe.

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Only Kim could pull it off

Kardashian has been getting many kudos for her look. And considering Monroe is the only other person in history to wear the dress, it's definitely puts Kardashian in another league for many.

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All blondes don't have the most fun

Others loved the look. But one Twitter user was not impressed by Kardashian's hair and felt it threw off the entire look.

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Not an honor

Others say Kardashian and Monroe are not one in the same and Kardashian isn't deserving to wear something so special. Ripley's Believe it Or Not disagreed.

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The sacrifices for fashion

Kardashian detailed how she dropped the pounds in order to wear the dress when she was initially turned down because it was ill-fitting. "I would wear a sauna suit twice a day, run on the treadmill, completely cut out all sugar and all carbs, and just eat the cleanest veggies and protein," she told Vogue of her Monroe weight loss plan. Many Twitter users find it appalling.

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