The red carpet is not something that’s taken lightly, at least not by those who get to walk it. Walking the red carpet is a chance for an artist to promote their work and their personal brand, and it’s an opportunity for clothing brands to showcase their own artistry through their latest designs. What ostensibly is an exercise in vanity is actually an important moment for many people involved in the arts and entertainment.

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But those moments don’t come with ease. As many people, particularly women, who’ve walked the red carpet can attest to, it requires lots of time, effort, and money to prepare for a major event, and the event itself isn’t always a breeze either — especially when a guest is wearing a piece of fashion that’s incredibly uncomfortable. Of course, most red carpet looks aren’t as cozy as sweatpants, but few land in the painful category. Though beautiful works of art, these 10 red carpet looked so painful that even those of us watching the events from home couldn’t help but wince.

Zendaya has had the fashion world in the palm of her hand for years now. The “Euphoria” star’s sartorial journey started with her assembling looks from fast fashion brands when she couldn’t afford a stylist, and now she works with one of the most revered stylists in the industry who can get their hands on seemingly any archival piece Zendaya wants to wear. Part of the reason Zendaya, who’s worn some daring outfits, has been given permission to wear such iconic pieces is because she’s proven that she’s willing to do anything for a good fashion moment — even if what she’s required to do is quite painful.

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In 2024, Zendaya arrived at the “Dune: Part 2” premiere in London wearing a vintage metal Thierry Mugler bodysuit. Zendaya first pitched the idea to her longtime stylist, Law Roach, knowing it would be difficult to get ahold of, and Roach made Zendaya assure him that she would commit to wearing the bodysuit before seeking it out. The actor was given permission to wear the bodysuit, but she was warned that it might not fit because it’s made of metal and can’t be tailored. Fortunately for Zendaya, the bodysuit fit her perfectly. Unfortunately for Zendaya, it was incredibly uncomfortable to wear. 

“Immediately, I think after wearing it for like 10 minutes or less than that, I got, like, really, like, lightheaded. The metal conducts and holds onto heat very quickly and kind of traps heat in,” Zendaya said of the outfit in a video for Vogue. In the days ahead of the premiere, she questioned whether she should wear the outfit at all. Alas, she committed to the discomfort and a legendary red carpet moment was born.

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No matter how you feel about the family, you can’t deny that the Kardashian-Jenner family has been making a splash at the Met Gala for years. Kim Kardashian was the first to be invited to the event, and now she and at least one of her sisters make it an annual outing. Kim’s youngest sister, Kylie Jenner, went to her first Met Gala in 2016, and it was a memorable debut. The theme was “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology,” and Kylie wore a custom Balmain dress to the event.

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While Kylie looked stunning for the soiree, her couture gown was a tad dangerous. After changing out of the dress, Kylie shared photos on Snapchat of her legs, scratched from the gown’s material. “When ur dress made you bleed and ur feet are purple,” Kylie captioned the photo, as recapped by Teen Vogue. But Kylie didn’t seem to mind. “It was worth it though,” she said in a second post.

Kylie had Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing, who’s a friend of the Kardashian-Jenners, to thank (or blame?) for the look. “[Olivier Rousteing] was really the mastermind behind the dress,” Kylie told Vogue. “He sent me sketches. I really trust him when it comes to making a statement on the carpet.” A statement was indeed made.

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While some people have strong opinions about whether or not the stunning Kim Kardashian should even be invited to the Met Gala, there’s no denying that she’s willing to do whatever is necessary to create a major fashion moment at the event. In 2019, Kardashian wore an ultra-tight Thierry Mugler dress to the Met Gala, and she later acknowledged just how painful the look was. In 2021, the reality star attended the event in a jet black bodysuit with a super long train that literally covered her head to toe, leading spectators to not only wonder how she could even breathe, but how she was able to avoid tripping over the fabric that trailed behind her. 

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She tested her body’s limits again at the 2024 Met Gala. To meet the “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” theme, Kardashian wore a Margiela by John Galliano dress, which included an incredibly small corset that appeared almost too small for her frame. 

And as was revealed later, the corset, in fact, was almost too small for her body. In an episode of “The Kardashians” filmed on the day of the Met Gala, the star worried she was going to vomit from wearing the dress. “I am claustrophobic. I’ve never felt this way before, where I feel like I can’t breathe,” she said in a confessional, as recapped by People. “I was like I’m going to die if you don’t get this off of me right now.” In footage taken after the Gala, Kardashian noted how painful the corset was, and she took it off to reveal the redness and indentations it created. But as far as Kardashian was concerned, it was a successful evening. “If you look good, it’s all worth it,” she said.

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Yes, we have yet another Kardashian-Jenner family member who picked a jaw-dropping ensemble for the Met Gala only to later reveal the pain they went through to make the look happen. Kendall Jenner has been part of this cycle, too, though not quite as many times as her older sister. In 2022, Kendall wore a two-piece Prada look. While the top didn’t appear to be too uncomfortable (aside from the sheer and revealing material), the skirt looked heavy and cumbersome, leading spectators to wonder if it was difficult for Kendall to move in.

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Sure enough, it was difficult for Kendall to move in. On an episode of “The Kardashians” that was filmed on the day of the Met Gala, the model revealed that the weight of the dress actually caused her to have a panic attack on the way to the fundraiser. “My skirt was so big and so heavy. There was so much stuff under it that I literally was out of breath by the time I got into the sprinter van,” Kendall said in a confessional. “I am legit going to cry — but it is fine. I don’t know, I am just having a panic attack,” Kendall said inside the van, visibly upset. Adding insult to injury, Kendall had to pee in the dress. Knowing she would have difficulty doing so in a toilet, the model used an ice bucket instead. Sometimes celebrities really aren’t like us.

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Of course, the Kardashians aren’t the only A-listers who have made headlines for donning wildly uncomfortable looks to the Met Gala. Rihanna’s no stranger to creating red carpet moments that leave people speechless, and some of her most memorable Met Gala ensembles have been anything but easy to wear.

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In 2018, Rihanna arrived at the “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination”-themed event wearing Margiela Artisanal by John Galliano. The Grammy winner served as co-chair of the event that evening, and she truly committed to her papal look, despite it being very difficult to move in. “It was heavy, every step was a squat. I promise you my butt gained from that night,” Rihanna said to Entertainment Tonight of the dress. Rihanna had an option to wear a different Margiela piece, but she committed to the look. “I felt like it was an insult to the people who sat there and like, hand beaded that entire thing, to just say, ‘No, put that in the archives.’ It was so great, I couldn’t deny it,” she said.

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2018 wasn’t the first time Rihanna had trouble moving at the Met. For 2015’s “China: Through the Looking Glass”-theme, Riri wore a couture gown by Guo Pei. The yellow dress has gone down as one of the best and most outrageous Met Gala looks of all time, but it wasn’t easy to wear. “I’m so in love with this dress, but the train is insane! I can’t really walk in it without any help — but it’s so worth it. I love this dress so much!” Rihanna told Vanity Fair that night.

For 2018’s Met Gala, which invited attendees to follow the theme of “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” Bella Hadid sure served a heavenly look. The model wore an archival Chrome Hearts by Gareth Pugh piece that she’d had her eye on for a while. “I’ve seen it every single day for the past five years, and a few weeks ago I just asked Laurie, the owner of Chrome Hearts, ‘Laurie, can I please wear it?'” Hadid said of the dress in an interview with Vogue.

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While the dress was show-stopping, the focal point of Hadid’s ensemble was her hair. The model wore a heavy hair piece that was sewn into both her hair and her outfit, making her feel as though someone was pulling on her head the entire night. “If anyone was wondering why I couldn’t move it’s because a legend by the name of @jenatkinhair sewed a whole entire 10 pounds veil to my head,” Hadid later said in an Instagram story of the head piece, as reported by Glamour. Hadid joked that she wouldn’t have any hair left at the end of the night, but she was still excited about the theme and her look. “I don’t know if [the theme] was made for me, but I feel so comfortable,” Hadid said in an interview with Fashion Feed, likely referring to her comfort with the night’s motif rather than her heavy veil.

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The Met Gala isn’t the only event that inspires celebrities to sport uncomfortable outfits. Award show ensembles can also be not-so-fun to wear. For example, at the 2017 Golden Globes, actor Naomie Harris arrived in an Armani Privé gown that was tighter than tight. Harris, who was nominated that evening for her work in the 2016 film “Moonlight,” spoke about her night in the dress on an episode of the British television show “Lorraine.” “I was very glad to get out of it. It was like a corset. I could barely breathe!” she said, as reported by Harper’s Bazaar. As if having a hard time breathing all evening wasn’t enough, Harris was unable to satisfy some other basic needs. “I wasn’t allowed to eat or drink from 12 o’clock as I couldn’t go to the toilet in that dress! I got carried to the car by the man who made the dress and he lay me flat so I wouldn’t crease it!” she said.

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Harris was also nominated for an Oscar that same year, but evidently, she decided to wear something a little more comfortable for that show. She went with a Calvin Klein by Appointment dress designed by Raf Simons, and Harris couldn’t have been happier with the final product. “I was presented with the designs and they were perfect! I didn’t need to make any requests for alterations,” she said to Vogue.

In 2016, Jennifer Garner attended the Oscars in a custom Versace dress that was decidedly difficult to wear. And we know this much is true because she said so on an episode of “The Tonight Show.” “Do you know how they make it? See how I have a waist right now? I don’t have one in real life anymore. What they do is, they move your organs around,” Garner told host Jimmy Fallon. While she was obviously joking, the actor was serious about having to be poked and prodded to fit into the garment. “There are basically two men who come in with screw guns, and they screwed me into a metal corset — this isn’t true, but it was a metal corset, and it did take two Italian people who were talking very quickly. And the next thing you know, my ribs were compressed,” she said.

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Garner added that while at the ceremony, her ribs started to spasm after being compressed so tightly into the gown all evening, and she had trouble going to the bathroom while wearing it, too. But the discomfort ended up paying off: Garner’s look was the most searched Oscars dress that year.

The stunning Elle Fanning is another A-lister who has had a hard time while wearing a particularly restrictive garment at a major event. In 2019, while serving on the jury at the Cannes Film Festival, Fanning walked the red carpet in a Prada gown and went to dinner afterward. While at dinner, the actor fainted. Fanning posted on Instagram after the spell clarifying what happened. “Oops, had a fainting spell tonight in my 1950’s Prada prom dress but it’s all good!!” she said, adding hashtags indicating both the tightness of her dress and her period were to blame for the fall.

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Fanning opened up about the incident further in an interview with InStyle, noting that she’s prone to fainting and has done so before during an audition. “Fainting is something I do. I was on my period. It was such a crazy feeling. It honestly happened at the best moment because I wasn’t on the red carpet. Could you imagine? That would have been kind of epic, though,” she said. Perhaps the actor should consider a name change to Elle Fainting.

Doja Cat has donned a number of memorable, daring, and downright bonkers outfits over the years. However, out of all of the looks from her oeuvre, a seemingly simple black dress is the one that has given her the most trouble. 

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In 2023, Doja Cat was invited to the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in New York City. That evening, she wore a dress that featured a very low back — low enough to show off the Victoria’s Secret thong that was stitched into the dress. Evidently, it was not exactly the most comfortable outfit she’s ever worn. “What a beautiful night MINUS them UNADJUSTABLE straps,” Doja Cat posted on her Instagram Story, as reported by Business Insider. The musician noted in her Stories that because she couldn’t adjust the straps on the dress, the thong was more hiked up than it should’ve been. She offered a NSFW description of the pain she endured while wearing the dress and joked that she would be “feeding it to the moths.” Doja also noted that she wanted to wear a slip dress but was given this garment instead. 

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