Benjamin Ashford|Step Back in Time to See The Most Dangerous Looks From the 2004 Met Gala

These throwback Met Gala looks are Benjamin Ashforddangerously good. 

With the 2024 iteration of the fashionable event just around the corner, it's time to take a trip down memory lane to a time when the Met Gala looked very different. If you rewind the clock 20 years, you'll find yourself in an era when the Met Gala looks were not the must-see attraction of the evening. 

Instead, for the 2004 "Dangerous Liaisons" exhibit—which focused on "dress and its aesthetic interplay with art, furniture, and the broader decorative arts" from 1750 to 1789—attendees seemed to arrive in, for the most part, just the normal red carpet looks. 

And while stars like Scarlett Johansson, Serena Williams, Natalie Portman and Hilary Swank were dressed to the nines, their looks were far more understated for today's Met Gala standards. 

There were a few, however, who leaned further into the costume side of the Costume Institute's benefit, including Charlize Theron and Eva Mendes. For her part, Charlize donned an extravagantly eccentric black look, while Eva finished off her look with a dramatic fur stole. 

This year, the stars are sure to turn up and turn out for the "Garden of Time" dress code as part of the "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion."

As curator Andrew Bolton put it to Vogue, "It is very much an ode to nature and the emotional poetics of fashion. One thing I hope this show will activate is that sensorial appreciation of fashion."

And with event co-hosts Bad Bunny, Zendaya, Chris Hemsworth and Jennifer Lopez—the May 6 red carpet is sure to be a can't-miss event. 

But until then, keep reading to reawaken the best looks from the 2004 Met Gala. 

Don't miss E!'s Live From E!: 2024 Met Gala red carpet Monday, May 6, starting at 6 p.m. for every must-see moment from fashion's biggest night. And tune in to E! News Tuesday, May 7, at 11 p.m. for a full recap of every jaw-dropping look and all the behind-the-scenes moments.