The 2026 Met Gala is scheduled for Monday evening, celebrating the Met’s new 'Costume Art' exhibition on clothing and the body. Drag queens have mastered padding techniques to create illusory feminine forms, echoing the exhibit's themes. Performers like Jimbo, Plane Jane, and Bob the Drag Queen shared their methods and the empowering role of padding.
The Met Gala 2026 will take place on Monday evening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The event spotlights the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition, “Costume Art,” which explores the relationship between clothing and the human form. Drag queens, known for their transformative padding, exemplify these ideas through foam and silicone inserts that sculpt exaggerated curves for performance and self-expression. Jimbo, a Drag Race alumna, described how padding unlocks confidence: “When I’m padded and feeling myself, I’m taking up more space—and that feels good and sexy to me.” She layers foam cut with a turkey carving knife, secured by Spanx, hose, tucking panties, and a corset. Plane Jane called it “one big magic trick,” using composite foams—a firmer inner layer for shape and a softer outer one. Bob the Drag Queen crafts her own padding for an hourglass figure, aiming for 33-22-33 proportions, noting, “I have no feminine curves, so I’m creating some out of thin air.” Padding traces back to Shakespearean actors and gained prominence in the 1920s pansy craze and 1960s Harlem ballroom scene. Pioneers like Divine and RuPaul elevated drag via RuPaul’s Drag Race, with resources now abundant on YouTube. Specialists like Camille Yen create custom inserts, while designers such as Chris Habana and Marco Marco tailor garments for padded silhouettes. Some queens, including Naomi Smalls and Aquaria, forgo padding for freer fashion interaction. Yet for many, it’s essential. “Beauty is pain,” Jimbo said, sacrificing mobility for character. Amid challenges to the drag community, Plane Jane emphasized its joy: “A sense of community is what keeps joy alive.”
