Who would have thought that Hollywood’s red carpet fashions–for many the main reason to tune in annual celeb congrat fests–would be such yawners?
Yes, we know that the Emmy organizers changed the dress code each time the shindig was rescheduled, and “business casual” stuck in everyone’s–and everyone’s stylist’s–head on this third go-round. Still, don’t we expect just a little more from our TV trendsetters?
Nonetheless, it wouldn’t be an Emmys commentary if we didn’t talk about fashion, or a notable lack thereof, so here goes nothing: the worst of the worst, and the best of the boring.
Doing Respectful Right
There were a handful of stars who made the most of Emmy’s less flashy attitude, yet still managed to stand out on a sea of black on the red carpet.Once & Again‘s Best Actress nominee Sela Ward would stand out just about anywhere with that gorgeous bone structure, but even in basic black she shone in slacks and a wrap shirt by Emanuel Ungaro, and her tasteful jewelry selection from Fred Leighton added to her sheen.
Lauren Graham, the perky presenter from The Gilmore Girls, looked as smart as her show’s dialogue. Graham figured out how to look Hollywood glamorous without looking too Zsa Zsa for the occasion. Her curve-hugging, gold-toned Halston gown gave her a little-seen blast of glitz and an illusion of flesh, while the black lace sheath kept it toned down without looking somber.
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| Kim Cattrall |
Could anyone have looked more in character than Kim Cattrall and Kristin Davis, without succumbing to Sex and the City’s sometimes fashion-victim mentality? Adapting the common black theme, both lustrous ladies avoided a funeral feeling by picking gowns with personality–namely, those of their TV characters, Samantha and Charlotte. Cattral was a sexy, elegant vision in her perfect little black dress, while Davis’ simple-if-poofy Badgley Mishka cocktail gown gave her a sweet and innocent look.
Speaking of raiding your character’s wardrobe,David Hyde Pierce did just that–literally–by heading over to the Frasier wardrobe department to borrow the clean-lined formal suit he wore. A smart choice, since Niles Crane buys his menswear at Dolce & Gabbana, where chic style and subtle sex appeal merge perfectly.
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Testing the Boundaries
OK, we’ll be frank: Jessica Alba, quickly emerging as one of the tube’s raving beauties, pretty much embodied everything missing in this year’s Emmy fashions. The pouty and pneumatic young Dark Angel star looked divinely Jessica Rabbit in her oh-so-low-cut Richard Tyler gown–and yet by buying it in uniform black, belting it with a ribbon and layering it with a matching tuxedo jacket prior to taking the stage, she kept her cleavage in check until the right moment. It was eye-candy with a social conscience.
I struggled with the notion of putting Robert Downey, Jr., on the Worst Dressed side of this equation only because his blue-tinted Hugo Boss rock-and-roll-bad-boy-goes-to-a business-mixer look seemed to push the envelope a bit too far–but isn’t that very lack of adventurousness what I was complaining about? I must admit the Ally McBeal star looked smashing, if a bit out of place.
All hail ER siren Michael Michele, she of the perfectly-sculpted proportions, for being both daring and sensuous without being over-the-top. Teaming with her old standby Carolina Herrera, Michelle’s caramel skin stood out against her crisp white shirt which, while open, was not as overtly eye-popping as Alba’s dress. Her silvery pants, shimmery belt and well-chosen accessories completed a successfully unique ensemble.
Color Me Mine
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| Allison Janney |
Against that tiresome horde of black, gray and white, a pair of stars used smart color choices to enliven their wardrobe. Whose Line Is It Anyway?’s show-stopper Wayne Brady‘s clever use of a serenely tiered, multicolored, striped tie was a sharp departure from the norm (and perhaps an unintentional reminder of how few performers of color appeared on the broadcast), while The West Wing‘s now-twice Emmy-gifted Allison Janney–always a canny couture chooser–boosted her profile with a topical floral print that popped against the black background of her chic cocktail dress yet was held in check with her wisely chosen wrap.
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Faux Pas
Before we get to the night’s big winners, we regretfully have to single out a pair of misfires. I have to wonder if Will & Grace nominee Megan Mullally was nipping from the same flask employed by her imbibing alter ego Karen Walker when she selected that godawful ruffled nightmare straight out of a 1970s-era tux shop.
And sadly, host Ellen Degeneres seemed to have flawless taste as she steered the hard-to-navigate show, but if I may make a minor quibble: Her Celine suit is perfectly acceptable on the face of things, but frankly even Micheal Kors seems a little tired on the comedienne, whose intrinsic style never seems to vary. Still, she did manage to surprise, if not innovate, in her nod to Bjork‘s swan–or is that turkey?–of an Oscar frock.
Best Dressed
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| Eric McCormack |
If these awards shows are like Hollywood’s version of a Homecoming dance, then they have to have a King and Queen–and my picks are a perfectly matched. Emmy winner Eric McCormack was Will personified, as in “Will he ever make a fashion mistake?” Looking every bit the Hollywood leading man, McCormack shrugged off the fussier aspects of his TV character in his not-so-simple masculine black tux, and elevated the look with that rich red tie.
Meanwhile, his co-star Debra Messing may have not taken home a statue, but she certainly took home the prize as the best dressed belle of the night. Again, she was wise to take basic black and give it a firm tweak, choosing a sleek Emporio Armani mini-dress that was covered in sparkles that made her shine like the mega-star she is. The length, with its unusual hem, also made her distinct without being distastefu–and the black boots were an inspired twist for footwearl. Messing proves time and again that you don’t need to shock to be stylish and outside the box. She’s always in a state of Grace.
