You’d think that for the first Emmy ceremony in ages to be held before Labor Day TV’s top stars would’ve opted to wear white simply because they still could, but instead we found our red carpet prose growing more purple by the second. From the mauve movement to deliciously dolled-up TV doctors to the new ascent of the ascot, Hollywood.com has the inside scoop all of the Emmys most fashionable stars—and a few who should fire their stylists.
Hollywood.com’s Best Dressed
Katherine Heigl: The delectable Grey’s Anatomy doc’s knockout nude silk chiffon and silver crystal beaded plunging neck gown from Escada gave us the healthiest heart palpitations. She paired the elegantly trained frock with shoes and clutch by Jimmy Choo (so glam someone actually swiped her bag at the Governors Ball) and golden glowing makeup by DuWop. Katherine said she was hoping to evoke old school Hollywood glamour and her toughest challenge was “just keeping the whole thing together, because it takes so much work to get everything into the right spot.” All we can say is: Katherine, we love your work.
Best Dressed Runner-Up
Evangeline Lilly: The Lost star certainly found her status as an Emmy style icon this year, trading in Kate’s sweaty tank tops for a chic silk chiffon and satin strapless Versace gown, pleated in deep purple and accentuated with platinum, diamond and emerald gems by Neil Lane. “When I put it on and it felt like pajamas and it looked like a million bucks, I knew it was the one,” said Evangeline. We don’t know how sleep-ready it really felt, but it certainly looked like a dream.
High Fashion Hits
Mariska Hargitay: Whoa, mama! Just two months after giving birth to her son August, Mariska showcased her far-from-matronly figure in a black georgette gown with embroidered cascading flowers by Carolina Herrera and jewelry from Fred Leighton. “It’s so different from anything that I’ve ever worn before, the color was just completely fresh and as soon as I put it on I was done,” she told Hollywood.com. “I want to be Carolina Herrera when I grow up!”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus: Julia may play “old Christine” on her hit sitcom but she looked like a brand-new woman in bust-showcasing black and white gown by Narciso Rodriguez. “When I was nominated, he was generous and kind enough to call and say that he wanted to design a dress for me,” said Julia, “and I said, ‘Oooh, that sounds really glamorous!’ So I went with it.”
Heidi Klum: Even with a baby on board, supermodel/supermom Heidi was a runaway scarlet success in her racy red Michael Kors silk jersey drape gown with scarf and a sexy sky-high slit. She matched in with Manolo Blahniks, a Judith Leiber clutch and $2.8 million worth of Mouawad jewelry, including diamond-bedecked drop earrings she helped create. “I made them for myself,” she told us, proving the Project Runway host has an eye—and ears—for fashion design herself.
Jaime Pressly: Jaime was a Joy to behold in her eggplant Badgley Mishka chantilly lace and beaded halter and Fred Leighton jewelry, trading in her TV trailer trash for sophisticated flash. “I tried this on in black and then my stylist and I went ‘Maybe let’s do a little something different since it’s my first time nominated at the Emmys,” Jaime explained. “They sent a bunch of swatches, sewed it in Italy, beaded it in India and flew it in to me two days ago. I’ve very proud to be wearing it.” Her name is Stylish.
Lisa Edelstein: The House star’s cream Marchesa corseted strapless dress with hand-embroidered waist detail and black train with her Chopard jewels—including white pear-shaped and yellow cushion-cut diamond drop earrings and a fancy colored diamond bracelet containing yellow, cognac and orange diamonds—was just what the doctor ordered. “I really love Marchesa’s designs,” she told Hollywood.com. “They’re just really feminine, really classic and yet modern and contemporary at the same time.”
Sarah Chalke: Sarah looked flirty and freshly Scrub-bed in a delicate ivory lace frock from Louisa Beccaria that she chose “because I love that it felt kind of vintage and French and kind of romantic. And I thought that it was going to be a million and nine degrees and it’s something that’s a little bit lighter.” She told Hollywood.com was going to return her borrowed Cathy Waterman earrings reluctantly. “You get to get dressed up and wear pretty jewels and then after the evening it all turns into a pumpkin and you have to give it all back.”
Tyra Banks: The host of America’s Top Model was definitely giving us anything but the cold shoulder with her come-hither black lace one shoulder eggplant Georges Chakra mermaid gown with peekaboo cleavage and with deep V cut out. But don’t tell Tyra she looked like a million bucks—you’d be underestimating: the gown alone was worth $55,000, and she was frosted in over $3.5 million of Chopard’s pricey ice.
Calista Flockhart: Here’s the skinny—after Audrey Hepburn and before Natalie Portman, Calista was perfect model of the glam gamine, and this one-shouldered Grecian-inspired Derek Lam gown was right up her old fashion Ally.
Leah Remini: After dropping 80 lbs. of baby weight with a blood type diet, Leah went from pleasingly plump to pleasing in plum in her subtly sequined, shimmering Versace with an asymmetrical neckline, adding extra sparkle with Chopard’s emerald-cut white diamond drop earrings and an amazing rose-cut white diamond ring. And she makes no bones about where her bronze glow came from: “Sunset Tan in West Hollywood,” she told Hollywood.com. “They’ll just spray your ass right up. Two minutes!”
Maria Menounos: The Access Hollywood and Today Show correspondent had nearly settled on another Monique Lhullier gown when she used this black lace Lhullier creation with a face-framing collar and a skin-baring keyhole back for a mock fitting. “I didn’t even look at it and when I was leaving the fitting everyone in the room was like, ‘You have to wear that black dress,” she told Hollywood.com. “The collar is cool. It’s comfy. I feel really Victorian tonight.” That’s if Victorians accessorized with over half a million dollars in jewels.
Dame Helen Mirren: She may have played a queen, but there’s nothing like a dame. The Elizabeth I Emmy-winner chose an appropriately regal white gown by Morgan LeFay, estate jewelry from Fred Leighton and Daniel Swarovski’s tan crystal Gourmand clutch, but she playfully undercut the ensem’s uppercrust appeal by matching it with her so-called “stripper shoes” with a six-inch clear plastic heel. “I got them on Hollywood Boulevard for $49.99.”
Chandra Wilson: There were no shades of Grey on this TV doctor’s anatomy as she opted for a crimson Bradley Bayou creation, along with Stuart Weitzman shoes and a Judith Lieber bag. Chandra showed off her stellar qualities with Chopard’s multi-star-shaped white diamond necklace paired with white diamond stud earrings set in micro pave and a white diamond square-shaped Happy Diamond ring. We wondered: how many carats? “I don’t know—I said, ‘Don’t tell me!’” she admitted.
Jaclyn Smith: To look this heavenly entering your sixth decade—no kidding, she’s the Big Six-O—you might suspect the former Charlie’s Angel made a deal with the devil, but Jaclyn, clad in a deliciously gauzy chocolate J. Mendel dress and Cathy Waterman jewels, insists her secret is “clean living. It’s a sparkling night, and it adds to the glitter for Aaron Spelling. It brings a glow.” And somewhere Aaron was beaming.
Debra Messing: “We have a girl day where I throw on a zillion dresses and it’s very easy to narrow it down,” said Debra of her dress selection process. “It’s what makes you feel good.” And it certainly must have felt good to know Alberta Ferretti chose to design for Debra and Debra alone on Emmy day, delivering a tiered ivory gown which she matched with beautiful lace five-inch Christian Louboutin heels, a Judith Leiber clutch and vintage Cartier jewelry flown in from Paris “except for the ring, which was actually a present from myself when Will & Grace was moved to Thursday nights.”
Split Decisions
Eva Longoria and Tony Parker: Designer Jason Wu sketched three different gowns for Eva to chose from, and she went for short and sweet in a custom-made white cocktail frock—though some wags thought it looked more like a cocktail napkin—matched with Piaget jewelry, Sergio Rossi shoes and a Tod’s clutch. Eva’s selection of her hoopster beau Tony Parker’s Ted Baker suit was more of a slam dunk. “He is the best accessory,” she said. “I put the pants on him, put the belt on him, and pushed him out the door.” If Eva was dressing us as literally, we’d have to be shoved out the door as well.
Kyra Sedgwick: “It’s a fairytale dress,” said Kyra, “And I suppose I’m Armani’s princess.” And she was an airy, romantic vision in her Giorgio Armani Privé dove grey strapless silk organza gown with plissé treatment and raw-edge detail, including a fitted bodice, cascading layered skirt, and floor-sweeping train. Except for the absurdly voluminous bloom on the skirt, which left a lovely look slightly wilted. Next time, Kyra, let your hubby Kevin Bacon be the one to bring you flowers.
Ellen Pompeo: “It’s hot,” said Ellen of her deep purple siren gown by John Galliano for Christian Dior, and she didn’t mean it in a Paris Hilton kind of way. The dress was made completely from tightly fitted devore velvet, a heavy burden in one-hundred-plus-degree weather. “It’s not comfortable but I’m okay. It’s squeezing me. I haven’t taken a breath since I got into the car.” We were left kind of breathless, too, but Ellen’s too-limp ponytail left the total look hanging.
Virginia Madsen: “Yes, they’re real,” said Virginia, referring to her diamonds. “Everyone’s talking about my cleavage. They ask why? I say why not? Kevan Hall really designs for a woman’s shape and not a hanger. We’re playing dress-up for the night and you want to feel like Cinderella. You don’t want to feel self conscious about how things are looking. And I feel beautiful and confident in his gowns Everything I put on of his just fits me like a glove.” Indeed, although there may be a couple of fingers missing here—this designer gown was a little, um, off the rack.
[PAGEBREAK]Hollywood.com’s Worst Dressed
Paula Abdul: Yet again Paula has proven she’s no fashion Idol in a floral flop that was as stylishly tone-deaf as William Hung. You’d have to be even nicer than she is not to criticize this one.
Other Misfires Sandra Oh: Oh no. Sandra’s iridescent blue Vera Wang Grecian silk chiffon gown with ruffled neckline is certainly a stunner—if only you could see it under the layers and layers of Loree Rodkin jewelry. Coco Chanel famously advised the fashionable to take one item off before leaving the house, and Sandra could have left the house a dozen times and still been over-accessorized.
Vanessa Minnillo: Vanessa’s bright blue embroidered taffeta dress was a sash and a tiara short of suiting one of Donald Trump’s chintzy beauty pageants, but on the Emmy red carpet. We think only Nick Lachey was still singing her praises
Cheryl Hines: Cheryl should have curbed her enthusiasm for Georges Chakra’s purple shantung gown with a chiffon illusion back studded with Swarovski crystals, which looked better coming than going.
Memorable Men
Patrick Dempsey: McDreamy keeps it McSimple in Ralph Lauren’s classic Black Label tux, day-old stubble and a rakishly askew bow tie. “I got dressed five minutes before we got into the car,” Patrick explained, leaving the ladies wondering just what he was up to beforehand.
Kevin James: Trumping his Hitch co-star Will Smith, the King of Queens heavy-hitter takes the Men in Black concept to the next level with his slimming ebony-on-ebony approach, complete with impenetrable shades, and even bedecked head-to-toe in blak he stayed cool even under the sweltering SoCal sun. “It’s mesh and I’m powdered like you wouldn’t believe underneath,” Kevin cracked.
Jeremy Piven: “I am rockin’ the ascot,” the Piv proclaimed to Hollywood.com, matching his yacht club affectation with a sharp navy blue peak lapel tux from Dolce & Gabbana, and we had to agree. He’s almost perfected that latter-day Cary Grant look—only the scarf’s polka dot pattern veered a little into Thurston Howell III territory.
Wentworth Miller: The fashion police won’t be throwing the Prison Break star into lock-up any time soon if he keeps opting for clean, classic looks like Giorgio Armani’s three-button notch lapel tuxedo with a classic spread collar evening shirt, black satin bowtie and a borrowed Bulgari watch. “They’ve been very good to me for several years,” Wentworth said. And he’s obviously good to Armani.
Barry Manilow: Barry looks like he’s ready for a steamy night out at the Copacaba in his sleek Matsutomo white silk suit. The choice is bold, sure, and maybe even a little out there, but we’re still a Fanilow. After all, no matter what he wears, he is music, and he writes the songs!
