The Fashion Emmy Awards

The Fashion Emmy Awards : Red Hot

Red Hot Hotties

So many stars wore red at the Emmys that we can barely keep track, but we'd be fools if we didn't start with Nina Dobrev. Her strapless Donna Karan dress hugged every enviable curve and her sideswept locks were the perfect match to the mermaid-fit dress.

On the red carpet, Lea Michele told Ryan Seacrest, "This year i just wanted to be super comfortable and i just wanted to be able to  have a really good time." The 'Glee' star succeeded with her sophisticated Marchesa gown that featured a plain front and rosette shoulders.

Shy? We don't think so. 'Friday Night Lights' star Adrianne Palicki went all out sexy in a halter dress that had a dangerously high slit, yet she managed to come off glam and even a bit old school, not trashy. If you've got it, flaunt it!

Giuliana Rancic won't have to worry about getting dissed when she goes on her own show, 'Fashion Police.' The distressed tiers are a fun touch, although we wish the top had been solid for a bit more fluidity. 

Oh, Kathy Griffin. Kathy, Kathy, Kathy. Her lips and dress were as bold as her jokes and her hair. The shade? Fab. The dress? Slightly too prom queen. 

Kate Winslet cannot do wrong! The Emmy winner wowed in a fire engine red Elie Saab dress. The low cut - a huge trend this evening - didn't hurt either, especially since it added some spunk to an otherwise simple gown.

We know Sofia Vergara's gown is coral, not red, but it's in the same family! The 'Modern Family' star matched her lipstick to the one-shoulder Vera Wang dress, and we love that the draping hit every curve while a bit of tulle peeked out from underneath. Love, love, love - it's one of our fave looks of the evening!

Who's Got The Blues?

It's sparkly. It's shiny. It's hippie patchwork gone glam. Thank you, Claire Danes, for having fun and embracing the sequins by slipping into this Oscar de la Renta number. We know awesome isn't usually a word associated with the Emmys, but we think it works pretty well in this scenario.

A cyan shade like this wouldn't work in January, but days before summer comes to an end? Perfection. 'How I Met Your Mother' star Colbie Smulders took a risk in this ocean blue Grecian-inspired Alberta Ferretti piece, and it paid off.

Amy Poehler's dress is a bit tight, but we're suckers for shine. The half-sleeves were risky, but the midnight blue shade of this Peter Som dress stood out in a sea of red. If others tried too hard, the 'Parks and Recreations' star wore what made her happy, and we have to applaud that.

With her sweet girl-next-door looks, Katie Holmes is the perfect J. Crew model. But these were the Emmys, and the top of her dress looks more fitting for a bathing suit than a couture dress. And a skinny belt? Really? It's not terrible, but the Calvin Klein Collection by Francisco Costa dress is not memorable either.

The bottom half of Dianna Agron's Roksanda Ilincic dress is great. Sadly the top half looked like sheets someone forgot to iron, but then again, that is the risk with being a tiny chica wearing silk.

Blush Babes

Sarah Hyland is just twenty years old, which is why we're always impressed when she shows up to awards shows in fabulous gowns like this one-of-a-kind draped Christian Siriano. "He is genius," the 'Modern Family' star told Giuliana on the red carpet. We agree. The odd peek-a-book silver heels, on the other hand, we'd toss.

How Olivia Wilde of Rashida Jones! The 'Parks and Recreation' star wore a strapless pink Alberta Ferretti gown that felt like it had been done before. It has, but not by this actress, and we're okay with that because it fit her like a glove.

We had no idea a couture gown could like frumpy, but Jayma Mays managed to find one that did. There was just too much to this dress, from the embellished ballet top to the frilly tiers. The dusty pink hue is lovely, and that's the only thing that saves it.

Low Cut ... And Lovely

Julie Bowen won twice tonight - once for her Oustanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series award and again when she led the pack in a low cut Oscar de la Renta gown. The dress sparkled with out being over the top, plus the 'Modern Family' star has the bod to pull off the daring cut. 

There is a lot of fabric to Heather Morris' gown. The 'Glee' star is a teeny gal and this dress practically eats her up. But she's as playful as she is skinny, so we get why Heather picked this gown - why not take a chance? Plus she probably didn't even need to wear a bra with it, so hey, comfy too!

Kristen Wiig's dress is fabulous for a number of reasons, but first and foremost because she killed it in a multifaceted chocolate hue gown that could have been done by none other than Zac Posen. And she knew that one bold Fred Leighton bracelet and earrings were all that were needed, because this dress stood out on its own.

Low cut, embellished black dresses were everywhere, and Emily Blunt certainly had the look down. The Elie Saab dress looks like it's covered in hundreds of feathers, but seeing as they're sequined ones, we're letting it slide.

Plum Peaches

Kelly Osbourne wasn't a nominee - in fact, she was only on the red carpet to judge other celebrities walking the carpet - yet she managed to take the Emmys by storm and wear one of our favorite dresses of the night. The one-shoulder (or is it one-shoulder and one-arm?) gown hugged her slim frame, and the mermaid train only upped the glam factor. Ozzy's daughter will not be handcuffed by the fashion police tonight!

Did you think we forget about the Emmys host, Jane Lynch? Of course not! We love the plum shade (as did the 'Glee' star - she changed into a second similarly hued gown mid-show), but we do wish her custom David Meister Signature gown was about two inches higher at the bust. Also, the arm full of bangles are bolder than we're used to seeing on the carpet also, but we like the fun risk.

Holy skin, Jurnee Smollett! The 'Friday Night Lights' star went for both a low cut and a high slit with her purple halter dress. Luckily it came off as more class than crass. Attitude is everything, kids.

Back to Black

While many stars picked out bold hues to stand out on the red carpet, a number of actresses opted for basic black. Although, when it comes to the Emmys, nothing is really basic, as the 'Friday Night Lights' star proved when she rocked this one-shouldered, asymmetrical-hemmed belted gown. Sometimes the perfect cut is all one needs.

This is kind of adorable ... and tight. Very, very tight. But if anyone can pull of a dress that's practically a second skin and topped off with a bow, it's Naya Rivera.

Derek Jeter may have forgotten, but the rest of us haven't - Minka Kelly is a beautiful girl. We're thinking this may be the reason she went for this lacy Dior number - so people would focus on something besides her looks! Sure it's tiered, but it's also long-sleeved, and it comes off as almost too mature for a girl who's known for being flirty and fun. 

Kaley Cuoco is adorable. Do you need further proof than the Dorothy-worthy ruby red pumps she strapped on? The dress is sweet as well. We can't put our finger on why the polka dot tulle doesn't exactly wow us, but it certainly works for what it is. 

A thick glittery belt? Ruffly tiers? When you're Paula Abdul, these two wild wears always go together. We're so happy to say that we like it. Really! 'The X Factor' judge cleans up well.

Evan Rachel Wood was the perfect example of another big trend of the night - long trains. Dripping in sparkles, the Elie Saab dress was dramatic and sophisticated ... and almost enough to make us forget that she used to date Marilyn Manson. Almost.

Better Luck Next Year

And then there was the drab and the bad:

We know a lot of you will question why we put Christina Hendricks here, but we'll lay it out for you - we know her boobs are huge. We totally get it. All we ask is for another look out of the 'Mad Men' star, especially since this dress is so pale that it nearly blends in with Christina's skin, and the embellishments are from the reject bin at your local wedding shop.

Just because the label said Pucci does not mean that it's okay to show your belly like you're wearing a bikini on Venice Beach. Sorry, Gwyneth Paltrow!

The shiny emerald green shade is splendid, but Olivia Munn's dress is so ill-fitting and the stripes so unnecessary that even the brilliant hue can't save it. 

We don't like to take swings at the younger stars because, well, they're not even of legal age to drink yet. Plus, 'Modern Family' star Ariel Winter is a sweetheart. But we just can't get behind this part-lace, part-Chinese-inspired floor-length gown. The pale pink hue was right on trend though!

This is one of 'Switched at Birth' star Vanessa Marano's first high-profile red carpets, so we give her props for the glam hair and jewels. Now if only the 18-year-old actress left the Renaissance dress at the faire...

Paz de la Huerta just made every ballerina cry by taking their beloved pastel pink and turning it into a streetwalker's dream. And who let the 'Boardwalk Empire' star leave the house with lips that blended into her cheeks? At the very least, she has the legs to pull off that unnecessary slit. We'll give her that.

Someone forget to tell Emmy winner Julianna Marguiles that mirror are meant for the wall, not a dress.

The '80s called, Jenna Ushkowitz, and they'd like their geometric top back. It was meant for a tuxedo.

'Project Runway' winner Christian Siriano designed Heidi Klum's Emmys dress. The model said she gave her designer no direction, which explains why she came away with this flamenco dud.

 Tell us in the comments below!

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