It’s the most prestigious night in television and the most important night about television. We’re talking about the Emmy Awards, of course. Unlike the zaniness of the VMAs, this night is about professional people at the top of their game looking like A-listers. Rarely do you see fashion disasters on the Emmys red carpet anymore. There’s too much on the line for everyone. We had a hard time choosing our favorites because there were so many, but it was easy to pick out the ones that just didn’t work for us.
Anna Sawai in Vera Wang
The Shōgun star and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series nominee stunned at her first Emmys in this brilliant red strapless gown with a tiered skirt and low peplum. There’s just enough going on with the design to prevent it from being basic, but she elevates it further just by wearing it and the low-key styling was an elegant choice. Everything is in perfect balance.
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Quinta Brunson in Georges Chakra Couture
The Abbott Elementary star was once again nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. What we love about this look is that it shows real stature and star power. It’s not a look that says “I’ve arrived,” because she already did that. It’s a look that says, “I’m a star, but you knew that already.” Just a flawlessly gorgeous, ultra-glamorous, super-hot gown that looks like it was poured onto her. What a knockout of a look.
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Greta Lee in Loewe
Nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her work on The Morning Show, Greta Lee has always had a slightly edgier red carpet style than your average prestige actress. We appreciate that, and we admire this for not being a cookie-cutter choice, but girl, you’re wearing a tablecloth.
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Saoirse Ronan and Jack Lowden in Louis Vuitton
The newlyweds came to the Emmys to celebrate his nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series on Slow Horses–and also to serve impeccable matching looks from the House of Vuitton. We have to admit, we’re only so-so on the drapey part of her bandeau top. The skirt is beautiful, the color looks amazing on her and that drop-dead diamond choker was a great choice. He looks flawless.
Carrie Coon in Thom Browne Couture
It almost feels like the star of The Gilded Age, for which she’s nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, is dressing in some sort of modern, deconstructed, minimalist nod to her character’s corsets and bustles. It’s a striking look from the waist up, but below that it starts getting a little busy and over-designed.
Meryl Streep
The legend herself opted to show up looking like one. We just adore the quietly chic, broad-shouldered confidence of this gorgeous pink tuxedo. It’s just bold enough to be photogenic, but it doesn’t deliver too much flash, which has always been her preference. The combination of shoulder pads and pussy bow blouse is giving Madam Vice President.
Ayo Edebiri in Bottega Veneta
We’ve always been a little bit puzzled about her red carpet choices. She always seemed to be drawn to quirky pieces that probably reflect her personality well but rarely take a great picture, in our opinion. This time, the star of The Bear and nominee for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series finally managed to nail the perfect combination for her. This dress is fun in a way that reflects her personality, looks super-cute on her, and takes a great picture. This is a Personal Best.
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Kali Reis
We admit we gasped a little when we saw the True Detective: Night Country star hit the Emmys red carpet as a nominee for Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series in this eye-popping purple velvet tuxedo skirt suit. The combination of extended shoulders and column skirt is a dramatic one, made all the more so by the gorgeous styling. The hair and makeup are great on their own, but the jewelry and feathers really take this gorgeous look to a whole different level.
Eiza González in Tamara Ralph Couture
The 3-Body Problem star proved that the Barbiecore trend still has some life in it. To be fair, we wouldn’t call this pink sequined gown and feathered coat the freshest design in the world, but there’s nothing wrong with indulging in some well-traveled old-school glamour when the results look this good. That bustline’s a little goofy (or more accurately, Mickey), but it’s the only element that takes the design away from being generic.
Dakota Fanning in Armani Privé
If there’s one thing we know after decades of red carpet commentary, it’s that those Fanning girls love themselves a pale neutral. The Ripley star and Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology series nominee wore this beautiful beaded strapless gown with a sweetheart neckline, gathered bust, and flounce running down the center. We’re describing it in detail in case you can’t see it clearly. As always with her, we find ourselves saying “Just imagine how great this would look on her in midnight blue, or red, or purple, or any color at all.”
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Selena Gomez in Ralph Lauren Collection
As we said, this is a night for actors at the top of their careers to show up looking like it. This is such a smart choice for the star of Only Murders in the Building, for which she’s been recognized with her first acting nomination, as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Sure, a former Disney star could show up spewing high-trend glamour in every direction if she wanted to, but this is a time to show that she’s definitely elevated herself. It’s just glamorous enough, but there’s a mature, subdued quality that really speaks to this moment for her. And of course she looks amazing.
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Hannah Einbinder in Louis Vuitton
The Hacks star came nominated in the category of Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy series and we can see how this might feel like a prestige actress-y sort of gown to her. It’s an interesting twist on the goddess gown and we might see it working on the right wearer, but it really doesn’t suit her at all; not the drab pink color and not the overly serious style. The flat hair and relative lack of jewelry lends the whole look a heavy and weighed-down feel that belies her personality.
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Brie Larson in Chanel Couture
In a nod to the red carpet trend for method-dressing, the Lessons in Chemistry star came to the Emmys as a first-time nominee as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series in a look so retro it almost looks like it could double as a costume for the mid-century setting of her show. It’s pretty, but those beaded straps are a bit much and we just don’t love hair bows–or dress bows, for that matter.
Jonathan Bailey in Giorgio Armani
You can tell the Bridgerton star is really feeling this moment. He’s nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series for his work in Fellow Travelers and he showed up looking like the hottest thing you ever saw. It’s a bit of a throwback to the disco era, but we can’t bring ourselves to get mad at a man working an Armani silk shirt for all it’s worth. We just wish he’d ditched the cummerbund.
Jennifer Aniston in Oscar de la Renta
The star of The Morning Show hit that red carpet sporting her tenth Emmy nomination, as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, but we’re happy to see she still treats the night like the big deal it is. In fact, this might be one of the best dresses we’ve seen her wear in a couple of years. She has always had pretty strict preferences; strapless, simple, neutral. But this one really is elevated. The pattern of the beading gives it the kind of weight and texture a dress like this needs to pop in pictures. She looks great, and she looks like she pulled it together in ten minutes, which is how she likes it.
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Sofía Vergara in Dolce & Gabbana
After delivering a powerhouse performance under makeup and prosthetics in Griselda, for which she’s nominated as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series, the former Modern Family star returned to the body-hugging high glamour that has always defined her red carpet style. There’s nothing new about this look and she’s worn some variation on it countless times, but when the results look like this, we can’t blame her for returning to a reliable.
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Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor
Always the chicest couple on any red carpet they grace together, the power team of Holland Taylor and her partner Sarah Paulson, who is nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for Mr. and Mrs. Smith, served up more of the same. What’s great about these looks is that they look perfectly coordinated, but distinct to each wearer. The starkly simple shape and colors of Sarah’s look suit her perfectly, as does Holland’s fabulous white tux. We’re just not in love with that bow.
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Lily Gladstone
The Under the Bridge star celebrated her first nomination as Best Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series with this elegant and head-turning combination of dark velvet column gown and etched bronze breastplate. The etchings are delicately beautiful and no other styling or accessorizing was needed. The quiet, unique chicness of it simply sings on her.
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Ella Purnell in Rabanne
Sometimes a dress and wearer are so incredibly well-suited to each other that it feels like a no-brainer and it really doesn’t matter if a thousand other women have worn it on red carpets before. In other words, sure, it’s a semi-basic silver disco ball of a dress, but the star of Fallout looks flipping amazing in it. The dark lip and those waves in her hair really lend it that Studio 54 vibe without coming off like too much of a throwback. The jewelry is really well chosen in terms of size and amount.
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