Emmy Night: Hits and Misses

There's one reason and one reason only I watch awards shows: the red carpet dresses. Unlike a movie premiere, or going to dinner, celebrities bring their a-game to the big awards shows: Emmys, Golden Globes, and, the mother of them all, the Oscars. I must say, I was very disappointed in the dresses this year. But with my crackteam of dress-watchers (i.e. Kathy), I've assembled the following dresses as the hits, the misses, and the ones that were close but didn't quite make it.

Hits

Felicity Huffman looks dazzling with a soft new haircut, and shimmer all over in this Reem Acra gown.

Hayden Penetierre looks mature and understatedly stunning in this very well-fitted silk gown. I just love the minimal look of the color of the dress, light jewelry, and even sparser makeup. The cut of the dress is the whole show.

I hate to admit I like Lauren Conrad here in one of her own creations, but the color and the flow of the dress, paired with her adorable hair really do it for me. Though I will say the top of the dress is very ill-fitted and looks like her girls may bust free at any moment.

Olivia Wilde looked very romantic and feminine in this flowy gown by Reem Acra. The sleeve detail is really what gets me. A little bling in all the right places.

I must be going through a dark dress no jewelry phase because I also loved Kristin Chenoweth's look in this gown by Armani Prive. She looks fresh and fancy all at the same time.


Brooke Shields took a color risk in this hot pink gown by Badgley Mischka, but her risk paid off as she looks smashing. Her soft hair is especially exquisite across her bare collar bone accented by large earrings and dark eyes.

Misses

Oh, Teri Hatcher. I don't even know what to say. This dress, although by Monique Lhuillier, looks cheap and unflattering. The ruffles are terrible and the whole thing looks like it came from Arden B. Jennifer Love Hewitt, in Caroline Herrera, maybe could've made the list of looks I didn't even care to notice, but it was really the rats' nest hair that got me. All that money for stylists and she has gym hair.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus's face looks fresh, but this tangerine Narciso Rodriguez gown is an awful color on her and the cutout in front is fit for the Grammys, not the Emmys.
I do love a print, but Vanessa Williams got it all wrong in this dress by Kevan Hall. The rhinestone-covered strap wants glamor, but the huge floral print says island vacation.

January Jones in her corsetted dress by Dolce & Gabbana made me especially sad because I'm used to her looking so flawless and fantastic on Mad Men. But I guess this lingerie as evening wear look is her way of showing she is not Betsy Draper, but I really wish she did dress like a 60s housewife.

Almost

Cynthia Nixon looks soft and lovely in this seafoam gown by Calvin Klein. I love the color for her, I love the hair. I really can't identify what it is, but there's just something missing that kept me from going wow.

The silhouette of the dress Jenna Fischer wore is the right idea. I love the shape of the top, and the flowy pleating of the top and gown. But the waist is not cinched enough, making her body look like it has no curve and goes straight up and down, and the brown mixed in just looks like the dress got dirty on her way to the red carpet.

I love the idea America Ferrera was going for: a little throwback glamor. The hair is right, the makeup is right. But the gown just didn't quite make it there. With a little less full skirt, this dress could've been a knockout. As it is, America is drowning in fabric, and the stiffness of the dress makes her hips look large and of different sizes.