The 2024 Emmy Awards Red Carpet - How To Get "The Looks"

I am a big fan of competitive fashion design shows such as Project Runway and Making the Cut. And one of my favorite challenges is when the designers have to create a "high fashion" look and a related "accessible" look. In other words, one outfit would look at home on a red carpet worn by a celebrity and one outfit would look at home in my closet and on my body, but they share common elements. And since I always watch red carpet events while thinking, "Wow, I'd love to be able to wear an outfit like that," this year's review of the Emmy Awards red carpet will show some of the best celebrity outfits alongside a commercially available "real person" look. 

Padma Lakshmi's chartreuse silk gown designed by Marchesa, top, featured a Grecian-inspired wrapped bodice trimmed with narrow chains and a super-full yet soft skirt topped with a narrow self-belt. A similar lime-green gown from Sumintras ($140) features a corset-style lace bodice with criss-cross straps and a full skirt with thigh-high slit also topped with a narrow self-belt. The corset top is more slimming and supportive, and the less voluminous skirt is more flattering on most figures. 

Jenna Ortega's silver strapless tea-length Dior dress featured a bell-shaped skirt with a hoop-skirt structure visible through the semi-sheer fabric, which was embellished with delicate pale green and lavender three-dimensional flowers. For a less-intimidatingly structured (and more easily maneuverable) look, try this tea-length lace frock from Lord & Taylor ($500),  which also features a delicate floral pattern and semi-sheer fabric in the 3/4-length sleeves and yoke over a strapless underbodice. 

  

Cody Heller's bubblegum pink retro 1950's-inspired strapless tea length dress with tulle skirt was clearly a tribute to Barbie. But since that particular shade of pink is a bit too intense for most of us, how about this similar style blush pink dress from JojoDress ($300), featuring a wide wrapped belt, tulle ballerina skirt, and just a touch of lace?

Zuri Hall was stunning in a chocolate brown strapless wrapped-bodice mermaid gown by Wayne Clark. You can find a more forgiving silhouette with a softer sweetheart neckline, a similarly-wrapped bodice, and a less severe trumpet skirt from ChicSew ($130), which is available in multiple colors, including several delicious shades of brown.

Heather McMahan wore a simple black strapless sheath paired with a cropped bolero jacket with bell sleeves that fell to the floor and were edged with eyelash trim. If the jacket is a bit extreme for your taste, try pairing this simple strapless black crepe sheath from David's Bridal ($100) with this black velvet shrug with slightly raised collar and much more moderate 3/4-length bell sleeves from Amazon ($25). 

Christina Ricci wore a Saint Laurent black velvet sleeveless column with a super-plunging neckline that framed a stunning emerald tassel necklace designed by Martin Katz. If you have neither the cash nor the decolletage for this couture look, go for this less extreme sleeveless black column from Anthropologie ($300). It also has a deeply plunging (although significantly less revealing) v-neck and a subtle a-line silhouette, and it's begging to be paired with this gorgeous African turquoise tassel pendant from Mercari ($100).

Emily Hampshire's vivid red halter gown featured a twisted neckline with a keyhole opening, a slightly raised waistline, and a full skirt. Only slightly less dramatic is this red halter gown from Mac Duggal ($220), which features a halter neckline with similar keyhole and wide neckband, an empire waist, and a figure-flattering A-line silhouette.

Robin Thede's Ines Di Santo-designed blush-pink satin gown featured a boned corset-style bodice with gracefully curved lines and a satin skirt with a voluminous wrapped drape over what appeared to be a mermaid-cut base, with a rounded train. This look would be a bit much anywhere besides the red carpet, but this tamer ivory satin gown from Stacees ($150) features a modified corset bodice with a draped front but visible boning at the waist creating similar graceful lines, and a flared satin skirt with a twist feature over one hip at the top of a deep slit. 

Issa Rae's feather-bedecked high-neck ivory column, designed by Pamella Roland, was topped with a shift style (i.e., no defined waistline) overlay. A much prettier look, in my opinion, is this silver sequin gown with chiffon cape from Kohl's ($130). It features a figure-skimming modified shift silhouette and a round gathered neckline, and both slim dress and fuller cape are a pretty ankle length. 

Quinta Brunson took some criticism for her dusty pink crushed satin Dior tea-length gown - there's a fine line between "crushed" and "wrinkled" (especially when it comes to satin) that some felt she had crossed. But regardless, her scoop-neck gown featured narrow straps, a surplice (wrapped) top that created diagonal lines across the bodice, a simple self-belt, and a flared skirt. A similar look can be found in this dress from eShakti ($40), in a nearly identical shade of dusty pink dupioni, which provides a subtle texture to the fabric, and features similar narrow straps, surplice bodice, self-belt, and flared skirt - without the flap about wrinkled vs. crushed. 

Lisa Ann Walter's Greta Constantine gown (top) was cut in a mermaid style, with black satin on top and a vivid red flounce, and Jessica Williams's Rodarte gown (center) was also mermaid style with a black velvet top and a double-ruffle white tulle underlay. You can find a similarly striking silhouette in a slightly less jarring color palette with this black satin strapless mermaid gown with pale pink tulle flounce (bottom) from FashionNova ($140). 

Ali Wong wore a custom Louis Vuitton gown with a strapless silver sequin bodice with a sheer black sleeveless yoke and a bright blue straight skirt covered with multicolored flowers. A more understated version of this look with a softer silhouette is available from Editorialist ($170). This dress is a midnight blue with a light blue and silver embroidered pattern, with a strapless bodice and sheer sleeveless yoke and a slightly flared ankle-length skirt. 

Jessica Chastain's chartreuse Gucci gown was a sleeveless column with plunging v-neck and long, fringed overlay. Since no one (including, unfortunately, Jessica Chastain) can get away with that particular color, a better choice would be this emerald green fringed gown from Burlywoods ($180), which features a more flattering (and forgiving) wide v-neck, wide satin belt, and fringed peplum. 

Ellen Pompeo wore a Monique Lhuillier gown consisting of a flared black velvet skirt and a sheer metallic shirt with a white collar and short black tie over a basic bra. I wouldn't advise most of us to appear at a formal event with visible undergarments, but you could definitely pair this flared black velvet skirt from Amazon ($40) with this gold sequin button-up shirt from Nordstrom ($70), and even add a detachable white collar with black velvet bow from Etsy ($20), for an equally great look. 

Oh dear, where to start with Alex Borstein's disastrous outfit? It consisted of a sheer black lace corset-style minidress, topped with a cranberry-colored...I'm going to go with "garment"...that included a floor-length skirt overlay that was split up to the belt, and a long-sleeved halter top with wide straps that didn't really form a bodice but joined to a wide collar, and which had black and red feathers around the armscyes (if you didn't learn that word in my last fashion blog, it's a fancy word for "armholes"). I would transform this look into something an ordinary person could wear - and wear better - by starting with a less revealing black lace minidress, like this one from Hot Topic ($40), which has a lace overlay over a solid black base. And then to add color and coverage, and to echo the pretty neckband of the original, I'd top it with this long-sleeved cranberry chiffon shrug with lace-trimmed collar and cuffs from Walmart ($20).

Mychal-Bella Rayne wore a 2-piece gown with a satin trumpet-style skirt topped with a white strapless structured bodice with wide belt and modified peplum. A simplified, one-piece version of this look is available from Macy's ($130), and features a similarly-tailored black trumpet skirt and a white satin strapless wrapped empire waist bodice with an oversized bow and wide trailing ribbons at the back. 

Since I started with Padma Lakshmi, it seems only right to end with Gail Simmons. Simmons wore a Balmain Art Deco-inspired multicolored metallic sequin wrapped gown gather in to one hip, where the skirt opened in a broad slit. For a more wearable gown with a similar silhouette and feel, I recommend this metallic gold high-low wrap dress from The Dress Outlet ($400).

Happy shopping!