When I write a red carpet review, as often as not, I didn't see the actual awards ceremony. I watch the Tonys and the Oscars, but for most other awards shows I might tune in for a few minutes, but rarely more than that. Last night, I actually watched the Emmys. Mostly with the sound off, because a good deal of the talk was annoying, but for the purposes of this review, my comments are based as much on how the outfits looked as the wearers were actually walking and moving around, rather than on a single carefully posed red carpet photo.
I also try to find different ways to categorize my reviews. Sometimes I'll group the actresses by age, sometimes by gown color, sometimes by fashion trend. This time I'm going to try something different and categorize them by how successful their red carpet looks tend to be. After writing red carpet reviews for a number of years, I have a pretty solid feel for whose looks usually work for me, whose rarely do, and whose can go either way. I'll start with those who usually get a thumbs up from me.
Usually a Thumbs Up
These actresses often take fashion risks, and they usually pay off. Although many have an occasional red carpet misstep, they're rarely bland and they're usually fabulous.
Felicity Huffman nearly always looks good on the red carpet, and she often looks great. She rarely gets too risky, but she goes outside traditional styles on a regular basis. This lacy mermaid gown fades from pale silver at the shoulders down to just barely aqua at the flared train. The deep but narrow v-neckline and the hint of lace epaulets on the shoulders were the only details needed to make this gown a total knockout.
Laverne Cox always looks stunning on the red carpet, and last night was no exception. I loved her dark silver, multi-paneled gown with chevron seaming, wide-set straps, and short train. I especially loved that her hairstyle was simpler and her makeup less harsh and dramatic than it sometimes is. She looked fantastic, as always.
Nicole Kidman would look gorgeous wearing a burlap sack on the red carpet (and she's come close to that), but last night's flared scarlet ankle-length halter dress with plunging neckline and gorgeous long diamond drop necklace and matching collar was one of my favorite looks she's ever worn, and probably my very favorite look of the night. It looked so fresh and comfortable, with just a hint of a nod to Marilyn Monroe. Complete thumbs up.
Priyanka Chopra rarely makes a misstep on the red carpet, but I think last night was one. The base of her gown, a fitted white column studded with fan-shaped black embroidery, was quite pretty, but the chunky metallic "straps" at the neck and armholes, large black insets at the waist, and fuzzy eyelash fabric at the hem - which didn't quite flare into a mermaid style but still had a long, narrow train - spoiled the silhouette and the overall look.
She still looked lovely, but it was despite the dress rather than because of it.
Reese Witherspoon always looks great on the red carpet, and although she often sticks to her tried and true formula of a narrow strapless column or trumpet gown, I loved her unusual deep teal satin double-breasted minidress. The unusual color was perfectly striking with her pale blonde coloring, and the long straight hair, coordinated pointy pumps, and vivid red lips were perfect accessories. A great - and different - look.
Sarah Hyland always has a youthful but classic elegance on the red carpet. She chooses unusual styles, but nothing too wildly
outre. This belly-baring red print gown is in keeping with her style. Simple but not boring, the gracefully curved lines, tropical print, toned abs, and long dark wavy hair bring to mind a glamorous version of a hula dancer. Very chic.
I subdivided this category, because actresses whose red carpet success can go either way are easily separated into those who play it safe (they're rarely terrible, but they're rarely fantastic, either) and those who take fashion risks but with a lower success rate than the category above.
Evan Rachel Wood has sported red carpet looks that are all over the place, from traditional ball gowns to form-fitting velvet men's suits with cropped pants. In fact, she often sports variations on menswear, but rarely as successfully as last night's white 3-piece look featuring a cropped tailcoat, vest/bustier, some kind of white shirt (or possibly a low cummerbund), and full draped skirt. I didn't love the multitude of layers at the waist which included a double set of tails, but the overall silhouette and detailing were terrific. Thumbs up.
Jane Fonda is another all-over-the-place dresser, from staid "I'm over a certain age" styles to "I don't look like I'm over a certain age!!!" styles. With her still-fabulous figure, I wish she'd done something more with this basic electric pink column with bell sleeves and short train. It was pretty, but boring. And her 1970s too-straight ponytail and heavy bangs looked totally out of character. I didn't even recognize her at first. Thumbs down from me.
Judith Light often opts for gown that look good in a red carpet pose but move oddly or shift uncomfortably as she walks or moves. Admittedly, I didn't notice her at the actual awards, but this draped black gown with long flared sleeves, asymmetrical neckline, deep side slit, and all-around train looked like it would move well. The shoulder details were a bit pointy for my taste, but they're a minor enough detail that I'm still giving her a thumbs up.
Mandy Moore is certainly willing to take risks on the red carpet, with varying levels of success. I remember a deeply plunging black chiffon number with a cape that worked and a ruffled Big Bird yellow column that did not. Last night's look leans firmly toward the "did not" column. The stiff black satin bodice descends into three even stiffer tulle ruffles, with a white ruffle in between two black ones. The lower black one was a little longer and had a short train. The placement of the white ruffle made her legs look disproportionately long, or perhaps it was that her torso looked disproportionately short. Whichever the case, it did not flatter her.
Regina King experiments with many different looks on the red carpet: high-low skirt with crop top, print column with a white Superman-style cape, black satin column with a daringly broad diagonal swath of bare skin across the bodice. Many teeter on the verge of disaster but rarely get there. This dress has a few minor mistakes, but overall I like the look. The fabric is gorgeous, and I love the broadly pleated skirt with its deep slit, but the plunging halter is a bit too open for a pretty line, and the short band of pleating at the waist looks stiff and out of place. But the concept is terrific, even if the execution falls just a hair short.
Tracee Ellis Ross is never afraid to take a risk on the red carpet; multiple bold colors, swaths of exposed skin, pants and a halter. But her risk didn't pay off last night, with a bulky silver knit dress with marabou skirt, wide silver belt, and white satin pumps. It wasn't space chic, it was just spacy.
Zoe Kravitz has rocked some wild fashions on the red carpet, but this is not one. The black bodice isn't bad, although the waist falls at an odd place that makes her shoulders look droopy. But the skirt, made of rainbow Muppet fur, is a big no from me.
Hit or Miss - Safe
These are the actresses who hover on either side of middle ground, rarely trying something new and daring, but rarely crashing and burning, either. Their failures usually fall into the category of boring or bland rather than being truly horrible, and their successes are often quantified as "better than what she usually wears" instead of "better than everyone else on the red carpet".
Allison Janney has varying levels of success on the red carpet. I rarely hate her look, but it is frequently not memorable. Last night's gown, however, was terrific. A lovely white lace a-line gown over a nude underdress, its plunging neckline (held in place by a barely-visible modesty panel) revealed enough skin to be sexy without looking age-inappropriate or trying too hard. A really good look for her, and one of my favorites for actresses over, ahem, a certain age.
Elizabeth Moss is another one who plays it safe on the red carpet. Her look last night was fairly typical: a lovely, strapless, blush pink satin, ballerina-style dress paired with pointy shoes and a matching clutch. It was sweet and pretty, but the color washed her out. This exact dress in a slightly brighter shade would have been a knockout, but as is, it was pretty blah.
Ellie Kemper's standard red carpet fare is a long, straight column. Fine, but not risky and rarely memorable. She broke out of her box a bit at the Emmys in this sheer, spangled, midnight blue column with a short train over a short, strapless, cobalt blue underdress. It was a flattering and eye-catching look, and I hope she continues to experiment like this, because it's working for her.
Shailene Woodley also tends to experiment on the red carpet, and this particular gown is very close to being a complete win. The deep green velvet is beautifully draped, and the tiny paired criss-cross straps in the back are sexy and elegant. If only the v-neck were a tiny bit narrower and more secure (perhaps a tiny diamond chain at the top?), I could give this one a 100% thumbs up. But it's pretty darn close.
Uzo Adouba has worn some fabulous outfits on the red carpet, and some real clunkers. This white and silver two-piece gown with column skirt and spaghetti strap top is definitely the former. It shows off her voluptuous curves but skims and supports. And the white and silver is a striking contrast to her gorgeous, glowing skin and wild mane of hair. Stunning.
Haven't Noticed Her Before
Some of these actresses I don't recognize because they're new on the scene, or I don't watch their shows, or perhaps because their red carpet fashion has been less than memorable. Based on how well they did last night, we'll see if they're faces to follow or faces to forget.
Angela Sarafyan is a new face to me. Her style screams "model" to me. She manages to pull off the chartreuse yellow rather nicely, and I love the draping of the skirt and the poufed sleeves. however, the entire bodice appears to be riding a few inches lower than it should be, creating an awkward pushup effect and forcing the sleeves to defy gravity in an uncomfortable-looking way. Hike the whole business up a couple of inches and this look would be a win for me.
I certainly know Gabrielle Union's work on the small screen, but I had to google her red carpet looks. Nothing terribly memorable, but nothing terribly terrible, either. This particular look was a mixed bag for me: I love the black lace bolero jacket with diamond collar, but it felt out of place with the full black lace gown with barely-sheer skirt. And the hair pulled back into a hugely full ponytail didn't seem to work with the style, either. No bad pieces here, just a weird combination that didn't really work for me.
Issa Rae's red carpet looks are usually pretty conservative - not bad, but not exactly eye-catching. This vivid one-shouldered red gown, however, was definitely eye-catching. I didn't love the mismatched sleeve lengths, but I did love the soft draping of the bodice, the ruffled detail on the left sleeve, and the braided coronet hairstyle that completed the Grecian-inspired theme. Truly lovely.
Not being an SNL watcher, I had no idea who Kate McKinnon was, and this gown is not likely to make me remember her. The spaghetti strapped, black pleather bodice has a strangely narrow horizontal slit across the center that looks more like a seam that came unstitched than an intentional design, and the clingy white fabric makes her thighs look lumpy. It just didn't work for her, at all.
Leslie Jones was not familiar to me from previous red carpets, but Google tells me she plays it relatively safe on the red carpet. This look is right in line with the popular trend of sheet skirts over short dresses, and although I do like the deep slit, the heavy beading at the hem of the train, along with its just-barely-too-long length, creates a lumpy look at the hem. Overall, a mixed bag: not great, but not terrible, either.
Considering how gorgeous she is, it is amazing to me how Michelle Pfeiffer manages to consistently fade into the background on the red carpet. I can think of a memorable red carpet look worn by just about every actress of her caliber, but I didn't remember a single look of hers. This black dress, with black lace overlay over a nude base for the bodice, and a semi-sheer black skirt is pretty, but not memorable. Yawn.
Rashida Jones is usually somewhat bland on the red carpet. Even her most successful looks make me think, "Oh, that's kind of pretty," rather than, "Wow, she looks amazing!" This pleated lavender gown with wide waistband and triangular peekaboo at the bust is also kind of pretty, but nowhere near amazing.
I don't recall seeing Samantha Bee on the red carpet before, but if she continues wearing gowns like this I'll certainly remember her! I love the effect of shiny and matte fabrics seamed together in graceful lines and shapes. The squared-off shoulders and deep round neck is 1940s, the seaming lines are 1920s, and the long train is glamorous 1950s, yet the whole thing works together. Good job.
I have no idea who Shannon Purser is, but she's too pretty to be eaten by this dress. It's a great color and a fascinating style, but it's too bulky and heavy and it completely overwhelms her. But kudos for taking a risk, especially as a relative unknown. I'll keep my eye on her.
Some actresses just always look terrible on the red carpet, no matter what. Maybe they have bad stylists, maybe they have bad taste, maybe they got stuck in a contract with a bad designer. But whatever the reason, these actresses frequently end up on my worst-dressed lists.
Anna Chlumsky was a child actress, so you'd think she'd have learned red carpet fashion rules early. But unfortunately, she often looks awkward and uncomfortable in unflattering or inappropriate styles. Last night, however, she stunned in a dress with an almost chain mail-style halter top and metallic silver skirt that flared into a rear train at the knee. It was simple but sleek, and it worked for both her figure and her personality. Nicely done!
A lot of folks love Jessica Biel's style, but I just find her to regularly be a hot mess on the red carpet, and last night was no exception. This ragged-looking gown looked like it was tacked together from a couple of random bits of fabric the designer found on the floor at the end of the day, and her square-topped hairstyle managed to make her gorgeous hair look bad. The main redeeming feature of her look was that at least the long slit drew focus to her stunning legs. But she was still a hot mess.
Jessica Lange is routinely a hot mess on the red carpet, so I was absolutely delighted to see her in this glamorous black velvet gown with metallic gold flower details. The soft lines of the gown, from the flared hem of the skirt to the triple-layered bell sleeves, were soft and elegant and age-appropriate and flattering. Nicely done, ma'am.
I cry for Laura Dern on most red carpets, so although I might not have liked this dress on someone else, it's so much closer to success for her that I'm awarding her a thumbs up. I actually love the top part with the black and silver lace with occasional peekaboo cutouts, and the black eyelash skirt is subtle enough that its featheriness doesn't bother me. I'd have loved a pop of color in a purse or shoes, but the look worked for me just as is. Keep it up, Laura!
Sarah Paulson's stylist hates her. That's the only explanation I can think of why this beautiful woman is always so poorly dressed on the red carpet. Wrapped in silver lame with linebacker shoulders that would make the '80s proud, this poor girl looks like a bag of Jiffy Pop. Sarah deserves so much better than this.
Susan Sarandon struggles for appropriateness on the red carpet, sometimes looking matronly and sometimes looking like an over the hill sex kitten. But this midnight blue off-the-shoulder mermaid gown with a small train hits just the right notes. Stick with this one, Susan; it's a keeper.
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