The fashion choices at the Emmys rarely disappoint. They might be bad, they might be spectacular, but the actors and actresses being celebrated always give us something to talk about. It’s Hypable’s Emmys 2014 fashion hits and misses analysis!
There were a lot of colors on the red carpet this year. There was red, coral, peach, pink, raspberry, white, and black. Such variety from the television stars of today! Of course, we’re being a bit sarcastic, as we saw some gorgeous blue gowns (Anna Gunn, Christine Baranski) and an interesting orange number on Kerry Washington.
Some stars went too hard with the tulle (Lena Dunham) and some could have added something more to their gowns. Kristina and Marama are here to give their critiques about the fashion of the night and we want you to vote for your favorite! Let us know in the comments if you think we omitted your favorite fashion hit (or miss!)
Laverne Cox in custom Marc Bouwer
Kristina: Hit. I loved the back of this dress and it makes me wonder if it was supposed to really be the back. As she tells Gulianna, she “is the epitome of angelic elegance.” You know what, in this dress, she is.
Marama: Hit. I completely agree, she looks ethereal in this number. Hair and make up were absolutely on point, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Lizzy Caplan in Donna Karan Atelier
K: Hit. Praise Lizzy Caplan in this incredibly couture gown. When we saw shots of her on the carpet, I merely thought that it was an all-black gown with amazing structure and cuts, but then I saw the back and my jaw hit the floor. It’s nothing too special, not flashy or scandalous or anything, but simply gorgeous. And that’s enough.
M: Hit. I disagree with Kristina that this was nothing too special; for me Caplan was one of the clear standouts on the red carpet. The gown is stunning, the cut and shape interesting, and she finished it off with the perfect accessories and styling.
Laura Prepon in Gustavo Cadile
K: Miss. This is just kind of a mess of mis-matching fabric thrown into the vague shape of a dress with some detail. The peplum itself is fine, but I simply cannot get over that ridiculous top.
M: Miss. I can understand what she was going for with this dress, but the end result is more ‘80s than Emmys. Maybe in a more neutral fabric it would be passable, but the fit is still all wrong on her.
Sarah Paulson
K: Miss. Her hair was on point, but she looks like she’s wearing the embodiment of American Horror Story. (Disclaimer: I have not seen AHS because I value my sanity.)
M: Hit. Everyone hates this, but whatever – I love it. So maybe she interpreted her show a little too literally, I still enjoy the result. It is fun, interesting, and despite all that is going on, it (amazingly) doesn’t overwhelm her.
Kit Harington
K: Miss. I’m not even sorry for giving him a ‘miss’ for this. He looks dapper in his tuxedo but I just cannot get over the bun. Maybe if he wasn’t wearing a shirt and was running around in fur I’d feel differently about the hair, but on a red carpet in Los Angeles? Gotta go, Harrington.
M: Hit. I am not a fan of the man bun myself, but what else was he supposed to do? Comb it back in his best Harry Styles impression, leave it down and flowing, or maybe try his hand at a braid? He looks great in the tux and he has attempted to tame the hair – I give him props for both.
Heidi Klum in Zac Posen
K: Hit. Posen, who was there to explain the idea behind the dress, was going for a sleek and effortless look and that’s certainly what he got with Klum’s “coral angel” gown. Is there a way for me to maybe make that dress appear in my closet?
M: Hit. For someone who is absolutely gorgeous, Klum does have a rocky history on the red carpet. I was pleased to see her return to her glory days in this stunning coral dress, which inexplicably stood out in a sea of the same colour. I guess that’s the Klum effect,
Anna Gunn in Jenny Packham
K: Hit. As the night wore on, I got really tired of the red/coral scheme that most actresses elected to wear. Granted, many of them are gorgeous, but with this refreshing blue piece hitting the carpet, it was a sight for sore eyes.
M: Hit. I am always a fan of colour-blocked dresses, and this was no exception. The silhouette and colour choices are spot on, and it was one of the most interesting outfits on the carpet. The only thing I would change is her hair – she should have pinned it up to show off that gorgeous shoulder detail.
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Christina Hendricks in Marchesa
K: Miss. I like it, but I don’t love it. It’s kind of overwhelming. I’m usually in favor of a statement piece of jewelry, but with the bracelets, gold clutch, and large gold chandelier earrings is too much.
M: Miss. The fabric is wrong, wrong, wrong. It swamps her, and the ton of gold that she has added in accessories don’t help.
Hayden Panettiere in Lorena Sarbu
K: Hit. The dress is pretty but the cleavage is too low. Her make is so soft and pretty though, push it over the edge of hit for me.
M: Hit. I love this, especially for the low neckline and statement fabric. She clearly wants to show off her pregnancy body – and why shouldn’t she, she looks fantastic.
Rose Leslie
K: Miss. Okay, the gown itself is gorgeous, and Rose Leslie is one of the good ones in my book, but this seems more like a ‘night out at the Opera.’
M: Miss. I can’t shake the feeling that someone has worn this exact outfit to their high school prom. The colour is amazing on her, but everything else looks old and tired.
Mindy Kaling in Kenzo
K: Hit. It works because it is just enough. It’s not particularly daring, but nor is it boring. Mindy Kaling spends enough time living in the fashion world (have you seen the outfits on The Mindy Project) and as a presenter, this suffices for the night.
M: Hit. I call this a hit, but only because I can’t find anything terrible with it. “Not terrible” isn’t a ringing endorsement, but that’s all I have. Kaling can look, and has looked, much better than this.
Christine Baranski
K: Hit. Christine Baranski is a gift to the world. This is the ultimate look of sophistication. Nothing too crazy, just a simple, stunning winner. I would say it could use a necklace, but no! It needs nothing!
M: Hit. Let’s be real, if I ever looked as good as Christine Baranski looks in this moment, I would consider that a life victory. She is classy and sleek, and unafraid of showing off her body (and if you looked like that, why would you hide it?).
Matthew McConaughey, wife Camila Alves in Zuhair Murad
K: Hit. Love Matthew’s tux, thats not even subtly blue, and the cutout, sequin dress on wife Camila.
M: Hit. They both look wonderful, in bold but classic choices. That said, can anyone tell me why Matthew McConaughey is always so orange?
Jim Parsons in Armani
K: Hit. Velvet bow-tie and brown tuxedo, no lapels. It works. In a strange, never-wear-that-anywhere-else way, it works.
M: Hit. He looks great, but he always scrubs up well for awards shows. The velvet bow-tie is a nice touch.
Lena Dunham in Giambattista Valli
K: Miss. I like her new hair, I don’t like this mess of a gown. Too much light pink, pink, and neon pink tulle. It’s shapeless and too tight at the same time.
M: Miss. It looks like Lena got lost on the way to the next season of My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding. It’s like a poorly executed attempt at one of those tiered ombre Pinterest cakes. It’s like a bedraggled meringue. I could keep going, but honestly, there’s nothing redeeming about this (although I like the new hair).
Natalie Dormer in J. Mendel
K: Hit. I have a theory that whatever gown Natalie decides to wear, it instantly becomes fiercer than if anybody else wore it. Her blown out hair adds a little something more to the rather simple dress, which is more red than the orangey-red in the picture.
M: Hit. This is my favourite look of the night (and I am not at all biased by my love of everything Natalie Dormer – well maybe a little). Now I’m just going to list some synonyms for “perfect”: impeccable, superb, and immaculate, or in the immortal words of Beyonce, “***Flawless”.
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Matt Bomer in Tom Ford
K: Hit. Matt looks like his typical dashing self. No lapels seems to be a trend with the men this season, and Bomer looks as sharp as a razor.
M: Hit. He looks good, but most men do in a black/white tuxedo and bowtie. I can’t fault it, but I will quickly forget it.
Jessica Paré in Lanvin
K: Hit. I absolutely love this old-school glamour she has going on. This might top my list. The beaded bodice and amazing and rest of the draped dress is just suburb. The necklace adds another something extra – interesting design that doesn’t overwhelm or take away from the overall look.
M: Hit. This is a fascinating modern twist on the Little Black Dress. I love this silhouette and she certainly stood out. That said, I would have like it more without the unforgiving, square neckline – it needed something softer the balance the draped skirt.
Lena Headey in Rubin Singer
K: Miss. So, it might just be unfortunate timing, but they showed Lena right after Jessica Pare and I’m really sorry to say she just doesn’t compare. The dress is kind of dull and there’s nothing extremely spectacular about the look.
M: Hit. There is something a bit punk rock about this asymmetrical gown and her dark, messy hair. She kept everything else simple, and it worked. This was fun and modern, and a little cheeky – which coincidentally is exactly what I imagine Lena Headey would be like.
January Jones in Prabal Gurung
K: Hit. I love the way the light hits this gown. It is just subtle enough to make you think the dress is really two different colors, when really it’s just within the fine detail of the threading.
M: Hit. This might have taken out the top spot on my list, if I wasn’t so desensitised to January Jones looking impeccable. The colour and cut are stunning, and I like that the slightly lifted hem gives us a glimpse of those fabulous shoes.
Seth Meyers in Valentino, wife Alexi Ashe in J. Mendel
K: Hit. I’m not quite sure what color Alexi’s dress can be called – it’s neither teal, nor turquoise, but it’s still gorgeous all the same. They played it safe on the red carpet (McConaughey and wife, they are not) but c’mon – you’ve gotta love these two.
M: Hit. Neither of them are the most interestingly dressed on the red carpet, but they look good individually, and adorable together.
Kerry Washington in Prada
K: Hit. This was a risk. This was a risk that completely paid off. It could have been a disaster as everything about it is difficult, the color is a harsh orange and the beading is interesting, but it works. Also, she just had a baby four months ago.
M: Hit. As far as I am concerned (and as a new member of the Olivia Pope fanclub), Kerry Washington can wear anything and look amazing. That said, I do especially appreciate her bold colour choice and the playful beading, but I also have a feeling that had anyone else worn this, I would have hated it.
Sofia Vergara in Roberto Cavalli
K: Hit. She’s not wearing her typical mermaid dress, but its more of a structured cut-out that still looks like a knock-out.
M: Hit. What can I say about Sofia Vergara? She always looks good, but she always looks a little bland. She knows what silhouettes suit her, and she just rotates through them in a variety of colours. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing to get excited about.
Claire Danes in Givenchy
K: Hit. I liked her dress because it’s not too much. It’s sleeveless, which really balances that ginormous collar of jewel-encrusted bows.
M: Hit. I love the colour and the matching lip, but I could have done without the tinsel-looking jewel colour. All that’s missing is the perfect accessory in the dashing Hugh Dancy.
Lucy Liu in Zac Posen
K: Miss. I think the blush dress is just too thin. It looks like an undergarment to her real dress. Zac Posen said he wanted simple and elegant for the women he dressed this year, but this might have been taking it too far.
M: Miss. I loved everything about this. Then I saw the closeup of the top and noticed those cups, which ruined the entire thing for me. The delicacy and subtlety of the dress is undermined by what comes across as lazy craftsmanship, or a bizarre modesty panel.
Allison Janney in Nicolas Jebran
K: Miss. This pink velvet dress is hard for anyone to pull off. In my opinion, it was striving to be a more demure version of a little girl’s dress. But it’s Allison Janney. She could wear a trash bag and make it work.
M: Miss. It breaks my heart to say it, because I adore Allison Janney, but this just does not work. Friends tell friends when they look like they have draped a velvet curtain around themselves in order to attend a college toga party. Allison, don’t hate me.
Amy Poehler in Theia
K: Hit. This could have made her look like a spaceship, but it was crafted just so that it errs more on the side of the kick-ass woman that she is, rather than a passenger on an alien space craft.
M: Hit. After the Allison Janney heartbreak, I am relieved to see that the other love of my life hit it out of the park. Amy Poehler’s red carpet looks are consistently stunning without being boring. This is one of my favourites.
Julia Roberts in Elie Sabb
K: Hit. I adore this dress. If this was full-length, I probably would have hated it. Julia Roberts knows her fashion sense so well, she was one of the last to walk the red carpet, and she owned it.
M: Miss. This outfit looks like Julia Roberts forgot that she was attending the Emmys, and threw on whatever she could find in her closet. I wouldn’t like the dress even if she wore it out to lunch, but it’s definitely not red carpet appropriate.
What did you think of the Emmys fashion this year?
Let us know in the comments!