2012 Emmys Red Carpet Fashion: What Worked And What Did Not

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The 2012 Prime Time Emmy Awards show was held on Sunday, September 23. As always, the red carpet coverage generated almost as much interest as the awards themselves! Industry insiders tried their best to impress each other, fashion experts and, of course, the audience at home with their meticulously selected dresses and accessories.

There is much to be learned from these fashionistas! Here is my take on what looks worked on the red carpet and what looks should have stayed in the limo (hopefully one headed to a stylist’s office)!

What worked 

Bold color! Did you see the amazing shades of yellow, turquoise, orange and red? So many actresses stole the show by wearing the right bold color! Claire Danes stood out in yellow, Padma Lakshmi rocked bright orange, Mayim Bialik wore dramatic red, and Hayden Panettiere stood out in a dress accented with sheer teal fabric. The looks varied greatly, but all of these colors flattered the wearers! My personal favorite in terms of hue: the lime green Monique Lhuillier trumpet gown worn by Julie Bowen. Love!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting texture! The amazing Monique Lhuillier dress worn by Ginnifer Goodwin is a perfect example of unique texture. The floral embroidered organza dress featured a slight high-low hemline and a bright pop of color for extra bonus points. This dress was the night’s favorite of our Editor-in-Chief, Andrea Rodgers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eco-friendly fabrics! Did you know that the dress worn by Maria Menounos was both fashion-forward and environmentally friendly? Her eco-couture gown by Oliver Tolentino was created from fabric that was  handwoven from the fiber of pineapple leaves.

Statement shoes! Why wear mundane shoes on the red carpet? Jena Malone sported fabulous metallic ankle-cuffed shoes with her amazing dress, and Heidi Klum wore perfectly-matched-to-her-dress aqua shoes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daring thigh-high slits! It was definitely trendy to show a little leg this year! Did you see the slit on the burgundy J. Mendel dress worn by Jena Malone? What about the dramatic slit on Giuliana Rancic’s sleek Romona Keveza gown?

Patterns! Ariel Winter managed to rock a beautifully patterned gown by Katharine Kidd. The look was perfectly fresh and age-appropriate. Her edgy shoes completed her look perfectly! Julianna Margulies also selected a gown with a feminine floral print.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edgy neutrals!  If you insist on wearing a neutral colored gown in a tone like black or ivory, make sure the dress has an interesting edge. January Jones accomplished this task perfectly in her Zac Posen masterpiece, and Jessica Pare looked fabulous in a black and white in Jason Wu gown. Avoid neutrals that are too close in hue to the natural skin tone. (I’m talking to you, Christina Hendricks!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What didn’t work

Nancy Odell‘s orange gown was a bit ho-hum, but was not in any way improved by the metallic accent, which somewhat resembled a lightning bolt. This gown simply struck me as “trying too hard to be edgy”. No.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, Julianna Hough. We know full well that you are in great shape. How did you manage to find a dress to make you look so pear-shaped? You also struggled to move about gracefully due to the fact that the front of this gown was too long for you. Yikes! This fit just didn’t work. Need an example of exquisite fit? Check out Kelly Osbourne‘s well-fitted lavender gown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone loves a black dress, but boring black (without much texture or visual interest) is a no-no. This black gown worn by Julia Ormond simply screams “mother of the bride”. Melissa McCarthy did a much better job in selecting a black gown with a flattering, youthful waist accent.

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