Emmys 2026 Review
Sep. 15th, 2026 09:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smofbabeNo excuses for not doing an Emmys Fashion Review now that I am retired!
Looks like Abby Elliott's steam iron must have broken. Can't understand a design with a tightly structured corset bodice coupled with a baggy too-long skirt.
Love love love the intricate structural corset on Shabana Azeez. Not so fond of the satin cummerbund hitting at her hips with an unnecessary long square train.
Wouldn't have thought you needed built-in hand-warmers in Los Angeles but even the very wide and deep ones on Salli Richardson-Whitfield don't take attention away from her prominent cantilevered melons on display over an illusion-thin corset.
Jessica Belkin looks like an extra from Mars Attacks, with a skinny corset top with pointed Austin Powers cups leading to a wider chiffon and mostly transparent skirt with a weirdly thin trailing ribbon.
Beautiful traditional look on Caylee Cowan in a gold and black patterned corset with lace accents and frog fasteners with a black velvet straight skirt.
Favorite Corset: Beautiful intricate beading on this hip-length corset on Sepideh Moafi with a drapey chiffon skirt with matching vertical beads and edging and great earrings.
I like the ice blue on Supriya Ganesh but not a fan of the large ruffle at the knee of this slip dress and am puzzled by the sheer drapey rest of the skirt. No better from the back.
Nice fit on Sheryl Lee Ralph but the material basically looks like classy camouflage.
A color tribute to my alma mater on Chanel ambassador Ayo Edebiri, although I don't understand why this is on so many best-dressed lists: the bodice is fine but the draped skirt - not short enough to be tea length, not floor length - with a large droopy bow looks haphazard until you see the matching orange bow in the back that looks tacked on.
Chase Infiniti in nicely fitted maroon and copper-beaded Louis Vuitton that flares out at the knees but I find the fabric design a little hard on the eyes.
Emilia Clarke in a Jekyll and Hyde gown: the front is a fairly standard satin sleeveless gown but the cape train in the back makes the silhouette a horror show.
This throwback black satin gathered gown on Lisa Ann Walter would have worked better with less dramatic and unwieldy sleeves. Sympathy to whoever had to sit next to her.
Cynthia Nixon in giant Issey Miyake op art.
This otherwise nicely fitted gown on Quinta Brunson looks like she accidentally got too close to a lawn edge trimmer.
Keri Russell wore ill-fitting black leather bondage gear. Racier from the back.
Lukita Maxwell looks like the curtain that would be pulled back to start the show, the bodice is not flattering for a small bust, and the dress is overpowering for her petite frame. And from the side, she looks like she's wearing Cinderella's coach. (And why white shoes?)
It's a dessert topping! It's a floor wax!This confused concoction on Kristen Bell can't decide whether it wants to be sexy with cutouts, romantic with a flutter v-neck, or edgy with an asymmetrical capelet. And let's hope that her hair was affected by the weather and wasn't meant to look like that.
Not sure why Ciara Miller chose a design that looks like seriously botched plastic surgery if the girls are not carefully arranged properly.
I think Rachel Sennot chose to shop at Frederick's of Hollywood.
Grace Gummer looks like she's wearing black garbage bags. Why this shapeless Dior black number with a random floral accent at the bust and ruffles cut at an odd diagonal angle and a random line of pearls down one side is on everyone's best dressed list is a mystery to me. Even worse from the side.
Worst of the Night: Shailene Woodley apparently forgot to take off her kitchen gloves... and that's not even the worst of this Balenciaga combo, with a dangerously plunging periwinkle top and chunky pearl and gold-beaded wide pants. (I'd have thought this was a deliberate joke except that it - with a black cloak and no maroon gloves - was Look 35 in Balenciaga's Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2026 collection.)
The inimitable Alan Cumming being inimitable.
Riz Ahmed looks like he accidentally wore his dad's much bigger suit.
Tyler James Williams goes tie-dye.
Michael Urie on his way to tryouts for The Three Amigos.
Interesting jacket on Melvin Robert.
Richard Gadd looking snazzy in striking midnight blue with black lapels and a black collared shirt.
Colman Domingo got a lot of praise in reviews for mixing it up on the red carpet but this clashing combo of colors and styles just looks mixed-up to me.
Adam Brody in navy blue rather than black and a floral silk knot at the collar rather than a bowtie or tie for some interest.
Best Guy: William Stanford Davis in navy blue and silver sparkles, with a blue bowtie and a perfectly matching large dragonfly brooch on the wide black lapel.
Selena Gomez looks stunning in paneled shiny gold with horizontal curves at the waist... but why silver jewelry with so much gold?
Zendaya in Prada in mostly transparent silver crystals and a crystal-and-chiffon bodice with a more thickly clustered "belt" and great hair and jewelry. Also beautiful from the back.
I'm not usually a fan of capes or capelets but I like this dramatic red and black subtly striped transparent one on Julianna Margulies paired with a stright black beaded and similar subtly striped undergown. Not sure why she went with such a severe hairstyle.
Rhea Seehorn in stop-sign red with a draped bodice echoed in drapes on her hips and a draped skirt.
Not a big fan of suits on women at red carpet events but I can't deny that Louisa Jacobson looks striking in this asymmetrical white and black Tom Ford number.
Florence Pugh enchants in Vivienne Westwood, a becoming, nicely fitted lilac with an overlay showing shimmering sequins, a long train, semicircular chiffon drape and a necklace of morganites and tourmalines.
Jean Smart (who made history by winning the Emmy for all five seasons of her show) looks terrific in black with metallic silver sleeves and pleated bodice and interesting beadwork at the waist.
Best of the Night: Mariska Hargitay in siren red, close beading and sequins, and a fun feather-look train.
Corset Curiosities
Jessica Williams as frumpy Miss Kitty in a badly fitted corset top that flares out at the hips and leads into a wide tiered ruffled skirt.Looks like Abby Elliott's steam iron must have broken. Can't understand a design with a tightly structured corset bodice coupled with a baggy too-long skirt.
Love love love the intricate structural corset on Shabana Azeez. Not so fond of the satin cummerbund hitting at her hips with an unnecessary long square train.
Wouldn't have thought you needed built-in hand-warmers in Los Angeles but even the very wide and deep ones on Salli Richardson-Whitfield don't take attention away from her prominent cantilevered melons on display over an illusion-thin corset.
Jessica Belkin looks like an extra from Mars Attacks, with a skinny corset top with pointed Austin Powers cups leading to a wider chiffon and mostly transparent skirt with a weirdly thin trailing ribbon.
Beautiful traditional look on Caylee Cowan in a gold and black patterned corset with lace accents and frog fasteners with a black velvet straight skirt.
Favorite Corset: Beautiful intricate beading on this hip-length corset on Sepideh Moafi with a drapey chiffon skirt with matching vertical beads and edging and great earrings.
Almost
I applaud the interesting incorporation of jewelry with the bodice on Isa Briones but the coloring and design would have worked better on someone older.I like the ice blue on Supriya Ganesh but not a fan of the large ruffle at the knee of this slip dress and am puzzled by the sheer drapey rest of the skirt. No better from the back.
Nice fit on Sheryl Lee Ralph but the material basically looks like classy camouflage.
A color tribute to my alma mater on Chanel ambassador Ayo Edebiri, although I don't understand why this is on so many best-dressed lists: the bodice is fine but the draped skirt - not short enough to be tea length, not floor length - with a large droopy bow looks haphazard until you see the matching orange bow in the back that looks tacked on.
Chase Infiniti in nicely fitted maroon and copper-beaded Louis Vuitton that flares out at the knees but I find the fabric design a little hard on the eyes.
Emilia Clarke in a Jekyll and Hyde gown: the front is a fairly standard satin sleeveless gown but the cape train in the back makes the silhouette a horror show.
This throwback black satin gathered gown on Lisa Ann Walter would have worked better with less dramatic and unwieldy sleeves. Sympathy to whoever had to sit next to her.
No No No
A rare miss from Nicole Kidman - white has never been a good color for her, the close fit emphasizes her hips, it's too short, and for reasons unknown she's wearing black shoes with it.Cynthia Nixon in giant Issey Miyake op art.
This otherwise nicely fitted gown on Quinta Brunson looks like she accidentally got too close to a lawn edge trimmer.
Keri Russell wore ill-fitting black leather bondage gear. Racier from the back.
Lukita Maxwell looks like the curtain that would be pulled back to start the show, the bodice is not flattering for a small bust, and the dress is overpowering for her petite frame. And from the side, she looks like she's wearing Cinderella's coach. (And why white shoes?)
Not sure why Ciara Miller chose a design that looks like seriously botched plastic surgery if the girls are not carefully arranged properly.
I think Rachel Sennot chose to shop at Frederick's of Hollywood.
Grace Gummer looks like she's wearing black garbage bags. Why this shapeless Dior black number with a random floral accent at the bust and ruffles cut at an odd diagonal angle and a random line of pearls down one side is on everyone's best dressed list is a mystery to me. Even worse from the side.
Worst of the Night: Shailene Woodley apparently forgot to take off her kitchen gloves... and that's not even the worst of this Balenciaga combo, with a dangerously plunging periwinkle top and chunky pearl and gold-beaded wide pants. (I'd have thought this was a deliberate joke except that it - with a black cloak and no maroon gloves - was Look 35 in Balenciaga's Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2026 collection.)
Boys
Good for Timothy Simons for bringing some color to the red carpet but why doesn't his bow tie match the jacket?The inimitable Alan Cumming being inimitable.
Riz Ahmed looks like he accidentally wore his dad's much bigger suit.
Tyler James Williams goes tie-dye.
Michael Urie on his way to tryouts for The Three Amigos.
Interesting jacket on Melvin Robert.
Richard Gadd looking snazzy in striking midnight blue with black lapels and a black collared shirt.
Colman Domingo got a lot of praise in reviews for mixing it up on the red carpet but this clashing combo of colors and styles just looks mixed-up to me.
Adam Brody in navy blue rather than black and a floral silk knot at the collar rather than a bowtie or tie for some interest.
Best Guy: William Stanford Davis in navy blue and silver sparkles, with a blue bowtie and a perfectly matching large dragonfly brooch on the wide black lapel.
A Category All Her Own
Megan Halter from Hacks dressed up and posing as an Emmy statue.Yes Yes Yes
Rose Abdoo channels Cleopatra. I'd have liked a bit more structure in the shoulders but I overall like this age-and figure-appropriate design.Selena Gomez looks stunning in paneled shiny gold with horizontal curves at the waist... but why silver jewelry with so much gold?
Zendaya in Prada in mostly transparent silver crystals and a crystal-and-chiffon bodice with a more thickly clustered "belt" and great hair and jewelry. Also beautiful from the back.
I'm not usually a fan of capes or capelets but I like this dramatic red and black subtly striped transparent one on Julianna Margulies paired with a stright black beaded and similar subtly striped undergown. Not sure why she went with such a severe hairstyle.
Rhea Seehorn in stop-sign red with a draped bodice echoed in drapes on her hips and a draped skirt.
Not a big fan of suits on women at red carpet events but I can't deny that Louisa Jacobson looks striking in this asymmetrical white and black Tom Ford number.
Florence Pugh enchants in Vivienne Westwood, a becoming, nicely fitted lilac with an overlay showing shimmering sequins, a long train, semicircular chiffon drape and a necklace of morganites and tourmalines.
Jean Smart (who made history by winning the Emmy for all five seasons of her show) looks terrific in black with metallic silver sleeves and pleated bodice and interesting beadwork at the waist.
Best of the Night: Mariska Hargitay in siren red, close beading and sequins, and a fun feather-look train.
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