Taking a look at the fashion of the 2016 Emmys
By Brittney MacDonald, Life & Style Editor
I love awards shows. As controversial as they sometimes are, itâs always great to cheer for your favourite movie, recording artist, or actor/actress to win on the big night. But my absolute favourite thing about awards shows is the red carpets. There are times when I forgo the actual production in favour of just seeing the pre-show, and the 2016 Emmys were such an occasion. Fashion was the name of the game as TVâs finest attempted to stun the crowd in trendy metallics. Literally, there was a ton of shimmer making that long walkâbut I regret to say that some people pulled it off better than others.
Letâs start with Claire Danes. The Homeland actress donned a gold Shiaparelli gown that looked almost like a well-constructed toga. I actually liked this dress, even the strange sort-of tri-boob that was happening in the front. Where I think it fell apart was the colour. Danes was criticized for looking âtoo tanâ to the point of being orange, but a little of that blame can fall to the dress. This shade of brassy gold can usually only be worn by either very dark women, or very pale womenâspecifically because it brings out the warm tones in the skin. For someone like Danes, who is naturally pale but has been praising the great fiery ball of light in the sky this summer (or possibly the tanning bed), it makes her tan look very fake. That, combined with the brassy blond hair, and you have an absolute mess.
As if to set the world right again, Laverne Cox showed up in a gold Naeem Khan gown that stunned. The toned down shade resembled a brushed metallic finish that emphasized the feminine silhouette, and perfectly complimented both her skin tone and Beyoncé-inspired hair. I loved the detailing of this dress, and how it was semi see-through. She looked like a classy blonde bombshell. My only criticism is that the silhouette could have been a little more interesting. Take away the beautiful colour and the expensive detail work, and all you have is a very plain, boring shape.
Lastly, we have one of the big winners of the night, Sarah Paulson. The American Horror Story staple was praised for her daring fashion choice in wearing emerald Prada, but Iâm not entirely convinced this gown deserved any recognition. From seeing Paulson at previous awards shows, I know that she has some amazing fashion sense, but this one just sort of fell flat. Admittedly, the colour was beautiful on herâthat shade of bright green against her pale skin is always a winning combination. However, the shape of the dress did nothing for her amazing figure. The cut of this dress was very Prada, loose with a bold shoulder and a very deep âVâ down the front. Itâs one of their classic silhouettes going back several years, and normally they do it very well. What failed in this case was their underestimating of the heft of all that beaded fabric. Combining that weight with that severely stacked shoulder just makes the entire thing look very boxy, and on a thin woman like Paulson it makes her look like a stick of spearmint gum.
Overall, I was pleased with the looks that came down the Emmy red carpet. My hope was renewed for some amazing fashion, especially after last yearâs awards shows proved to be a tad boring in the style department. Hereâs hoping for a very fashion-forward awards season!
