We can watch award shows to see if our favorite stars have won, or we can just read a list of the winners after the show. The real reason we watch awards shows is to check out the big fashion hits and blunders. Now that the Emmy Primetime Awards have come and gone, it is time to hand out the red carpet fashion awards. Since the Emmys are the last big awards show of the year, one would think our fine actors, writers, producers, and the like would be more willing to take a risk; however, the overall mood of Emmys fashion this year was that of boredom and indifference.

Many stars opted for traditional black, which in some cases turned out nice; take, for example, Tina Fey—she looked good in a classic black gown by Gucci, but again the look is a bit of a yawn. Heidi Klum glowed in her black fitted dress, showing her about-ready-to-pop baby belly. Some stars who chose to don black were not as successful. Glenn Close looked like she was headed for a funeral rather than standing on the red carpet, and sorry to say, most of the gentlemen of the evening looked like they rented their tuxes from the same store. Kudos to Neil Patrick Harris, who wore white during his presentations.

Another trend on the red carpet this year was, of course, red. Some stars played the red to their advantage, such as Sigourney Weaver, who chose a one-shouldered look, yet again a trend on the red carpet this year. Red was not Debra Messing’s friend, who quite frankly, was a big disappointment; she often wears red, and this dress by Michael Kors was just blah. We are more used to Messing taking more of a risk. Other red mishap awards go to Blake Lively, who had too much going on with the slit, the deep V, the no back, and Hayden Panettiere, who looked like she was in her forties—when will Panettiere act and dress her age?

Now we have seen the trends of the red carpet. It is time to assess the biggest fashion faux pas of the 2009 Emmys. One of the worst gowns of the night belonged to Padma Lakshmi who wore a jewel-toned gown with a red tumor growing on her left hip. Leighton Meester did not pull off the white Grecian-style dress, as the mass of fabric on her shoulders was really too much for her to handle. Elisabeth Moss also wore too much—the large jeweled collar could not take away from an ill-fitting, ugly-colored gown. Even worse, Jennifer Love Hewitt chose a yellow dress more fit for prom than for an awards ceremony, and Chloe Sevigny might as well have worn sweatpants, as her look was too casual for the Emmys. We all expected funny ladies Kristen Wiig and Sarah Silverman to make bold choices, but their risks did not pay off. In particular, the blue dress with bolts of fabric tacked onto the hips, worn by Silverman, was the worst look of the night.

Some risks paid off, however, and some looks were perfect from head to toe. Toni Collette was shining in her bright pink dress, structural and fitted at the top and flowing layers of chiffon on the bottom. She, like the other best-dressed stars, wore her dress with confidence. Drew Barrymore chose a pink rose-colored strapless gown, and her hair, makeup, and accessories, pulled the whole look together. Olivia Wilde was perhaps the biggest risk-taker of the night—her stunning gown had nude windows down the middle front and the whole back, and again, the look including hair and accessories was spot-on. The best look of the night goes to January Jones in a geometric, structural dress with a flowing bottom. The dress fit perfectly, and the minimal accessories worked with the dress instead of distracting from it.

Overall, the fashion at this year’s Emmy awards was a yawn. Here is hoping more stars take after Jones, Wilde, Barrymore, and Collette for the next awards show, and here is a plea for more excitement fashion-wise on the red carpet.

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