The Emmy Awards' Hottest Red Carpet Trends

From whimsical print to lucky green, see the star looks so good, they bore repeating
By Alex Apatoff
Updated September 21, 2016 08:39 AM

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ALL WHITE

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When the temperature is pushing 100º, you want to don the lightest color you can find. Heidi Klum, Tracee Ellis Ross (in Ralph Lauren Collection), Emmy Rossum (in Wes Gordon) and Julie Bowen (in Lela Rose) all went for the "tall cool drink of water" look.

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BOLD PINK POUTS

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Abigail Spencer, Viola Davis, Michelle Dockery and Padma Lakshmi each picked a lip color, from magenta to fuchsia, that's as showstopping as a red lip but slightly less expected.

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WHIMSICAL PRINTS

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Pretty and playful, the flora and fauna seen on these stars (Sarah Hyland in Monique Lhuillier, Millie Bobby Brown in REDValentino, Kristen Bell in Zuhair Murad and Maisie Williams) is both surprising and totally on trend.

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BOMBSHELL WAVES

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Laverne Cox, Tina Fey, Tori Kelly (whose stylist Nikki Providence used Tresemmé's Thermal Creations mousse) and Emmy Rossum all went for amped-up, old-school glamour with their big, glossy dos.

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YELLOW

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Think yellow is too tricky to wear? It's all about finding the right hue for you, as proved by Taraji P. Henson (in Vera Wang Collection), Minnie Driver (in Atelier Versace), Angela Bassett (in Christian Siriano) and Ellie Kemper (in Jenny Packham).

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INTENSE EYESHADOW

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Hey there, bright eyes! Laverne Cox, Maisie Williams and Emily Ratajkowski skipped "playing it safe" and went all the way to "knockout" with their super-saturated shades.

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LIPSTICK RED

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Priyanka Chopra, Connie Britton (in Talbot Runhof), Tatiana Maslany (in Alexander Wang) and Portia Doubleday (in custom Giorgio Armani) brought the heat in sizzling scarlett gowns.

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INTERESTING STRAPS

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What do Aimee Teegarden's KaufmanFranco gown, Anika Noni Rose's Tadashi Shoji and Julie Bowen's Lela Rose dress have in common -- besides beautiful wearers? Funky details at the neckline that set them apart.

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BRIGHT GREEN

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The luck of the Irish was with all three of these emerald-clad beauties (Tina Fey in Oscar de la Renta, Sarah Paulson in Prada and Amy Poehler in Pamella Roland): They all went home with trophies.

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SHEER BLACK GOWNS

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A black dress? Sedate. A sheer black dress? Sexy. Just see the styles worn by Julia Louis-Dreyfus (in Carolina Herrera), Sophie Turner, Carly Chaikin (in Reem Acra) and Nancy O'Dell for proof.

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CUTOUTS

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Kerry Washington's bump-framing Brandon Maxwell number was by far the most daring, but Shiri Appleby, Heidi Klum (in Michael Kors Collection) and Minnie Driver (in Atelier Versace) also let their obliques and abs have their moment in the sun.

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RUFFLES

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No frills? Where's tehe fun in that? Michelle Dockery (in Oscar de la Renta), Mandy Moore (in Prabal Gurung), Abigal Spencer (in Jenny Packham) and Julie Bowen (in Lela Rose) all went for feminine, flirty details on their gowns.

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CAPES

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Natasha Lyonne (wearing Sally LaPointe), Anna Chlumsky (in Christian Siriano) and Giuliana Rancic (wearing Georges Chakra Couture) know that the only thing more fun than making a major entrance is making an even more major exit.

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HIGH SLITS

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It's a perennial favorite red carpet look for a reason: It's a hell of a lot of fun to pose in, as Robin Wright (in Reem Acra), Taraji P. Henson (in Vera Wang Collection), Grace Gummer (in Galvan) and Jane Krakowski (in royal purple floral) can attest.

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LIQUID METALLICS

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Stars who really wanted to shine in the spotlight opted for allover sequins that draped on their body for a truly spectacular look. Among them: Claire Danes (in Schiaparelli), Shiri Appleby, Padma Lakshmi (in Naeem Khan) and America Ferrera (in Jenny Packham).

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OPEN BACKS

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Tons of stars wore gowns with gorgeous back details, but only a few dared to bare almost all -- among them Keri Russell, Hannah Murray (in Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini), Lindsay Vonn (in Stello) and Padma Lakshmi.

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By Alex Apatoff