Elegance Is The Winner

It’s official. The Emmys blow the Academy Awards away as a fashion derby.

Maybe actresses faced with choosing a gown to wear to the Oscars are overwhelmed by the pressure of an audience of 8 billion. What else could explain the parade of fashion disasters and near misses that are a staple of the movie industry’s big night?

In contrast, Sunday’s 50th anniversary Emmy Awards show at the Shrine Auditorium was a gathering of glamorous men and women who, even if they weren’t feeling relaxed, managed to look remarkably comfortable and elegant in their carefully chosen finery. The women of television wisely heeded that old style rule--you should wear your dress, not the other way around.

Not that there was an absence of knockout dresses. The gowns just didn’t overpower the women wearing them. From Sarah Michelle Gellar, adorable in a Chloe bustier and skirt, to Helen Hunt, who, with flowers sprinkled on her gown and wisps of hair framing her face looked just that much softer than she had accepting her Oscar, it was a great show for anyone who tuned in to see who’s wearing what.