Emmy 2011 Recap #6: Surprises and Honorable Mentions

This will be our last Emmy 2011 Recap post. I'd like to thank the Academy A, for partnering with me on this week's posting efforts. We hope you have found our commentary entertaining, if not enlightening and educational. JUST KIDDING! We really just thank you for hanging around and reading along. We'd love to know what you thought of our little collaboration, and if you think it's worth repeating next awards show... please comment!

Okay. For this last post, we're covering some surprising fashion successes on the Emmy 2011 Red Carpet, as well as some Honorable Mentions - those looks we felt deserved acknowledgment, but which didn't quite fit into our other post topics. Let's begin.

First, some goodies. My first "surprise" was Guiliana Rancic, but not for the dress you saw on the RC. Rather, her pre-show gown, of which I cannot find a photo anywhere. Can you? It was a beautiful orange color (matching nearly perfectly with her skin tone -- oops!), and very lovely, sweeping, and easy-feeling. Then she changed into the red number seen here, which really didn't do anything good or special at all. Plus the hair was bad and outdated. Too bad she didn't stick with the pre-show number.

A: I couldn't agree more, M. Guiliana looked amazing in the five minutes before the red carpet began. I was so excited to get the show started when I saw the orange gown and disappointed when she changed. If you watched the Fashion Police Emmy Recap, she actually made fun of herself for the red gown when she went to interview Nina Dobev since her dress was basically a junior varsity version of Nina's.

But here are some good ones for which we do have images:

(Sarah Hyland)

M: This is a surprise fashion thumbs up for me because it's totally age-appropriate, the color is a stand-out and looks amazing with her skin, the details are fantastic, and I think overall she looks great. It also scores well because at last year's Emmy's, while her hair and makeup looked excellent, I thought her dress was a little too old and sex-pot for her. She was 19!

A: I loved this dress as well. What a beautiful color! I believe she collaborated with Christian Siriano on this number and this was definitely his best Emmy look (see Heidi Klum below). She provided a preview on Fashion Police last week so I was eager to see it in person. Two thumbs up! 

(John Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt)

M: I picked this one as a high-five to Jennifer Westfeldt, because I think usually she dresses not to stand out, and maybe she feels like she's just there to keep John Hamm's side warm. But I think she looked absolutely fantastic at the Emmy's this year. She did yellow just right, and from the dress to the very last accessory and detail, I think the whole look works. I love that the dress is a little shorter in front to give those shes some camera time, too. Well done.

A: Wait - I didn't notice Jennifer Westfeldt because I was too busy drooling over Jon Hamm. Trying. to. tear. my. eyes. away. from. him. OK - she looked fantastic. More arm candy that shines! Some of the leading ladies could take some notes here!

(Anna Faris)

M: So her hair looks messy and her face looks like it needs some powder here, fine. BUT. This dress is glorious! It's cool and different and geometric (that can be good!), and mostly the gold just compliments her skin so perfectly. I bet before she got out into that hot, grease-inducing heat, her hair and makeup looked way better.

A: I agree. Love the geometric mod dress, however, I do wish it was a tad bigger in the bust - it looks a little tight.

And the Honorable Mentions go to...

Cobie Smulders:

M: The main reason Cobie needs mentioning is that she's A's long-lost celebrity doppelganger (can we bring that back to FB, please?! That was fun, and I never really figured out who mine was!!). Look at A's pic on her blog. Twins. But she also gets a shout-out for the color of this dress and her perfect makeup. Glam-tastic face, Cobie!

A: Wow. You are TOO kind, M. I would also give Cobie a shout out for her perfect hair. The beachy wave is a look I am always striving to achieve. I would have liked if this dress weren't so large looking in the bodice - just a smidge more tailoring and I would have moved the dress up a bit because the color is fabulous and i love the flowing style.

Kelly Osbourne:

M: I am not convinced Kelly knows she was working at the Emmy's. I feel like her look is just too much for hosting duties. Too much. That's what I wrote in my notes about her look. Also, I really dislike her hair. The dye job, as you can see in that close-up, has a hint of maybe purple in it? Whatever it is, it looks grey. And old fashioned. Her makeup looks good up close, though.

A: I agree that this look is too much for hosting. BUT, that said, I think she looked freakin' fantastic. I loved the dress, the fit was perfect, the color looked good on her for once. I feel like she often picks colors that do not look good with her skin tone. AND I am going to disagree with you, M. I actually like the platinum dye job in person (aka on TV). I don't think it looks the same in the photographs. Her hair was looking too brassy before this die job, in my opinion, so this was a fun step up. Her make-up was good - it reminded me a lot of Sharon Osborne.

Zooey Deschanel:

M: My notes on Zooey's look say "weird prom." I'm not sure what else to say about it.

A: Weird prom is a perfect descriptor. Yes. I understand Zooey is out there and has her own style, which most of the time I appreciate. MOST of the time being the operative word - this was not one of those times.

Heidi Klum:

M: So, Heidi here was wearing Christian Siriano, so I give her props for wearing a Project Runway designer. That's where my props end. I HATE this look. The dress, fine, it's over the top. And the bodice is rather pretty, in spite of that kook-a-looky skirt. But the styling--and for someone who often criticizes designers' styling--is all wrong. Her hair looks silly, her jewelry looks like plastic, and her shoes are b-to-the-oring. I just want her to look amazing on the RC once again.

A: Somewhere I read a critique that compared this dress to a pumice stone. I cannot top that so I am repeating it.

So there we are. Emmy Awards 2011 recapped. What'd you think? Did we miss anything? Did we do too much? Do you want to nominate us for the funniest-slash-most-brilliant-undiscovered-talent award? Does that award exist? Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. See you next week when we both return to our own blogs' regularly scheduled programming.