Red Carpet Rundown: 2011 Emmy Awards.

It totally slipped my mind that the Emmy’s were this Sunday. That is until I caught the beginning of E’s red carpet coverage and had an “Oops!” moment. Commence immediate critiquing and mentally cataloging the best and the worst.

There was a lot of red happening Sunday night, which you’ll see reflected in the rundown. So much red. Which I love, and it’s so Right Now, but sometimes I worry about it blending into a red carpet. Didn’t seem to be a problem for the stars on Sunday, though.

A fair amount of nude/champagne/ happened, also. A few pops of blue, and sequins. Lots of Elie Saab; he was worn by so many. Overall, I liked most of what I saw. There were a few missteps, but nothing too offensive. However: wtf Glee girls?

The Best:

Claire Danes in Oscar de la Renta. Oooh, sparkly. Like a raccoon, I’m immediately drawn to it. The entire dress is covered in sequins, but yet it’s not overdone or too much. The slim column cut is great against Claire’s super svelte body. The blue/back combo is nice– not too summer, but not so obviously fall. It’s playful, but still appropriate for a formal affair. Great kohl liners makes Claire’s eyes pop; love the pink lip and cheek. Beautiful!

Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang. Sofia walked the line between coral and red, opting for this bright salmon Vera. I loved it; so incredible on her body. That body. It’s pretty insane, yes? Love that she embraces the curves, rather than LeAnn Rimes-ing it all the way to Boneville. Her hair is down, but swept back it doesn’t interfere with the asymmetrical shoulder on the dress. Well played. Love the green earrings; thank you for not going with generic gold, Miss Vergara.

Evan Rachel Wood in Elie Saab. My favorite black gown of the night. How elegant! Again with the full-length sparkle, but not too much. Love the train. That neckline looks great on her; Evan does very well in retro fits, yes? It’s like she was supposed to have lived in the 1920s. That finger curl wave happening on her scalp doesn’t do it for me, but it suits her and that Old Glamour look she’s working.

Kate Winslet in Elie Saab. The first real punch of red. Such a simple cut, but Kate looks super sexy. The plunge helps. Love that she’s not a rail. The hair is sassy, but properly restrained. Great makeup; doesn’t deter from the look, only enhances. Well done.

Minka Kelly in Dior. Another blue and black combo, but more serious that Danes’ punchy number. This Dior gown is all tea-and-crumpets business. I dig it, especially on Minka. The ribbon at the waist cinches, there’s a hint of sheerness happening in the middle that keeps it a touch sexy and modern, and I love the way the lace laps up over the neckline. Very ladylike.

Cat Deelay in Monique L’huillier. First of all, this is my dream hair. Why can’t I just wake up everyday with this happening on my head? So breezy, so pretty. The dress is gorgeous– the nude tulle and gold detail look perfect with Cat’s coloring, and I love the thatched sequin pattern that covers most of the dress. A gold rope around the waist is a perfect easy touch to finish the dress and keep it from taking itself too seriously. Loved this.

Katie Holmes in Calvin Klein. Remember when Tom Cruise tried to make “Kate” Holmes happen? Yeah, she’s Katie, and frankly you’re lucky I don’t call her “Joey Potter.” Anyway, doesn’t Katie look lovely here? The best skin, right? Glowing. Love her in bright blue, and I love the minimalist feel of the dress (very tell-tale CK). The way those straps are cut highlight her toned arms and shoulders, and a slim silver belt draws it all in. One of my favorites.

Julia Stiles in Georges Hobeika. On the rack, I would have passed this dove gray number off as boring and too simple. On Julia, however, it looks amazing. Delicate, demure. Love the criss-cross business at the bust and the way it sharply gathers in the center. (I do wonder, though, if she could sit down…?) Lovely hair (sideswept was a well-executed choice), vampy dark nails that popped against the pale dress, and diamond accents. So pretty.

Emily Blunt in Elie Saab. Elie for Emily. Love the wispy pieces of tulle all over the dress; like navy butterflies. The neckline could be a bit better structured, but perhaps it’s just the way she’s standing. Love the pewter clutch and the gathering of detail at the waist.

Jennifer Carpenter in Tony Ward. More nude and sparkly; I love/want desperately. Can I just wear this on New Year’s Eve from now until 2020? Because I would. Great cut, sexy slit, again with the Perfect Hair, concentrated sparkle up top (in a really flattering layout) blending into a small pool of tulle on bottom. Yes, yes, yes. Carpenter rarely misses.

Nina Dobrev in Donna Karen. Was so surprised this was Donna Karen. But loved it. My Best in Show. How incredible does Nina look here? You’re a long way from skinnies-and-a-henley-at-the-Mystic-Grill, aren’t you girl? Such a vibrant shade of red, a really super slim flattering cut up top (that gives her chest where there isn’t much chest, so well done, DK) that flows into a very architectural skirt. However, you’ll note that this structure is not Gaga; it’s not polarizing or so high fashion that it turns off 75% of the people in the room. It’s still pretty. Really pretty, in fact. Her hair is perfect with this, so is her makeup. Great diamond collar necklace. Seriously gorgeous, Nina. You win.

The Meh:

Amy Poehler in Peter Som. Love the color. Love the muted shimmer. Love the black ribbon at the waist. What I can’t get behind is that Gap t-shirt neckline and those long-but-short sleeves. There is nothing wrong with a Gap tee (I live in them, thanks), but it doesn’t work in this formal gown scenario. And the way the fabric stretches from the upper chest through the shoulder, does it seem a little cheap-Vegas-lamé to you?

Olvia Munn in Carolina Herrera. Props for going jewel toned, Miss Munn. Green looks great on you. But the way this dress is cut doesn’t do anything for your figure. Those lines… Is it code, or something from The Matrix? Is anyone else picturing a Double Mint gum commercial? What is that cape in the back? And the fabric… Cheap, busted up sateen. You see the way it wrinkles? Bad. It’s so bad I can still see the creases from when the dress was folded (check her knees). Why? So unnecessary. Could have been avoided.

Julianne Hough in Carolina Herrera. Herrera’s batting 0-2 so far. I’m never really a fan of pink (or iridescent coral, in this case) paired with black-as-the-night-black. (January Jones Met flashback.) This shade of coral is a little too late-spring-early-summer, agreed? The hair is severe, and when you saw Julianna on TV, the top was totally smashing her chest. Not my favorite look.

Gwyneth Paltrow in Emilio Pucci. I really, really wanted to like this. I wanted to like it because it’s brave, and it’s Pucci, and it’s Gwyneth (who can normally wear anything), and the beading detail is really masterful… But I couldn’t. Plain and simple, I couldn’t because that sheer middle section gave her a muffin top. And you know GP doesn’t have a muffin top in any universe, especially the one we live in.

Lea Michele in Marchesa. Another red. And another almost-best. This dress was gorgeous from the back, but from the front I was underwhelmed. The shoulders were too big against her tiny frame, and she chose to wear her hair down and school-girl-straight, which added weight to the whole upper half. Too much.

The Worst:

Dianna Agron in Roksanda Ilincic. Beautiful blue. And that’s about all I can say. Again with the wrinkled, limp sateen. Dianna, you’re 20-something, girl. Not 65. So what’s with the uber-high neckline? And it’s not even well done. You know when you wear a scarf and all of the sudden there’s not enough draping happening in the front and it’s all bunched under your chin and hanging down your back? Yes, this nonsense is going down ON PURPOSE with Dianna’s dress. The sleeves look unfinished, and the shoes (even the small peep I can see of them in this picture) are too heavy. Try again next time?

Jayma Mays in Zuhair Murad. Elements of this dress are pretty, but when stitched together to make one full ensemble, I sort of hate it. It’s too frothy. Overly girly. Can’t you picture one of the dolls you played with as a little girl wearing this? Frilly Francine or Patty Princess? I feel like Jayma could be a little more sophisticated, even sexy, and pull it off better than trying for Toddler Tiara. Props on the fuchsia lip, though.

Heather Morris in Masai Payan. I am not really on Team Glee today, am I? Sorry, ladies. I know you tried hard… This dress is straight out of some bad Western. I could see Heather perched on top of a bar in a saloon, slinging drinks. Hate the diagonal ruffles. Hate the dusty purple. It’s a curtain. A bad, dusty purple curtain.

Julianna Marguiles in Armani Privé. This is Armani? Oops. Not his best showing. Is the top of the dress made of neoprene? Like a white wet suit. What are those bubble-glass droplets? I don’t like the shine to the skirt, either. Reminds me of a bad JC Penney’s prom dress experience. And that hair? Uninspired. Why? Julianna is so talented, and way too pretty for this. She deserves better.

Jenna Ushkowitz in Ghadah Paris. This is old. Seriously old. Betty White could/should wear this. Not super cute, super young Jenna. The slit is great, the shoes look promising, love the clutch… But that top. It’s all dinner napkin and so wide. It makes her upper body look Hulk. And the hair is too pulled back; it’s not necessary. This whole look is black and white bad.

Heidi Klum in Christian Siriano. Um, are you a Morel mushroom? That’s all.

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That wraps it up for the 2011 Emmy’s. What do you think: who was your best and worst? Are we fighting because of the Glee girls?