White Suits, Sequins, and Tulle Ruled the Night at the 2022 Emmy Awards

When an actor chooses an ensemble for an award show like the Emmys, assumedly, their goal is to look good, end up on one or two best dressed lists, and standout. Sometimes, though, like-minded stylists unknowingly put their clients in looks of the same vein, which is how, say, four men show up to the Emmys in white suits. Luckily, no one was completely matching on the red carpet on Monday evening, and we didn’t have a Mariah Carey/Whitney Houston MTV Video Music Awards moment on our hands (though, wouldn’t that have been fun?). Still, there were a few trends that were so ubiquitous, you may have had to pause the pre-show to Google, “Are the Emmys sequined themed this year?” They weren’t, but a scroll through red carpet photos could convince you otherwise. And sparkles were hardly alone in the amount of attention they received at the 2022 Emmy Awards. In a world where beautiful dresses and suits are created every day, the amount of overlap on Monday night has seemingly no explanation.

White Suits

The more traditional-leaning male celebrities often seem to struggle when it comes to dressing for red carpet events. They’re not ready to go fully backless à la Timothée Chalamet, but they don’t want to blend into the sea of suits in a tailored black look. It seems like last night, the go-to solution for this common conundrum was simply, “let’s just make it white.” Four men showed up in all-white looks to the Emmys, simultaneously proving that the Labor Day rule is now outdated, and all-white is quickly becoming the new all-black, a way to look chic and fashionable, without dealing with any pesky color theory. To be fair, each star added a bit of his own personality to the suits. John Legend’s set was subtly emblazoned with the Gucci logo, while Seth Rogen matched his look to his hair. Nicholas Braun added a touch of bling with some Fred Leighton collar clips, and Andrew Garfield went for the more casual accessory choice of Arnette sunglasses.

Sequins

It’s normal to see a fair share of sequins at an award show or premiere. They’re a go-to for designers when it comes to red carpet looks for one simple reason—they’re pretty. They sparkle and shine and can be manipulated in ways to mimic patterns like plaid, florals, or patchwork. They can turn a simple silhouette into an eye catching ensemble, and they come to life under the stage lights and flashing bulbs of the paparazzi. Ahead of Monday night, however, everyone seemed to have that same idea, and the result was a shimmering fever dream. Not that we’re complaining. Some of these sequined looks were the best of the night, but these actresses do know other embellishments exist, right?

Tulle

And where there are sequins, there will be tulle—the two go together like princess-themed birthday parties and those Barbie cakes where the base doubles as her skirt. Kaley Cuoco looked like she belonged atop a mound of funfetti cake in her light pink Dolce & Gabbana gown, which featured a cut tulle mini skirt which extended to the floor around back. The bustier bodice was decorated with rosettes of various pink fabrics, but could have easily be rendered in buttercream frosting. A similar skirt was seen on Lizzo, as well, though the transition from short to long was a little more seamless on the artist’s red hot Giambattista Valli dress. The cut tulle covering her bust and arms burst out with energy as Lizzo accepted her first ever Emmy onstage, just as the tiers of turquoise fabric added some much-needed dimension to Melanie Lynskey’s custom Christian Siriano. Hannah Waddingham wore the only tulle dress of the night that wasn’t cut, and it suffered for that reason, the layers of baby pink hanging heavy of her corseted bodice, creating a dress that may have been more fitting at senior prom than a Hollywood award show.

Capes of all Kinds

And last but not least is the trend that saw the most variety on the Emmys red carpet—capes. Coming in the form of overskirts starting at the waist, split up on separate shoulder blades, or tied around the neck to turn the wearer into a sort of fashionable Wonder Woman off-duty, they all had the effect of adding strength and glamour to the looks on which they were attached. First time nominees Sydney Sweeney and Elle Fanning both flirted with cape skirts. Fanning’s paid tribute to Old Hollywood while Sweeney was seemingly inspired by this year’s Gilded Glamour Met Gala theme, with an extra bustle really upping the volume. Ariana DeBose, Nicole Byer, Connie Britton, and Ayo Edebiri, meanwhile, represented the full-length capes. DeBose and Byer embraced the split variety, with fabric emerging from each side of their back, while Britton and Edebiri went more classic. Britton’s coral cape tied around her neck, delicately covering one shoulder, while the one attached to The Bear star’s Giambattista Valli mini dress emphasized the superhero she proved to be on her breakout role in the FX show.