Emmy Awards 2012 The Most Memorable Emmy Style Moments

Remember when SJP showed up a feathered tutu? Or when Blake Lively made jaws drop in a scorching Versace? Look back at the small screen stars who created big buzz with their red carpet looks

CHRISTINA APPLEGATE: 2008

After her recent breast cancer diagnosis and double mastectomy, no one would have blamed Christina for taking the Emmys off. Instead, she was the talk of the red carpet in a beautiful powder blue Reem Acra gown. “I’ve got a pretty dress on and lipstick,” she said. “It feels really good to be here.”

KATHERINE HEIGL: 2006

Though she was on an ensemble show, the Grey’s Anatomy star stole the spotlight the second she hit the red carpet in this curve-hugging, flesh-toned Escada gown, complete with plunging neckline and sexy, smoky eyes. It was the perfect pick for the statuesque blonde, and we’re still waiting for her to regain that same fashion mojo.

CLAIRE DANES: 2010

She nabbed a best actress statuette for Temple Grandin, but we would have gladly handed her an award for her head-to-toe gorgeous look. In a glittering Armani Privé gown and soft blonde curls, Claire effortlessly pulled off megawatt glamour. Take note, 2012 nominees!

GWYNETH PALTROW: 2011

While Nina Dobrev’s gown had jaws dropping, Gwyneth’s Emilio Pucci number had eyebrows raising, thanks to the bare midriff and open back – a bold pick for the mom of two. While we’re still split about whether exposed abs belong at a black tie event, we all agree that if anyone can pull it off, it’s Gwyneth.

NINA DOBREV: 2011

Though she’d been on The Vampire Diaries for a few years, Nina was still an under-the-radar starlet in 2011. By the time she’d finished strolling the red carpet in her perfectly fitted, mermaid-style Donna Karan gown, she had established herself as a fashionista to watch.

JANUARY JONES: 2010

Perhaps she was feeling a little ’50s fatigue from her Mad Men wardrobe, or perhaps she just wanted a few seats to herself in the Emmys auditorium. Either way, January’s bright blue high-low Atelier Versace gown definitely got her (and fashion critics, for that matter) out of her comfort zone.

BLAKE LIVELY: 2009

The plunging neckline. The super-high slit. The slicked-back braid. There was no question that the small-screen star was ready to amp up her image in her sexy red Versace gown when she strutted onto that red carpet like a seasoned pro.

BRAD PITT & JENNIFER ANISTON: 1999, 2000, 2002 & 2004

Ah, Brad and Jen. We know they’ve both moved on (and so have we), but we can’t help taking a trip down memory lane to revisit their coordinated Emmys ensembles. When they got it right, they were so right (who could forget that glam red gown?) – but even when they got it wrong (the dreadlocks! The goatee! The scarf!) they still reigned on the red carpet.

HEIDI KLUM: 2005, 2006 & 2009

Heidi never let a little thing like pregnancy get between her and a red carpet. At the 2005 awards she showed off her post-baby body in a draped floral dress just eight days after giving birth to son Henry. A year later, she arrived rocking a gorgeous scarlet gown and a major bump. But nothing beats 2009, when she donned a skintight black strapless gown, which enhanced her any-minute-now belly.

SARAH JESSICA PARKER: 2000

Yes, Sex and the City was a fashion phenomenon and made SJP into a style icon. But that doesn’t mean Carrie Bradshaw’s signature look should be attempted off-screen, even by the star herself. And if her ballet-inspired, feathery tutu ensemble wasn’t over-the-top enough, that enormous rosette armband pushed this into Scary Bradshaw territory. Hey, at least the shoes are great!