August has been a relatively quiet month with most of the red carpet action coming from film projects filmed while on hiatus. Get ready for an influx of dresses as the Emmys are on Monday and the parties have already begun. Below are the best looks from the BAFTA Los Angeles TV Tea 2014 and Variety and Women in Film Emmy Nomination Celebration. With several pulling double duty at both events a couple of faces pop up twice. On trend is a mixture of all-black ensembles and super colorful affairs (with some showcasing both thanks to the two events). There are a lot of bad shoe choices and somehow three jumpsuits make the list (insert Home Alone cat face here).
Kerry Washington has been hitting style highs recently and this is another to add to that list. Going short in Michael Kors and fresh faced before the fancy frock night is understandable. This is striking in its simplicity and there’s a slight hint of sparkle when the flash hits the embellishments.
Another short take and the pre-Emmy parties are all about having fun before the big event and Orange is the New Black’s Samira Wiley is doing just this in a blurred effect number.
Julianna Margulies is always one of my most anticipated on the red carpet come award season and while she is playing it pretty safe; it is also a classic J-Marg look. Digging the bold lipstick too.
Michelle Dockery’s peplum Elie Saab black jumpsuit is also in the simple chic category at the Variety party.
However, earlier in the day Dockery has done the color splurge in a Roland Mouret crop top and skirt. The Teen Choice Awards don’t have the monopoly on crop tops (there is another coming up) and even though the skirt looks like a fancy table cloth Dockery pulls this off. Despite the matchy matchy shoe/skirt of it all these Christian Louboutin pumps are a footwear highlight.
If Kiernan Shipka’s Instagram is anything to go by these teen stars are set to takeover the world while having brunch and here she is once again with Sleepy Hollow’s Amandla Stenberg. Both manage to look super cute and slightly edgy at the same time in their dark attire.
Kiernan Shipka also attended the BAFTA Tea in a summery Giambattista Valli cocktail dress and she will be one to look out for tomorrow as she continues to hit all the right sartorial notes.
Downton Abbey’s Joanne Froggat does color blocking in Altuzarra mixing bold red and orange with grey. Black sandals are a popular choice on both red carpets (not in the bad shoe category) and it is still summer after all.
At first I thought this was a dress, instead it is a Christian Dior jumpsuit with one leg much wider than the other and Ashley Madekwe pulls off Dior’s latest attempt to wrinkle our brains (remember JLaw’s half skirt/pants number?!). One reason this works is because it’s all one color and a striking shade of blue at that. Plus the pockets, always the pockets.
Keeping in the jumpsuit/pocket territory and Anna Chlumsky’s Veronica Beard outfit reminds me of the Hannibal bathroom location from season one (they’re not even that similar, but that’s where my brain jumped to). This is not a bad thing as those tiles are gorgeous as is this pattern.
Another BAFTA/Variety double! Lizzy Caplan is wearing a bold chartreuse Cushnie et Ochs frock and works this difficult shade by pairing it with scarlet pumps. Sheer tends to cause a wrinkled nose effect and part of me would love to see this as a strapless gown.
Switching things up and the Wes Gordon houndstooth pencil skirt and long sleeve crop top makes me think of a Virginia Johnson outfit shifted from 1956 to 2014. Paired with burgundy Christian Louboutin ‘Bootypump’ ankle boots – which I am now coveting – makes this a sophisticated and fun take on office to party chic.
Emmy weekend also reminds me which shows I need to catch up on and Fargo is top of this list. I’ve heard so much about Allison Tolman’s performance and she looks lovely on the BAFTA Tea red carpet in a lace blue frock. A more colorful shoe choice (basically anything but beige) would have been preferable.
More beige shoe sadness with Rachelle Lefevre, however her dress is enough to distract and looks like the clothing version of sediment layers. This also doesn’t sound that great I realize, but trust me it is. So much hair envy.
Color blocking with a dotty twist and Michelle Monaghan’s red and orange J. Mendel frock is another striking take on this trend.
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