Emmy Fashion: Women See Red, We See Geena
September 11, 2000 -- function launch(url,windowname){gallery=window.open(url,windowname,'toolbar=0,menubar=0,scrollbars,scrolling,resizable=yes,width=465,height=560')}
The designers may have differed, but the Emmy outfit of choice this year was overwhelmingly a red, strapless gown. Newlyweds Jennifer Aniston (in Prada) and Will & Grace's Debra Messing (in Vera Wang), Saturday Night Live's Molly Shannon, Kissing a Fool's Mili Avital, and The West Wing's Stockard Channing all opted to more or less blend in with the red carpet — and each other.
A ruffled Calista Flockhart, whose Alberto Ferretti tuxedo-front-style dress gets our vote for the worst of the evening, also opted for red, as did sassy diva Jean Smart (in Escada) and towering model Rebecca Romijn-Stamos.
Best-dressed: The few stars not in red or the year's other big color, metallic gray, couldn't help but stand out from the crowd: Statuesque Michael Michele (of ER) was regal in a beige Carolina Herrera number, Heather Locklear looked like a Greek goddess in her white column dress by Richard Tyler, and Halle Berry, who took home the Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Award for her role as Dorothy Dandridge, was the belle of the ball in a black Versace gown with a full skirt.
Worst-dressed: Besides Calista's dress, perhaps designed to distract from the perpetual question of her weight, there were also fashion faux pas made by Sela Ward, whose black leather and spiky necklace were a throwback to Madonna's gothic Oscar getup of a few years back. And Melanie Griffith, in a dress of pink and flowered panels, looked like someone's kitchen curtains.
Most talked-about: Geena, Geena, Geena. Oscar winner Geena Davis, who launches a new TV series this fall, got some double takes on the red carpet with her black-and-white patterned fish-tailed dress — but once the hot lights of the stage were on her, she might as well not have been wearing that sheer outfit at all. And you either loved or hated Sarah Jessica Parker's ostrich-feathered girly-girl dress.
They clean up nice: Winning comedy actress Patricia Heaton, from Everybody Loves Raymond, looked lovely in a Dolce & Gabbana black-and-yellow flowered dress, and Will & Grace's also-victorious Megan Mullally scored with a gray Donna Karan dress with a plunging V-neck — with extra points for the butterfly ring she displayed on the red carpet.
Sexy divas of a certain age: Former Designing Woman Jean Smart was part of a lovely trend: older stars flaunting their stuff. When told she looked great, Sex and the City's Kim Cattrall purred, "I feel great," as she appeared in elegant gray by Randolph Duke. Also working it were Christine Lahti, in a body-hugging Herve Leger; glammed-up Sopranos wife Edie Falco, in a purple Donna Karan; and The West Wing's Allison Janney, in a sleeveless gold dress that showed off her gym-toned arms.
Hair, hair: WB officials and the general public can rejoice that Keri Russell's hair is growing back out. The curly-haired Felicity star could once again boast cascading locks, as did Geena Davis and Debra Messing, who both opted for loosely upswept curls. Going straight were Sarah Jessica Parker, Julianna Margulies, Kim Cattrall, and Jennifer Aniston, who all showed off simple, classic styles.
Retro city: A red-haired Jenna Elfman looked very 1930s in a gold Dior, and, while Heather Locklear's dress was supposed to recall the '40s, her teased hair was strictly circa Valley of the Dolls.