January Jones in Dolce & Gabbana
This was the first year that Mad Men was eligible for the Emmys -- it won, both for Writing and Best Drama -- and hence our first looks at many of awards show regulars to-be. I'm sure I disliked this at the time, but in retrospect, I retract that. It has a point of view.
Olivia Wilde in Reem Acra
Some red carpets stick in your head, and I don't remember a LOT of this Emmys, for some reason (it might be because I was fried from Fashion Week when it happened? Who knows?). I DO remember this dress, though -- this was when Olivia was just starting out, and she looks great in this.
Kevin and Kyra in L'Wren Scott
She was nominated this year, for The Closer, but lost to Glenn Close (for Damages). She looks FANTASTIC in this -- I always love a cocktail number at the Emmys -- and it makes the loss of L'Wren Scott sting anew.
Katrina Bowden
30 Rock took home the big prize this year, and I need to tell you that ENTOURAGE was ALSO nominated this year. FREAKING ENTOURAGE. (This was the 30 Rock season that opens with Jenna having gained weight from being in Mystic Pizza, The Musical, which is a great season; Dr. Spaceman in particular is very funny in those bits.) Anyway! Katrina Bowden looks totally lovely in this -- so lovely, in fact, that her Wikipedia page uses a photo from this red carpet. Did you know her character's full name was Cerie Xerox? That's good.
Cheryl Hines
I feel like Cheryl Hines looks at this now and has mild notes for herself -- it looks a little big on her?
Eva Longoria Parker (at the time) in Marchesa
I think that's Tony Parker, her then husband, wandering around in the background, right? ANYWAY, this is VERY Marchesa-y, but I sort of like it: I wish Eva would go short more often. She's so petite and I feel like she still sometimes gets overwhelmed by a big gown.
Rose Bryne in Calvin Klein
We thought she looked rather wan in this at this time -- which is probably true. But the dress has aged very well, by my account. It feels VERY Calvin Klein.
Kathie Lee Gifford
This, on the other hand, still looks like a valance.
Holland Taylor
(a) She was nominated for Two and a Half Men, and probably deserved SOME kind of award for working with Charlie Sheen (although, in fairness, for a long time Charlie Sheen was noted for being a disaster in his personal life but for having it together on set, and I think this was a couple of years before he really imploded at work, as I recall it). (b) Holland Taylor looks ten years younger now, ten years later. Sarah Paulson must be keeping her young!
Evangeline Lilly in Elie Saab
This is great, and she could EASILY wear it again now. Elie Saab, y'all. He's good.
Marcia Cross in vintage Elie Saab
I was just so nice about Elie Saab and now I have to say something unkind about Elie Saab, which is that I don't think this color photographs very well, although I suspect it was very pretty in person. Also: I miss Marcia Cross and want her to be working 10000% of the time.
Mary Steenburgen
Steenburgen! So glam!
Jennifer Morrison in Marchesa
Ten years later, this fabric feels a little....corny? But in the panethon of all the things she's ever worn, it's pretty dang good on her.
Padma Lakshmi in Monique Lhuillier
This is sparkly! I also want to thank Padma for her amazing cuff bracelet.
Kathleen Robertson
I know you're wondering why 90210's Clare Arnold was at the 2008 Emmy Awards, and it is because she was (and is still!) married to a bigwig executive. She IS pregnant here and she looks great, honestly.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Narciso Rodriguez
She was nominated here, as she is always, and shall always be, and looks good in her old favorite Narciso. They really work well together.
Brooke Shields in Badgley Mishka
Brooke got a LOT of love for this dress back in the day, and the color IS fantastic.
Melora Hardin
This is great on her. (I feel like a lot of people went VERY toned down in 2008. This was the year of the writer's strike, as I mentioned, so I think everyone was just, like, happy to be there and to have future employment.)
Phoebe Price
SPEAKING OF HAPPY TO BE THERE.
Christina Hendricks in Tadashi Shoji
She looks STELLER in this and now I want her to wear Shoji WAY more than she does. (Also, it cracks me up that she and January Jones are BOTH wearing headpieces. There must have been something in the water at the Mad Men set.)
Christina Applegate in Reem Acra
She was nominated for Samantha Who? (it was a weird year) and this dress, honestly, is really striking.
Jenna Fischer in custom Gustavo Cadile
OH JENNA. THIS IS CUSTOM! The fit is good, and the idea is fine, but WHY IS THERE BROWN IN THIS? It looks like a mistake!
Cynthia Nixon in Calvin Klein
Ten years ago, she won for her guest actress role on SVU (she is GREAT in that episode; her character has multiple personalities). (She also won for SatC in 2004; fun fact, Cynthia only needs an Oscar to EGOT, because she's got a Spoken Word Grammy and two Tonys.) This year, she just ran for Governor of New York. A decade can make a big difference in a person's life, can't it? Also, this dress is great.
Mary-Louise Parker in Roberto Cavalli
She was nominated for Weeds -- remember Weeds? Remember when the Emmys decided it was a comedy? I guess it KINDA was comedic? Anyway. This color is fab. She looks vaguely stoned, as was her wont.
Audra McDonald
She was a nominee for Raisin in the Sun, and this look is FANTASTIC on her except for whatever is happening on that one boob. Is that some weird reflection off the red carpet? EMMY MYSTERIES OF YORE.
Chloe Sevigny in Preen
The shoes and bag seem wrong, but this dress is SO great.
Lo Bosworth and Lauren Conrad (in herself)
These two look like a bridesmaid at a 2008 wedding (LC) and her friend who is but a guest, who is fixing her before they tak pictures. We wore SO MUCH SATIN in 2008, y'all. Anyway, now LC is a kajillionaire lifestyle expert who has made a ton of money, and good on her.
Mariska Hargitay in Carolina Herrera
This color is super -- she was nominated this year -- but Kynt and Vyxsin from The Amazing Race are really drawing focus behind her.
Saffron Burrows
I don't have a credit on this frock, but she looks great in it. I feel like she went to her stylist and said, "GIVE ME THE MICHELLE WILLIAMS."
Teri Hatcher in Monique Lhuillier
Moniqe Lhuillier got a LOT of women in her gowns this particular year; this one hasn't aged very well. It's not bad, certainly, but I think everyone who was an adult woman in 2008 would agree with me that this feels VERY Of Its Time.
Holly Hunter in Jenny Packham
As does the bejeweled detail on this dress, a detail that I had on MANY of my Going Out Tops from the same era. (She was nominated for Saving Grace, a show I literally forgot existed.)
Laura Dern and Ben Harper
Remember when they were married? She was nominated for Recount, in which she played eye-shadow enthusiast and Florida secretary of state Katherine Harris. (She lost to Eileen Atkins, in Cranford, which WAS excellent.) She looks super in this, and I love her. Pockets!
Jennifer Love Hewitt (in Carolina Herrera) and Hayden Panettiere
J Lo Hew is SO TAN here! (Although I like the dress.) Hayden was, at the time, 19 years old and dating a then 31-year-old Milo Ventimiglia, and I made a crack that she was trying to dress older than her age so that wouldn't seem so misguided and I still stand by that! (She looks nice, but she doesn't look 19 and that was by design. I ALSO stand by my side-eying Milo dating a woman that much younger than he was at the time.) Having said all of that: I like both of these actresses, I'm glad J.Lo.Hew is coming back to TV, and I miss Hayden.
Vanessa Williams in custom Kevan Hall
She was nominated for Ugly Betty, and I've always liked this dress -- although I don't love the One Strap.
Will Arnett and Amy Poehler
Amy was nominated for SNL this year and, obviously, was just about to have a baby. She was the first actor ever nominated for SNL in the Best Supporting Actress In a Comedy category. (Will was on 30 Rock at this point and also very VERY tan.)
Dana Delany and Felicity Huffman
The subtext of much of this slideshow is: REMEMBER DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES?!
Heidi Klum in Armani Prive
Honestly? This feels SO MUCH more Fashion-y than anything she wears now, and it looks good on her.
Mindy Kaling
I love this dress on Mindy and wish she had worn a redder lip. But she could wear this again. Let's start re-wearing stuff, you guys! It's fun!
Debra Messing in Monique Lhuillier
This has aged better than I would have anticipated. She's very likely going to the Emmys tonight -- wear it again, Deb!
Grace Park
Pants on the Emmys red carpet was ahead of the curve in 2008!
Sandra Oh in Oscar de la Renta
This is fun: She was nominated at this ceremony (she lost to Dianne Wiest for In Treatment), and she is nominated on Monday night, too! (The episode of Grey's she submitted this year is the one where Burke wins the Harper Avery and Cristina has to deal with a lot of emotional fallout from her relationship with him and that time she covered up for him having that tremor. I am still pissed that Sandra Oh never won for Grey's Anatomy, as she was SO GOOD on that show. CRISTINA YANG FOREVER. Yes, I have been re-watching Grey's, can you tell?) I actually LOVE this dress.
Chandra Wilson
Speaking of Grey's! She was also nominated this year, and her submission episode was that season's finale, where she and her husband are basically breaking up but then he ends up in the ER and almost dies. Which she's ALSO great in. MIRANDA BAILEY FOREVER. (I just love old school Grey's, you guys. It's REALLY satisfying.) ANYWAY, she could also easily wear this again.
America Ferrera
She was ALSO a nominee this year. I don't have a credit for this dress, but it's allegedly vintage and it looks it. Not in a bad way!
Tina Fey in David Meister
Tina won this year for acting (for 30 Rock, obviously). She submitted the episode where Liz has to eat her special sandwich from the teamsters in the security line at the airport, which IS a memorable moment. I can picture it in my head right now. This dress is, like, fine, but it sort of feels like the dress you wear when you're just a presenter.
Taraji P. Henson
This was when Taraji was on Boston Legal, which was up for Outstanding Drama, and which I never watched (although I actually loved The Practice). I appreciate how many women really wore a bracelet this year.
Kristin Chenoweth in Armani Prive
I forget that Cheno was nominated for Pushing Daisies! (She lost to Jean Smart, but don't worry: She won in 2009.)
Kate Walsh in Zuhair Murad
This feels like a very early Zuhair Murad sighting, because in my mind that label only truly came into being when J Lo decided that it would, which was more like 2011.
Glenn Close
Glenn won for Damages this year -- which was correct, she was amazing in that first season -- and she looks like a superstar in those glasses.
Mary Tyler Moore
MARY! This dress is perfect. I want it for my own self right now.
