Growing up, I rarely missed an awards show. Not because I cared about television, music, film or pop cultureābut because I cherished any opportunity I got to see what celebrities were wearing.Ā At the time, social media didnāt exist, and Instagram influencers were hardly conceivable; the only glimpse I got into celebritiesā sartorial selves came from the style sections of People and Usāand, of course, the occasional televised red carpet.
As you likely know by now, the 2018 Emmy Awards will air tonight, September 17 at 8:00 P.M. (Eastern Standard Time). Emmys red carpet coverage starts at 6:00 P.M. on E!āmeaning we have two full hours of red carpet arrivals to digest before the show actually kicks off. (Is it just me, or does that sound absolutely heavenly?)
MORE:Ā Every Celebrity Look from the 2017 Emmys RedĀ Carpet
The Emmys red carpet isnāt as much of a big deal as, say, the Academy Awards red carpet. But itās still chock full of incredible looks. Last year, Zoe Kravitz stunned in head-to-toe rainbow fringe; Tracee Ellis Ross combined sequins, feathers and metallic accessories; and Sarah Hyland managed to pull off an oh-so daring stomach cutout. These are style moments worth witnessing.
And honestly, itās almost more fun to watch the Emmys red carpet than any other; itās high-stakes enough that people care, but low-stakes enough that people feel comfortable taking risks. Itās kind of a style sweet-spot, all things considered.
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Check back tonight for a roundup of incredible looks from the 2018 Emmys red carpet. Until then, peruse the 61 photos weāve compiled belowātheyāre the 61 most iconic Emmys red carpet looks from the past two decades.
Weāve started in 2017 (so you can catch up on last yearās finest) and worked our way back to 1999. Get ready for reversible dresses, feathers and Jennifer Aniston with crimped hair. This blast from the past has itĀ all.

Fringe, rhinestones and cutoutsāoh my.

A metallic rainbow colorblock bodice and a metallic rainbow ombre skirt. Need we say more?

We love a good statement sleeve. (Especially when it's coordinated with a statement bangle.)

She just looks incredible.

A stomach cutout? On a red carpet? Leave it to Sarah Hyland to take a risk and totally pull it off.

We're not sure what we love moreāthe statement sleeves, the statement fabric, the statement belt or the statement skirt.

A deep V done in a way that looks genuinely comfortableāgame-changer, much?

Feathers, confetti or fringe? We're not sure, but we're positive Kravitz looks amazing.

We can't resist a jumpsuitāespecially when it comes with aĀ train.

Easter brunch on high-fashion steroids.

The top gets even cooler when you realize it's entirely sequins.

Meticulous detailing delivered in a striking jewel tone. Needless to say, we're on board.

Figure-hugging sequins, but in a completely new way.

Timeless elegance.

This strappy ensemble looks even cooler from the back.

Hello vibrant colorsāfancy seeing you here.

Who knew head-to-toe mesh could lookĀ this good?

Quite possibly the most stunning thing Christina Hendricks has ever worn.

An evening gown fit for a goddess (Roman or not).

When was the last time you saw fabricĀ this printed on a red carpet? What about fabricĀ this printed, paired with a transparent neckline and some leather detailing? Thought so. (Thanks for sending our maximalist hearts a-flutter, Mamet.)

A cool AF dress made even cooler by its semi-transparent skirt.

As Janney so masterfully proves here, fuchsia is a seriously underrated color in the red carpet world.

Never thought lace overlays, beaded bodices and embellished floral accents could combine to produce such understated elegance.

Gotta commend a naked dress when it's done right.

The matching eyeshadow really sends this look over the edge.

Is this dress perfect, because we're pretty sure it is?

Speechless.

It's not every day you see a tea-length gown (or petal skirt) on the red carpetāespecially not one that looks this good.

An out-of-the-box color done so, so right.

The next time someone tells you a crop top and skirt combination isn't red carpet-appropriate, show them this.

The platform hot pink shoes take Headey's look from great to perfect.

Feathers usually scream maximalist, but the lavender ones on Hendricks' dress skew elegant, instead.

A cut-out, but not quite a cut-out, ya know?

When we imagine someone slaying a red carpet, this is what we see.

Polka dots are a rarity on red carpets. But Sevigny completely pulls them off.

This might be the only time in the history of, well, everything that tea-length tulle has managed to look edgy.

NowĀ that's what you call a statement-making look.

The upscale version of what one might wear to a toga party.

The cut isĀ perfect. (And the fabric's pretty great, too.)

January Jones would look like a dream in anything, but she looks especially great in this deconstructed bodice mermaid dress.

Totally 2008 glam.

A mini dress with ombre fringe and a statement bow on the bodice? Getting major flashbacks to the aughts.

Like a blush fabric-covered fairy.

Exactly what we dreamt of wearing on a red carpet in 2006.

Dress like a flapper, but make it (2006) fashion.

Portia del Rossi, casually making orange the new black.

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia.

Don't get us wrongāthe head-to-toe velvet dress is awesome. But it's the fact that Star Jones brought a literal dog onto the red carpet that really caught our attention.

Pearl- and feather-covered millennial pink shouldn't look this good, but of course, on Cattrall, it does.

Feathers.

Rodarte sent the contemporary version of this dress down the runway this year.

Leave it to Kim Cattrall to achieve a red carpet look that's equal parts sexy and elegant.

Is this not the most 2002 thing you've ever seen?

So pretty we can't stop staring.

Apparently, reversible evening gowns were the thing in 2002.

Told you.

Surely Carrie Bradshaw would approve of this tea-length, feather-covered, ballerina pink ensemble.

Berry wearing the glam-goth prom dress of our wildest dreams.

A slinky dress that doubles as an optical illusion.

Berry again, this time donning a two-piece in the most '90s way possibleāand we're so here for it.

The hair. The sequin-covered paisley print. The micro bag.Ā Iconic.