Jenna Ortega’s Givenchy was the night’s biggest fashion argument—not its simple “worst” look. The 2025 Emmys red carpet mixed gothic sheer construction, saturated red gowns, expressive menswear, vintage Chanel, and deliberate anti-glamour. Here are the looks that stood out, the outfits that divided viewers, and the trends that defined the evening.
The most memorable look at the 2025 Emmys was also one of the most divisive: Jenna Ortega’s Givenchy by Sarah Burton ensemble combined exposed construction, jewels, pearls, and a dark gothic-romantic silhouette. It made an immediate photograph, sparked the night’s biggest fashion debate, and showed why “best” and “worst” are not always useful opposites on a red carpet.
Other standouts were easier to agree on. Selena Gomez and Hunter Schafer used saturated red to commanding effect; Chloë Sevigny brought Saint Laurent attitude; Colman Domingo made a persuasive case for embellished color in menswear; and Michelle Williams used vintage Chanel to connect the carpet with fashion history. At the other end of the spectrum, Megan Stalter’s jeans-and-T-shirt appearance deliberately rejected awards-show glamour, while several sheer, chainmail, and heavily decorated looks divided viewers on questions of fit, proportion, and how well an idea survived event photography.
The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards took place on September 14, 2025, at Los Angeles’s Peacock Theater, with Nate Bargatze hosting. The ceremony honored television released between June 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025. Here are the strongest, most interesting, and most debated looks from the carpet.
Recommended Free Tools
#1 Best Overall
- 【Excellent Soft box with Wide Coverage】Soft box’s inner nylon reflector surface make the light much brighter, while its removable white diffuser made of premium PET fabric can eliminate shadows and make light softer and more uniform, giving you a best shooting experience. Its sturdy locking system make the soft box stable on the tripod during use.
- 【Energy Efficient Bulbs】Torjim soft box photography lighting kit adopts 2 x 85 W energy saving light bulbs (service life of about 6000 hours), saving energy up to 80%. Its 7500K color temperature produces balanced pure white daylight and continuous uniform light, and its low working temperature ensures that it will not get hot, providing an ideal photography environment.
- 【Adjust the Soft box & Tripod Stand As You Like】The soft box has a 210° rotatable head which enables you to adjust its position freely, and the tripod stand’s height can be adjusted from 27” to 74.5” easily, you can choose your desired tripod height. The 1/4 standard screw on the top of the tripod enables you to install other devices to it such as a ring light, projector and etc.
- 【Durable & Portable Lighting Kit for Multiple Applications】The tripod stand is made of premium aluminum alloy material, and its carrying bag included is convenient for carrying it around. Easy setup in minutes. This lighting kit is ideal for portrait shooting, live streaming, video fill light, fashion shooting, advertising shooting and so on.
- 【What You’ll Get】You’ll get 2 x soft boxes (27”x27”), 2 x height adjustable tripod stands (Max. height: 74.5”), 2 x E26 7500K 85W light bulbs, 1 x carrying bag, 1 x instruction manual and our 12-month warranty for this lighting kit, together with our professional and hassle-free after-sale services.
Jenna Ortega in Givenchy by Sarah Burton: unforgettable, but not universally successful
Ortega’s Givenchy look, from Sarah Burton’s first collection for the house, was the night’s clearest example of a red-carpet outfit functioning as fashion conversation rather than simple glamour. The design used exposed, jewel-like and pearl-like elements to create a sculptural, gothic-romantic effect. It was visually unusual enough to dominate coverage and social discussion.
That attention should not be mistaken for unanimous approval. Harper’s Bazaar treated Ortega as a best-dressed highlight, while the Los Angeles Times identified the look as a major expression of the evening’s return to the “naked dress” and sheer-body-illusion trend. Fashion commentator Melissa Rivers later argued that the design worked better on the runway model than it did on Ortega, focusing on proportion and wearability rather than dismissing Burton’s concept.
The fairest verdict is therefore divisive but unforgettable. Calling it simply “worst dressed” loses the reason it mattered; calling it an unquestioned triumph ignores the criticism. Its success depends on what a viewer expects from the red carpet: conventional flattery or a challenging, editorial image.
The best-dressed Emmys 2025 looks
Selena Gomez in custom Louis Vuitton
Gomez delivered one of the evening’s most coherent looks. The red gown was immediately legible in photographs, while its high funnel neckline and polished asymmetric construction gave the color statement a controlled, architectural finish. Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and the Los Angeles Times all treated the Louis Vuitton look as a key fashion moment.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Gomez attended with Benny Blanco, which added a celebrity-couple dimension to the carpet coverage, but the gown did not need the extra narrative. Its color, neckline, and silhouette were strong enough to carry the image on their own.
Hunter Schafer in McQueen
Schafer’s McQueen appearance shared the evening’s red color story with Gomez but offered a different fashion argument. Where Gomez’s gown emphasized polished architectural control, Schafer’s look used a high-fashion silhouette and a vivid color statement to create a sharper, more editorial effect.
Both Harper’s Bazaar and the Los Angeles Times included Schafer among the night’s strongest looks. The outfit worked because its visual idea was easy to read from a distance: a commanding color, a confident shape, and enough fashion identity to avoid looking generic.
Chloë Sevigny in Saint Laurent
Sevigny’s Saint Laurent gown demonstrated that a red-carpet look does not need crystals, transparency, or an elaborate construction trick to be memorable. Its appeal came from attitude and proportion—the sense that the wearer and the house shared a precise point of view.
Harper’s Bazaar consistently placed Sevigny among its best dressed and later singled out the dramatic Saint Laurent gown among the year’s notable celebrity fashion moments. This was a lesson in restraint: a relatively streamlined gown can outlast a busier design when the silhouette and styling feel purposeful.
Colman Domingo in Valentino
Domingo was Vogue’s standout gentleman of the night, and the Los Angeles Times also included him among the best-dressed men. His bespoke or custom Valentino suit used a pale powder-blue tone and crystal embroidery to move formal menswear beyond the familiar black tuxedo without becoming costume-like.
The look was festive, precise, and appropriately formal. Its success also matters in the broader gender-balanced fashion story of the carpet: statement menswear was not limited to novelty. Soft color, controlled embellishment, and tailoring could produce the same sense of occasion as a dramatic gown.
Parker Posey in Valentino
Posey’s Valentino look belonged on a best-dressed list for viewers who value personality as much as conventional elegance. Harper’s Bazaar recognized the outfit for balancing high camp and high glamour, and that combination was central to its appeal.
It did not attempt to disappear into a flawless, anonymous evening silhouette. Instead, it had character. On a carpet filled with polished gowns, that theatrical identity helped the look feel authored rather than merely assembled.
Scarlett Johansson in Prada
Johansson’s Prada look provided a quieter counterpoint to Ortega’s Givenchy and the evening’s red gowns. Harper’s Bazaar included her among its best dressed, and the outfit showed how a sharply defined fashion-house silhouette can create impact without excessive ornamentation.
Its editorial value is precisely its restraint. A successful awards-show look does not have to compete through volume, sparkle, or transparency. Sometimes a clear line and disciplined styling make the strongest photograph.
Michelle Williams in vintage Chanel
Williams’s vintage Chanel appearance made the case for archival dressing. Rather than relying on a brand-new runway look, she used a recognizable piece of fashion history while retaining a refined eveningwear identity.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsRank #3
- 【2x Softboxes】The two softboxes work perfectly together to soften the light, high reflectivity, and remove shadows to achieve the best shooting effect. Made of high-quality PET, the softbox lighting kit maintains good reflectivity in a relatively closed softbox environment and long-term bulb heating.
That choice was both visually and editorially significant. Vintage dressing can bring texture and context to a carpet crowded with current-season credits. It also shows that red-carpet relevance is not dependent on wearing the newest available collection.
Other strong looks worth including in the gallery
The wider best-of conversation included Aimee Lou Wood in Alexander McQueen, Lisa in Lever Couture, Justine Lupe in Carolina Herrera, Jean Smart in Christian Siriano, Cate Blanchett in Giorgio Armani Privé, Rashida Jones in Dior, Sarah Paulson in Prada, and Sydney Sweeney in custom Oscar de la Renta.
These looks add useful variety to a gallery. They prevent the coverage from becoming a list of only the most famous names and broaden the visual story across sculptural tailoring, pale color, classic glamour, couture polish, and high-impact eveningwear. Aimee Lou Wood is best placed in a mixed-reaction section, however: Glamour included her in its best-looks gallery, while online discussion raised questions about creasing, fit, and the way the gown photographed under the event lighting.
Best color moments: red, pale pink, and powder blue
Red was the night’s clearest statement
Gomez, Schafer, and Sweeney helped make saturated red one of the most visible color stories of the 2025 Emmys. Red works particularly well on a photo-heavy carpet because it creates immediate separation from the background and remains legible in wide shots as well as close-ups.
Gomez’s Louis Vuitton showed the color in a controlled, architectural column. Schafer’s McQueen made it feel more directional and editorial. Sweeney’s custom Oscar de la Renta added another strong red-carpet reference to the trend.
Aimee Lou Wood brought the pale-pink conversation
Alongside the saturated gowns, fashion coverage identified pale pink and soft neutrals as another visible direction. Wood’s Alexander McQueen look was an important example, even if reactions to its fit and photography were mixed. The contrast between a soft color and a structured evening silhouette gave the carpet a gentler alternative to the more aggressive red and jeweled looks.
Domingo made powder blue feel formal
Domingo’s pale powder-blue Valentino suit was among the night’s most convincing non-black menswear statements. The color softened the formality without weakening it, while the crystal embroidery ensured the suit still read as an awards-show look rather than daytime tailoring.
Best menswear: color and embellishment beyond the black tuxedo
Domingo led the menswear conversation, but he was not alone. Seth Rogen in Etro, Pedro Pascal in Celine, Walton Goggins in Louis Vuitton, and James Marsden in Ralph Lauren Purple Label also represented the move beyond standard black eveningwear.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Rank #4
- This photo shoot lights and background kit includes almost everything you need. Photo studio photography equipment includes: 1 x 6.5ft*10ft(2m*3m) Background Stand; 5 x 6.5ft Light Stands;5 x Bulb Holder (US Plug Cable1.8m);2 x 33" White Umbrellas;2x33" Silver Black Umbrella;1x33"Golden Black Umbrella;3x Softboxes; 5 x 45W Light Bulbs;3 x 5.25ft*9.2ft(1.6*2.8m) Polyster Fabric Photo Backdrop ;1 x Carry Bag; 6 x Fish Mouth Clamps;1 x 24in(60cm) 5 in 1 Reflector
- Polyester Fabric Backdrops: Backdrop white black green screen backdrop are made of 100% polyester material. This material has the advantage as follow: good elasticity, soft skin, good drape, durable, anti-wrinkle, no fading, machine washable, can be ironed or steamed in low temperature. Providing you with higher quality shooting results
- 33inch Umbrellas & 20in*28in Soft boxes: 20”x28” continuous lighting soft box with E27 bulb holder; naturally soften light stream, and remove shadow for perfect shooting; 33 inch diameter lighting umbrellas diffuse light, weaken shadows, make model portrait and product shooting softer and more delicate
- Adjustable Stand & Rotatable Head: With a 210 degree rotatable head, you can literally get the perfect shot every single time. The stands are adjustable. They can be as short as 27” or as tall as 78”
- 3.5 in 1 24inch Reflector: Light Reflector Studio Diffuser with five different reflective surfaces can be used to fill in, reflect, diffuse, absorb or soften light; Durable and flexible steel frame, it can be easily folded into small size
The trend was not simply “men wearing brighter colors.” The more important shift was a broader formalwear vocabulary: unusual fabric or color, more expressive tailoring, and embellishment used with enough control to remain elegant. Domingo’s Valentino was the clearest example because the powder blue and crystals were adventurous but still tightly integrated.
The most divisive or weaker looks
Megan Stalter’s Levi’s and Hanes look was intentional anti-glamour
Stalter wore blue jeans, a white Hanes T-shirt, silver jewelry, black pointed flats, sunglasses, and a red lip. By conventional awards-show standards, the outfit was dramatically underdressed. But Glamour reported that the choice was a political statement, not an unsuccessful attempt at formal glamour.
That intent changes the appropriate category. Stalter’s look is better described as deliberate anti-red-carpet dressing or message-driven informality than as a fashion mistake. It divided viewers because it rejected the event’s usual visual contract. The question is not whether it looked like a gown; it plainly did not. The question is whether breaking that expectation was the point—and here, the available reporting says it was.
Aimee Lou Wood in Alexander McQueen: strong concept, mixed execution
Wood should not be placed in a definitive worst-dressed ranking. Glamour included her among the best looks, while online fashion discussion focused on possible creasing, fit, and how the gown behaved under the carpet’s lighting. Those reactions are less consistent than the praise.
This is a useful example of the difference between a good design idea and a fully successful red-carpet photograph. A garment may look compelling in motion or in a controlled editorial image but lose clarity when photographed from several angles under strong event lighting.
Sheer, jeweled, and chainmail construction carried the greatest risk
The carpet included sheer panels, exposed construction, crystals, pearls, and chainmail. Charlotte Le Bon’s Courrèges chainmail dress drew attention for its novelty, while Ortega’s Givenchy represented the most extreme combination of transparency and decoration.
These techniques can produce a dramatic image, but they also make proportion and styling more difficult to control. Embellishment can appear overworked; sheer sections can compete with the silhouette; and reflective surfaces can photograph unpredictably. The most useful critical question is not “Was the outfit bad?” but Did the design’s visual idea survive the red carpet, the lighting, and the camera angle?
What the 2025 Emmys red carpet said about fashion
- Red remained a reliable event color. Gomez, Schafer, and Sweeney showed three ways to use a saturated red entrance without making every look identical.
- High necklines became architectural. Gomez’s funnel-neck Louis Vuitton gown made coverage at the neck a defining design feature rather than a modest afterthought.
- Sheer and exposed construction moved from subtle detail to central concept. Ortega’s Givenchy made the trend impossible to ignore, while other guests used transparency and embellishment more selectively.
- Soft neutrals offered a gentler alternative. Pale pink and related tones, including Wood’s look, balanced the carpet’s stronger reds and metallic details.
- Menswear expanded its formal vocabulary. Domingo, Rogen, Pascal, Goggins, and Marsden demonstrated that awards-show dressing can include color, texture, and personality without abandoning polish.
- Vintage remained credible. Williams’s Chanel showed that an archival piece can feel as relevant as a current runway pull.
- Not every red-carpet appearance is designed to flatter conventionally. Stalter used informality as contrast and communication, proving that a carpet can also be a platform for a position or a joke.
How to judge a “best” or “worst” red-carpet look
Celebrity fashion rankings are subjective, but they do not have to be arbitrary. A useful review can separate four questions:
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Best Value
- 【Illuminate Your Creativity】 Torjim softbox lighting kit is made of high-quality PET fabric and a foldable nylon cover, which has high reflectivity, softer and even light, and a wider range of illumination. The inner baffle of silver particles built into the lampshade makes the light cast evenly, which maximizes the soft light ability and eliminates shadows.
- 【Energy Efficient Bulbs】 Softbox photography lighting kit is equipped with 85W energy saving bulb, 3000-7500K daylight CFL lighting bulb, which can save up to 80% energy, the bulb not only can work in low temperature environment, but also the bulb life is beyond your imagination. While saving electricity, it also provides constant and even light, providing a good photographic environment.
- 【Sturdy and Reliable】 This studio softbox is equipped with a tripods with independent locking knobs, made of high quality aluminum alloy, and the sturdy locking system ensures that your items are not affected by any wobble during use. Experiments have proved that the tripod can easily resist scratches from hard objects, providing excellent safety, reliability and sufficient stability for your lighting softbox.
- 【Flexibility at Your Fingertips】This Torjim softbox comes with a 210° rotatable head that can adjust the angle according to your needs. It is suitable for photography art, meeting different needs such as photography lighting, live broadcast, video fill light, etc. It can easily create perfect lighting effects for indoor shooting and make photos more attractive.
- 【What Will You Get】Our package contains everything you need: 1 X Softbox, 1 X Remote, 1 X LED Bulb, 1 X 60in Tripod Stand and 1 X Soft Diffuser.
- Is the idea clear? Can a viewer understand the intended silhouette, color story, or styling concept in a photograph?
- Does the garment fit and move well? Creasing, pulling, awkward proportions, or distracting gaps can undermine an otherwise excellent design.
- Does the styling support the clothes? Hair, makeup, jewelry, shoes, and accessories should reinforce rather than compete with the central idea.
- Does the look suit the wearer and the event? A provocative or informal outfit can succeed when its purpose is clear, even if it does not meet traditional formalwear expectations.
That framework explains why Ortega can be both a best-of-gallery lead and a divisive look, why Wood belongs in “mixed reactions,” and why Stalter should not be judged as though she had accidentally arrived in casual clothes.
Suggested photo-gallery order and captions
For a visual roundup, open with Ortega’s Givenchy because it is the most distinctive and debate-generating image. Follow with a best-dressed sequence led by Gomez, Schafer, Sevigny, Domingo, Posey, Johansson, and Williams. Use a separate color section for Gomez and Schafer in red, Wood in pale pink, and Domingo in powder blue. A menswear section can then include Domingo, Rogen, Pascal, Goggins, and Marsden.
Close with Stalter’s deliberately unconventional outfit. Ending there leaves readers with the central question of the carpet: does red-carpet success require traditional glamour, or can a look succeed by refusing the rules?
For every image, preserve the available designer credit exactly. Identify Ortega as Givenchy by Sarah Burton, Gomez as custom Louis Vuitton, Domingo as Valentino, Sevigny as Saint Laurent, Johansson as Prada, and Williams as vintage Chanel. Treat the photograph as documentation of what was worn, not as proof that a look was objectively good or bad. Use licensed event photography and do not infer a fashion verdict from the photographer, agency, or image source.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Frequently Asked Questions
When were the 2025 Emmys held?
The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards took place on September 14, 2025, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Nate Bargatze hosted the ceremony.
Who were the best dressed at the 2025 Emmys?
The most frequently praised looks included Selena Gomez in custom Louis Vuitton, Hunter Schafer in McQueen, Chloë Sevigny in Saint Laurent, Colman Domingo in Valentino, Parker Posey in Valentino, Scarlett Johansson in Prada, and Michelle Williams in vintage Chanel. Jenna Ortega’s Givenchy by Sarah Burton was also widely praised for its fashion impact, although it was divisive.
What was the most controversial Emmys 2025 red-carpet look?
Jenna Ortega’s Givenchy by Sarah Burton look was the most debated. Its exposed jewel-and-pearl construction was praised as a bold fashion statement, while critics including Melissa Rivers questioned its proportions and wearability on Ortega.
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallWhy did Megan Stalter wear jeans to the Emmys?
Megan Stalter’s Levi’s jeans and Hanes T-shirt were intentional. The outfit was reported as a political or message-driven rejection of conventional awards-show dressing, so it is more accurate to call it anti-red-carpet fashion than an accidental worst look.
The Bottom Line
The 2025 Emmys red carpet rewarded clear points of view: Gomez and Schafer made red feel commanding, Domingo expanded the possibilities of formal menswear, and Williams showed the continuing power of vintage. Ortega’s Givenchy was the night’s defining debate—not a simple failure, but a high-risk fashion statement whose originality and wearability pulled critics in opposite directions. Stalter made the opposite choice, rejecting glamour altogether and making the refusal itself the message.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
