The Sexiest Emmys Looks of All Time

By InStyle Staff
Updated Sep 18, 2017 @ 9:02 am
JOHN SHEARER/INVISION FOR ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES/AP IMAGES; KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAGES; GREGG DEGUIRE/FILMMAGIC

Is it hot in herre or what! Any time a major awards show hits Hollywood, we can always count on A-listers to pull out all the stops. While every star is beautiful in her custom creation or sweeping couture design, there is, without fail, a handful who seriously turn up the heat. We're talking about strategically placed cutouts, thigh-high slits, sheer illusion panels, down-to-there necklines, and second-skin silhouettes that hug every single curve.

We took a look back and plucked all the sexiest looks from Emmys past. See who made the cut.

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Lady Gaga, 2015

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The musician and actress stunned in a Brandon Maxwell gown (her go-to designer) at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards.

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Kerry Washington, 2015

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The Scandal star shone bright like a diamond in a fresh off the runway Marc Jacobs gown at the 2015 Emmys.

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Kiernan Shipka, 2015

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Shipka looked gorgeous and totally chic in this dress over pants ensemble at the 2015 Emmys. "When I wore the Dior pants and dress-slash-top to the Emmys last year, it was such a 'We're doing this' kind of moment. I really had fun and I loved the look."

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Gwen Stefani, 2014

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Gwen Stefani took the plunge at the 2014 Emmys in a glittery deep-plunge Versace creation with metal ladder bars running down the neckline.

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Camila Alves, 2014

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Camila Alves scandalously revealed glimpses of skin in her sheer curve-hugging Zuhair Murad number. It didn't hurt, either, that she had Matthew McConaughey (in Dolce & Gabbana) on her arm.

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Heidi Klum, 2013

John Shearer/Invision for Academy of Television Arts & Sciences/AP Images
In a color her Project Runway co-host Tim Gunn dubbed "pomegranate," Heidi Klum was utterly radiant in a curve-hugging Versace dress that boasted a sexy futuristic high-neck cut-out silhouette.
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Claire Danes, 2013

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Homeland star Claire Danes took home an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, but it was her illusion-paneled plunging Armani Prive creation that had us all twittering.

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Sofia Vergara, 2013

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There's a reason Sofia Vergara looked amazing-her red-hot Vera Wang gown was custom-made to fit and flatter her every curve. "Vera offered to make a dress for me, and of course I was very flattered,” the stunning actress told InStyle.com. "My hair is blonde this year, and I wanted a contrast. She was willing to do two very beautiful red dresses in different shades for me."

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Kerry Washington, 2012

AP
Presenter Kerry Washington adored her iridescent blush Vivienne Westwood column, but was especially enamored of her clutch. "I fell in love with this bag by Kotur," she told InStyle.com. "Last night on Twitter, I decided this really cute lizard [on the clutch] needed a name." She added jewelry by Fred Leighton to her playful look.
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Sofía Vergara, 2012

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Nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series category, Sofía Vergara chose a hand-beaded Zuhair Murad mermaid gown. Not one to shy away from flaunting her curves, the look featured a reverse halter neckline and open back. Vergara accessorized with over 175 carats of Neil Lane jewels from the Diamond Hollywood collection.

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Gwyneth Paltrow, 2011

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"My dress is a little see-through," Emmy winner Gwyneth Paltrow said of her daring two-piece. Understatement of the year! The intricately-beaded Emilio Pucci design revealed the Glee guest star's enviably flat middle.

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Nina Dobrev, 2011

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Vampire Diaries lead Nina Dobrev channeled Jessica Rabbit in a custom crimson Donna Karan gown with an origami-pleated trumpet hem.
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Blake Lively, 2009

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Gossip Girl bombshell Blake Lively made her Emmys debut in a lipstick-red Versace gown that was both low-dipping and high-cut.

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Olivia Wilde, 2009

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Olivia Wilde opted for a straight-from-the-runway gown from Marchesa, joking that many onlookers thought her dress was of the stick-on variety. "You gotta have respect for a designer that can create a dress that can stay on despite the lack of material," the House actress told MTV.

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Katherine Heigl, 2006

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Grey's Anatomy star Katherine Heigl had a very Marilyn moment in a sparkling nude vintage gown from Escada.
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Cheryl Hines, 2006

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Cheryl Hines shed her homebody Curb Your Enthusiasm character in a violet shantung gown with a stunning beaded back from Georges Chakra.

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Halle Berry, 2005

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"I feel cool," double-nominee Halle Berry told reporters of her sapphire Emanuel Ungaro dress. "I wanted to feel like a glass of water because it's so hot." She may have felt cool, but she looked sizzling in the floaty design with a thigh-high slit.

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Sarah Jessica Parker, 2004

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Is there any wonder why Sarah Jessica Parker's husband chose this dress? Matthew Broderick selected a feathered Chanel haute couture creation with a nearly see-through skirt (that revealed SJP's incredible shape) for his wife.
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Amber Tamblyn, 2004

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The Joan of Arcadia actress ditched her normal laid-back style in favor of a vampy Randolph Duke design. The Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series nominee posed on the red carpet in the berry gown with provocative pink insets.

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Sharon Stone, 2004

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No one has ever accused Sharon Stone of being shy! The Emmy winner (for her guest appearance on The Practice selected a lavender satin Elsie Katz Couture gown with a strategically placed diamante clasp.

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Kim Cattrall, 2003

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Sex and the City nominee Kim Cattrall embraced her sultry character's style with a cutout Giorgio Armani design. 'People' reported that she tried on 16 dresses before choosing the one she declared to be "sophisticated but sexy."
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Jennifer Garner, 2003

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Jennifer Garner celebrated her nomination for Alias in a cream satin Narciso Rodriguez gown with peekaboo cutouts.

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Debra Messing, 2002

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Will & Grace nominee Debra Messing's revealing lace-up jersey gown from Michael Kors was more than just sultry. "It's so comfortable I almost can't believe it," she told People.

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Lucy Liu, 2000

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Ally McBeal star Lucy Liu showed off her perfect form in a barely-there illusion gown from Versace.
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Jennifer Aniston, 1999

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She may be known for her neutrals, but for this Emmys outing Jennifer Aniston took a walk on the wild side in a dazzling Randolph Duke design with a sheer beaded top.

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Angelina Jolie, 1998

Tammie Arroyo/IPOL/Globe Photo
Double-nominee (for her roles in Gia and George Wallace) Angelina Jolie made an early red-carpet appearance in a figure-flaunting nude Randolph Duke design with a leg-revealing sheer inset.

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Neve Campbell, 1997

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Party of Five actress Neve Campbell chose a vintage-inspired design with a gams-baring point d'esprit inset.
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus, 1995

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Elaine who? Nominated for Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus turned heads in a cut-down-to-there velvet Giorgio Armani gown. "This dress was definitely a lark," she told People. "It's complete dress-up, but it paid off in the end." As for the gravity-defying bodice, Louis-Dreyfus joked: "Everyone asked how the dress was staying on, so I said there were tiny little helicopters above me and I was attached by harness."
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