The Emmy Awards Red Carpet was a Time Capsule for Trends

The clean girl aesthetic was like a disease filled with beige, blandness, and boredom that infected style like a disease. Thankfully, some of these menswear trends from the 2024 Emmy Awards may be reflecting the end of the “basics.” 

Even a classic Calvin Klein tuxedo like the one worn by Peacock’s “The Bear” actor, Jeremy Allen White, still brings flair to today’s red carpet with unique detailing. 

Jeremy Allen White’s look certainly did not disappoint on Sunday night’s red carpet. He took a classic Calvin Klein look and freshened it up with satin and a high-waisted pant. Did somebody say, “back to the 70s?” That sure is the trend we are seeing after Sunday’s Emmy Awards. 

Other celebrities such as Matt Bomber brought the heat with another “high-waisted” look, Although, his look featured a cummerbund to produce the seamless high-waisted look. Also, the burgundy shirt and jacket deserve a round of applause just for themselves. 

While we are still staring at his impeccable look, I’d like to point out one more men’s trend we are seeing recently on his jacket. In addition to merely gracing us with his presence and this fire look, he also gives us a taste of retro fashion with the over-extended lapels on his jacket, bringing us back to the 70s. 

On Sunday’s red carpet, it seemed like some of these looks were a ploy by the actors and their designers to jolt us back in time… I am not complaining about it. The red carpet, however, is not the only place we have seen this trend this season. Men’s wear brands such as Ralph Lauren and Tom Ford’s summer lines contained high-waisted linen pants and riding pants for men. The high-waisted pants trend for men is rooted in Italian summer fashion, and has now made it all the way to our Emmy Award carpet. I hope this means we will see this trend peaking through in the fall lines as well.

The men of the red carpet did not stop at the silhouettes and the structures of their iconic looks. They also served us some unique fabric choices that I hope to see again this fall and winter. 

Stars, Finn Bennet and Dan Levy, showed off in their sleek satin shirts, elevating their look. Satin was quite prevalent on the red carpet Sunday night, almost as prevalent as it was in the 70s and 80s.     

Of course, we cannot forget about the all-velvet double breasted suit jacket of Sam Richardsaon, practically pole-vaulting us into the 80s. 

Several celebrities made subtle nods to these new retro trends, but others went above-and-beyond. Andrew Scott, dressed in Vivienne Westwood, flaunted a suit with extra-dramatic lapels, and RuPaul’s suit jacket sported extra-large bedazzled lapels. 

Of course, we cannot talk about the return of retro trends without addressing Chris Perfetti’s high-waisted flare pants and cropped shirt. 

Like so many of us, I fell victim to the beiges and basics of the “clean girl trend,” but I am so over it and so relieved that these maximalist looks have made their red carpet debut in the 21st century.