Though the 2012 Screen Actors Guild Awards were largely a snooze fest, the re carpet was surprisingly entertaining, with many a starlet pushing the boundaries and eschewing standard award ceremony fare for more modern, avant-garde looks or playful, vintage-inspired fare. Below, you'll find the 10 looks that we thought lit up our screens!
1. EMMA STONE
The Help's Emma Stone channeled the 1950s thanks to the voluminous quality and mid-calf length of the skirt on her black Alexander McQueen frock. The strapless cut, however, modernized the frock, while still maintaining its coquettish quality via the scalloped lacework at the bustline. The perfectly fitted, corset-like shape of the bodice, meanwhile, added a hint of sexiness. And, while both her ankle-strapped peep-toe sandals and minaudiere boasted ruffle accents, the matching details worked to create a sense of unison in the ensemble, instead of making it look overly done and calculated.
2. SOFIA VERGARA
Modern Family's Sofia Vergara knows how to work those jewel tones, as evidenced by her crowd-pleasing, sapphire-colored Golden Globes gown, and she once again looked like the gem of the ball in a bright pink, strapless mermaid tail dress from Marchesa. Perfectly fitted along the waist and thighs, the skirt slunk down to the floor ever so fluidly, balancing out the ornate pleats along the bodice. A wide amethyst cuff and drop earrings from Lorraine Schwartz completed the ensemble.
3. MICHELLE WILLIAMS
After an uncharacteristic fashion faux-pas at the Golden Globes, My Week With Marilyn actress Michelle Williams quickly recoiled at the SAG Awards, hitting the red carpet in a romantic scarlet-colored Valentino gown. At its heart, the gown was an asymmetrical number with a single twisted shoulder strap, careful pin-tucked details al the waist and an undulating asymmetrical hemline, but it was softened and made way more demure by the addition of red lace to create a pretty rounded neckline and dainty cap sleeves.
4. ZOE SALDANA
She may have played an assassin in Colombiana, but Dominican actress Zoe Saldana looked killer last night in a semi-sheer, white Givenchy Haute Couture dress with glimmering silver stripes and chunky crystals encrusted along the openings of the oversize, elbow-length sleeves, at the rounded neckline, and along the rosette-like details adorning the drop waist. From its celestial color to its fluid silhouette, this dress made Saldana look heaven sent.
5. ROSE BYRNE
Though she plays a shrewd lawyer on Damages, actress Rose Byrne's style choices tend to fall on the conventional and classic side. Which is, of course, why her risk-taking ensemble at the SAG awards proved all the more thrilling. Channeling the 1970s, Byrne hit the red carpet in a beaded Elie Saab jumpsuit with center pleats along the pants and a cross-over style at the bodice. To complete the Scarface-inspired look, John Frieda's Harry Josh gave Byrne a slick chin-length bob and bangs that would make Anna Wintour green with envy.
6. AMBER HEARD
Texan actress Amber Heard, who seduced Johnny Depp's character in The Rum Diary, oozed sec appeal in a simple Zac Posen dress featuring triangular peek-a-boo cut-outs along the sides of the waist, a cleavage-flaunting slit at the center of the chest, and oblong-shaped slits along the snug cap sleeves.
7. EMILIA CLARKE
British Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke wore a Chanel dress that beckoned for the crown, with a structured bodice featuring an upturned collar and armor-like shoulders juxtaposed against a column-like skirt with tiers of black feathers. Embroidered floral details at the waistline, outlined with gold stitching, completed the color-blocked look.
8. JAYMA MAYS
Her character on Glee, guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury, may be a bit sexually repressed, but actress Jayma Mays has no problem showing off her ravishing figure, as she clearly demonstrated in this slinky, jewel- and sequin-encrusted, black Reem Accra gown, with its dramatic train.
9. VIOLA DAVIS
Best Actress winner Viola Davis was dressed for victory when she walked the red carpet last night wearing this Grecian-inspired gown from Marchesa. From the ethereal way in which the skirt is draped to the Mount Olympus-worthy color and the golden embroidery along the waistline and half of the bustline, this gown was fit for a screen goddess of Viola's caliber.
10. NAYA RIVERA
Unlike co-star Lea Michele's overly sexy gown, Naya Rivera opted for the right blend of naughty and nice with this silver Naeem Khan gown, which features a plunging, cleavage-flaunting neckline that, while risqué, still looks classy and elegant. The embroidered lines and crystal details, meanwhile, conjure up a snow princess feel that's absolutely magical.
