We’ve been reading a bit on the web of amateur’s picks for best and worst at the Emmy’s. Now we’re going to weigh our professional serious opinion – and warning, we disagree with all the punters out there. Maybe that’s because we know high fashion, couture, and see every dress on a runway in NY and Europe. We know Hollywood style, but we also know about style in the world at large – the big picture.

Our Favorites, in No Particular Order:

Lea Michelle in navy Oscar de la Renta – it fit her well, she moved in it well, it didn’t wear her despite the largess of fabric – and kudos for having her hair down with such a fancy dress. Smart move, made it modern.

January Jones in Atelier Versace – sorry, fashion naysayers! We LOVE this dress. Seems many out there did NOT get its couture shape, it’s wide skirt with a stiff underlayer, it’s amazing fabric and color. This is an incredible statement dress – and was a very risky move. But January can afford it. We all know she’s gorgeous. Now we know she’s got fashion bravery as well – and European taste.

Clarie Danes in Armani Prive – all in all, this gold sequin beaded sheath is a pretty traditional dress. But with Claire’s flippy sixties hairstyle and smoky eye makeup, this is absolutely the best she’s ever looked. Having won, she picked a good night to look this good. The color makes her shine, shine, shine.

Julianna Margulies in L’Wren Scott - this midnight beaded tight gown is both sexy and professional – slinky and chunky – trendy and classic – and so so simple that it’s even more amazing. A great combo of woman and dress – and we love that she didn’t pack on the jewelry or makeup with it.

AND BIGGEST FASHION RISKTAKER: Anna Paquin in gold and black Alexander McQueen. She didn’t look pretty or sexy – but she looked damn interesting and high fashion.

Claire Danes scored what might be the most exclusive dress of the Emmy’s – a gold beaded Armani Prive’ column that is very flattering on her. It’s the most babe-like she’s ever looked – with a golden blonde flip hairdo resplendent of the sixties and Brigitte Bardot. The gold color on her, with the very blonde hair, gives her a great glow – it’s subtle but striking at the same time. And – it’s couture!!!!!!!!! And it’s skintight and beaded – this is a hard dress to construct, and even wear – it’s heavy!

Giorgio Armani is just too good at getting celebrities to any show he does – whether it’s ready to wear in Milan, or Armani Prive’ couture in Paris. While John Galliano got out Jessica Alba and Blake Lively to Dior Couture, Armani pulled out a rather different crowd. Top worldwide fashion editors Anna Wintour (American Vogue) and Karine Roitfeld (French Vogue) were front and center – in wildly different looks (lady versus hipster); Claire Danes came with new husband Hugh Dancy – she in a pale lime satin dress with a pale pink midriff. And Brit actress Gemma Arterton looked chic in black and white Armani pieces, with a red bag to match her lipstick. A bit of an odd group, but impressive enough for couture in mid summer.

A few days ago, we showed you Renee Zellwegger’s new boyish chic pixie haircut, and predicted that after SO many years of long straight hair, chic short hair is coming back. And of course, it always starts with celebrities. So here’s the second example of the trend: Cate Blanchett premiering a new assymetrical Boy Cut at the Tony Awards – dressed in a silver metallic Armani Prive suit. It’s a very woman-in-a-mans’-look effect, a bit Marlene Dietrich, a bit Katharine Hepburn (whom Cate played a Scorsese film), and of course, a bit Audrey Hepburn. But then, the talented Ms. Blanchett has always been a style trail blazer, going her own way. – Merle Ginsberg

Both major female movie star presenters at the Tony Awards, Cate Blanchett and Katie Holmes – both of whom have performed major theatrical stage roles in the last few years – played down the glam factor at the Tony’s and went for the understated chic factor. And we applaud them, as they both looked lovely, perfect and confident. Blanchett, an Armani loyalist for the last few years, skipped the frou frou of a gown and went for a tight tailored Armani Prive’ suit in shiney silver – with Roger Vivier pumps. We like the look of her hair pulled back with this YSL Le Smoking style mood. Katie Holmes, with longer waved hair these days, donned a smoke grey silk Armani Prive’ with
a tight woven style wrapped torso and a cascading skirt. Grey is a very nice summer neutral than can never be wrong. But of course, these ladies would know that.

Jennifer Lopez looked amazing in her overwhelming champagne pink Armani Prive’ gown at the Oscars, with all its origami folds. It’s always wonderful to see Jennifer in a lot of fabric, because she usually goes more naked and body conscious. This gown reminded us of when she wore the pale grey Chanel couture to the Oscars in the nineties, and how flattering it was to her skin and hair. She just rocks it in pale colors. She looks majestic – and at the same time, super curvy – and it makes her beauty more refined and regal. Her makeup was also amazing – so natural, in contrast to such a strong dress. We hear she had her original makeup man Matthew van Leeuwen do the honors this time, that they are back working together again, after man years of being apart. Now, Amanda Seyfriend also wore Armani Prive’ – in pale pale green. That’s two for two for Armani with the Oscar women, and they came in right under Marchesa, who dressed three nominees – an incredible fashion achievement! This paler than pale color scheme is certainly a MAJOR awards season trend – washed down colors that almost have a pastel glow – so soft they appear white, but in other light, they shimmer with pink, grey, green, or violet. It comes from all the great new fabrics couturiers are working with that play with sheen and opalescence. The bodice of this stress is very stiff, lined with boning, and reminds us of that trend that Kate Hudson started in her stiff bodiced Marchesa at the Globes. We’re not sure about this stress on Amanda. It’s a WHOLE lotta dress for a small girl, and even though her small ballerina hairdo works with it, it looks a bit too bridal and overwhelming for her frame – and also for her youthfulness. She needs a little help in the red carpet department. Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez changed into a chic black fashiony number for the Vanity Fair party – a Gucci pre-fall 2010 black silk viscose jersey belted drape gown with black ostrich feather detail on the shoulder. Chic!!! We love a lady who gets to wear TWO dresses on Oscar night!!!

You undoubtedly noticed Penelope Cruz’s mermaid body-hugging tiny-bit-of-see-through Armani Prive’ gown at the Golden Globes on Sunday night at the Beverly Hilton. But turns out, she was not the only Globe gowned lady to be wearing Armani. Reese Witherspoon and Jodie Foster were also wearing gowns by Armani – and while we loved seeing those dresses at the event and on tv on our VCR’s, we can’t find photos of them ANYWHERE online. Even Wireimage doesn’t have photos of these dresses – a big big no-no, and very strange. No, Reese and Jodie did not walk the red carpet, but they WERE onstage, so we can’t figure it out. Meanwhile, that black mermaid fishtail silhouette was also seen on both Helen Mirren and Sophia Loren – and turns out, both gowns were Armani. Much was made of Ms. Loren’s gown, with its illusion pieces at the shoulder that were so chic. It WAS a tight dress for a woman of this age (74 – but looking amazing), as was Mirren’s (age 64) – but who says you can’t be sexy at that age? Apparently, if you wear Giorgio Armani, you can. And if you’re famous and have a lot of money. We do think these dresses look dangerously similar – and we wonder if any of these women minded. It didn’t appear so.

Already blown out by 2010 and we’re only five days in? Don’t blame it on us! You had two full weeks off! Okay, so if the pre-Globe preparations aren’t doing you in – gathering jewelry and clothes, organizing hair and makeup – and then the Screen Actors Guild Awards the following week – or making plans for Sundance – or setting up your TIVO for the mid-season new shows – or catching all the movies you missed over Christmas – or thinking about NY Fashion Week on Feb 11, followed by Europe fall collections – there is ALSO the Paris couture shows for spring 2010, that start Sunday January 24th and end January 28th. Now, many magazines have cut back the amount of editors who are sent to these shows to cover them – and therefore, their importance has definitely slid. The pictures are shown on the internet, but these gowns and looks are pretty much reserved for the Oscars on March 7th. These dresses won’t be ready for the Globes or the SAGS, and are so expensive and elaborate that the designers want to have maximum impact. And they are all in a size 2, since usually only one version of the dress is made. If a star wants to wear one, she’ll have to be a 2. (This may explain how Anne Hathaway got so thin last year.) Christian Dior and Armani Prive are schedule for Jan 25. Chanel and Givenchy are January 26. Elie Saab, Gaultier and Valentino are Jan. 27. These looks are from the last Chanel Couture round of shows in Paris – and this is why couture will never die, even though very few American editors will be there. There is more info on the website.

Paris couture just kicked off, and while Dior and Chanel are always the ones with the amazing clothes, Giorgio Armani’ Prive’ – shown with Paris couture and not in Milan, where G.A. shows his ready to wear – is always the one show with the stars. Armani cultivated movie stars in the 90s with Michelle Pfeiffer, Jodie Foster and Annette Bening among the female celebs who always wore his clothes – and Russell Crowe, Steve Martin, Billy Crystal, George Clooney and other major men wearing his suits. In the last few years, Armani Prive’ has turned up most often and most prominently on Cate Blanchett and Ann Hathaway. So it makes sense Ms. Blanchett would come to Paris for Mr. Armani’s big show – wearing a beautiful black base, printed Armani sheath dress on the red carpet. “Transformers” box office queen Megan Fox also turned up – turning up the heat in a one shoulder white Grecian Armani sheath, very slinky and sexy.

Blanchett is in the midst of playing Maid Marion in the new Ridley Scott version of “Robin Hood,” with Russell Crowe (she took over a role Sienna Miller had been cast in, then cast out of, when it was thought she seemed too young for Russell Crowe, and she has several other movies on her slate, including a big screen version of fashionista cartoonist and illustrator Marisa Acocella’s “Cancer Vixen: A True Story.” Megan Fox will appear in the action comedy “Jennifer’s Body” this August, written by “Juno’s” Diablo Cody – and also has at least five new movies on her slate. So if either or both star is attending The Globes or The Oscars, watch for something from this couture show to be on one or both of their backs!