You’re not imagining it, the Emmys red carpet looked strangely different this year.

A funny thing happened on the way to the Emmys.

As the sea of TV stars made their way down the red carpet, they posed for the cameras and quipped away during their interviews, and fangirled over other invitees as they momentarily forgot that they were also famous (here's looking at you, Nicola Coughlan and Jennifer Aniston). But while all of this was going on, it became increasingly hard to pick the actresses out of the crowd.

Apart from a few select pops of colour and personality delivered by the likes of Anna Sawai, Ayo Edebiri, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and Liza Colón-Zayas, the main players of the night were mainly clad in an array of subdued dark gowns. In fact, there were just a handful of silver and pale pink looks on hand to prevent the red carpet galleries from looking like the inside of a licorice packet.

Of course, red carpet photos are not the most important takeaway from an event like the Emmy Awards, especially this year. A raft of exceptional shows like Shogun and Hacks picked up awards in multiple categories, and the wins of actresses Anna Sawai, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Elizabeth Debicki all made history.

Still, when it comes to awards show dressing, the power and importance of a red carpet look cannot be denied.

Everyone from the studios behind the nominated movies and TV shows to the publicists, stylists, managers and the star themselves stand to benefit financially in a substantial way if the star's red carpet look gains significant international attention. And that's not to mention the lucrative benefits for the fashion houses and brands who dress them.

At this moment in time, there have never been more eyes glued to the sport of critiquing red carpet looks.

In the first four months of 2024, interest in red carpet content online was up 12.4 per cent from the same period in 2023, as reported by Business Of Fashion, a statistic that highlights our ongoing (and growing) fascination with celebrity fashion.

The Emmys is one of the biggest red carpet events of the years (especially for actresses within the TV industry). Knowing what was at stake, you'd think it would have been a safe bet that many of our favourite actresses would pull out all the stops, their eyes set on obtaining headlines and traction for their upcoming projects.

Instead, the usually vibrant and sequin-filled Emmys red carpet took on a more subdued look.

Listen to The Spill hosts chat the best and worst looks from the 2024 Emmys.

Many of the biggest winners of the night, along with famed presenters, nominees, and longtime red carpet staples all opted to wear classic cut dresses in black.

(Or, at a push, a dark hue of navy.)

Donning beautiful but almost uniform black looks at the Emmys were Quinta Brunson, Saoirse Ronan, Selena Gomez, Brie Larson, Lily Gladstone, Kathy Bates, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Elizabeth Debicki, Jean Smart, Molly Gordon, Mindy Kaling, and Connie Britton.

Only slightly breaking up the sea of black looks were the stars who chose to wear classic cut gowns in neutral hues, a list that included Jennifer Aniston, Dakota Fanning, Maya Erskine, Catherine O'Hara, Greta Lee, Carrie Coon, and Leslie Bibb.

The politics of red carpet dressing in 2024 make it hard to pin down the exact reason so many stars opted out of the bright colours and attention-grabbing looks that once dominated awards show coverage.

Many actresses have long-standing contracts with designers, meaning that they only have a handful of looks presented to them to choose from. At the other end of the spectrum, not all actresses have the same array of red carpet gowns at their disposal, as their own level of fame, their nomination status, the relationships they have and the team they work with all come into play when it comes to which dress they end up wearing. Sometimes, the choice is made without their input.

At the same time, some actresses choose not to play the red carpet game. Some of these women believe that their worth should not be dependent on what they are wearing (which is a very fair and valid point). Meanwhile, others opt for more elevated, high fashion styles that aren't always appreciated by the masses.

If you want to win over the general public, princess dresses, opulent gowns, bold colours and a good whack of shimmer (along with some big hair) will usually steer you in the right direction.

Yet this year, most of the actresses in attendance opted to play it safe. And in fairness, the idea of diverting from "safety" when it comes to red carpet dressing is not something to be taken lightly.

Anne Hathaway has said more than once that she can barely look at her Oscar without shuddering, as she was viciously ridiculed online for the pink satin Prada gown she wore to collect her statue in 2013 (apparently, the world gets very upset by even the idea of nipples). Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian was ripped to shreds after her first Met Gala appearance. The world reacted so badly to her now-infamous floral gown that she stuck to simple dark hues and plain neutrals in the years that followed, until she eventually found her footing with stunt dressing.

First-time Emmy nominee Selena Gomez is no stranger to receiving harsh feedback on red carpet looks over the years, and has said this is one of the reasons she regularly steps away from her social media accounts. Then, there are stars like Jennifer Aniston. She's been a beloved fixture on red carpets for over two decades, possibly because she never strays far from her formula of neutral dress, straight hair, and a nude lip.

Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern: Getty.

While magazines and newspapers don't print worst-dressed lists with the same intensity that they used to, the internet's wrath can be just as harsh (and more far-reaching). Maybe this is why actresses want to avoid being turned into a meme and instead just play it safe.

The other answer could be that the once almighty red carpet now has some fierce competition when it comes to an actress's opportunity to garner money, clout, and headlines: The ever-evolving act of the press tour.

Once upon a time, actresses would save their best looks for the most prominent award show red carpets. In more recent years, press tours have proven themselves to be the more opportune moment to drive attention to both their personal brands and current projects.

Think about the worldwide attention that swung Margot Robbie's way during her Barbie press tour, or the recent headlines that Jenna Ortega wrangled while promoting Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. There's also Zendaya, who has become the reigning queen of press tour fashion in recent years, thanks to her showstopping themed looks on red carpets for the Dune movies, Challengers and her many Spider-Man films, is a timely example of what is at stake.

During the four-week press tour, Zendaya's Challengers fashion drove $8.8 million in media impact value for the brands she wore, according to Launchmetrics, a feat that could not be achieved while sharing the spotlight on an awards show red carpet.

Even when the press tour is attracting controversy, the looks are drawing attention. Blake Lively and It Ends With Us received some critique for the film's marketing strategy, but it cannot be denied that Lively pulled out all the floral stops the press tour. Similarly, and despite the bad reviews, people could not get enough of Dakota Johnson's web inspired gowns during her Madame Web tour.

No matter the reason behind the dark gowns on show at this year's Emmy Awards, one thing remains constant and true.

The politics of red carpet dressing have never been more alive and well, which makes them all the more fascinating to observe.

Feature Image: Getty

Laura Brodnik is Mamamia's Head of Entertainment and host of The Spill podcast. You can follow her on Instagram here for more entertainment news and recommendations.