Stars from every corner of television gathered to celebrate their craft, as well as strut down the red carpet. One of the best parts of the Emmys is at 5 p.m. when stars and starlets make an appearance in over-the-top couture. While reliable Oscar de la Renta gowns made their way down the carpet, dresses by lesser-known designers also made an appearance. Some celebrities stuck to a simple mermaid-style gown while others packed a punch in head-to-toe neon, intricate beading and sequins galore.

Big name celebrities such as supermodel Heidi Klum channeled Marilyn Monroe, while others like actress January Jones rocked a more gothic style.

Neon has shown up on every runway, clothing store and collection in the last year or so, but one place it is not expected to be seen on is the red carpet. Multiple actresses were seen in neon yellow and Julianne Moore was the first to “wow” in this color. She made an interesting choice in gown, debuting a long-sleeve, floor-length Christian Dior Couture gown.

What made this gown even more awe-worthy is that this is the first Emmy Awards that John Galliano is not designing Dior dresses. Raf Simons, the new creative director of Dior, did a fabulous job but between the pungent color and long sleeves, the question is, “Is it too much?”

When looking at Claire Danes’ dress, we do not have to ask ourselves that question. Although Danes also went with a neon yellow, she kept it simple in a gathered-waist Lanvin gown. No poof, no frills – just spot-on perfection. Julie Bowen had a similar approach to her look; Monique Lhuillier created a ruffled mermaid dress that fit Bowen just the right way.

Something that did not come as a surprise was the many sequin gowns that pranced down the red carpet. What did come as a tad bit of a shock is the type of sequin that was used. Jane Krakowski, Sofia Vergara, Nicole Kidman, Lucy Liu and Kerry Washington all brought on the sparkle, but no two dresses were alike. While Kerry Washington chose a draped, champagne-colored dress by Vivienne Westwood, Jane Krakowski took a chance with lesser-known designer Kaufmanfranco and sparkled in a charcoal gray creation.

As always, Vergara vamped it up in Zuhair Murad with a teal gown consisting of a reverse halter neckline and open back. Surprisingly, Lucy Liu also went this route in Versace, choosing a disc sequin-covered body-hugging fabric.

Class never fades. This is one saying that many stylish women live by, including Ginnifer Goodwin, Allison Williams and Emilia Clarke. All three of these women chose classically-structured gowns that covered them up a bit more than in the past. In the last few years, this type of dress has taken a backseat to a sleeker style. Fashion critics were excited to see this style return.

Emilia Clarke combined this trend with baroque detailing in Chanel Couture, wearing a crisp-white dress with purple embroidery. Ginnifer Goodwin had one of the top looks of the night. Monique Lhuillier designed a deep orange, heavily beaded and embroidered gown for her that was clearly one of the most intricate of the night. Allison Williams looked timeless in an emerald green Oscar de la Renta creation. Whatever the gown, all of these women looked jaw-dropping in these classic styles.

While there were many different trends, colors and styles of gowns at the Emmys, these stars stood out as the front-runners in fashion. Neon yellow, sequins and classis cuts made their way down the red carpet and caught the eye of every viewer that night. We can only hope that the next awards show brings gowns as great as this year.