By Leah Melby, Glamour
The Emmys are this weekend, meaning Sunday night will see its fair share of gorgeous red carpet gowns and sparkly gems. And while we love, love, love awards-show glamour, it's too bad that the fictional characters brought to life by the honorees couldn't take a trip down the carpet too because, honestly, some are seriously stylish. After closely examining the list of this year's nominated shows and actors, we went to the drawing board and decided the below names, in order, deserve some style accolades.
No.1: Claire Underwood, House of Cards (played by Robin Wright)
Claire's style has been sleek, sophisticated, and basically perfect ever since we met her. As her political profile's shot upward, her closet's managed to get even more refined, whether it's tailored blouses, skirts, and dresses she wears for day or the showstopping gowns she pulls out for big-ticket events. House of Cards and Robin Wright were both nominated for Emmys.
No. 2: Nessa Stein, The Honourable Woman (played by Maggie Gyllenhaal)
The most stylish fictional characters out there have fashion tied to their very being. The minimalist wardrobe that worked for Nessa looked super expensive, a vital factor for revealing her background as the de facto heir to her family's arms company and her current status as a posh executive. The timeless-chic factor was major enough to shoot her to the top of our rankings.
No. 3: Annalise Keating, How to Get Away With Murder (played by Viola Davis)
Taking the bronze medal is Shonda Rhimes' follow-up to Olivia Pope. Annalise proved to be another example of sleek and sexy workwear selected with a fashion focus in mind. Davis' nomination in the best actress category confirmed the show was a success too, meaning we can count on more fashion inspo in years to come.
No. 4: Lady Rose, Downton Abbey
The show is nominated for an Emmy in the drama series category, and any one of Downton's gorgeous ladies would make a strong competitor for the best-dressed title. Still, it was vivacious Lady Rose who takes the cake. She loves glamour and fashion and is often the series regular first spotted rocking a trend. We can't wait to see how her fashion evolves when the show returns (Jan. 3!).
No. 5: Megan Draper, Mad Men (played by Jessica Pare)
Likewise, Mad Men has a general Emmy nod and two actresses up for the win (Elisabeth Moss and Christina Hendricks). While Pare might not have received an individual nomination, it's her glam '70s style that beat out the others, whose looks are often dictated by an office environment.
No. 6: Cookie Lyon, Empire (played by Taraji P. Henson)
When it comes to fashion on TV, there's no one fiercer than Cookie. Henson is nominated in the best actress category, and even though her stellar acting is the reason, we like thinking that her animal prints and bright colors are kind of like the world's best supporting characters.
No. 7: Daenerys Targaryen, Game of Thrones (played by Emilia Clarke)
The fashion on Game of Thrones is unlike any of the other entrants in the best-drama category, and the queenly Clarke is recognized with a supporting actress nomination. Her magical, sweeping gowns, with twists, folds, and plenty of volume, might not be able to inspire our real-world fashion as much as the other ladies on our list, but they're still fodder for fashion dreams.
No. 8: Jacqueline Voorhees, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (played by Jane Krakowski)
It's not Kimmy's bright throwback duds that deserve a style award but the elegant pieces shown off by Krakowski's character (she's nominated for her work, and the show is also up for best comedy). Her wardrobe is meant to convey an upper-crust socialite, which means pricey pieces that would live in our dream closet any day of the week.
Photos: Courtesy of Netflix, ABC, HBO, Sundance Channel, AMC, Nick Briggs/Carnival Film & Television Limited for MASTERPIECE
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