LOS ANGELES (AP) – The stars were hot, literally, on the red carpet at last night's 60th annual Emmys awards – and that meant the sweeping trend on A-list actresses were updos. Heidi Klum wore one and so did Mariska Hargitay. Same 'do for Marcia Cross, Vanessa Williams, Julia Louis Dreyfus and Sandra Oh.

The perfect accessory? Dangling earrings, such as Debra Messing in 19th century diamond fan-pendants from Fred Leighton.

There also were many strapless gowns – on the likes of Tina Fey and Teri Hatcher – and, in a nod to an emerging catwalk trend, asymmetric looks as seen on Christina Applegate and Vanessa Williams.

But almost to a person the looks were anything but trendy, sticking instead to safe silhouettes, boldly elegant jewellerry and flattering colours.

Take, for example, Oh, one of the night's fashion winners, who previously had done time on a few worst-dressed lists. She came in a retro-style black lace dress by Oscar de la Renta with a ribbon sash and a few sparkles on the skirt. They matched her gleaming 5.5-carat (each!) emerald-cut diamond earrings by Bulgari.

Applegate didn't disappoint in her much-anticipated red-carpet return after breast-cancer surgery in a dramatic, sweeping gown in ice blue with metallic patches.

"I think Applegate was one of the best dressed of the night," said stylist Marie Alice Stephenson. "She was glamorous, elegant and she pushed it."

Christina Hendricks did her 1960s-era "Mad Men" character justice in a curve-hugging emerald green gown, which complemented her red hair that she wore in a up-style twist. Louis-Dreyfus showed off her trim figure in a salmon-coloured Narciso Rodriguez dress with a fitted shiny bodice – complete with a sliver of skin showing under the bust. Nicolette Sheridan wore a sleek strapless gown by Angel Sanchez in purple, a trendy autumn colour. Laura Dern did purple too; Holly Hunter wore a plum Jenny Packham gown with a jewelled waist. Fey liked the colour too, leaving her glasses at home, wearing her hair down and choosing a sexy sweetheart eggplant-coloured gown by David Meister in what seemed an obvious attempt to avoid Sarah Palin comparisons.

Two of TV's brightest stars were Brooke Shields in a hot pink lipstick-colour (pun intended) strapless gown with a ruffle down the front and brooch on the side of her waist by Badgley Mischka.

Powerhouses Oprah Winfrey and Susan Sarandon, in a draped jersey look by her friend Donna Karan, both opted for red, and Hargitay was in a soft one-shouldered, marigold-yellow gown by Carolina Herrera.