The Biggest Fashion Flops At The Emmy Awards During The '80s

Fashion certainly has a reputation in the 1980s — and for good reason! The decade had colors, shapes, and styles that were all its own, and looks from the '80s regularly inspire the fashion trends of today. Of course, like any decade, the '80s featured some incredible fashion, as well as some downright bad looks. One look at the best and worst dressed stars of the '80s makes that immediately clear.

Much like they do in the 2020s, the award shows rolled around every year in the '80s. And that means there were 10 Emmys red carpets that featured a wide array of style choices. It just so happens that some of those style choices were also the worst-dressed Emmys moments of all time. For some stars, embracing 1980s trends totally backfired on the red carpet. Some of those fashion flops were so big, in fact, that we're still talking about them today.

In 1985, Carol Burnett sported a formfitting black dress with a high neckline, sheer black tights, and black pumps. On its own, this would have been a very simple outfit. Perhaps it even would have been a tad too simple, since this was the year the star was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame, but it surely wouldn't have gotten much attention. Yet, Burnett's dress featured some very eye-catching sleeves that took this look in another direction. These gold, sparkly balloon sleeves made this ensemble a bit wacky, but then again, we'd expect nothing less from this comedy queen.

Big sleeves and exaggerated shoulders were, of course, a big part of 1980s fashion. So it's no surprise that Tempestt Bledsoe leaned into this at the Emmy Awards in 1986. Yet, it would've helped this 'fit if she'd also embraced some of the other trends of the time, like colors, prints, and sparkle. Instead, this black and gray dress was surprisingly drab. Her bold earrings weren't enough to make this simple frock look more fun. Furthermore, the proportions on this dull dress made it look like it was from the children's section.

In the '80s, Paula Abdul was likely more acquainted with the Grammys than the Emmys, but surely she knew that this was a TV award show, right? From the look of the strapless minidress she sported to the event in 1989, we would've guessed that she expected to spend the night doing an ice skating routine. This sparkly, white and gold printed dress with matching fingerless gloves was quite the statement. Paired with perfectly '80s hair, this look fit the moment (but that doesn't make it good).

Even if someone set a goal to pile on every single silver item they have in their closet, they likely wouldn't be able to achieve what Estelle Getty did at the 1986 Emmys. With a dress, tights, shoes, bag, statement necklace, earrings, and boa scarf all in silver, it's clear Getty had a theme for the night. As one of the titular "Golden Girls," perhaps Getty just felt like playing against her type for the occasion. Either way, this outfit definitely needed a few items removed.

Back in the '80s, socially acceptable men's fashion was even more limited than it is today. Consequently, it was a lot less likely to see a man sporting a very bad ensemble at an award show than just a simple suit. Even so, Robert Duvall was total worst-dressed list material at the 1989 Emmys in a brown suit with some subtle country Western-inspired detailing. On its own, Duvall's suit was a fashion flop, but his leather bowtie definitely didn't help matters.

With a name like Mary Tyler Moore, it's really no surprise the star needed to learn that sometimes less is more. At the Emmys in 1988, she sported an ensemble that looked a bit like a wedding dress that'd been dyed in a color-blocked strawberry kiwi color scheme. It would have been difficult to tone this dress down enough to make it look good for the occasion. However, adding a matching sash and a massive silver choker necklace did the opposite of toning things down.

No one could accuse Jean Kasem of being a minimalist after seeing what she sported at the 1987 Emmy Awards. This all-purple look was completely over-the-top, complete with a voluminous skirt, long gloves, a flower-covered neckline, a huge pendant necklace, and a wild floral hair accessory — all in the same violet shade. While the hair and the silhouette had some quintessential '80s elements, this 'fit was undeniably wacky no matter the decade.

When Tracey Ullman was called to the stage to accept her Emmy Award in 1988, the audience was greeted by an ensemble that looked like something someone might wear to an '80s-themed costume party today. The star sported a short-sleeve white dress with no shortage of accessories. Her loud black and silver necklace clashed with the dress and the massive red and white bows on her head made her look like she belonged under the tree on Christmas morning.

Of course, maternity fashion has come a long way in the last four decades. These days, celebs are constantly proving just how chic maternity clothes can be. Even though things were different back in 1985, we still think Tyne Daly could have put together a better outfit to accept an Emmy while pregnant that year. This shapeless, black, floral dress covered nearly every inch of Daly's body in a loud, overwhelming print. Adding on black boots only made this look feel even heavier and more overpowering.

It wouldn't be surprising to hear that Ellen Burstyn chose her outfit for the 1987 Emmy Awards by randomly picking some crayons out of the box. She wore a coordinating set with a top, pants, and a duster cardigan in coordinating color-blocking. Yet, the combination of mustard yellow, maroon, deep purple, and lavender paired with gold accessories caused "The Exorcist" lead to get lost underneath this mess of an overwhelming look.