Why are we blogging about hairstyles from the 2011 Emmy’s? Because occasionally, someone inspires. This year Evan Rachel Wood made the red-carpet worth watching with her finger-waved ‘do; the exaggerated waves on her Bowie haircut was a modern twist on old Hollywood glamour. She is proving to be a starlet with both substance and style: At last week’s TIFF Gala for the Ides of March, she took off her fedora on stage to pay respect to director, George Clooney, and revealed slicked hair with a dramatic side part. When it seems everyone has beach waves in their hair, she reminds us that short can be chic.

The other note-worthy hairstyle of the night was the proliferation of daytime blowouts with evening gowns. Given that the style expectations for the Emmys are not the same as for the Oscars -we don’t expect as much couture and updos- this year’s Emmy red carpet seemed more beauty casual than ever. Yes, all the stars debuted a designer dress, but they contrasted the sequins and embroidery with simple groomed hair. Gwyneth wore her classic stick-straight style; Sarah Hyland had the right kind of messy curly; and Jayma Mays nailed it with just a tiny bit of volume and lots of shine. The teachable moment: When you have a beautiful dress, don’t worry about going overboard with the hair. Make no mistake you need to be groomed - we are definitely not advocating Paz De La Huerrta’s messy ‘do- but forgo the overly fancy hair when your dress is the real star.

The other recurring Emmy look is long hair over one-shoulder. Favored by Julia Bowen and Julia Stiles, the style is a great way to make fine hair look as full as possible. We also spotted the asymmetrical style at TIFF: Stacey Keibler used it to try and win us over as Clooney’s new girlfriend and Rachel Weisz used it to promote her new movie, The Deep Blue Sea. A cautionary note: get a friend’s advice on how this hair would go with your dress, sometimes it can be borderline beauty pageant contestant. A loose braid is a great way to give more structure to the look.

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