Lemondrop

It's been one long, hot summer largely devoid of red carpet shenanigans, as most of Hollywood's biggest stars have spent the last few months lounging around on deck chairs in bikinis. We're jealous. And bored. So, thank goodness our glamour drought is coming to an end with the Emmys this weekend.

But after so long out of the awards-show spotlight it's entirely possible that some of the celebs are going to crack under the pressure of re-entry. Join us as we predict who's going to bring it this Sunday, and who's going to bite it; next week, we'll show you our scorecard (not a euphemism).

The Good ...

Julianna Margulies: A lead actress nominee for "The Good Wife," Margulies knows how to pick a dress that complements her beauty rather than competes with it, like the distinctive yet still somehow simple Narciso Rodriguez she wore to the Golden Globes this year.

One quibble is that she too often defaults to black, but on someone this radiant -- seriously, she looks better now than in her "ER" heyday, and without any visible work -- black is anything but basic. And let's face it, when George Clooney flags you down for a hug while you're en route to accept a Globe, you must be pretty awesome. Can you tell we're crushing? Because we are. Hard.

Lea Michele:
With a few exceptions, the "Glee" star has a stellar track record of turning it out at major events. Considering the fact that she's nominated this year, we have no reason to believe Lea's going to try anything new, weird and/or potentially hideous for what could be the biggest moment of her career to date. Look for her to wear something youthful, pretty and princess-y, and for lots of people -- probably including us -- to make unforgivable puns about how it's "glee"ful.
Elisabeth Moss:
We're going out on a limb here. While we love Peggy Olsen on "Mad Men," her real-life alter ego Moss has the unfortunate habit of dressing like she is a prematurely dowdy monarch late for her own coronation. But this time we're desperate for her to pull out something deeply fierce: She's nominated and she just broke up with SNL's Fred Armisen after less than a year of marriage (and his new castmate girlfriend is 23). What better place to make your ex eat his heart out over your awesome, successful hotness than the red carpet at the Emmys? So, we're placing her on this list in hopes that the power of positive thinking with prevail. Don't let us down, Elisabeth.

The Bad...

Tina Fey:
As hard as she tries to convince us Liz Lemon is not a dish, 30 Rock's Fey is undeniably a hottie with fabulous legs. But she never quite gets it right -- her looks are often either too twee or too Plain Jane, or ever so slightly off on the fit. And of course there was the horrifying jumpsuit she trotted out for this year's Met Ball, from which we still haven't recovered. In fairness, we think that one was just naked rebellion in response to how much people hated her cutesy Golden Globes dress, but as for the rest of her misses? Possibly she thinks she's playing it safe, and she just doesn't have anyone to tell her that sometimes that's the most dangerous path of all. Maybe if she makes that the tagline of a Tracy Jordan movie, she'll have an epiphany.

January Jones:
The "Mad Men" actress often goes either too heavy on the makeup, too crazy on the head-adornment, or both together (as with her look at the Globes this year). Fashion-wise, she's also a mixed bag. For last year's Emmys, when she wasn't nominated, January chose to stand out from the crowd in a funky, pretty, art-deco gown; conversely, when she had the limelight as a 2010 Golden Globe nominee, she picked a weirdly dour sheath with an aggressive headband. Our theory is that when she doesn't have to fight for the spotlight, she goes super-simple, and then at the last second gets bored and messes it up -- like how we all say we'll swear off potato chips but then at the supermarket they're on SALE and one little bag isn't going to hurt, right?

Matt Morrison:
Every year, some dude decides to show up at the Emmys wearing something "creative," and this year our money is on Morrison, who's exhibited a disturbing tendency to hide his cuteness under things like unruly neck scruff and knit beanies. Why won't the men of the world just accept the fact that hardly anything is as swoon-worthy as a classic tuxedo? Sometimes these things are classics for a reason, guys.