RED CARPET WITH A SILVER LINING.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Daily News Fashion Editor

On Emmy's golden anniversary, most of the stars shined in silver.

Silver gray, currently called trendy and almost always unflattering, showed up in matte knits, shiny spandex and bugle-beaded satin on numerous slaves to fashion. It looked best against the pale skin and reddish blond hair of ``Star Trek: Voyager's'' Jeri Ryan. A clingy Richard Tyler gown that dipped in front and in back, it also featured an unusual keyhole design with a train.

Also looking awesome in spite of the color were Portia de Rossi of ``Ally McBeal,'' who went for the sweater-girl look of a long Valentino knit gown that had peekaboo designs down the sides; and Jamie Lee Curtis, who wore a matte jersey knit number by Pamela Dennis. It was so tight that Curtis said she hoped she'd be able to hold in her stomach for the four-hour Emmy Awards show.

``Frasier'' star Kelsey Grammer and his wife, Camille, also tried gray and ended up looking like a couple of kids going to the prom. He wore a gray silk tie with his tuxedo to match her Las Vegas showgirl costume by Richard Tyler that was accented with adorable Christian Dior silver satin pumps with pompons of silver fox on the toes.

Sadly, Mary Tyler Moore fell victim to the gray phase. She wore a Vera Wang gown that featured a sheer gray bodice and long sleeves that made her look like a corpse, whispered several members of the press stationed along the red carpet.

Thankfully, the majority of the stars paid no attention and went for the glam of old Hollywood.

Singer Apollonia looked like a nightclub torch singer from the '30s in a caress of white satin by designer Richard Bowman that bared her back and most of her backside. She was true to the period, completing the look with white magnolias in her up-do.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus of ``Seinfeld'' also went retro with a pink satin gown and jeweled hairpins, while ``3rd Rock From the Sun'' star Kristen Johnston was the classic '50s starlet in a strapless green satin gown with a diamond brooch at the back and a fishtail hemline.

Next in the dial-a-decade fashion parade were '60s fans Lisa Nicole Carson of ``Ally McBeal,'' who wore a pale yellow gown by Cynthia Rowley embroidered with huge hot-pink flowers; and Jenna Elfman of ``Dharma & Greg,'' who wore a red crepe gown with red high-heeled sandals and a red mini-tote. (She also made it a point to tell the fashion police she was wearing underwear.)

As the stars shouted the names of their designers, it was clear that no-frills designers such as Armani and Calvin Klein were taking a back seat this year, while more frivolous designers such as Valentino, Christian Lacroix, Richard Tyler, Pamela Dennis and the design duo of Badgley-Mischka were in the limelight. These designers were big on body-glove dresses sprinkled with crystal beads from the '20s and '30s, and they looked freshest on young Hollywood. Especially on Brandy and Christina Applegate, whose Badgley-Mischka beaded slip dresses were so similar that they laughed and decided to pose together instead of having a cat fight over it.

Ballroom skirts were not in abundance this year, so when Helena Bonham Carter swept in wearing a ruby red velvet gown by Christian Lacroix, everybody looked. It was ditto with ``Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'' star Jane Seymour, who was radiant in a Grace Kelly-esque blue ball gown and matching stole by Escada.

Aside from a few burgundy and dark green designs, the rest of the crowd played it safe in black. Marie Osmond did it best with a long knit suit by Donna Karan that had huge black feather trim at the neckline and, as always, upstaged brother Donny, right down to her Gucci stiletto pumps.

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8 photos

PHOTO (1 - color) Jane Seymour from ``Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'' dazzles in a swirl of blue silk by Escada.

(2 - color) sizzles in a clingy gray gown by Richard Tyler.

(3 - color) Jenna Elfman of ``Dharma & Greg,'' with husband Bodhi, looks great in Valentino.

(4 - color) ``Seinfeld's'' Julia Louis-Dreyfus goes for the girlie look of bubblegum pink.

(5 - color) Statuesque stunner Kristen Johnston of ``3rd Rock From the Sun'' is among the fishtail set at this year's Emmy Awards. Her gown was designed by Pamela Dennis.

(6 - color) Apollonia looks like old Hollywood in a Jean Harlow-inspired gown by Richard Bowman.

(7 - color) Brandy, left, and Christina Applegate arrive at the Shrine Auditorium in similar dresses by the design duo Badgley-Mischka.

(8 - color) All glammed up in gray are Camille and Kelsey Grammer. Her siren gown was designed by Richard Tyler.

Photos by Tom Mendoza and Charlotte Schmid-Maybach