≡ ’70s Oscars Fashion Was Built Different ➤ Brain Berries

These days, Oscar outfits are glamorous, stylish, and very tasteful. The room is filled with elegantly dressed, beautiful people, all styled by teams of professionals. It’s quiet luxury at its peak. But the Oscars looked completely different in the ’70s. It was still the biggest event in showbiz, and everyone showed up dressed to the nines, but the idea of what that looked like was wildly different. It was a lot less quiet and a lot more wild and free.

You still had your glamorous celebs, but you also had some wild cards showing up looking like cowboys, disco lovers, and the occasional Renaissance fair fanatic. ’70s fashion simply didn’t have the word “subtle” in its vocabulary. Everything was louder, brighter, and bolder. And luckily, there are plenty of photos and videos throughout this article to prove just how wonderfully chaotic it all was. Let’s take a look, shall we?

Raquel Welch’s Sparkling Jumpsuit Was Ready For A Stage

Disco vibes were strong with this one. In 1979, Raquel Welch went for a very fitted, dazzling blue jumpsuit that was pure disco glamour. And you know what, we can totally see modern pop stars wear very similar things on tour. Think Dua Lipa, Sabrina Carpenter, even Harry Styles has worn a sequined jumpsuit or two. It’s perfect for stage performances, but we wouldn’t really see this at the Oscars now.

Farrah Fawcett Looked Like an Oscar Herself

Farrah Fawcett clearly understood the assignment at the 1978 Oscars: if you’re going to attend a ceremony where people literally hand out gold statues, why not dress like one? The Charlie’s Angels star wore a slinky gold chain-mail gown by Stephen Burrows, complete with tiny spaghetti straps and enough shimmer to make disco balls nervous. It was sexy, glamorous, and very, very ’70s. Fawcett was there to present the award for Film Editing with Marcello Mastroianni, but honestly, good luck remembering anything that happened on stage when she looked like she’d been dipped in liquid gold. And while metallic gowns are still very much an Oscars thing today, this one had that wonderfully effortless disco-era energy that modern red carpets rarely manage to recreate.

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton Were Peak Hollywood Glamour

If anyone knew how to make an entrance at the 1970 Oscars, it was Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Burton kept things relatively classic in a tux, which was probably a wise decision considering Taylor was wearing enough glamour for both of them. She arrived in a plunging violet chiffon gown by Edith Head, topped off with the enormous 69-carat Taylor-Burton diamond hanging around her neck — because apparently a normal necklace simply wasn’t going to cut it.

The diamond had been bought by Burton the year before and was already one of the most famous pieces of jewelry in the world. Meanwhile, Burton was actually nominated for Best Actor that night for Anne of the Thousand Days, but between Taylor’s dress, the diamond, and the sheer star power of the two of them together, they looked less like Oscar guests and more like Hollywood royalty arriving to inspect their kingdom. Modern red carpets still have plenty of expensive jewelry, but there was something wonderfully unapologetic about wearing a diamond so huge it practically deserved its own seat.

Sonny Bono And Cher Were A Matching ’70s Moment

Is it ok to say that Cher’s biggest accessory at the Oscars was her abs? Because it’s hard to look away. But let’s focus on the outfits. So this was a time when Cher often would wear a two-piece, and this time she went for a bright yellow, gold-pleated sparkly one, while Sonny Bono wore a checkered velvet jacket. They looked like a perfect snapshot of the 70s.

Cher Went Even Bolder In 1974

An outfit like this now would be fitting at a 70s-themed beach party, but Cher wasn’t referencing a moment in time, she was the moment. Her Bob Mackie outfit was playful, colourful, and daring. The floral accessories only added to the whole look. It could’ve been strange on someone else, but Cher made it feel like a statement only she could pull off.

Margaux Hemingway’s Stripes Were Loud and Proud

Stripes had quite a big moment in the 70s, and Margaux definitely took advantage of that. Her outfit to the 1976 Academy Awards featured a halter-neck red and white stripy dress, that was perfectly fit for the occasion at the time, but these days would look unexpected at the Oscars. It’s something we’d probably opt for on a summer holiday at the seaside.

Jeanne Moreau’s Technicolor Dress Was Not Here To Blend In

Minimalism wasn’t a thing in the 70s. So Jeanne Moreau went the opposite way and wore a wonderfully maximalist technicolor dress that clearly stated, “Why choose one color if you can choose them all?” Nowadays celebrities prefer to go for monochromatic drama or sculptural gowns, it’s all very simple and elegant. Kind of makes you miss the 70s, doesn’t it? Just seemed like a more fun time to be alive.

Isaac Hayes Wore The Most ’70s Tux Imaginable

We’re just gonna say it right now, this outfit could only be created in the 70s, and you probably had to be high at the time. A tux with contrasting blue fur lapels and cuffs, with a matching blue ruffled shirt under it. Yup, you read that right. It can’t get any weirder than that. It was groundbreaking at the time, and honestly, we think it’s still groundbreaking now. We’ll keep an eye on Oscars fashion, but we’re pretty sure no one has topped that in the category of wildest Oscar outfits imaginable.

Jack Nicholson’s Printed Shirt Was Peak ’70s Mischief

Jack Nicholson loves to bring an element of chaos to everything he does, and hosting the Oscars wasn’t any different. He chose a very busy printed shirt to wear under his tuxedo, and while it was a popular theme for shirts at the time, this kind of makes you glad that stayed in the 70s. It just looks busy and dated now. But very 70s nonetheless.

Meryl Streep And Dustin Hoffman Chose Subtlety

Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman might’ve looked understated at the Oscars in their monochromatic outfits. Meryl wore a white dress with a cropped jacket, and Dustin went for a classic black suit with a white shirt. Their looks read absolutely timeless now. Perhaps when you’re Maryl and Dustin, you don’t need loud clothes, your talent and charisma speak for themselves. You could easily see someone dressed like this now, looking effortlessly chic at the Oscars this year.