’70s Oscars Fashion Was Built Different

These days Oscar’s outfits are glamorous, stylish, and very tasteful. The room is filled with elegantly dressed, beautiful people, all styled by a team 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 an occasional Renaissance fair fanatic. The 70s fashion didn’t have the word “subtle” in its vocabulary. Everything was louder, brighter, and bolder. Let’s take a look, shall we?

Dennis Hopper Went Full Cowboy Chic

Dennis Hopper showed up to the 1970s Academy Awards looking like a cowboy who tied his horse just outside the venue. He really leaned into the “Western” style with his bolo tie, sideburns, and a cowboy hat. We’re not exactly sure that after the Oscars he didn’t ride off into the sunset on his trusty horse. But in all seriousness, cowboy chic has come back into fashion since then. We’ve seen celebs rocking certain cowboy elements in their outfits, but it’s never been so full-on, and definitely not at the recent Oscars.

Hugh Hefner Brought the Ruffles

Hugh Hefner clearly thought that a tux isn’t enough for the Oscars and decided to add a ruffled shirt to it. This was because the 70s embraced the idea that there was no such thing as “too much.” By today’s standards that outfit is hella theatrical, some might call it frilly, and they’d be correct. But hey, it was Hugh Hefner, and the year was 1970, so it was perfectly normal.

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.

Michael Caine’s Glasses Were The Main Character

Did Michael Caine dress up as a hot professor at the 1973 Oscars? Those thick-rimmed glasses were impossible to ignore. They’re the type of thing you see and immediately know the decade they belong in. But here’s the thing: eyewear goes in and out of style all the time, and we’re pretty sure if a fashion editor decided to bring these back, we wouldn’t think twice before getting ourselves a pair. A pair of glasses like that can be the interesting accent to an otherwise run-of-the-mill outfit that will transform your style from boring to eccentric.