Red Carpet Oscars

Fashion writer Mulhearn (Wardrobe 101 for Mums) highlights, from 1929 to the present, what the Oscar winners wore to the Academy Awards ceremonies and the social and political trends that motivated them. In 1929, Best Actress Janet Gaynor wore a blouse and skirt purchased at a thrift store, but as the event became more glamorous, actresses sought the services of studio costume designers such as the single-named Adrian and Irene. When the Oscars began to be televised in 1953, even more attention was directed at fashion as viewers ogled the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly, whose get-ups were all approved by costume designer Edith Head, who checked every Oscars award presenter to confirm that certain tasteful standards were met. During the ’60s and ’70s, more daring individuality emerged as Julie Christie, Jane Fonda, and Diane Keaton opted for miniskirts and trousers; and of course there was Cher, who wore sheer or barely-there attire. The ’90s brought a new commercialization to the red carpet as designers sought actresses to advertise their haute couture, and Joan Rivers came on the scene with the eternal question, “Who are you wearing?”