Did the Oscars Have a Dress Code? Yes, in 1968, and These Are the Stars Who Did and Didn't Follow the Rules

In celebration of the upcoming 98th Oscars on March 15, we're taking a look back at the "requested" fashions for the high-profile affair

NEED TO KNOW

• The 2026 Oscars will be hosted at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 15
• Known as Hollywood’s biggest night, the red carpet will deliver glamorous ensembles adhering to an unspoken formal dress code
• In the past, the ceremony has had strict guidelines for what stars could and couldn’t wear, including when former fashion coordinator and consultant, the late Edith Head, required actresses to wear long gowns

For the past few months, we've been following the biggest stars around the awards season circuit, which will soon come to a close with the 2026 Oscars on March 15.

The 98th Academy Awards will be held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, and the action, of course, will kick off before host Conan O'Brien begins his opening remarks. That's because we'll see plenty of memorable fashion take over the red carpet.

Hollywood's biggest night is known for its extravagant style, and while attendees, paired with their stylists, usually know the drill when it comes to an appropriate outfit, there once was a time celebrities were told what to wear through a dress code.

Let's rewind to the 1950s, about three decades into the ceremony's history. At the time, legendary costumer Edith Head — who today still holds the record for most Oscars won in the Best Costume Design category with eight statues (she was nominated 35 times) — stepped into the role of fashion consultant and coordinator for the show.

Among some of Head's responsibilities were offering advice on the best makeup and clothing for television and resolving wardrobe malfunctions (with emergency repairs offered on site). Per The Conversation, she was also in charge of making sure celebrities abided by broadcast codes. The position's relevance eventually led to Head instituting an official and detailed dress code in 1968 that advised celebrities on what to wear.

This followed sartorial instruction issued in 1942, when formal attire was banned, given the U.S. had been drawn into World War II after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. According to ASU FIDM Museum, women were reportedly also asked to cover their cleavage for the first televised broadcast in 1953.

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In an archived memo shared on the Oscars website, Head "requested" that actresses wear "formal evening gowns" made at floor or maxi-length (anything midi or considered "day-length" was not to be considered). Long dresses, she wrote, "are more graceful on stage and on camera." She also encouraged women to wear pastels to complement that year's gold and white Oscars setting.

The men were to simply arrive in white tie with "conventional formal evening accessories," nothing more, nothing less.

"The Academy feels that the dignity of this traditional affair on our 40th Anniversary deserves formal dress," read the note.

Much like the way modern celebrities either gravitate to or disassociate from a given guideline, stars did the same back in 1968.

Cher made quite the Oscars debut in a bright pink and skin-revealing gown, while her then-husband Sonny Bono got dapper in a monochromatic black ensemble with light-catching embellishments. Audrey Hepburn wore a white gown featuring an embellished bodice with a base tone of mint, while Elke Sommer wore a low-cut pink jewel-toned gown with a fur coat. Ellen McCarthy went for a powder blue dress accessorized with long white gloves, while Dustin Hoffman adorned his tuxedo with a bow tie.

Of course, there were the stars who did fashion their way. Despite dark attire seemingly having no place at the ceremony. Julie Andrews and Faye Dunaway wore all black; the latter actress, who was nominated for Best Actress (Bonnie and Clyde), looked particularly striking in a decorative coat.

After Head was Fred Hayman, who came along to revolutionize the nature of red carpets in 1989. He was fashion coordinator for 13 years and was succeeded by L’Wren Scott, who took over for only one show.

Seemingly, the closest the Oscars has come to issuing another formal dress code in today's times was back in April 2021, around the postponed date for the awards show following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Per The Cut, nominees received an email from show producers Steven Soderbergh, Stacey Sher and Jesse Collins about what to wear and what to avoid.

“We’re aiming for a fusion of Inspirational and Aspirational,” the letter read. “Formal is totally cool if you want to go there, but casual is really not."

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