Throwback Pics From 1950s Awards Shows Highlight How Much Fashion Has Changed

Although Hollywood still has its charm, it's not like it used to be. Back in the Golden Age of Tinseltown, starting in the 1920s and ending in the early 1960s, there was something truly magical happening. It didn't just encompass the leap from silent films to "talkies," in which the actors' voices could be heard by audiences, but the evolution over that 40-year-span had an extraordinary effect on the aesthetic of it all. The Golden Age of Hollywood was also the age of iconic fashion, which has transformed beyond comprehension since those days.

When it comes to the best-dressed moments from Old Hollywood's award show heyday, the 1950s stand out as a decade that absolutely delivered. Actors dressed to the nines, looking flawlessly impeccable, in a way that we just don't see much of anymore. Those attending these events were dressing more for themselves than for others, because the Oscars red carpet, as we know it today, didn't exist until 1961. In fact, it wasn't until 1954 when Audrey Hepburn attended the Academy Awards in a dress by Givenchy that fashion designers became part of the equation; before that, many actors relied on studios' costumer designers.

As much as awards ceremonies are fun to watch today, the energy is different. Now it's about outdoing your competition not just on film, but on the red carpet, too. Because of that, some people have gone to great lengths to look absurd or boundary-pushing, making us miss these throwback moments from the 1950s when fashion was in another stratosphere. Back then, it was less about shock value and making headlines, and more about sophisticated Hollywood glamour.

Just two years before Elizabeth Taylor would steal Eddie Fisher from her best friend, Debbie Reynolds, resulting in one of the biggest Hollywood scandals of all time, she attended the 1957 Golden Globes with then-husband Mike Todd, and Reynolds. While Todd was wearing a classic tuxedo, Taylor and Reynolds both wore gowns and furs, the latter of which was very much a status symbol of the time. Both women had their hair up in ornate styles, as Taylor, who always had a thing for jewelry and gems, rocked statement earrings.

When Olivia de Havilland scooped up her Academy Award in 1950 for the best actress performance in 1949's "The Heiress," she looked more garden party-ready than Oscar-ready, meaning she would probably be dragged for the casualness of this daisy dress now. However, because it was a different time and priorities were more on performances and less on trying to make a Cher-level splash at the Oscars, the gown and the wrist-length white gloves were perfect. It was also de Havilland's second Oscar win, so there's a bit of a "been there, done that" vibe here.

As much as Audrey Hepburn has probably inspired your perfect LBD, no matter what your style is, she's also behind other fashion-related inspo, because that's just how iconic she was. When Hepburn attended the Academy Awards in 1954, she wore a stunning white lace dress dress with a bateau neckline by her friend and frequent collaborator Hubert de Givenchy — he would also design Hepburn's famous pink minidress for her 1969 wedding to Andrea Dotti. With her hair up and her famous bangs front and center, Hepburn won the best actress award that night for 1953's "Roman Holiday."

Before Elizabeth Taylor attended the Golden Globes in 1957 with her husband Mike Todd and her best friend Debbie Reynolds, she hit up the 1954 Academy Awards with her second husband, Michael Wilding. Although she wasn't nominated for anything that year, Taylor brought her fashion A-game as per usual, wearing a ruffly strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline and what appears to be a white mink stole. Taylor also delivered all the inspo you need for a punk pixie cut decades ahead of the punk movement, solidifying her status as a trendsetter. 

When it comes to actors who stunned when attending 1950s awards shows, Grace Kelly is definitely at the top of the list. Similarly to Audrey Hepburn, these two icons knew there was a time and a place for everything and specific events required a certain level of elegance. When Kelly won the best actress award at the 1955 Academy Awards for her 1954 film, "The Country Girl," jaws dropped. Kelly's sea-foam green gown with spaghetti straps was designed by Edith Head, who was considered the best costume designer in Hollywood at the time.

In 1957, Natalie Wood attended the 29^th Academy Awards looking like Snow White with her off-the-shoulder satin gown and multi-colored fur stole. In her dark-brown hair, Wood wore a tiara-like hairpiece that sat more toward the crown of her head than the front. Like many actors at the time, Wood completed her overall look with red lipstick, because it's always a good idea. Although Wood wasn't nominated that night for an Oscar, she would take home a Golden Globe for new star of the year or her performance in "Rebel Without a Cause" later that year.

At the 28^th Academy Awards in 1956, actors Cleo Moore and Jayne Mansfield decided to have fun with an oversized cardboard cutout of an Oscar statuette. As much as both women were known for their acting, they were even more known for their blond bombshell personas, making this photo that much more iconic. While Moore wore an off-the-shoulder taffeta dress, Mansfield — who's the mother of Mariska Hargitay, one of the stars who have impeccable courtside style — wore a patterned satin dress with spaghetti straps. Naturally, these looks were completed with red lipstick. 

In 1958 when Joanne Woodward attended the Academy Awards, she may have arrived with one of the most coveted things in Hollywood — her husband Paul Newman — but she also took home the best actress Oscar for her performance in "The Three Faces of Eve." Woodward wore a strapless satin dress and white opera gloves, while keeping her makeup to a minimum. With her blond hair swept off her face and pulled back, Woodward radiated glamour — as did her date for the night in his classic tuxedo.

Although Shirley MacLaine didn't take home the best actress award for her role in 1958's "Some Came Running," she at least attended the ceremony in this gown by Edith Head. Made of espresso duchess satin, the gown's bodice, with its plunging back and spaghetti straps, was designed to fit every inch of MacLaine's body perfectly, while the dropped-waist skirt was pleated and floor-length. At the time of awards season, MacLaine expertly styled her trendy bixie cut — decades before it officially came into fashion — proving MacLaine preferred to do things a bit differently. 

Another full-length ballgown? You better believe it. When Donna Reed attended the Academy Awards in 1954 as a nominee for her performance in "From Here to Eternity," she was dressed to impress in a full-length ballgown, consisting of layers of patterned tulle. The strapless dress had a contrasting colored sash that extended from the bodice to the waist, giving the overall look a little something extra. With her bobbed hair and bangs, a hairstyle for which she was known, Reed took home the Oscar that night and looked fabulous while doing so.