Featured Image Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Topics: Fashion, Style, Celebrity, Oscars, Entertainment
Rhiannon Ingle
Topics: Fashion, Style, Celebrity, Oscars, Entertainment
Every year, people across the globe gather round to watch their favourite A-list celebrities celebrate the very best in cinema.
Hailed as one of the most prestigious award ceremonies of all, it's no surprise there are a series of rules when it comes to Academy Award conduct to ensure the whole operation runs as smoothly as possible.
And it's not just on event organisers and paparazzi who have to follow rules, as celebs themselves need to keep an ear out for a super important five-word question photographers use when directing the Hollywood stars on the red carpet.
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While the Oscars may look like a glamorous party for the world's rich and famous, it's clear there is quite the strict hierarchy at play guests must adhere to.
According to researchers at Northerner, attendees stars are strategically placed in different lanes based on their celebrity status to ensure all the big name A-listers are put in the best positions for photo opps.
The B-list names, however, are directed to the side - an 'invisible system' which helps paparazzi pap the biggest celebs in the biz without any pesky congestion.
To keep things as discreet as poss when it comes to a celeb bringing along a non-famous guests - like a partner, friend or family member - photographers have a way of asking them to step aside so the star in question remains the sole focus of the shot.
Instead of simply demanding the red carpet attendee to leave outright, they'll reportedly use far more polite command: "Can we get a fashion?"
Such a question alerts the guests that the celebrity’s look needs to be captured alone, subtly requesting the plus-one moves out of frame without causing a fuss.
Talking of Oscars rules, there's apparently a pretty 'strict' dress code for ceremony and there's a reason why celebs don’t follow it anymore.
It turns out, the 'official' dress code for the annual celebration is 'white tie', also known as the most formally dress code there is.
That means, for the ladies, floor-length evening gowns are requested, and for the gents, a tailcoat, white bowtie and wingtip collars are a must.
This regulation is believed to have been in place for almost as long as the ceremony began - all the way back in March 1929.
In fact, back in 1968, organisers warned attendees what they could and couldn't wear in a letter, distributed to agents.
"We in the Academy are delighted to know that you will appear on our 40th Awards Presentation Telecast Monday, April 8th," the archived note read.
"However, so many questions have been asked about the style of dress expected on stage that I send you this information: actresses are expected to wear formal evening gowns either maxi or floor length, preferably pastel shades since the setting is very formal and done entirely in white and gold."
It went on: "As you know, long dresses (no Mini or day length) are more graceful on stage and on camera in this type of background. The academy feels that the dignity of this traditional affair on our 40th Anniversary deserves more formal dress.
"Men are expected to wear white tie with conventional formal evening accessories."
This tradition has been somewhat watered down over the years by the eccentric fashion choices of the celebrity guests, however, and is definitely no longer enforced.
After all, what better opportunity is there for stars to show off their keen eye for fashion than at the biggest annual award show?