These Photos Show What The Oscars Looked Like In 1998

It was the year of “Titanic,” and Leonardo DiCaprio wasn’t even there.
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Actress Helena Bonham-Carter arrives at the Shrine auditorium in 1998.
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Awards season will come to a head on Sunday, when Hollywood’s top stars step out for the 90th annual Academy Awards ceremony in California. 

Stars like Saoirse Ronan, Meryl Streep (queen of the Oscars), Margot Robbie and Octavia Spencer will attend, presumably dressed in gorgeous designer attire.

In preparation for this weekend’s show, we’re looking back at the ceremony 20 years ago, in 1998. That year, “Titanic” won big. The James Cameron film won 11 (out of a possible 14) awards, including the coveted Best Picture. The one award it didn’t win, however, was Best Actor, since Leonardo DiCaprio wasn’t even nominated in the category. DiCaprio didn’t attend the show, and so began his seemingly complicated relationship with the Academy. That same year, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon took home the Best Original Screenplay award for “Good Will Hunting.” 

On the style front, there were spaghetti straps, sequins and a lot of strapless dresses, including the icy blue gown the night’s Best Actress winner, Helen Hunt, wore. A few pairs of sunglasses popped up on stars like Frances McDormand and Melanie Griffith, while Drew Barrymore and Ashley Judd were there with flowers in their hair. The best accessory of the night had to go to Celine Dion, who showed up wearing the famous diamond and sapphire “Heart of the Ocean” necklace from “Titanic.”

Keep scrolling to see more of the night’s best style moments: