Cher's Most Dazzling Outfits From The '70s

1970s-inspired fashion has seen much love throughout the 2020s, as trends like disco glam makeup and flared pants have made a solid resurgence. Luckily, there's plenty of fashion icons from the decade that provide great style inspo, with music legend Cher showcasing some of the old-school trends we'd love to see return. While she's known as a pop culture icon today, the California native was cementing herself as a boundary-pushing figure of fashion back in the '70s, evolving from one-half of the Sonny and Cher musical duo to a solo artist and TV star.

Much of Cher's fashion throughout the decade was created by famed designer Bob Mackie. The two originally met when the celeb made an appearance on "The Carol Burnett Show," the hit variety show Mackie worked on, in 1967. "She came into the fitting, and I was blown away," Mackie told The New Yorker of Cher. "She was the most adorable Audrey Hepburn little sprite of a girl, with her black hair in pigtails. I thought, She's cute!"

Mackie went on to design costumes for "The Sonny & Cher Show" and "The Cher Show" while also dressing the "Believe" singer for various red carpet appearances. Not only is he to be credited for some of Cher's most head-turning looks, but the fashion impact of their momentous collaboration also continues to be felt today. As Cher told Harper's Bazaar, "I am reminded again and again that there is simply no end to the talent and influence Bob Mackie has had on me." 

Cher's dazzling fashion is seen in her gold look from a 1972 portrait session. The star wore a Bob Mackie-designed piece consisting of a strappy, criss-crossing bodice and low-waisted, trumpet-shaped skirt for the photograph, tying her hair back in a sleek ponytail and accentuating her eyes with thick mascara. "Reminds me of how fabulous my hipbones were," the icon said of the look in a Vogue interview. The sparkly gown even inspired a 2024 look from Zendaya, who wore a similarly revealing gown from Bob Mackie to the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Next, Cher put her own spin on '70s florals with the two-piece ensemble she wore during a performance on "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour." The look, designed by Bob Mackie, featured a cropped, long-sleeved top and floor-length skirt, each decorated with a pattern of deep red, muted pink, and green. She wore a variety of looks across her television installments, with this velvet two-piece still feeling like it could walk the red carpet today. Notably, Cher was the first woman to routinely show off her belly button on TV, a fact that reportedly caused quite the worry for TV censors.

Cher wore another belly button-baring look to the 1973 Academy Awards, stunning in a yellow two-piece designed by Bob Mackie. The top featured chunky jewel embroidery at the bust, sleeves, and neck, while smaller sparkles dotted the rest of the sheer fabric. The floor-length skirt followed this design, featuring a front slit obscured by a long piece of embroidered fabric. Both the cut and color really showed off the icon's physique, revealing her toned abs while accentuating her bronze skin tone. Cher completed the outfit with gold hoop earrings, statement eyelashes, and a sleek hairstyle.

Cher made a similarly fashionable splash at the 1974 Academy Awards, but changed things up with a whimsical, flower-infused ensemble. The sheer, two-piece look featured a twisted bandeau-style top with a halter neckline worn with an over-the-shoulder scarf. The skirt consisted of a tie around the low-waist and a shredded hemline, with the celeb contributing to the playful vibes with flower corsages at the neck and in her pulled-back hairstyle. As for beauty, she sported a lilac eyeshadow, glossy lip, and extra-long lashes. Of Cher's most dazzling outfits from the '70s, this Bob Mackie look is definitely one of her most fun.

That same year, Cher made quite the stir when wearing what would become known as the "naked illusion dress" to the Met Gala. The skin-tight number was adorned with feathers at the sleeves and skirt and decorated with plume-like beading. "The dress was made out of souffle, which was a material that was outlawed in America," Cher recounted to Vogue. "So, when you put it on, Bob [Mackie] sprayed it with, like, a little hand sprayer, and it just sticks to your skin so it looks like your skin's beaded." While illusion gowns have seen notable popularity in recent years, the "If I Could Turn Back Time" singer's teasing look was considered quite scandalous for the time.

Cher's ever-changing TV wardrobe provided some of her most dazzling ensembles, including the pink number that literally sparkled as she performed "You're Nobody Until Somebody Loves You." "She would have up to 20 costumes for an hour-long show," Bob Mackie told Harper's Bazaar. "It might be on camera for 30 seconds or 10 minutes, but she wore lots and lots of clothes, so she became this amazing clothes horse." The revealing dress consisted of a V-shaped cut-out from the bodice that, in addition to peeking her abs, made room for sparkly chains draped across the bust.

Next, Cher also wowed in the glittering ensemble worn for an April 1975 episode of "Cher." The multi-colored dress featured a criss-cross halter-style neckline decorated with metallic dangles on the underside of the bust. The icon showed off her physique with a bodice cutout while the purple skirt stretched to ankle-length. Former Disney star Dove Cameron actually recreated this radiant look for a photoshoot with People, speaking to what continually makes Cher an inspiration to subsequent generations. "Her artistry is pretty intrinsically linked to who she is as a person, and I love who she is as a person," she said. "I love her strength."

Of Cher's iconic TV show looks, one of her most memorable is the grommet-adorned number she wore to match Tina Turner as they duetted "Shame, Shame, Shame." The bodysuit featured lengths of pink and blue fabric placed vertically and hanging down around the legs for a dynamic performance look. While Turner's rendition was predominantly blue, Cher complemented the look with her mostly pink version. This iconic ensemble is another that's been recreated in subsequent years, as the retro trend-loving Sabrina Carpenter wore the archival Bob Mackie piece to the MTV VMAs afterparty in 2025.

In 1977, Cher looked like she was ready to take flight when attending the premiere of "Joseph Andrews." The singer wore a one-shouldered bra-style top that featured a gold-and-white wing stretching across one cup and a low-waisted skirt that was similarly adorned with a feathery arm. Both of these pieces sparkled with blue sequins and were paired with a flowy, matching shawl. While this wasn't the only time she sported the glittering Bob Mackie look, Cher styled her hair in voluminous waves and wore a touch of metallic eyeshadow for the movie event.

Another Cher & Bob Mackie SERVE pic.twitter.com/1mAVqOWWNS

— amarra ⋆✴︎˙∗ 𝜗𝜚 ∗˙✴︎⋆ (@encbeau) April 7, 2026

Cher similarly dazzled in a 1978 photoshoot, posing in an illusion bodysuit created by Bob Mackie. The sheer number was draped with lengths of sparkly fabric in shades of orange and red that created a V-shaped hemline. "This was for something on... "The Cher Show," Cher told Vogue. "It was all about flames and sex." She coupled the look with a pair of strappy silver heels, diamond-dotted chain earrings, and thick waves cascading down her back. While Cher continues to rock head-turning looks as one of the celebs confronting age with confidence, her '70s lookbook continues to be a dazzling inspiration.