Witch Wearables

 

After viewing last week’s popular media presentations over The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, and The Wizard of Oz, I was extremely intrigued by the variation of outfits that the different witches wore. Our first textbook, A History of Witchcraft, Magic, and The Occult, briefly discussed items that witches could wear, such as crystals and gems (106-107), which are most popular in today’s witchcraft. It seems that a witches’ outfit is vital to their craft, whether that be communicating a character’s essence in a literary sense or contributing to their practices. Either way, I became so interested that I decided to dive into the history of witches’ garbs and what witch fashion looks like nowadays.

I would first like to examine the history of the typical witch outfit, i.e., the pointy black hat, all-black getup, and pointy shoes. There are a few historical theories to account for why witches are seen wearing pointy hats; however, the most plausible to me are the theories involving alewives and Quakers. Brewing beer was considered a part of a woman's domestic duties in medieval Europe, and these women–alewives–would wear these tall, pointed hats to stand out in the crowds when selling the beer. However, the business soon became commercial and male-dominated, and the alewives were disparaged from the business and accused of tainting their brewed beer, thus connecting them to malignant potion-making (The Ale-Soaked Medieval Origins of the Witch's Hat). The theory involving Quakers goes back to the 17th century when it was common for women, and in this case, Quaker women, to wear these witchlike hats. Quakers at the time were considered a threat to the church as their beliefs were ‘radical,’ and thus, quaker women were accused of witchcraft (Why Do Witches Wear Pointy Hats?). These theories make the most sense to me as they relate to witches the most–outcast women who do not fit in with traditional society. 

The pointy shoes were very popular during the time of the witch trials, and many women wore them, not just ‘witches.’ However, the church criticized them as they kept women from kneeling to pray and were regarded as ‘Satan’s claws.’ The stockings do not have the same historical notability as the others; they were first introduced and depicted on witches in Ipswich Hoisery’s logo in the 1800s, thus causing people to assume witches wore them (Witch Fashion). I could not find much on why witches dress in all black, but I believe it safe to assume that this is to indicate the evil nature of witches and their ‘dark magic.’ 

This type of wardrobe is not as regularly depicted in popular media as it once was during the early portrayals of witches. After observing a few different depictions of witches, it is evident that a witch’s wardrobe is meant to reflect the character and impress upon the viewer their intentions (i.e., Glinda in her glamorous, sweet pink, the Wicked Witch in her black, evil getup, and Jadice in her icy white/blues). When looking at the modern witch wardrobe, ‘Witchcore’ has recently come into popularity. This style blends dark, earthy tones with mystical flowy clothing and big, brimmed hats (What Is Witchcore?). Additionally, crystal jewelry has become a large part of witch wear. I spoke with my close friend who regularly wears crystals, such as carnelian to enhance her self-esteem, poppy-jasper to grow strength and willpower, and peach moonstone to reduce anxiety. She says that she wears these items because she feels a deep sense of peace in their presence. 

It is interesting to think about the transformation of these items on the witches themselves. In the early days, the typical witch garb became another means of further accusing and convicting women, whereas nowadays, the wardrobe is used to harness and foster the magical capabilities of the witch.