You might’ve noticed that a coven was assembled at this year’s VMAs. Teyana Taylor, Charli XCX, PinkPantheress, Ella Bright, Normani, Adam Lambert, and Bebe Rexha are only some of the celebrities who stepped out in witchy ensembles. We imagine anyone who walked that red carpet without a bit of a gothic vibe felt like they missed the memo.
And they probably did. Witchy fashion has been casting its spell well beyond the VMAs. She’s on runways — from Comme des Garçons to Erdem to Rick Owens — and all over our screens, from Wicked and "Wednesday" to more recent releases like Practical Magic 2 and "American Horror Story: 13".
We’re far from the first to notice. "Get In, Crones: This Fall We’re Dressing Like Witches," announces Vogue. Likewise, ELLE recently set out to "decode" the witch trend. And this has been going on all year, with ELLE Australia and Who What Wear offering witchy shopping guides all the way back in February.
But what is it about looking like a witch that we find so cool? After all, she hasn't always had such an enviable reputation. Take the Wicked Witch of the West, with her green skin, pointy hat, and evil cackle — none of which were features intended to make her a style icon. She’s a far cry from the glamorous interpretations we saw at the VMAs. Of course, Wicked has since given us a different perspective on the character. Elphaba is still an outsider, but what made her frightening in The Wizard of Oz makes us root for her in Wicked.
Apparently, we want to look like misfits, but only once we’re reasonably certain it won’t actually make us misfits.
It’s almost hilarious that the witch is "in", because her whole thing is not being trendy. There isn't even one way to dress like a witch. Just compare Wicked to Practical Magic 2. You'll find there's the eccentric witch, the menacing witch, the chic witch, and plenty in between. We like a woman who won’t be told what to wear. Now, how do we dress like her?
(There are shopping guides for that, of course.)
So, should you start dressing like a witch? Yeah, if you want to. But we’d feel a little ridiculous telling you that means black lace (or a broomstick). Worrying about getting a witchy aesthetic right is probably the least witchy thing you could do, so go ahead and be the person who "missed the memo". Or the one who read it and ignored it.
