Wicked Reclaims the Witch Hat

The witch hat is arguably the ultimate emblem of evil. It is the instantly recognizable symbol of an age-old villain, a one-and-done Halloween costume and a pointy piece of fraught fashion history. Carrying contention that dates back centuries, this sharp chapeau has become an undeniable marker of maliciousness. But in the Wicked movie, Elphaba gives the witch hat a completely different meaning.

The 2024 film, like the beloved Broadway musical, is an adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.” Written as a prequel, the now-iconic tale revisits the misjudged sorceress in 1939’s classic The Wizard of Oz. Starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba (the Wicked Witch) and Ariana Grande as Glinda (the Good Witch), the Wicked movie (directed by Jon M. Chu) follows the first half of their origin story as they become unlikely friends at Shiz University. Each outfit, dreamt up by costume designer Paul Tazewell, is imbued with hidden meaning. But the witch hat might just have the most.

Viewed by Glinda as an embarrassing gift from her grandmother, it’s originally passed off to Elphaba as a prank. But Elphaba — who generally sees the best in people and doesn’t follow fashion trends — takes this as a gesture of genuine kindness. Mishapen, lumpy and confusingly collapsable, the stark black piece is clearly out of place in Glinda’s perfect pink wardrobe. But Elphaba is undoubtedly drawn to it. Tazewell told Teen Vogue it took “five or six” trial designs before settling on the final product. The result is a head-topping accessory that truly captures Elphaba’s complexities.

In The Wizard of Oz, the witch hat she wears is straight, sharp and severe. In its original depiction, it is devoid of texture, reflecting how the Wicked Witch is never granted nuance. Her evilness is overt and not meant to be questioned. In the Broadway musical, the hat has more character, with a speckled navy design but a straighter silhouette inspired by the classic. In the 2024 film, however, the hat twists and turns, telling a story of its own. More specifically, it conveys her connection to nature and living creatures.

Wicked takes place as the country of Oz is becoming increasingly oppressive. Animals — who were once professors, intellectuals and respected members of society — are being segregated and stripped of their rights. At her school, Elphaba — knowing what it’s like to be ostracized — is their only outspoken defender. Naturally, her love for all creatures comes through in her clothes. As Tazewell explains, the witch hat she wears is adorned with intricate panelling and micro-pleats meant to evoke the underside of mushrooms.

Using stiff woven fabric, each section of the lopsided top was handcrafted to have a different structure — a separate ecosystem, if you will. When stacked atop one another, it creates an organic overall effect. This is a theme for Elphaba’s outfits. Pleats reminiscent of rippling fungi. Ruffles that cluster into spirals. Embroidery depicting fiddle ferns. Just like her green skin, these clothes are judged by everyone around her. But when you look deeper, they convey her open-mindedness. Her hat is the most obvious example, because its long been the target of demonization.

The witch hat can be traced back to 17th century Europe, wherein tall pointy head coverings were a regular accessory among women of the Quaker religious movement. Their “radical” beliefs — that women and men were spiritual equals — were considered a threat to the British monarchy and to gender norms. As a result, Quaker women were villified and accused of witchcraft. Elphaba’s story has a similar trajectory. When she doesn’t want to help the Wizard exploit the animals of Oz, she — and her recognizable headpiece — are branded as a threat to society.

In spite of it all, to Elphaba, the hat remains a symbol of sisterhood. Though Glinda gave it to her as a joke, she treasures it as a token of warmth. She wears it to the Ozdust Ballroom, the biggest social event at school. She proudly puts it on for her much-anticipated visit to the Wizard. And most notably, she keeps it with her at the end when she and Glinda (spoiler alert!) part ways.

Reminiscent of a weathered tree stump that’s grown crooked over the years, the witch hat Elphaba wears in the Wicked movie is so much more than a badge of badness. It is yet another marker that she is misunderstood.