Witchy Wardrobes

One element that caught my attention throughout The Witches of Eastwick was the distinct costuming choices made for each of the three leading ladies: Alex, Jane, and Sukie. The film’s wardrobe was a topic that I didn’t have the chance to discuss in our New Media Presentation, but it was an element in the film that repeatedly caught my attention and enriched the story. Alex, Jane, and Sukie’s distinct senses of style further connected them with their unique personalities and helped to convey details about each of them.

For example, Sukie wears a lot of blue, purple, and white throughout the film. These are cool-toned, serene colors that help to represent her collected and calm disposition. In the film, she also describes herself as rather “unusual”, and then immediately in the next scene of the film when the women are frolicking in the ballroom with Daryl, she

is wearing a rather eccentric navy two-piece set with a white swirl pattern. This contrasts with the elegant dresses that Jane and Alex are wearing in their moments with Daryl, showing that Sukie is perhaps indeed, a bit unusual but also has a quiet confidence and self-assured nature.

On the other hand, Alex’s clothing is more mature, it could even be said to be more masculine, as in some scenes she wears trousers or men's overalls. The color palette of her wardrobe is darker and more muted, with lots of grays and blacks. This speaks to her level-headed and practical nature.

Jane’s wardrobe goes through a drastic shift after she meets Daryl. In the beginning, it is rather classic and sophisticated; her outfits are fairly conservative and feature a lot of white— denoting her innocence. After she is seduced by Daryl, her clothing becomes brighter and almost coquettish. During their tennis match, she wears a polka-dot romper, in her next music lesson she wears a long, frilly skirt that looks like a tutu, and in the grocery store she wears a bright pink romper with lacy socks. These outfits are fun and somewhat youthful, or even doll-like, perhaps denoting her genuine, yet childlike infatuation with Daryl.

Another element to note in the film’s styling choices that extends beyond their clothing was the evolution of their hair throughout the film. In the opening scenes of the film, the three women’s hair is pulled back or tamed in some way. However, as the movie progresses and the three embrace their power more, and become more confident in what they are truly capable of, their hair becomes more wild and free. This can best be seen in the final scene when they are working to banish Daryl, and they are leaning out the window with their hair curly, bouncy, and untamed.