“It’s time,” the New York Times says, “to start dressing like a witch.” I don’t think this headline filled me with joy just because it was one of the few not to give me palpitations and a 20-point blood pressure spike; I’m genuinely excited to read that witchcore is coming.
Despite wearing the same grubby sweatshirt five days a week, I love finding out what florid, fever dreams fashion has cooked up: can it ever top Balenciaga spring/summer 2023, when furious-looking models trudged through mud in giant boots, like teens forced to walk the family dog in winter? This report suggested the current round of shows were less out-there, but brimming with good news for the middle-aged homeworker. There is, reportedly, “a very witchy vibe to the entire season”, exemplified by the Tom Ford show and the upsettingly named fashion house Matières Fécales (fecal matter).
The NYT theorised the emergent aesthetic might be a protest of sorts, commenting: “The witch archetype is particularly political.” Given how much figurative witch-hunting is going on over there, it certainly seems quite brave, provocative even, to go around advertising yourself as being part of a marginalised spiritual community, passionate about the natural world and worst of all, a woman. Witches are definitely woke – there were stories of attempts to hex the first Trump administration; hopefully they will be more successful this time round.
For me, though, there is more prosaic good news. Witches traditionally favour black, roomy garments, which is an accurate description of 85% of my wardrobe, so I’m already ahead of the game. Other show looks also seem eminently achievable: household objects as fashion are big for autumn/winter 2025, too, including a lampshade hat and a junk shop carpet maxi-skirt; I personally favour a day-to-night heated throw with trailing lead, but the vibe is broadly similar. Another “surprising trend” – clothes worn backwards – is already (if accidentally) very much part of my personal brand. Witchy, clothes on backwards, trailing household flotsam: finally, fashion has come up with an aspirational yet accessible aesthetic I can wholeheartedly endorse.
Emma Beddington is a Guardian columnist
