Student Board of the Week: 90's Teen Witch Anxiety
Horrifying, melodramatic, and catty: high school angst and witches are a match made in heaven. From Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996-2003) to The Craft (1996), this spellbinding strain of pop culture, deemed “the 90s Witch Craze” by internet bloggers, heavily influenced fashion trends from the 90s into the 2000s. Uniforming their protagonists and cultish cliques in preppy sweaters, mini skirts, chains, chokers, and chunky leather boots, these TV shows and movies are practically dripping with gothic style and teen drama. Yet, while the trends are widespread (in pop culture and on Vassar’s very own campus), each character finds their own unique charms (pun intended) and accessories. The lore surrounding witches emphasizes their multi-dimensionality — as manifestations of the divine feminine, as healers and protectors within their communities, and as individuals who challenge and subvert patriarchal power. Though this Pinterest board’s main focus is the 90s, witch-core aesthetic often syncretizes many decades of fashion (notably the 60s, 70s, and 90s), bringing the traditional long dress and pointy-toed boots type witch to life again with deep jewel tones, layered jewelry…and black of course. - Estella Zacharia ‘23