Everyone thinks they know the Sanderson Sisters. You see the spirit of Mary, Sarah, and Winifred every single October. They are everywhere. But if you look closely at the actual hocus pocus witches outfits designed by Mary Vogt for the 1993 original film, you’ll realize most store-bought costumes are getting it kind of wrong.
The clothes aren't just "witchy." They're a chaotic, beautiful mess of historical accuracy smashed into 90s theatricality.
I remember watching the movie for the thousandth time and noticing how Winifred’s green coat moves. It’s heavy. It’s weighted. It feels like it was pulled out of a damp cellar in Salem, not a plastic bag from a strip mall. That’s the magic. The designers didn’t just want "spooky"; they wanted textures that told a story of three women who had been dead for three hundred years.
The Secret Language of Mary Vogt’s Designs
Mary Vogt is a legend. She’s the one who looked at Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy and decided they shouldn't look like generic hags. Most people assume the hocus pocus witches outfits were just random Renaissance Fair leftovers. Nope. Not even close.
Each sister has a color palette tied to her personality and, weirdly enough, her elemental vibe.
Winifred is the leader. She’s all heart and fire and ego. Her silhouette is dominated by that deep, mossy green, but if you look at the embroidery, it’s full of symbols. We’re talking runes and snakes. It looks like something a high-status woman in the 17th century might have worn if she’d gone completely off the deep end. The velvet is key. It absorbs light. It makes her look solid and grounded, which is funny because she’s the most unhinged character in the trio.
Then you have Sarah. Sarah is the "pretty" one, or at least the one who thinks she is. Her outfit is all about movement. It’s lighter. It’s flirtatious. Vogt used layers of silk and lace that catch the wind when she’s flying. While Winnie is heavy velvet, Sarah is gossamer and air. It’s very "will-o'-the-wisp."
Why the Details Matter More Than the Silhouette
If you're trying to recreate these looks, you have to talk about the corsetry.
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Actually, let's talk about Mary Sanderson first. Her outfit is basically a giant bowl of fruit and earth. It’s cozy but strange. Her rings are mismatched. Her hair is a masterpiece of structural engineering. But the real star of the hocus pocus witches outfits in her case is the layering of the skirts. She has these pockets that look like they’ve seen some things. Probably spiders.
The 1993 film didn't have the CGI budget of a modern Marvel movie, so the costumes had to do the heavy lifting. They had to look good on a soundstage and look believable in a "real" forest.
- Textiles over Trends: The production team stayed away from anything synthetic-looking. They used real wools, heavy linens, and silks.
- The Aging Process: The clothes were distressed. They weren't "clean" 1693 garments. They were "we just got resurrected and our clothes are literally rotting" garments.
- Symbolism: Look at Winifred’s brooch. It’s iconic. It’s not just a piece of jewelry; it’s the visual anchor for her entire character. It’s sharp, gold, and looks expensive but ancient.
How Disney Updated the Look for the Sequel
When Hocus Pocus 2 dropped in 2022, costume designer Salvador Perez had a massive task. He had to honor Vogt’s original hocus pocus witches outfits while making them pop for 4K screens.
Modern cameras are unforgiving. You can’t hide cheap fabric anymore.
Perez leaned into the lore. He added even more specific occult details to Winifred’s sleeves. If you zoom in on the sequel's costumes, you’ll see the Three Fates depicted in the embroidery. It’s a level of nerdery that I honestly appreciate. He didn't just copy-paste the old designs; he treated them like artifacts that had evolved.
The colors were slightly more vibrant in the second film, which some purists hated. I get it. The original had a grittiness that felt very New England. The sequel felt more like a celebration. But the silhouettes stayed the same because you can't mess with perfection. The "A-line" of the Sanderson trio is as recognizable as the Nike swoosh at this point.
What Most People Get Wrong About Dressing Like a Sanderson
Honestly, if you go to a costume party, you'll see a lot of shiny polyester. That’s the first mistake. If you want a "human-quality" version of these outfits, you need to think about weight.
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The hocus pocus witches outfits are heavy. If you aren't sweating a little bit, you aren't doing it right.
- The Hair: It’s not a wig issue; it’s a volume issue. Sarah’s hair needs to look lived-in, not brushed. Winifred’s "heart" buns need to be massive.
- The Shoes: Everyone forgets the shoes. They wore pointed, buckled shoes that were practical for the 1600s. No heels. They were walking through mud.
- The Makeup: It’s not "beauty" makeup. It’s character makeup. Winifred has those tiny doll lips. Mary has the crooked mouth. Sarah has the dark, smudged liner.
People often ask why these specific outfits have stayed so popular while other movie witches fade away. I think it’s because they don’t look like "costumes." They look like clothes. They look like these women actually lived in them for years before they were hanged.
There’s a sense of history in every frayed edge and mismatched button.
The Cultural Legacy of the Sanderson Look
We see the influence of the hocus pocus witches outfits in high fashion more than you’d think. Designers like Alexander McQueen or Vivienne Westwood have played with that "deconstructed historical" look for decades.
It’s about the tension between being a lady and being a monster.
The Sanderson sisters aren't trying to hide their power. Their clothes are loud. They are textured. They are unapologetically feminine but in a way that feels dangerous. That’s why we love them. It’s not about being "pretty" in the Sarah Sanderson sense; it’s about the power of the silhouette.
When you put on those capes, you feel like you could fly. Or at least like you could put a spell on your neighbor.
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Actionable Tips for Crafting Your Own Look
If you’re planning on building your own version of these hocus pocus witches outfits, don't just buy a kit.
Start with the base. Go to a thrift store and look for old velvet skirts or oversized linen shirts. You can dye them in a bathtub to get those specific, muted tones. For Winifred, look for "forest green," but then wash it with a bit of black dye to age it.
For the embroidery, you don't need to be a pro. A gold metallic fabric marker can do wonders on velvet if you have a steady hand. Draw the runes. Make it messy.
The goal isn't to look like a plastic doll. The goal is to look like you’ve been trapped in a book for three centuries and you’re really, really annoyed about it.
Focus on the following three elements to get the most "authentic" feel:
- Layering: Wear at least two skirts. It changes how you walk. It gives you that "swish" that Mary Sanderson has when she’s sniffing out children.
- Hardware: Find chunky, antique-looking rings. Gold for Winifred, silver or pewter for the others.
- Texture: Mix your fabrics. Velvet, lace, and burlap shouldn't go together, but for the Sandersons, it’s the whole point.
Ultimately, the reason we keep coming back to these designs is that they represent a perfect blend of character and craft. They aren't just clothes; they are the 13th ingredient in the potion.
Next time you see a "Winifred" walking down the street on Halloween, look at the hem of her dress. If it’s frayed and dirty, she’s doing it right. If it’s glowing under a streetlamp, she’s captured the spirit of 1993.
To get the most authentic look, focus on sourcing natural fibers like cotton or wool blends rather than pure synthetics. Use a sandpaper block to lightly scuff the edges of the sleeves and hemline to simulate centuries of wear. Finally, skip the standard "witch hat" and focus on the hair—the Sanderson sisters are iconic specifically because they ditched the hats for avant-garde, structural hairstyles that define their silhouettes.