they don't dress witches like they used to
a comparison of 'practical magic' costumes, then and now. plus some colorful clothes in my cart this week.
“I would trust the devoted members of the Molehill chat with my life to find a vintage silk Betsey Johnson slip in under two minutes or less, and that’s kind of all we can hope for from fashion Substack, don’t you think?” — Hannah, Molehill reader
Dear reader, I’m writing this with eye bags and the flattest greasiest bangs in the world.
Last night, as we were cozy in PJs and getting ready for bed, Maggi suddenly started stumbling and tilting her head to one side. We did some symptom googling (just like human webmd it whips you into an alarmist state because why is everything a possible a sign of stroke…) and decided to bring her to the ER to get checked out. The adrenaline kicked in and within a minute I’d changed into a loose Monchichi sweatshirt, dark blue sweatpants, and clawed clipped my hair into a bun. ER-ready.
In the split second before leaving the house, I grabbed the smallest paperback book on my “unread” shelf that fit in my crossbody bag. In case I needed distractions. Or if my phone died. Well, my phone did die and I ended up reading all 211 pages of this romance novella I was sent earlier this year but forgot about. The storyline was cute and predictable in a comforting way. And the main character wears a lot of 90s silk slip dresses. Honestly, it was just what I needed to get through the fluorescent dread of the waiting room.
We gave up after three hours because they kept getting slammed with critical care patients and her vitals were stable. Went to bed at 2am, headed to an urgent care appointment later today in hope of answers.
To all caretakers for animals with complex needs, I see you. This shit is tough and can feel deeply isolating. Sending a hug <3
The ‘Practical Magic’ sequel press tour has begun…and I have thoughts on the costume design.
This week, my little sister went to the screening of Practical Magic at Cinespia in Hollywood Forever Cemetery (I’m sooooo jealous). And in a classic LA turn of events, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Joey King, and Maisie Williams made a surprise appearance there, effectively kicking off their press tour for Practical Magic 2 which comes out on September 11th.
Nicole’s Instagram post caption wrote itself: “we come to this place for (practical) magic.” That’s my AMC queen!
It’s hard to overstate how important Practical Magic (1998) is to me. I discovered the cult classic only last year—old movies have a way of coming into your life when you need them most—and it’s become an essential stylistic influence for me. As an late October baby, I feel most alive the week before Halloween, when the world turns orange with foliage and squash and Stevie Nicks is playing in a dimly lit bookstore…
Here are all the deep dives and interviews I’ve written on the movie’s fashion:
So naturally, I’m invested in the costume design of Practical Magic 2, led by Alexandra Byrne. These are my observations and opinions based on the bits I could see in the trailer.
Costume Comparison: 1998 vs. 2026
As a recap, the original movie included costumes from buzzy independent designers of its time, like Blumarine, Vivienne Tam and Monah Li.
In the sequel trailer, I noticed this green dress on Nicole—pretty safe to assume this is intended to be an homage to the original green dress. The gathered bust tank top style is similar, as is the neckline.
The 2026 dress is from Rouje, aka the Jeanne Damas-founded brand for Frenchieboos who love a Jane Birkin basket bag and a pair of Carel mary janes. It’s an old season dress that’s no longer sold.
The 1998 dress is by Monah Li, a designer who works with upcycled velvet and silk fabric scraps that she hand-dyes. There’s nothing wrong with Rouje, I wear stuff from them, but these two garments are in different leagues when it comes to design originality and intricacy. Especially for a movie where I want to feel the MAGIC and FANTASY!?
This side-by-side comparison told me everything I needed to know about the costume design in the sequel. That is: keep your expectations low.
This is not a critique of Alexandra Byrne’s work, because I’m familiar with her portfolio of work and loved what she did with the Regency-era costumes in Emma.(2020). I’m afraid this is the result of shrinking costume design budgets in favor of movie marketing and promotion, similar to what we saw with The Devil Wears Prada 2.
There is a fascinating Tumblr thread about the decline in costume design in the past two decades, in which a costume designer by the username ocqueen chimed in:
“There is […] an overall shift from these productions being treated as less like storytelling and performance, like they were in the past, and more like corporate investments and business endeavors.
Everything is bottom line vs potential profits, marketability, and modern trends, or what will trend on tiktok, and you have to design to that constantly.”
It's also that filmmaking has developed the expectation of making movies on such a short production time that there's no time to MAKE amazing beautiful pieces like this.”
A Monah Li order has a lead time of 3-4 months, perhaps longer for a movie costume. I wouldn’t be surprised if the costume design team for Practical Magic 2 had to work within timelines that necessitated rush online orders from e-comm retailers. So yeah, prepare to see a lot of Rouje and Doen.
Aside from the gap in the garment construction, what stands out to me is the difference in color and lighting. What made that 1998 scene so visually memorable was the high saturation and glowy warm sunlight—Nicole’s hair looks like a roaring fire, and her dress looks like a lush forest. It could be a painting.
In the 2026 frame, the colors and lighting look far more…flat.
A quintessential 90s look from the original movie was the slip dress and cardigan combo:
I think the 2026 outfit is actually very cute, and totally something I would wear—it has my color palette all over it. The green is an old season style, but Reformation always carries a few silk polka dot styles.
However, it feels depressingly pedestrian compared to a runway Blumarine print. Like, we’re supposed to believe the same sisters who who ran an apothecary potion shop in a coastal seaside town now shop at Reformation…?
And then this V-neck dress comparison, where the 2026 version looks like someone tried to draw the 1998 version:
I do see what they were going for here. The Rixo dress bust line approximates the Collette Dinnigan one decently. But it looks blocky and one-dimensional.
Part of this is due to styling. The 1998 look is actually two dresses layered together. The base layer is a rose print white slip dress, and the top is a completely sheer black lace slip (I found this exact piece at ReLove at Oakland last year!). So you have two separate pieces that are meant to move together and create dimensionality. The sheerness and the lace evokes a sense of mystique. That’s why the character is convincing as a witch!!!
If I had no context for the 2026 frame and you told me this was a tradwife influencer costume for the Yesteryear adaption, I would believe you.
RIP Embroidery and Texture:
90s Vivienne Tam is soooo witchy grunge to me. A black mesh dress with pink embroidered flowers? And the smudgy eyeliner?? The 1998 frame oozes with TEXTURE. In the 2026 version of a “90s inspired” floral dress, the KNWLS outfit looks beige and flat. Save for the handkerchief hem and the flared sleeves, it doesn’t read as witchy to me.
Also, what is that blue and white toile print wrapping paper with the purple bow and why does it look so preppy??? We haven’t even discussed how the interiors compare, but based on this snippet it looks like she’s at Susannah’s beach house in TSITP…
While my expectations for the costume design are low, I am still excited to see the sequel purely because I’m such a fan of the original and want to see how they fleshed out the Practical Magic universe. You’ll find me at the theaters wearing a vintage Monah Li dress :)
What do you think of the costume comparison between 1998 and 2026?
Molehill Miscellany
Earlier this summer I mentioned that the Oddobody “Eyes Wide Shut” inspired tank top was on my wishlist. Here’s my formal review, now that I’ve been wearing it in the Smoke color (unfortunately a seasonal run that just sold out) the past two weeks. Sharing this for anyone who wants to sign up for future size/color restocks:
The neckline is exactly what I hoped it’d be—somewhere between a scoop neck and a deep U neck. In general, I like tank tops with very open necklines and thin straps. I wear it with low rise jeans and fluttery silk skirts. And usually with a bralette underneath for more nip coverage.
The fabric is thin and not designed to be compressive. This is not your Tank Air snatchiana top! It’s relaxed, comfortable, and offers nice ventilation on hot days. Also an ideal summer night PJ tank.
I took my regular size (Small) and it fits slightly relaxed.
Who else is enjoying peak stone fruit season? I love eating peaches and smelling like them, which is why Liis Floating is a perennial favorite fragrance on my shelf. That ripe peach note never gets old, literally August in a bottle.
I like to browse new J.Crew for any 100% silk pieces, and this vibrant fuschia skirt would look great with light pinks and purples.
Also into these green cotton tie pants but they don’t have them in the petite inseam </3
Who else likes to mix and match bikinis from different brands? For hanging out poolside, I have been wearing this striped top from CUUP (didn’t buy the matching bottoms bc none of them looked cute to me) and wear them with this dark brown bottom from Left on Friday instead.
RLT’s cashmere/wool blend cardigan is such a great basic. I wore it twice as an evening layer over a slip dress this week. Really lightweight and not itchy on bare arms.
Casually in the market for silverware because we use an ungodly amount of spoons per day to mix and prepare Maggi’s boiled cod/sweet potato/JustFoods formula three meals each day…some need to be permanently designated doggie spoons, and I kinda want to splurge on a spiral end set for the human table.
xo viv
Thanks for being here. You can find me on IG and TT. My wardrobe recs and latest finds are saved here—unless it’s vintage, of course ;) I earn a small commission on purchases made through affiliate links.
There is something about how they used to dress 90s witches between practical magic, charmed and sabrina. This is the style I still try to achieve now
I don’t understand why they are trying to dress them exactly as their younger selves, when taking inspiration from the aunts would have made way more sense AND appealed to the original fans. Where’s my Aunt Jet chunky cardigans?