To witchy wear or not to witchy wear…

To witchy wear or not to witchy wear…that is the question.

This subject crops up quite often and although my answer is usually a variation on the same it has changed slightly over the years.

In fact I wrote about it in 2012 http://tansyfiredragon.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/what-does-witch-wear.html

But it is something that I have been thinking about a lot lately. It could just be that middle age is on my mind and the scary thought that I might be a frump…

Having been through many wardrobe changes in my life; hey I was a teenager in the 80s complete with ra ra skirts, pixie boots and neon leg warmers (oh how I wish it were still the 80s…).  My dress sense has changed over the years depending on my age, where I was working and what I was doing at the time.

I guess my most recent wardrobe was jammed pack full of what could probably be described as ‘witchy wear’ something along the lines of a colourful Stevie Nicks.   However I have to admit those long drapey sleeves are a complete nightmare, have you ever tried eating in a restaurant with medieval sleeves?

And in fact I recently had a major clear out and the velvet maiden dresses and frock coats all went because I honestly just didn’t wear them any more…and I actually feel much better for it.

Drifting in a sea of undecided fashion

The trouble is that now I feel a bit adrift…what is my style?  What do I wear now?  What do I love? What image do I want to create for myself? And the straight up answer is that I don’t know.

I had this dilemma last week as I was deciding what to wear to give a talk at Witchfest – I often feel that I need to ‘dress for the part’ when I give a talk and especially at such a large event so I had a beautiful beaded Indian dress complete with dupatta (long scarf) and churidar (trousers worn under the dress) all lined up.  But on the day it just didn’t feel right to wear it and I ended up in a black skirt, long boots and my ‘I can see Wesen’ t shirt.  I followed my intuition and it felt comfortable.  No one shunned me for not ‘dressing up’ or not appearing in full gothic regalia…for which I was relieved.  I also felt no less of a witch.

Cloaks & top hats forever

I still have my cloaks for ritual should the need arise and my top hats hang on the wall because I could never part with them but other than that my wardrobe is a mixture of jeans and shirts to hang about the house in and a few hippy dresses and skirts for going out but there is no real style or specific theme that pulls them all together.

It worries me that there is no cohesion to my fashion but it also worries me that I am worried about it, does it matter? Or do I just worry too much?

At the weekend I wore a festive jumper complete with light up Christmas tree on the front, teamed with a modern (and slightly updated) ra ra skirt (still can’t part completely with the 80s) and today I am in jeans, DMs and a lumberjack shirt but I have just purchased a gorgeous 1950s style dress for a dinner ‘do’ next week…such a mixture.

Perhaps I have just answered my own query…my brand of witchcraft is that of ‘miscellaneous’ so maybe my wardrobe is just following suit.

Wear what makes you happy

I am a witch, I am a wife, I am a mother and what I wear doesn’t reflect anything other than the mood I am in on that day.  Whilst I shall attempt to steer clear of the crimplene dresses and support panty hose I will try to be true to my heart and wear what makes me happy…which at the moment may well include my new green elf slippers complete with bells…

A witch is a witch is a witch whether he or she is wearing a hooded cloak, crushed velvet, jeans or teddy bear pyjamas…