15/100: The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The costume design that changed the world
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Costumes by: Adrian
Directed by: Victor Fleming
This movie may be for you if: you prefer life in technicolor, you have very vivid dreams, and you understand the power of a great pair of shoes.
Where to watch: HBO Max
To call The Wizard of Oz iconic is an understatement.
The Library of Congress deemed it the most widely seen film in history, while a 2018 study by the University of Turin used data to crown it the most influential film of all time. Based on Frank L. Baum’s 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the cultural impact of the Oz story is hard to overstate. However, the 1939 film is also famous for a remarkably dangerous and abusive production. There’s plenty of lore about the making of this movie - some wild stories are true, others just rumor. The 100 Fashion Films Project is about movie fashion, and entire books have already been written about the rest, so I’ll be focusing on the costume design.
The Wizard of Oz was produced by MGM Studios. In this era of Hollywood, costume designers were signed exclusively to specific movie studios, typically working on dozens of movies a year. Adrian Greenberg, known widely as Adrian and credited as “Gowns by Adrian,” was MGM’s lead costume designer from the late 1920’s until 1941. The Wizard of Oz would become the project Adrian is best known for, but he worked on hundreds of other highly influential films throughout his career.
During his life, Adrian was most famous for his evening gowns, setting trends through the glamorous silver screen looks of stars like Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow, and Joan Crawford. Adrian was never nominated for an Academy Award, almost certainly because his career predated the creation of the costume category.
According to some sources, Adrian had his childhood copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz sent to him when he started work on the film. As the story goes, a young Adrian had sketched designs in the margins, returning to his own youthful illustrations as inspiration for his movie designs.
Amongst the numerous issues with filming, The Wizard of Oz went through multiple directors, and with each new director came a new set of instructions for character design. The first director, Richard Thorpe, had 16-year-old star Judy Garland in a long blonde wig and glamorous makeup. Photos from test shoots give us a look at some of the alternate possibilities of the Dorothy Gale the world could have had instead.
A few details were present through multiple different iterations of Dorothy’s look - multiple early designs had puff sleeves, gingham, and hair bows, all incorporated into the winning outfit. When audiences finally meet Dorothy, her red curled braids cascade over a crème organdy blouse and gingham pinafore. Her woven basket serves as a dog carrier and purse, a look brought back twenty years later by Jane Birkin.
Next month, Heritage Auctions is selling an Oz memorabilia collection that includes an original blouse worn by Garland on screen. The auction listing for the top gives us a rare look at high quality photos of the blouse without the dress covering it, and includes a detailed description of its construction and history.
While Dorothy’s sweet but simple farm girl look is still just as charming 85 years later, the reality of what many of the other actors really wore was not nearly as pleasant.
Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion wore a suit made of real lion skin and fur, with facial appliances glued directly to his skin. Not only was his suit extremely heavy, clocking in at 60 pounds, but early Technicolor techniques required lighting so bright that the film set was often over 100 degrees. Lahr wrapped each take drenched in sweat, and the lion suit was reported to have smelled like it.
At least two original Cowardly Lion suits have been authenticated. One version was commissioned for a painstaking restoration by Cara Varnell, a textile conversation expert at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. $22,000 of human hair was used to recreate the worn-out mane, with over 21 artisans working for two years on the project. The revitalised suit was sold at auction in 2014 for over $3 million, making it the most expensive Hollywood costume ever worn by a male performer.
The “metal” suit worn by Jack Haley as the Tin Man was made of stiff fabric covered in leather. His robotic movements didn’t require much acting, as the suit was reportedly actually difficult to move in - sitting down was impossible. The “oil” applied to his joints in the movie was made of chocolate syrup.
Many of The Wizard of Oz characters required extensive makeup and masks. The aluminum powder first used to give the Tin Man metallic silver skin caused a toxic reaction after just ten days on set. The original actor, Buddy Ebsen, was hospitalized in critical condition. He was quickly and quietly replaced by Jack Haley, who wasn’t given details on Ebsen’s departure. The makeup was changed from a powder to a paste, with a layer of clown greasepaint as a base, and Haley reportedly “only” suffered an eye infection from the somewhat improved mixture.
Makeup artist Jack Dawson pioneered a technique using foam latex to create the masks worn by the Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion. According to Aljean Harmetz 1989 book The Making of The Wizard of Oz, it took a full hour to slowly peel the glued-on mask from the Scarecrow’s face. The masks were disposed of each day, with over 100 Scarecrow masks being used over the course of filming. Actor Ray Bolger was left with permanent scars around his mouth and chin from the role.
Meanwhile, actress Margaret Hamilton was covered in copper-based paint for her signature witchy green hue. Filming fantasy in 1939 meant the use of often hazardous practical effects, including real fire for the Wicked Witch’s smokey exits. According to Oz expert John Fricke, an accident on set led to the gauze from her hat and straw of her broom to catch fire. Hamilton was pulled from the flames, and the crew immediately began the excruciating removal of the green paint so the copper didn’t seep into her skin through her wounds.
Hamilton was hospitalized with third degree burns to her hands and face, and apparently retained a green tint for months after filming.
The Wicked Witch of Baum’s original novel wasn’t green. There isn’t any evidence of exactly why the movie makers chose her tint, but most Oz historians agree it was likely for several reasons: green skin would make the witch appear fantastical but “ugly,” and that it would be visually striking in Technicolor. There doesn’t seem to be any popular depiction of green witches prior to Hamilton’s cackling villain, indicating that The Wizard of Oz was the origin for one of the most ubiquitous characters in contemporary culture.
The Witch’s wardrobe and accessories, however, were rooted in existing folklore. Witches had been associated with brooms for centuries, and various theories (many positing religious prejudice) explain why witches had been depicted in tall black hats for years before Oz.
The Heritage Auctions memorabilia sale next month also includes a screen-worn wool witch hat, especially rare because it is only one of two known hats that still retain an original chin strap for “flying.” Bids start at $100,000, but are expected to exceed the $2.93 million hammer price of the other similar hat sold last winter.
During the Hollywood era of the studio system, it was common practice for movie costumes to be stored by the studios and re-used. MGM brought the Wicked Witch’s outfit back out right away for a 1939 Halloween-themed promotional shoot with Judy Garland and an unnamed, shadowy witch beside her. In 1941, the dress was worn by Rose Langdon for the 3-D movie Third Dimensional Murder. Though the hat was eventually recovered, the rest of the costume has since disappeared.
Billie Burke as Glinda the Good Witch wore an original Adrian design, but her gown was one that had already been seen on screen. The designer had previously created a giant chiffon dress for star Jeanette MacDonald to wear in 1936 musical drama San Francisco. Though the original dress was notably altered to become Glinda’s confectionary pink tulle, the overall look retains much of the original design.
The studio costume system meant money and resources could be saved by revisiting existing pieces, but it also meant that preservation was far from priority. Costumes that are considered iconic today were changed entirely to become new looks or fit to different actors, while other items were damaged, or somehow didn’t make their way back to storage.
The fate of Glinda’s gown remains unknown, and no versions of her crown have ever been accounted for. One version of Glinda’s wand has been displayed in multiple museum collections before selling for $400,000 at auction; the rhinestone prop was verified to have appeared in test shoots, but was not the same wand that was shown on screen.
Many of the Wizard of Oz items in circulation today came from a legendary MGM Studios auction in 1970. The studio had just been sold, and the new president decided to auction off hundreds of items as a cost-cutting measure. Decades of movie costumes and props were sold off, with many of the existing Wizard of Oz items being traced back to this auction. Debbie Reynolds, Kent Warner, and Michael Shaw are known as the foremost collectors of Oz memorabilia.
Some of my favorite costumes in Oz come from the whimsical fashion of Munchkinland. Over 100 costumes were created for the dozens of Munchkins, with each look photographed and cataloged to ensure the costumes and makeup remained consistent between days of filming. For some reason IMDB claims the Munchkin costumes were made “entirely of felt” - it appears plenty of felt was definitely used, but there are numerous surviving costumes that clearly include plenty of other fabrics.
A particularly charming motif in numerous Munchkin looks is Adrian’s use of flowers. Many of the costumes include flowers sprouting from the actor’s toes and heads, including darling felt flower pot hats. It was hard to find good photos of the flower shoes, but they were one of my favorite overlooked details from the movie.
Of course when it comes to the shoes of Oz, nobody else is thinking much about Munchkin footwear. Dorothy’s ruby slippers are undoubtedly the most famous movie shoes of all time, if not the crowning jewel of the most famous costume ever made.
Real Oz fans know that the shoes in Baum’s original story were actually silver, but the studio opted for an eye-catching red. Screenwriter Noel Langley is credited for the idea, suggesting that red would be more memorable use of Technicolor, and provide better contrast against the yellow brick road. Despite having seen this movie dozens of times, I somehow didn’t remember until my recent re-watch that Dorothy wore blue socks!
Multiple pairs of shoes were created for filming, all in sizes 5-6, though the exact number of shoes made remains debated. All of the surviving pairs were made of white silk pumps from the Innes Shoe Company - dying and decorating pre-made shoes was standard practice. Shoemaker Joe Napoli of the Western Costume Company was responsible for the construction of the ruby slippers. Four verified pairs exist today, each with their own names and backstories: “The People’s Pair” “The Contest Pair” “The Witch’s Pair” and “The Traveling Pair.”
There’s also one surviving pair in an alternate style, referred to as “The Arabian Test Pair.” This markedly different style gives us a glimpse into the design process for the famous shoes. After the “Arabian” shoe was nixed, the pump style design was presented and almost approved. The glass beads originally used to simulate rubies made the shoes too heavy, so they were swapped for lightweight sequins in the final design. Just weeks before filming, Adrian added Art Deco-inspired bows with glass jewels, rhinestones, and beads.
Just last year, Heritage Auctions sold “The Traveling Pair,” best known for being stolen in 2005, then recovered by the FBI in 2018. They were estimated to sell for $3-5 million. The number climbed far above that within minutes, hitting a record-breaking $32.5 million. As of 2024, Dorothy’s ruby slippers are the most valuable shoes of all time, and the most valuable piece of Hollywood memorabilia and costume design.
The new hit musical movie series Wicked opted for Baum’s original silver. Though the crystal shoes in the new movies are eye-catching in their own right, the color may not have been entirely by choice. Warner Bros owns the copyright for The Wizard of Oz, which includes the ruby slippers, and recreating them too closely for Wicked could have landed Universal in legal trouble. The contemporary silver shoes, designed by Wicked costume designer Paul Tazewell, feature a tornado-like spiral motif hand-jeweled with 1,165 Preciosa crystals.
The Wizard of Oz has been impacting fashion since its release. Oz-inspired styles have been seen everywhere from department stores to sewing patterns to high fashion, with interpolations of the original costumes appearing in referential projects like The Wiz, Once Upon a Time, and of course, Wicked. Everyone from home sewists to celebrated designers have been recreating the film’s many looks for decades for art, fashion, and of course, as a timeless and eternally popular Halloween costume.
For Vogue’s December 2005 Issue, creative director Grace Coddington and photographer Annie Leibovitz conceptualized actress Keira Knightley as Dorothy, decked out in designer. Her journey through a high-fashion Oz featured famous contemporary artists as her fantasy companions.
The influence of Oz can also be seen across dozens of runway shows and designer collections, most notably Moschino Fall 2000 RTW, Heatherette’s Fall 2007 “Over the Rainbow” collection, Virgil Abloh’s Louis Vuitton debut for Spring/Summer 2019, Bobby Abley Spring 2020 RTW, and a 2024 Wizard of Oz capsule collection for Marc Jacobs.
The Wizard of Oz is especially beloved by the queer community, inspired by its colorful, campy aesthetics, and interpreted by many to include queer subtext and themes. “Friend of Dorothy” has been used as a coded way to describe gay men, particularly in the 20th century. The phrase even appeared in movie #14 of the 100 Fashion Films Project, Clueless, when Murray describes Cher’s crush Christian as a “a disco-dancing, Oscar Wilde-reading, Streisand ticket-holding friend of Dorothy.”
In Robert K. Elder’s book The Film That Changed My Life, John Waters turned to Oz. “The Wizard of Oz opened me up because it was one of the first movies I ever saw. It opened me up to villainy, to screenwriting, to costumes,” said Waters.
When I was 8 years old, my family moved from California to Kansas. We packed up my parent’s Montero and drove for days, my brother and I watching a VHS copy of The Wizard of Oz over and over in the back seat. Though suburban Kansas City ended up being nothing like Dorothy’s 1930’s farmhouse, the movie provided a love for color and whimsy that I’ve carried with me ever since.
The Wizard of Oz is one of the few films in this project that had a pretty indisputable ranking before I even started my official research. Not only have I seen the movie dozens of times, but it was pretty easy to assume that anything new I learned would only further reveal this film’s rightful status as a Hollywood masterpiece. The Wizard of Oz is one of the most impactful fashion films of all time, with characters and costumes that seem to only become more relevant and beloved almost 100 years later.
Overall as a Fashion Film: 10/10
Fashion: 10/10
Influence: 10/10
Movie: 10/10
Sources & Additional Reading:
The Wizard of Oz Is Officially the Most Influential Film of All Time by Yohana Desta for Vanity Fair, 2018
The Wizard of Oz’s Wicked Witch Actress Suffered Unforgettable Pain After Being Burned on Set (Exclusive) by Eric Andersson for People, 2024
Costume Designer Adrian: The Frock Flicks Guide by Trystan L. Bass for Frock Flicks, 2018
MGM Auction, 1970 for Gorillas Don’t Blog in 2015
A Brief History of ‘The Wizard of Oz’s’ Ruby Slippers and How They Turned Silver for ‘Wicked’ by Hannah Malach for WWD, 2024
‘Ruby slippers’ used in 1939’s ‘Wizard of Oz’ go on auction for NPR, 2024
Ruby slippers worn in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ are auctioned for a record $28 million by The Associated Press for NPR, 2024
You Can Buy the Wicked Witch’s Hat That Actress Margaret Hamilton Wore in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ by Ella Feldman for Smithsonian Magazine, 2025
that moschino show is one of my favorites <3
A wonderful review of the costumes! Gowns by Adrian - I love old movies and see his name (and of course, Edith Head's) over and over. I would love to see him get a posthumous honorary Oscar!
Thanks so much, Alex!