Short answer? Of course not!

Okay, longer answer …

When most non-witches think of a witch, they might think of the stereotypical dark robes or dress, a pointy black hat, maybe even a kicky broom. Or they may envision a flowing skirt, dangling earrings and bracelets, and long hair adorned with flowers. Or they may picture the typical goth look – dark clothes, dark hair, dark eyeliner, brooding manner.

While any of the people in those images could be a witch, it doesn’t mean they are. Maybe the chick with the broom is headed to a costume party. Maybe the girl with the flowing skirt is just a gypsy at heart. Maybe the goth boy is 16 years old, just looking for a way to rebel and fit in at the same time.

That being said, many witches do wear special clothing for rituals, often in the form of ritual robes, jewelry, etc. This special attire can act as a key to allow the witch to more easily shift consciousness for spellwork or communing with Deity.

I currently have three different dresses that are reserved exclusively for ritual work, depending on the purpose and season. They are all floor length and allow for ease of movement, so that I can sit, stand, bend, or dance as needed. My cool-weather dress is black, with long, fitted sleeves, so I don’t catch myself on fire. When it’s very cold out, I throw on a handknit wool sweater over the dress, and accessorize with some black fingerless gloves. My warm weather dress is purple and sleeveless, with an embroidered bodice. I also have a dark blue dress with silver details that I use for Esbats.

While I love my ritual vestments, if I am working indoors, I will sometimes go au naturale. Many witches, especially some of the more traditional branches, always work skyclad, that is, in the nude. Since I live in a village where the houses are quite close together, I do not work skyclad when I have an outdoor ritual. And if I just want to do a quick spell or devotion, I will sometimes just wear whatever I happen to have on.

Whether they dress or undress for rituals, in their day-to-day lives, most witches look like everyone else. For example, I work in an office, so I wear regular office attire. Our office is pretty casual, so I do rotate in a couple of flowing skirts. And I help my hair to be a little redder than what it is naturally. And I wear a pentacle necklace everyday, which depending on my outfit may or may not be visible. But I am not required to do any of these things by “witch law”. I do these things because they allow me to express myself, and to feel slightly “witchy” even as I go about building software.

Sure, there are witches whom you can identify at a single glance by the way they dress. These individuals are generally very excited about their chosen path, and want to share it with the world, or they want to elicit shock and perhaps fear from those around them.

At the end of the day, my thoughts are: dress however you like. But know that because we live in a world of humans, you will likely be judged, or at the very least assessed, by your appearance. It would be wonderful if this were not true, but sadly it is. Depending on your personality, this might be what you want. I personally chose the more conservative route at work, since it is in my best interest to help others feel comfortable around me. I mean, I wouldn’t want to be confronted everyday by someone wearing an “I heart J.C.” t-shirt.

However, if I am out at the Pagan festival, it’s triquetra skirt and cauldron earrings, baby! And when I am on my own time, it’s generally jeans and a t-shirt. And if that t-shirt says, “Witches be crazy”, so mote it be!