Let us be glad….. That Wicked: For Good is coming out on Nov. 21st, 2025! If you haven’t already, read my first Wicked article titled: Take A Look Into: Elphaba’s Aesthetics (I think the title is pretty self-explanatory, but…). It talks all about Elphaba’s look and how it ties into her changing persona and character through both Wicked movie trailers. This time, we’ll be exploring the aesthetics and glamour of Glinda, played by Ariana Grande. We will be deep diving into her makeup, clothing decisions, and color scheme to answer the question: Who is Glinda? And exactly how similar or opposing she is from her dear friend, Elphaba.
First, let’s recognize and applaud the wardrobe designer, Paul Tazewell, the man and the legend who created the iconic bubble dress that Glinda is so famously known for. In an InStyle interview Tazewell says the “bodice alone took 225 hours.” Additionally, the pink gown was created using 137 unique patterns to give it that finishing fairytale touch. That is so much dedication being shown for one dress. One outfit out of 25 different ones, by the way! Each outfit being extremely detailed and authentic to the character of Glinda. But of course, I would have to say the gorgeous pink bubble dress to be my favorite.
The next glamorous characteristic is Glinda’s open and off-the-shoulder necklines compared to Elphaba’s closed and covered ensemble. Granted, Glinda’s outfits are more diverse looking compared to Elphaba’s. So it is best if we stick to their most well-known and loved looks. Elphaba’s black dress, featuring her chic, gifted witch hat, holds a round neckline. Alternately, Glinda’s bubble dress is sweetheart shaped. These are strictly opposite styles and could not reflect their personalities more. Elphaba is a very sheltered, protective, and private person, while Glinda is an extroverted public figure and charms those who’re around her. I strongly believe Glinda’s open neckline is extremely intentional to give an insight on her personal growth.
The various dresses with a sweetheart neckline that Glinda wears mirror her appeal to society. By carrying herself with this sweet and innocent look makes her more enchanting and likeable. Although I still do believe that she is a nice and caring person, she showed her selfishness in Wicked. Gifting Elphaba the witch hat is a great example of this, she was trying to appeal to Pfanne and Shenshen. Later in the scene, she wore the magnificent ballroom dress that was very layered and STILL! It had an open wide V-neck, portraying her kind personality for the people when in reality she is still conniving behind the scenes.
In the end, both main characters’ wardrobe was excellently created by the hands of Paul Tazewell, the brilliant costume designer that he is. Thinking of every single detail being put in and making it correlate with the journey that each girl went through. Personally, Glinda’s dresses are way more aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but Elphaba’s are more intriguing and holds deep meaning when analyzing them. Possibly adding some of these quirks into our everyday styles may make us also popular! And I know about popular…