Style Translation: Maleficent

Maleficent was, by far, my favourite film of summer of ’14. It had a fantastic, flawed, and fascinating female central character; it was critical of the ways in which women are oppressed and injured by men’s lust for power, without painting women as perpetual victims; it focused primarily on a rich, meaningful relationship between two women, and included a completely platonic relationship between a woman and a man; and it allowed me to indulge my love of fairy-tale dramatics in both story and aesthetic.

I also quickly became obsessed with the costuming of Maleficent, which elevated the character’s style so fair beyond her animated counterpart. It turns out the internet is chock-full of recreations of Maleficent’s clothing and accessories. If you are looking to cosplay, or if your sartorial bent is toward the gothic and you have a lifestyle/employment situation that allows you to go full-on Dark Fairy every day, the world is your oyster. This look will be a cinch for you.

However, what I was looking for was slightly less literal and more wearable ways to incorporate Maleficent style into my everyday wardrobe. What I’ve created what I call a style translation guide: a break-down of the elements of Maleficent’s look and suggestions for some ways to incorporate those elements into daily work/street style, complete with handy links!

Please note that items that are available in plus sizes are noted with a single asterisk, like this.* Items that are exclusively plus-sized are noted with two asterisks, like this.**

The colour palette in Maleficent’s wardrobe is fairly limited: darker earth tones (with a few dashes of gold and cream) in the beginning of the film, and black throughout the bulk of it. This is an instance where so much is done with texture and details, especially animal ones. These elements evoke ferocity and wildness, but also add an elemental quality, a connectedness to the earth that is part of her character throughout the film. It’s in these details and with this depth that the live-action Maleficent varies from her animated counterpart.

While the iconic Maleficent costume is all black leather, she begins the film in an ombre gown and cloak combination that goes from olive to chocolate brown:

If you’re looking to channel early Maleficent without going full Ren-Faire, you can still incorporate colour, the drape, and textures with a green knitted caplet cardigan or an olive tunic with lace and chiffon detailing** at the back.

As I said above, so much of the beauty and depth of this costuming is the animal detailing: a fur-lined cloak, a snakeskin headdress, a claw-rimmed collar, and feathered leather epaulettes:

Gorgeous, right? So let’s get ourselves some of that. Following in the same olive colour palette from above, here is a faux fur cardigan for all you luxurious hippies out there:

If your vibe is a little more sleek, this snake-printed** sweater is gorgeous for those with the chuztpah to wear it. If you like the idea of snakeskin but are looking for a more subtle or convention choice, snake-print heels are always a winner.

Leather is an essential part of Maleficent’s look, and it is one of the most wearable, accessible ways to get your evil queen on. Leather jackets are a given, but they are expensive and therefore often best to get in a style most in line with your everyday look. To add a hint of evil fairy without breaking the bank, what about a leather-fabric mix cardigan? You could opt for something subtle, like a leather epaulette detail** similar to the early Maleficent look above, or you go full-on Urban Villainess with leather sleeves and hood.

(Please note that I am using the word “leather” loosely here; the two looks above are pleather, and whether you choose to fake it or opt for the real deal is up to you and your budget/principles/whims).

Okay, okay. Enough mucking about. You are here for Maleficent and you want to look BAD. Comme ça :

So let us embrace the obvious but delightful which is: CAPES. Look, capes are amazing. And the great thing about a cape is that, depending on how you tweak the rest of your outfit, you can use to channel a Disney villainess, a Hogwarts student, the heroine of your favourite Victorian literary heroine (do you have a favourite Victorian literary heroine? If not, get one immediately), or even Our Lady of the Capes, Lupita Nyong’o. You need not choose with a cape. Capes want you to be happy all the time.

For the purposes of a Maleficent theme, I am going to be focus on black. So here are three black capes of the  outerwear, sweater*, and even blazer variety. Yes, I said blazer. Negotiate that next raise at work … while wearing a cape! You are amazing, let your employer grovel at your feet.

An alternative to a full-on cape is the cape dress. I bought a cape dress this summer and it is amazing. It is essentially a charcoal grey toga with an extra panel at the back. It’s flattering, can be dressed up and dressed down, and it moves beautifully. I feel imperious in it. And most important of all: it is an Eating Dress. God bless.

Again, for the purposes of Maleficent style, I have picked pieces that are more goth than Greek. You can go with something floaty and witchily-ethereal**, or turn on the VAMP with something ruched and form-fitting.

 

Even if you wear a suit to work or are fairly conservative in your regular style, you can still channel basically any look with jewellery. More often than not, it’s accessories that take a collection of garments and make them an outfit; best of all, if you avoid the previous stones, a pair of earrings is often cheaper than a dress!

One of the big themes with Maleficent is obviously wings. There are tons of great wing- and feather-related jewellery out there. As always, Etsy is your friend. I have just chosen a couple of different pieces here, starting with these lovely brass dangle earrings. These are lush, right? Powerful but angelic.

These silver stud wings, on the other hand, are a little more hard-line, a little more aggressive. They look like shields. These are the wings of Maleficent in battle against that worthless bastard, Stefan. The wings of a woman soaring to her highest height, even with the literal weight of a bad man dragging her down. Hell. Yes.

If you like the wing concept but not so much near your face, what about on an elegant but striking two-finger ring ? FWIW I have a pair of wing studs from this seller (basically just two shorter versions of that wing; you can check them out here), and they are one of my new staples. They go with almost everything, and I’m pretty sure the ring would too.

If a wing ring is too tame for you, check out this gorgeous dragon claw ring. It’s smaller but still pretty badass; it has that animal detail thing going on, and as a bonus, it will double when you’re trying to channel Daenerys Targaryen.

Looking for something even more in-your-face? Check. This. Out. Boom! Chainmaille, black stones, and spikes evocative of the bear-claw collar shown above (with no animals harmed in the making!).

 

This is fantastic. It’s great for goth looks and honestly, it would also be great as a hell of a curveball thrown into an otherwise feminine, sweet-as-pie look. Imagine that paired with a fit-and-flare dress and retro peep-toed shoes? Amazing.

If you like the concept but you can’t justify buying something that might be too MUCH for you on the regular, the designer also offers a slightly smaller, more delicate version that still has all the same elements. Aaaand they’re both on sale!

Most of Maleficent’s style has been covered, but what about Diaval? The perfect sidekick, Diaval is funny, insightful, and loyal. By the end of the film, his relationship with Maleficent has evolved from a servant-master dynamic to a friendship. And frankly, he is the only man of any worth in the entire film (Phillip, you are adorable and I thank you for raising the issue of consent, but you are sweetly useless).

So let’s take a moment to celebrate Maleficent’s erstwhile-feathered-friend with some raven style. This asymmetrical tank from Torrid** is actually (my favourite piece) from their Maleficent-themed line and it’s going fast. Also awesome is this raven-printed tunic; both pieces would look great with some leggings and black boots.

 

I will end with these earrings from MicDrop Design, aptly named “murderous crow earrings.” They are delicate and feminine, but the spikes say “don’t mess with me.” Perfection. And hey, if you are feeling inspired by more than just the style of the film, you can also pick up a feminist poster!