The Downward Spiral: Horror, Dress, and Witchcraft in Robert Eggers’s The Witch (2016)
Zachary Portnoy
Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice
About this Item
- Title
- The Downward Spiral: Horror, Dress, and Witchcraft in Robert Eggers’s The Witch (2016)
- Contributor Names
-
Portnoy, Zachary (Author)
-
Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York. Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice (Degree granting institution)
-
Davidson, Hilary (Thesis advisor)
- Date
- 2026
- Degree Information
- M.A. Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York 2026
- Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice
- Advisors: Hilary Davidson
- Committee members: Brooke Carlson
- Abstract
- Along the periphery of the fantasy genre exists a type of film that confronts the more terrifying aspects of the world, that of folk horror. In Robert Eggers' 2016 film The Witch, horror is used to heighten the film's fantastical elements. Horror best manifests itself in The Witch through the dress of its characters, reflecting the setting of 1630s New England. Carefully executed by costume designer Linda Muir, the sartorial atmosphere of Robert Eggers' film is legitimized through extensive research and attention to detail. Focusing on Muir's work, this paper frames costuming as the focal point of worldbuilding in The Witch, presenting an unsettlingly convincing view of the intended period. Eggers' directorial choices are also discussed, tracking the progression of the characters' sartorial unraveling as they become subject to the horrifically sublime. As hair and skin become exposed in the film, contemporary theology related to dress and morality is analyzed. Finally, the paper confronts the body itself within the film. Examining the film's harrowing climax, connections are drawn between body horror as a film subgenre and the theory of dress as embodied practice. The naked body in The Witch is reframed as a dressed one, symbolizing the complete destruction of the believable world built through Linda Muir's costumes. Ultimately, this paper dissects Robert Eggers' story of a downward spiral, confronting the understudied intersection between dress, witchcraft, and the horrifically fantastical on screen.
- Subject
- Women's studies
- Film criticism
- Art
- Creative writing
- Costume designers
- Folk horror fiction
- Horror films
- Witches
- Keyword
- Womens studies
- Film studies
- Fine arts
- Creative writing
- Costume designer
- Folk horror
- History of dress
- History of witchcraft
- Horror films
- Witches
- Rights
- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
- In Copyright
- The copyright for this work is held by its author/creator(s). Usage of this material beyond what is permitted by copyright law must first be cleared with the rights-holder(s). This work has been made available online by the Fashion Institute of Technology Gladys Marcus Library strictly for research and educational purposes. If you are the copyright holder for this work and have any objections to this work being made available online, please notify us immediately at [email protected].
- This item must not be sold to any third party vendors.
- Identifier
- FIT Repository ID: etd_001065
- URN: ISBN:9798252432243
- Related Materials
- Also available from ProQuest
- Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 87-12
- Masters Abstracts International
- Language
- English
- Publisher
- Ann Arbor : ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
Citation
Portnoy, Z. (2026). The Downward Spiral: Horror, Dress, and Witchcraft in Robert Eggers’s The Witch (2016) [Master's thesis, Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York]. FIT Institutional Repository. https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/676678
Portnoy, Zachary. The Downward Spiral: Horror, Dress, and Witchcraft in Robert Eggers’s The Witch (2016). 2026. Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York, Master's thesis. FIT Institutional Repository, https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/676678
Portnoy, Zachary. "The Downward Spiral: Horror, Dress, and Witchcraft in Robert Eggers’s The Witch (2016)." Master's thesis, Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York, 2026. https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/676678