Elphaba's Act 2 Dress, Wicked

Elphaba's act II dress in Wicked is my favourite theatrical costume. Designed by Susan Hilferty, I believe that the incredible detail and depth this dress possesses, truly makes it one of the most beautiful and meaningful costumes in the theatre. The dress fits Elphaba's character in act II perfectly as the story gets darker and her character becomes more complex like the detailing in the garment... As she matures throughout the show we see her grow into her 'witchy' style and this costume is the pinnacle of it, especially when complete with the hat, cape and broomstick. The darker, earthy colour/textures, in comparison to Glinda's bright and floaty dresses shows how grounded and "connected to the earth" Elphaba is - "green for good" being a phrase. 

The fabric for the bodice of this dress is not just simply one fabric, but around 20 different fabrics quilted together (no bigger than 3 inches a piece), 40 yards of fabric is needed to create the ruffles in the skirt of the dress and it takes 1 person 2 weeks to sew the entire piece together! Crazy! It is also said that this particular costume weighs around 40 lbs with a value of between $10,000 - $20,000!