Fairytales and folklore have helped mold the dialectic of costume through the use of recurring symbols. The witch’s hat, perhaps dating back to the Medieval hennin, has become one such recognizable symbol which embodies the wearer’s character through its linear silhouette.

The Wicked Witch of the West, one of the evil characters written into the Wizard of Oz, has found her way into our hearts in part because of Margaret Hamilton’s interpretation in the 1939 film (above). The costumes and props featured in this movie have all become a permanent part of our popular culture, with the Wicked Witch’s hat remaining in place, even as her beautiful wickedness melted away before our eyes.

A contemporary re-visit to Oz is currently occurring on New York’s Broadway in the musical Wicked. The poster for the show uses the witch’s hat as an instant declarative statement, juxtaposing the blackness of the bad witch with the whiteness of the good. In Harry Potter, witch’s hats abound, and although the animated Sorting Hat is not a traditional black, its shape conveys the same conviction of power. Without a doubt, the height of the hat is important, no matter which media it invades. The witch uses her wand, broom and cauldron as part of her spellbinding ensemble, however her hat is her calling card.

Always one of the most popular Halloween costumes, the witch can be sexy, evil, green, or demure, but whatever the form, she will always have her hat on. So where is one of the best places to see a myriad of magically-dressed children? New York’s Greenwich Village Halloween Parade that will take place tonight, which will certainly have it’s fill of witches and everything in between–from hatted to headless–as it winds its way through the West Village.

Top image courtesy of Movies.yahoo.com