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Dressing the Denizens of Oz In devising the shape and color palette to best reflect and define these assorted Ozians (most of whom were extras with no dialogue), Gary Jones chose to characterize the mood of these divergent groups through their clothing. Before putting thread to needle or dye to fabric, the Oscar-nominated designer and his key collaborators (assistant designers Jessica Peel-Scott and Gali Noy and wardrobe supervisor John Casey) spent hours researching fashion trends from various periods. As Jones explains, "We needed to create the world that these characters live in, much as Robert Stromberg did with his sets. "While our research was concentrated on the turn of the twentieth century," Jones relates, "our costume designs came from both that historical point of view while reflecting a more contemporary style, a fashion point of view having to do with what our eye sees today, in 2013, as fashionable and attractive. "In Glinda's world, that of the Quadlings and Munchkins, these are the happy people of Oz," Jones states in describing the mood of the inhabitants and how that guided his choice of wardrobe colors. "They're butchers, bakers, and the like, who toil in the normal ways of life. A rather happy, simple group of folks, who we defined with bright colors and pretty clothes. To contrast that, in Emerald City, we're faced with people who are doing work under duress, under the thumb of the wicked Evanora. "Therefore they are a little more repressed, more buttoned up," he continues. "So, we made their clothes in strong, jewel-tone colors [rich reds and greens and blues] but in a very formal and stylized way. Of course, with a little hint of extra green because of Emerald City. And the more ominous blacks and grays as well to portray that repressed mood. They have some of the same shapes that the people who live in Glinda's world do, but they're more conservative in every way. The people who live in Glinda's world are all in pale pastels, earth tones, cream colors. Even their shoes and hats." As for the Winkies, "They are the guards at the palace in Emerald City," Jones describes. "They work for Evanora, one of the evil people in our movie. Their military-styled costumes were inspired by Russian and Prussian uniforms. "All the Winkie outfits were made for people who are 6-foot-9 or taller," Jones adds. "So, we had an army of 50 people who were around 7 feet tall. And, if 7 feet tall was not enough, Sam wanted us to enhance these soldiers by adding approximately another 18 to 20 inches in height with feathered hats. They're also Prussian in feeling and were made from felt, wool and black, iridescent feathers."
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