Of Moss & Malice: An Autumn Bog Witch Style Guide

Folklore-inspired fashion for wandering woods and weathering the cold

By: The Lace Ledger Staff

Every village has a story about a mysterious woman who lives beyond its borders.

She inhabits the cottage at the edge of the woods, where the trees grow crooked and the ground never quite dries. Some say she can cure an illness. Others insist she caused it. Children are warned against wandering too close, though nobody can agree on what happens to those who do…

Meet the Bog Witch.

Inspired by the fearsome women of European folklore, from Baba Yaga's forest dwelling to the Puritan nightmares of VVitch, this darker interpretation of woodland dressing borrows from the wardrobes of women who lived and worked close to the land. Coarse linen, heavy wool, weathered leather and layers built to withstand the elements form the foundation, accompanied by the colours of peat, moss, stagnant water and decaying vegetation.

For late autumn, the Bog Witch emerges in substantial cloaks, long skirts, knitted hoods and boots made for difficult terrain. Her clothing carries the marks of practical use, with a few peculiar embellishments suggesting that the stories told about her might contain a grain of truth.