Why do witches wear black?

  Why do witches often wear black?

Whilst it is certainly true that many of us witches and indeed occultists wear black , especially black cloaks.  However, we don’t always wear black! 

Like everyone else, we wear whatever is comfortable, appropriate and feels right at the time. Sometimes we will wear white such as at Handfastings (wedding) or a wiccaning ( baptism into witchcraft) . 

Many of us also love wearing purple which is seen by many cultures as the colour of spirituality or cultural standing. We also wear red and green. In fact any colour .

But yes we do wear black perhaps more frequently than most. 

Why? Here’s some possible explanations:

Historical practicality
In medieval and early modern Europe, black clothing was the cheapest and most hard-wearing option. Black wool dyes (often made from iron-rich mud, walnut hulls, or logwood) were strong, long-lasting, and hid dirt and stains well. Poor rural women (the kind most often accused of witchcraft) naturally wore black most of the time. When witch-hunters described “witches,” they were literally describing what village women already wore.

Symbolism of the occult and the night
Black became associated with night, darkness, mystery, death, and the hidden/underworld. Once the Church linked witchcraft with Satan, black clothing was an easy visual shorthand for “aligned with the powers of darkness.” The stereotype fed itself: if a woman wore black, she looked more “witchy,” so people noticed and remembered her that way.

Folk magic and inversion
In many European folk traditions, black was a protective color that absorbed or repelled negative energy and the evil eye. Wearing black could be a form of defensive magic, ironically the very thing that later made people suspicious.

Modern witchcraft (Wicca, paganism, goth culture)
Today’s witches often wear black deliberately because it feels powerful, elegant, and tied to the archetype. It’s slimming, goes with everything, looks dramatic under candlelight or moonlight, and signals “I’m a witch” without needing a pointy hat. Plus, in ritual, black is seen as containing all colors/absorbing all energy, making it perfect for grounding or protection work.

Bonus pop-culture reason
Thanks to centuries of art, plays, Hollywood (The Wizard of Oz’s Wicked Witch, practically every 1960s–90s TV witch, etc.), the “evil witch = black robes and hat” image is now so iconic that real witches often lean into it for fun or irony.

So in short: it started because poor women wore cheap black clothes, got loaded with centuries of dark-and-scary symbolism, and now witches wear it because it looks badass and completes the brand.

If you are a witch or thinking of becoming one then wear black if you want to, not because you think you must.