The Witcher S3 Receives Backlash Over 'High School Theater' Costumes

There's been a lot of talk about the third season of Netflix's fantasy hit "The Witcher" of late, and while much of it has centered around Season 3 being the last to feature star Henry Cavill, reaction to the latest run of episodes has largely remained positive. However, a certain section of "The Witcher" fandom has a serious bone to pick with the series' costume designers, and they've taken to Reddit to make their feelings known about what they believe to be amateurish costuming.

Part of that conversation is being led by u/BustyHarpyTaskmaster who opened a recent thread with the straight-forward proclamation, "Costuming is Awful," later adding that "after finishing Season 3 I'm just appalled at the choices." The user goes on to admit costuming in fantasy projects can be quite tricky as some stories toe the line between the medieval and the mystical. Nonetheless, they still take the costumes to task with the jab, saying "the wardrobe for the main characters is so awful and cheap looking."

In particular, the user has issues with the way costumers dress the series' female stars, comparing their garb to the garish styles of Vegas showgirls while proclaiming, "It's like a toddler chose things to dress up in." Further down the thread, u/dust-in-the-sun took matters a step further, commenting that some of the costumes on Season 3 of "The Witcher" look "like everyone just stumbled into whatever fits in the long-neglected costume closets of a high school theater."

The criticisms continue to roll in for "The Witcher's" costuming as the thread unfolds, with u/mamamackmusic throwing a virtual uppercut with the comment, "95% of the costumes look like someone went to Spirit Halloween and just picked out random 'vaguely fantasy-medieval' costumes from random racks and called it good." Going a little easier on the costuming crew, u/IOExplosion commented that clothes were less a problem for the female cast as a whole than for the sorceress Yenneffer specifically, posting, "Philipa's looks were the highlight of costuming this season. Yennefer's were a struggle." This read on the wardrobe of the sorceress Philipa led to responses showing u/IOExplosion is not alone in thinking the show's costumers did right by that character, with several Redditors chiming in to agree.

As for the sometimes saucy adornments donned by the female cast, u/HauntingVerus reminded "The Witcher" viewers that they're actually tame compared to those described in the novels which inspired the show. "Sure, but that would not be the books," they noted, adding, "In the books they use very skimpy clothes to show off their nearly ageless bodies..."  

Costuming discourse aside, u/MrToon316 seized on the conversation to point out the costumes as one of several problems sinking "The Witcher" on the whole, posting, "Yup... the whole show is a MESS ... I have never ever been more disappointed in a TV show." They were more or less alone in that hard-edged stance, however, with most fans willing to cut "The Witcher" a little slack on the costume front so long as it continues to deliver big-time fantasy thrills.