Fan favorite and Buffy's best friend since day one, Willow Rosenberg had an extraordinary fashion journey over the course of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's seven-season run. Alongside other fashion-forward characters like Buffy and Sunnydale's resident mean girl, Cordelia Chase, Willow has proven to have one of the show's most impressive wardrobes.
Willow's transformation from a meek computer nerd to a powerful witch saw her slowly develop her spiritual strengths along with her personal wardrobe, characterized by a playful, whimsical style. In recent years, her witchy and gothic fashion sense has found popularity online as a major source of inspiration for the "whimsigothic" fashion trend.
10 Willow Served A Range Of Looks In Doppelxland
In Season 3, Episode 16, "Doppelgangland," Anya and Willow perform a botched spell to retrieve the now-mortal Anya's amulet, bringing an alternate universe Vampire Willow to Sunnydale and introducing fans to a much edgier side of Willow they wouldn't otherwise see until her brief stint as a villain in Season 6.
Although Vampire Willow's fashion in this episode is chic enough on its own, Willow's more wholesome fashion proves just as stylish. When she's not fanged up and evil, Willow dons this fluffy pink knit sweater adorned with embroidered white flowers and chunky buttons in true Willow style.
9 Willow And Tara Put Fans Under Their Spell In "Once More, With Feeling"
"Once More, With Feeling," the musical episode from Season 6, has been hailed as one of the show's most controversial for its questionable premise in which Sunnydale is placed under a spell making everyone sing out their inner thoughts. Beyond the hit-or-miss musical numbers, "Once More, With Feeling" brought fans a bevy of iconic looks, with the two top outfits belonging to Willow and her late girlfriend Tara.
In the "Under Your Spell" sequence, sung by Amber Benson herself, the couple is shown in a pair of elegantly vintage witchy looks. Tara wears an embroidered green corset over a brown dress, and Willow wears a very 70s-inspired purple wrap-dress decorated in vinery.
8 Early Seasons Willow Was The Master Of Stylish Overalls
Before her style turnaround in Season 4, Willow was known for her casual, child-like fashion, and, most notably, her countless overalls and dungarees. They represented the more immature and self-conscious aspects of her character and their prevalence prior to her graduation.
In this Season 3 episode, "Consequences," Buffy struggles to hide her guilt over the death of deputy mayor Allan Finch at the hands of Faith and herself. Willow, being the supportive friend that she is, offers Buffy some meaningful advice while wearing this quintessentially Willow long sleeve-overall combo.
7 Halloween Introduced Willow To Her Edgier Side
In Season 2, Episode 6, "Halloween," the Scooby Gang gets ready for a night out on the town before having to defend themselves and the children they're taking care of from a city-wide spell that turns everyone into their costumes à la Halloweentown II.
While Buffy and Xander are excited to show off their new costumes, Willow falls victim to her own self-consciousness after trying on the more revealing costume Buffy picked out for her. Complete with a mini skirt and burgundy crop top, this look is arguably the Buffy-est of Willow's wardrobe.
6 Everybody Showed Up And Showed Out For "The Prom"
Season 3's "The Prom" is a brief moment of reprieve for the Scooby Gang amidst Mayor Wilkins' plans to destroy Sunnydale, allowing the heroes to get some much-needed rest before their final battle with the mayor. In true 90s fashion, "The Prom" is chock-full of slip dresses, satin, and shawls, and Willow's velvety number is no exception.
The young witch wears a form-fitting brown halter dress paired with a thin shawl, which matches her dark, ginger hair perfectly. This outfit really shows audiences how Willow is beginning to lean into her darker and earthier aesthetic in the third season's second half.
5 Willow's Astrology Dress Is Something Straight Out Of TikTok
It's clear that everyone, especially Willow, has grown into their style considerably by Season 3, and Episode 19, "Choices," appears to prove that true. In this episode, after Buffy suggests they take the fight directly to the mayor prior to graduation, the gang assigns Willow to help break into City Hall in search of a magic box.
Given that this signifies a major shift in Willow's role in the team thanks to her magical abilities, it only makes sense that she would start this episode wearing a velvety long sleeve dress decorated with an astrological chart.
4 Willow Looked Only Slightly Like A Crazy Birthday Cake In This Shirt
Season 4, Episode 6, "Wild at Heart," was an emotionally loaded episode for Willow and Oz. When Oz is left alone on the night of the full moon and comes across a female werewolf, he finds himself infatuated with her and unable to commit himself to Willow.
Though this episode is a particularly low point for Willow, she still made time for an underrated serve with this printed top, which she states makes her look like a "crazy birthday cake." Interestingly enough, the top was worn a week after this episode aired in a 1999 episode of Friends by another '90s fashion icon, Phoebe Buffay.
3 Dark Willow Was Buffy's Version Of Teen Titans' Raven
Season 6 was clearly a much darker season. Buffy's friends pull her out of literal paradise, Willow becomes addicted to magic, causing Tara to leave her, and Willow eventually turns to the dark side after Tara is shot by a stray bullet.
In her grief over Tara's death and ongoing obsession with magic, Willow goes through a magical transformation, complete with dark hair and black, Gothic attire. Her look for the latter half of the season is very reminiscent of DC's resident teen magic user, Raven.
2 This Color Coded Look Is The Best Of Willow's Early Looks
In the Season 3 episode "Lovers Walk," Spike returns to Sunnydale after breaking up with Drusilla and kidnaps Willow in hopes of getting her to perform a love spell for him to get her back. The episode takes a darker turn when Cordelia is injured after the gang rescues Willow by impaling herself on a metal spike, leading to her subsequent isolation from then-boyfriend Xander and the Scooby Gang. Prior to her conflict with Spike, Willow dons this cute purple sweater and skirt combo, a look reminiscent of her earlier scholarly wardrobe.
1 Vampire Willow's Fetish Gear Is Willow's Most Badass Look Ever
Another look from Season 3's sixteenth episode "Doppelgangland," this leather-and-lace set worn by Willow and her demonic alternate universe counterpart is probably the edgiest and most iconic of Willow's outfits throughout the show.
The classic combination of black and red paired with the Renaissance-like style of her leather top create a classically Gothic vibe perfect for a show like Buffy. Looks like this one and those worn by fashion duo Spike and Drusilla heavily contributed to the show's reputation as a champion of Goth style.