Theoretically, Gen Z should hate Wednesday Addams’s look, but …

Over the years, the fictional Addams family has maintained its popularity through many generations. They have been popular from the 1930s comic to the 1991 big screen adaptation. Wednesday Addams is a young gothic icon. Most credit goes to Christina Ricci’s 1990 portrayal. While the essence of Addams’ grim character has largely remained unchanged over […]

Jenna Ortega is Wednesday’s host. It has quickly become one of Netflix’s most-watched series, surpassing Stranger Things 4. In a matter of a few short weeks, Wednesday has become a viral sensation. She responded strongly to a question about her social media followers in the first episode. «I find social networking a soul-sucking place of meaningless affirmation.» Despite her inability to join any of her peers on screen, her all-black outfits, intuitive comebacks and haunting dance movies quickly captured the attention of the younger generation.

Gothic style is a popular sartorial choice in the past, as can be seen in John Galliano’s designs and Tom Ford for Gucci. The show is a perfect fit, given the growing emphasis on moodier styles. Burton and Colleen Atwood, the lead costume designer, were able to reorient the morbid aesthetic to meet the needs of today’s pop culture zeitgeist. TikTok bombards me with styling videos that feature collared blouses and lace tights set to Lady Gaga’s «Bloody Mary» tune.

The anti-hero Wednesday quickly became a fashion icon for the younger generation, despite the lack of depth that has characterized traditional gothic stories. She stood out despite being a character who so desperately wanted to be left alone. In a shared press release, the series showrunners stated that «There’s still a classic element to Wednesday, but we wanted it to feel modern and give her an edge. This would resonate for this generation and age.» We took everything down and made it clear that her color palette would be limited to black and white. To contrast, everyone around her would be wearing color, so Wednesday would always be different. Although it sounds easy, it was difficult to put into practice. You will not see our background extras in black or white, for instance.

Wednesday Addams, at first glance, is not the person you would associate with Gen Z. There are many reasons Wednesday Addams is still a lonely outcast at school. Atwood explained how she created the costumes, explaining that she wanted to emphasize this striking difference. «Wednesday’s dress in episode one was in Charles Addams’ style with a large pointed white collar and a sharply pointed neck. This contrasts with what we see in the other students wearing traditional American teen fashions.

Atwood is right about the traditional teen fashions. My generation’s on-screen depictions are filled with clashing prints and beaded phone cases. They also have a penchant to color. It’s not surprising that Wednesday’s success surprised me, as Burton has created an entirely new world for the Addams clan that is impossible to resist. We’re used to seeing characters on shows like Euphoria or Sex Lives of College Girls make impactful stylistic connections. Wednesday, however, can feel a little strange. Although I was initially skeptical that such a morbid character would resonate with the masses, I have never been happier to be proved wrong.

Wednesday proved that this generation is infinitely multifaceted and doesn’t care about fitting into the mold of what’s on-screen. (The White Lotus might want to take some notes on Portia’s styling, but that’s another conversation.)

Ortega’s Wednesday was reimagined by Atwood as a new-age visionary of gothic Gothic. It pays homage to the original but incorporates what she has seen on street style and TikTok. She explained that Wednesday is allergic to color. So she combined the geometric possibilities of black with contrast textures using collar shapes and chunky shoes with her hand-painted stripes uniform to keep her in a real world that felt very current.

It makes sense that this generation is heading towards a revival of the gothic with indie sleaze and dark academia.