We're Witches: Sabrina, Charmed and '90s Fashion

HALLOWEEN · POP CULTURE · BLACK LIMBA

From Sabrina to Charmed: the '90s witches who taught us to be different.

There was a time when being considered a witch could have terrible consequences. Centuries later, witches became the protagonists of some of our favorite films and TV shows.

They had powers, different personalities, everyday problems and something in common: none of them quite fit what was expected of them.

And maybe that's why we liked them so much.

FROM PERSECUTED WOMEN TO THE PROTAGONISTS OF OUR STORIES

For centuries, thousands of people were accused of witchcraft in Europe. Most were women, and those persecutions were shaped by religious beliefs, social conflicts and expectations about how women should behave.

Over time, the figure of the witch was transformed by popular culture.

The witches we got to know on television in the '90s were no longer simply characters to fear. They could also be teenagers discovering their identities, sisters trying to balance their lives or women who refused to follow other people's rules.

SABRINA: CHANGING YOUR MIND IS SO YOU

Sabrina Spellman was trying to juggle school, friendships and her powers while discovering who she wanted to be.

In Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, magic was also a way to experiment. And her wardrobe reflected that freedom: a casual look one day, something completely different the next.

Because finding your style doesn't mean you have to stick with it forever.

CHARMED: THERE IS NO SINGLE WAY TO BE POWERFUL

Prue, Piper and Phoebe Halliwell had completely different personalities. Their differences were part of what made their relationship special.

In Charmed, the protagonists could face supernatural forces while also worrying about their jobs, relationships or what to wear when going out.

And although the series had its own contradictions, it left us with an interesting idea: women don't have to be alike to support one another.

They don't have to dress alike either.

PRACTICAL MAGIC: TWO DIFFERENT WAYS TO BE A WOMAN

Sally and Gillian Owens, the protagonists of Practical Magic, represent two very different ways of facing life.

One seeks peace and stability. The other wants to experiment, take risks and live without having to explain herself too much.

But neither of them has to be the right version.

For a long time, women have had to contend with contradictory expectations: to be discreet, but attractive; independent, but not too much; confident, but without making anyone uncomfortable.

What if we didn't have to choose?

JÓVENES Y BRUJAS: BEING DIFFERENT SHOULDN’T BE A PROBLEM

In Jóvenes y brujas, four teenagers discover in magic a way to face rejection, insecurity and the desire to belong somewhere.

The film also shows how power can be used in destructive ways. But its aesthetic and characters remain a cultural reference from the 1990s.

And they remind us of something that still rings true: being different shouldn’t automatically turn you into someone to be judged.

Not for the way you think. Not for the way you behave. Not for the way you choose to dress.

IF BEING YOURSELF MAKES YOU A WITCH...

The witches of our childhood had something in common: none of them was exactly what was expected of her.

Some were discreet. Others impulsive. Some wanted to go unnoticed. Others had no intention of doing so.

Today, we can reclaim that figure to talk about freedom, autonomy and all the possible ways of being a woman.

You can wear lace on a Monday, activewear on a Friday and completely change your mind on Saturday.

You don’t have to justify it.