Why New England Boho From Practical Magic Is The Only Way We’re Dressing This Fall
“There’s a little witch in all of us.”
Image: Warner Bros. Pictures
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by The Candidly Team
“My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being [dressing] normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage!”
- Aunt Frances
Two things are true about us.
We get tired of dressing like everybody else.
We run out of ideas for how to not dress like everybody else and still look put together.
Who knew Practical Magic and its much-anticipated sequel would offer us a solution?
It’s been almost 30 years since we first met the Owens sisters and fell under the spell of their unique style of coziness, Cottagecore, and 90s, New England boho (3 words we' never thought would appear in the same sentence). And their clothes are just as enchanting now.
There are 8 pieces that have absolutely inspired how we plan to dress this fall that come straight from PM 1 and 2. And here, my friends, is our shopping list.
Image: Warner Bros. Pictures
1. The Romantic Dresses With The Most Flattering Sleeve On Arms
Sally and Ginny (aka Sandra and Nicole) putter around their seaside house in a runway of pretty dresses. But all of their magic can really be attributed to the cut. Silhouette is 98% of what makes a dress look stunning on us. Fit-and-flare dresses with puff sleeves nip the waist and cover the fleshiest bit of our arms, and they make us look very hourglassy and endlessly romantic.
Image: Warner Bros. Pictures
2. The Thrillingly Enormous CASHMERE CardiS
The witches of 2026 are just as cozy as those of 1998, but this time they seem to have gotten their hands on A LOT of cashmere. What separates a good sweater from a sweater you want to reach through your screen and snatch up has a lot to do with scale. It has to swallow you in softness in a manner so spacious it drips off the shoulder like so:
Bottom line is we found the sweaters in real cashmere for a third of the price of anything you’d see in a bougie New England boutique. They’re from Quince, and they’re unreal.
Images: Warner Bros. Pictures
3. The Perfect 90s-ERA Print Dresses
Print dresses are idyllic for fall. Add boots, tights, and one of the aforementioned sweaters*, and poof, you look beautiful … with precisely zero effort.
Images: Warner Bros. Pictures
4. The Maxi Skirts And Sweater Tops That Make Us ALL Look Nicole-Kidman Tall
We wish there were better photos out there of Ginny’s latest knit t-shirt and swirly maxi skirt from PM2, but alas the internet has let us down. That said, there are many examples from both films of a long, lovely (not too full) skirt and a fitted top on both Owens sisters. It’s such a smart, simple uniform for fall, especially for women over 40 who want to look chic but youthy at the same time. Quince makes really pretty cashmere tees* (again, the price is phenom). As for the skirts, just pick a print you love and make sure it’s a proper full-length maxi. That way, you’ll look inches taller.
5. The Black Mesh Turtleneck Dress We’re Wearing to Holiday Parties
The sheerness breaks up the black but keeps all the drama. Also, a turtle makes us look like elongated, model versions of ourselves, and we don’t argue with this kind of trickery. So yes, we’ll be wearing THIS similar dress* to “events” this season, but we’re also buying THIS sheer(ish, fitted turtle* to layer all of September through January.
Images: Warner Bros. Pictures
6. The Boho Tops That Turn Boring Jeans Into Instant OutfitS
Should you own a drawerful of romantic tops with embroidery and lace and lots of detail, you don’t have to do an ounce of work “styling” your clothes. Just toss one on with 90s straight jeans, and maaaaaybe copy Sandra’s, messy-haired, half pony, and you’ll look your absolute best.
Images: Warner Bros. Pictures
7. The Green Pieces That Make Everything Feel Like Magic
Twas actually another movie from 1998 that set off our obsession with this color (Gwyneth Paltrow in an apple-green Donna Karen skirt set in Great Expectations - look it up, you won’t be disappointed). But not since then have we lusted after a color than when Ginny started fluttering around our screen like an absinthe fairy, making us realize that this is the herby, autumnal color that will make every outfit 12x more original. We found it in belly-pooch-hiding maxi dresses*, staple cardis*, and silky slip dresses (long* and short*). They’re all thrilling.
Images: Warner Bros. Pictures
8. The Maroon Dress
Again, the color is a big part of what makes this dress so enchanting. Imagine it with just a swipe of mascara and a just-bitten lip color. We found a stunning replica* of Nicole’s dress with all that lace detail, but we also found a supremely easy dupe from Gap* that gives us all the same good-witch vibes.
BONUS: The Extras
Naturally, there are a lot of original details and layering in the Owens womens’ wardrobes. Some of our favorites include:
The Lace Layering Piece: Wearing this under a low-cut top, v-neck sweater*, or spaghetti strap dress* feels like a stroke of whimsical genius.
The Scarf*: Over the hair or round the neck, we found THE SCARF* of the season, and what a coincidence, it looks just like Sandra’s.
The Beetle Ring*: Awe Inspired created a whole line of jewelry* inspired by the boho pieces worn by Sally and Ginny, but our favorite is THIS Deathwatch Beetle ring*.
The Lace Nightie*: If nothing else, this movie helped us remember the unparalleled femininity of a little, white nightie. THIS one* is verrrry flattering. Midnight margaritas, anyone?
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