Wizards: The Costumes of Middle Earth

In this video, I talk all about Wizards (Well, except Radagast). I discuss the origins of the traditional "wizard look," major changes between the books and movies, Christopher Lee's hatred of his costume and a whole lot more. Leave a like, subscribe, and comment whatever I might have missed!
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[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:55 Gandalf the Gray 5:03 Saruman of Many Colors 7:28 Saruman the White 9:16 Gandalf vs Saruman 10:47 Gandalf the White 12:53 Conclusion 14:07 Outro

[@dustymooneye5858]

I'll never get tired of hearing Saruman complain about his clothes and being unable to step up stairs with the grace he desires. Rest in peace, you legend 💙

[@HrothgarTheSaxon]

And the best part, Peter Jackson: "You did it this morning"

[@Neutral_Tired]

For Gandalf's hat, I'd have probably chosen a faded grey-blue, so it still looks like part of the outfit and doesn't look too Disney

[@bpett1999]

A bit disappointed that Radagast didn't make the cut... I was really looking forward to a 10-minute rant on the whole bird poop situation😂

[@alice5790]

the point about sunny and warm versus stormy and cold at 11:45 perfectly encapsulates both the wizards' characters and their design

[@Thraim.]

I never really thought about how difficult it must've been to keep a bunch of characters who are in the same archetype distinct from each other.

[@ChetJang]

Christopher Lee was an interesting person he claimed that he read the Lord of the Rings yearly and was the only cast member of the Lord of Rings Trilogy who actually met Tolkien. Several cast members had never even read the Lord of the Rings.

[@joshuawestlund]

I guess it’s time to admit to myself that I’m binging this channel now.

[@seangates1451]

Just a note, Jess: Frank was actually Baum’s middle name. He was Lyman Frank Baum, and for probably obvious reasons he went by Frank. Thus he is correctly L. Frank Baum. He was a writer and did not specify what his witch’s headgear was, I don’t think, but his illustrator, William Wallace Denslow, and his successors, sure went for the cone hat.

[@HrothgarTheSaxon]

"Jess the Goth", the sixth much lesser known wizard - one of the many "sixth much lesser known wizards" 🤣 - Hrothgar the Green

[@darklaser7254]

Wat

[@guyr3618]

"These clothes are a MENACE!"🤣

[@creightonarmstrong1481]

I really appreciate that you truly know the ins and outs of both the books and movies that is Lord of the Rings. It bothers me sometimes how some people who try to explain say only partial information like Tolkien was inspired only by Norse mythology and ignoring the Catholic parallels that are clear in it. I love how you analyze and give love to the work of minor details in the movies that helps keep the movies accurate to the books without having every part in it. I truly enjoyed this video. Thank you

[@DominikJaniec]

Jess the Goth - the Hobbit Sorcerer

[@MAnnaYager]

I do love seeing your rat. Rats are so fascinating and make delightful pets. The downside is that their lifespan is quite short.

[@germainelowpt7206]

Gosh, how I love your work. It's amazing and so full of love for the middle earth ❤

[@LoganLS0]

"He who breaks a thing to find out what it os has left the path of wisdom." One of the quotes of all time.

[@jellycubed3575]

I just recently found this channel and the videos are fantastic. I think the movies did a great job with Gandalf's white outfit being almost too bright to look at when they first see him in this form. Then, they brought it down to a level that was bearable for the fellowship. Keep up the great work!

[@Oakleaf012]

This is super interesting!! Thank you! Also I did not know that about the Jewish conical hats and the connection to the modern witch hats. Clothing history is so wild

[@rabalderaller]

I love these videos! If you know antydning about historical garments I’d love to also hear whether the silhuettes or details of different costumes reference different time periods.

[@mordyth]

Wow! 100 subs. I found you last week at 25k and now you're over 30k. Gratz!

[@kollibriterresonnenblume2314]

Another great video. I appreciate your attention to detail.

[@Mote.]

Great video. You're so well-spoken.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

At about 10:27 in this video: That drawing vaguely resembles American actor Lee Marvin.

[@pettytyrant2720]

I am very surprised when discussing Gandalf visual origin you fail to mention the painting by German artist, J. Madelener entitled - 'Der Berggeist, the mountain spirit' showing an old man sitting on a rock under an alpine tree feeding a young deer. A reproduction of which Tolkien acquired whilst travelling in Europe and inspired Gandalf's look, or at the very least closely matched his idea of Gandalf.

[@Mark-Bretlach]

Interesting look you have from 2 years ago (not so middle earth and more Goth) still nice then and now))

[@sheilamayfield9587]

Watched this video again.

[@KeesKouwenberg]

Gandalf, not Gendalf. Having said that, love the vieo, thumbs up!!

[@wandamundy1759]

Thought this was going to be about how to MAKE costumes - not just talk about them. We all have noticed/seen/observed the clothing . . . what we want to know - is how to MAKE the now-iconic outfits.

[@jpavlvs]

Gandalf is interesting. Based on Odin the Wanderer.

[@Astrobrewster]

It’s not purity and corruption, it’s purity and curiosity. 😊

[@lauramathews3151]

Radagast the Brown has many wonderful traits, fashion queen is not among them, especially compared to his gray and white counterparts...

[@dqixsoss7436]

We stan Jess the Goth

[@d.edwardmeade3683]

Beautiful history lesson 👍.... btw, Odin is a version of the Germanic figure, Woden... this is where the Danes get Woden's Day, or as it became known later as Wednesday. 😃

[@lauramathews3151]

Merlin, Galen, Gandalf, Dumbledore, the grizzled wisened magic mentor who maintains an air of mystery and keeps many secrets.

[@ozzizgod]

You look just fine as Jess the goth. 😁

[@Meleeman011]

i like radagast :(

[@hawgryder13]

Jess, sorry but you don't really look like a hobbit, more like a Sindarin Elf but which ain't a bad thing. Really like your in depth look at the look of the wizards (well, 2 of them). I didn't even notice the brocade and stitching patterns. Thanks for the sharp eyes (another elven trait).

[@Mote.]

I've always loved magic and wizards. In Runescape and Elder Scrolls I played as a mage.

[@Mote.]

But swords are cool. So i guess perhaps spell-sword playstyle.

[@Anshelm77]

6:45 Minor nitpick: the Valar weren't really a thing at this point, it was only after their coming to Arda, that the Ainur were classified into the ranks of Valar and Maiar. Of course, all of the future Valar were present, so the statement isn't wrong in that sense, they just weren't called that yet.

[@brudaram6269]

👍🔥👍

[@buckingham412]

well, I used to think Jess without make-up was sexier but now I'm conflicted

[@nosrin1988]

Im just hear to watch a pretty lady talk about classic fantasy. what's not to love?

[@tomhoornstra1954]

Less is more.

[@allisongliot]

I love the conclusion you reach about how adaptions should faithfully show the themes in the original work but don't necessarily have to translate everything word-for-word. It allows for creative license to make something really cool and new while still capturing the essence of the story. Can Disney hire you please?

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

Adaptation is such a neat art, and we're so lucky to be in a time when it's so popular! I will talk to Walt about that stat

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

​@@Jess_of_the_Shire>>> Walt will probably START by telling you to NUKE MODERN DISNEY. 🤭🤭🤭

[@00M6TA]

@@Allan_aka_RocKITEman Walt has probably been rolling in his grave for decades.

[@ZemplinTemplar]

Disney doesn't deserve Jess. ;-)

[@davidkglevi]

Surely Merlin must have been one of Tolkien's greatest inspirations.

[@LowellMorgan]

No, Merlin was just a medieval wizard figure who advised a king-to-be and returned from the dead.

[@davidkglevi]

@@LowellMorgan Exactly, nothing like Gandalf 🙂

[@paulmitchell9975]

I see your point! But he explicitly stated that he wasn't very keen on the Arthurian legends. From letter 131: "I was from early days grieved by the poverty of my own beloved country: it had no stories of its own (bound up with its tongue and soil), not of the quality that I sought, and found (as an ingredient) in legends of other lands. There was Greek, and Celtic, and Romance, Germanic, Scandinavian, and Finnish (which greatly affected me); but nothing English, save impoverished chap-book stuff. Of course there was and is all the Arthurian world, but powerful as it is, it is imperfectly naturalized, associated with the soil of Britain but not with English; and does not replace what I felt to be missing. For one thing its 'faerie' is too lavish, and fantastical, incoherent and repetitive. For another and more important thing: it is involved in, and explicitly contains the Christian religion."

[@davidkglevi]

@@paulmitchell9975 Well, you don't have to like your source material. Tolkien didn't care too much for either Arthurian legends or Shakespeare but he was yet very aware of both Merlin and Prospero. Famously the Ents are a counterpoint to the "walking forest" in Macbeth.

[@paulmitchell9975]

@@davidkglevi Yes! I imagine a young Tolkien being furious with Macbeth. The Huorns at Helms deep are an upgrade to Dunsinane, and Eowyn killing the witch king is 10x more satisfying than that weak sauce MacDuff caesarian nonsense. He still based Gandalf on Odin, though.

[@johnwalters1341]

In the book, Gandalf received his white robes from Galadriel, a lady known for her taste in fashion. Also kudos to Ngila Dickson for her design acumen!

[@S.A.S.H.]

Your vocal modulation shows a great sense of narrative talent. Having done voice-over work off and on for many years, I'm continually impressed and delight by how well you control your instrument.

[@michaelclueless]

Thank you for this informative comparison; I doubt I’d’ve noticed half of your points. I was briefly tempted to weave a cloak of colors, until you explained its significance :) Gandalf’s way is right in my comfort zone. I’m pushing the limits of tolerance at my job, though, so I save the robes for home. I did wear a cloak to work in cooler weather, and was quickly labeled “Lord Michael” lol The labels of “hobbit” and “BagelBeard” persist, where few call me “lord” today.

[@RainMakeR_Workshop]

What about Gandalfs epic cloak? Its not just a simple square cloak. But an ankle length Ruana cloak that drapes over him.

[@robertosabado4955]

Silhouettes plays such a big role when it comes to portrayal of fantasy on screen or other forms of visual entertainment. It really helps the immersion of the individuality of just one character, or the race and culture of an entire made up group of people. One of the best examples of this that I can think of is how PJ's adaptation handled portraying the men of Gondor and the men of Rohan. Both are from the race of men but just by their silhouette you can easily tell them apart. It's a subtle detail yet in my opinion one of the most important aspects of what makes a successful fantasy adaptation.

[@sbskinner369]

I can't express how much I love these breakdowns!❤️ You need to keep doing them. One of the details I noticed was so small that when I saw it I was blown away. In the book Saruman is described as having a long white beard that still has a small trace of black. And as I watched the film, I noticed that they kept that in the movie! Such a small detail that could have over looked, but they were so faithful they kept it in.

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

Wow! I never noticed that! I wonder if it has to do with him not being entirely "white" even when he was Saruman the White.... thanks so much for watching!!

[@helenafarkas4534]

it also tied in Sir Christopher's magnificently Dark Eyebrows.

[@t.j.armendariz354]

I think the way Saruman’s clothing is weathered it kind of gives the impression of colors being present, when they’re outside there’s brighter bluer sections and darker yellower sections, and the metal and ornamentation and choice of fabric work to give the impression of a pastel but multi-color fabric that shimmers slightly, shifting hue. Likewise with Gandalf’s white outfit, the cream gives the impression of the white but hidden by a cloak, but with the color grading, when he’s next to a bunch of darker clothed people, it looks much brighter, and then is amplified by CGI when he goes to use his power to save Faramir or in the Forrest giving the impression of the uncloaked brightness As someone who does costuming for fun, sometimes details like that or about the impression they give not what it actually is, the original Darth Vader costume was grey because the black disappeared and lost the imposing detail, no one notices that because it’s dark enough to look black on camera, and this is a similar effect

[@kathryngliot7147]

You know, I could never quite understand why Saruman didn't have the underpaid orc perm his beard too... he could've been so much more slick

[@sgtmajor5700]

Peter the Pink was a wizard working behind the scenes.

[@dawahaddict]

Isn’t his hat a little blue? At least in Fellowship? It’s a pale blue grey to my eyes. It always bothers me when it’s shown as the exact same color as his robes.

[@d.edwardmeade3683]

I'm very much enjoying this series you've made. Your passion shows in your presentation. Excellent episode, Jess!! 👏👏👏👏 Thanks for sharing!! 😁 ❤

[@ProfessorFaceless]

This was a fantastic video essay! Excellent work and I love the subtle details between the characters of Gandalf and Saruman.

[@foolofatook9867]

Only now I notice that even though Gandalf's new clothes have much more details and embroidery, it's still not as excessive as Saruman's. His belt is braided, not heavily embroidered, and the details on the edges are subtle and don't look as if they would cost a castle

[@palletbox]

you are very well spoken... I love your insights. job well done

[@ZemplinTemplar]

Jess the Amber Loremistress. :-) Thanks for the Istari apparel analysis.

[@KS-xk2so]

I really don't blame you for making this a 2 person list.... sure Radagast was always a bit of a chump... but my god, they didn't need to do him "bumbling fool who won't even wipe the birdshit off his face" levels of dirty in the movies lol

[@johnjclawson]

If discord is possible in your music at all, surely you aren’t an all knowing creator god

[@sebastianevangelista4921]

Apparently Saruman has the same weakness as Po and old school Daleks: STAIRS!!!

[@violet9214]

Saruman the Pride Flag

[@rodneycoulman3013]

I'd like to hear your thoughts on Radagasts costume in The Hobbit

[@MichaelBierhup]

Is Gandal's hat in the film grey? I always thought it was really light shade of blue that blurs the line between grey and blue

[@natenichols9569]

The least known and secretly most appreciated: Jess the Goth

[@vingaxoc6543]

My plan is to dress like Gandalf every day when I get old

[@davidvernon3119]

Saruman the chromatic? No that doesn’t work

[@S.A.S.H.]

I would love to have an entire record of the guitar work you use in your videos!

[@sebastianevangelista4921]

If only we got a novel centered around Jess the Goth!

[@d.edwardmeade3683]

Your hair looks fantastic. 😄 😊

[@Andystuff800]

Radagast is great, I don't get the hate.

[@danvelez5838]

I love your brain:) great editing, I have 3 Tolkien tattoos,and listen to his audio books daily for years.really cool channel, thank you:)

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

*_"Jess the Goth"_* 👍😊❤️

[@bzqp2]

In the Hobbit movies they actually made the hat slightly blue. I really liked the change.

[@bzqp2]

Now that I think of it that was the only thing I liked about the Hobbit movies...

[@corvid...]

I enjoy your whole channel... But I LOVE these costume vids. So interesting and well thought out

[@jsnsk101]

What PJ did to Radagast is unforgivable, although you could say that for all 3 of his Hobbit movies.

[@kathleenhensley5951]

One of my favorite quotes of the trilogy is that one about that 'he who breaks a thing ...'

[@bentorres4620]

I love your videos. So intelligent and thought out!

[@bowl-of-petunias5671]

I like that rankin bass made his hat a cone to make sure his brows stuck out.

[@janeh9962]

so cool to watch these videos as somebody who has seen the movies for the first time only a few months ago & hasn't read the books (yet, at least!!!) i always think what stays and what is changed in adaptations is SUCH an interesting topic to dive into and u always have such amazing background research omg

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

I'm so glad you got to watch the movies! Adaptation is a fascinating art

[@queens.dee.223]

Off topic but which brand do you use for your blue eyeshadow? I'm assuming it would have been even more amazing for the smokey eye look! The brand I've been using for blue doesn't hold up well in the summer. Thank you for all the amazing videos!

[@davidponseigo8811]

Jess the Goth would be better known as Jess the Gorgeous.

[@AdelaideBen1]

So - first off.... love the channel/posts. As a long-term Tolkein fan (maybe too many terms :-)) I appreciate your take, and style. I'm rolling through your back-catalog, and the only thing I would say, your editing most probably was pretty 'dramatic' in this phase of your channel. Jump-editing/zooming is actually very dis-orientating (and more used in more acid-paced youtube styles). I love your content but actually get physically ill with the constant jump-zooms you employed. That could be a me problem - but it felt like an online-ADHD-experience rather than an a relaxing journey into one of the most celebrated artificial-words in modern times. Having said that - I can't do to-camera videos, so kudos to you. And once again, your content is actually impressive

[@rickjanzen2180]

As usual, your analysis is very keen. Oddly, I am most pleased by your use of the word you eucatastrophe. The very existence of such a word gives me much joy. And to hear it used. Correctly is marvelous. Great work.

[@jerrydrouillard]

So your shirt is Navy blue.

[@enterprisesoftwarearchitect]

Dude, you are a great speaker

[@chamorvenigo3128]

There was no foul wizard! Actually Sauron is a good guy. He wrestled the fate of humanity out of the Eru Illuvatar & Co. and put it firmly into the hands of humanity. Then he pretended to die when a hobbit, that have been "sneaking" in Sauron's backyard, destroyed his "horcrux". So, Saruman was not a foul wizard. He was a grand wizard who was tricked to perform good deeds. Same thing cannot be said for Sharky though. Sharky was foul but he was no longer deemed a wizard.

[@chamorvenigo3128]

Also, from my modern man's view point, Sauron's side was more progressive than the Dung-Ages protagonists' side of humanity. Sauron's side actually represented a large part of humanity. His civilization was undergoing rapid process of industrialization. The orcs also shows a high degree of inclusivity where disabled orcs were given equal opportunity for employment as those able-bodied orcs. Meanwhile, the protagonists' society seemed to prize vanity and are mining precious stones for decorative purposes. The disabled or disfigured individuals of the society were ostracised or sidelined.

[@AnnieRegret]

😂Based

[@mrusinkiify]

So sorry that the only Slavic deity that Tolkien incorporated got so.. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radogost_%28mythology%29 God of Hospitality Radagość and Bombadil might even have a lot in common. Guest right, not giving an F about the ring, living in a forest, generalized jolliness