The Internet Can’t Stop Talking About Elphaba’s ‘Sex Cardigan,’ And Wicked’s Costume Designer Just Weighed In

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The first Wicked movie, available on Amazon Prime, was a critical and commercial hit, earning costume designer Paul Tazewell an Academy Award. The follow-up, For Good, was a box office sensation, featuring memorable costumes. One outfit in particular – a thick cardigan worn by Elphaba during her duet “As Long As You’re Mine” with Fiyero – has become a viral sensation, dubbed the “sex cardigan,” and Tazewell himself has responded to the online buzz.

The costumes in Wicked: For Good are as beautiful, vibrant, and carefully designed as those in the original Wicked. They truly bring the world of Oz to life and give audiences insight into what the characters are feeling. However, the knitted outfit worn by Cynthia Erivo during her love song has become particularly popular online – it’s definitely the most talked-about look from the show.

What The Internet Has Been Saying About The “As Long As You’re Mine” Cardigan

It’s common for popular movies and TV shows to inspire a lot of online memes, and the Wicked films are no different. After For Good was released in November, a lot of discussion quickly focused on Elphaba’s cardigan. She puts it on during the song “As Long As You’re Mine,” right before a romantic scene with Fiyero in her secret hideaway.

A perfect example of this is a meme using a scene from the movie The Devil Wears Prada. This meme format often appears whenever a celebrity’s outfit becomes popular online. You can see it below:

I can’t help but find the phrase “sex cardigan” hilarious. Beyond the garment’s bulky, homemade appearance, some viewers also found it amusing that Cynthia Ervio’s character was putting clothes on during a scene that heavily suggested intimacy. It’s a clever way to keep the movie rated PG, I guess!

Some people were confused by this Elphaba costume, but many others enjoyed it. Here’s a humorous reaction that circulated online:

It’s the same situation, really. People often say that any publicity is good publicity, and the fact that this costume became so popular online just proves how much of a hit Wicked: For Good is. There are lots of memes circulating about the sweater, and another humorous take points out the funny contrast between the lingerie and the knitted piece. You can see it below.

Interestingly, some viewers wished the song “As Long As You’re Mine” had been more sensual, even though Wicked: For Good is rated PG. This was especially true considering the song featured Jonathan Bailey, named ‘Sexiest Man Alive,’ who had a short shirtless moment after it ended. But what are the thoughts of costume designer Paul Tazewell regarding all the online discussion about his now-famous outfit?

How Costume Designer Paul Tazewell Responded To The Sex Cardigan Discourse

Tazewell has enjoyed a successful year, winning an Academy Award for the first Wicked film and a Tony Award for his Broadway work on Death Becomes Her. In a recent interview with NPR about his work on For Good, the conversation turned to his now-famous “sex cardigan.” He shared the story behind the creation of this viral piece of clothing, explaining his thought process.

The idea for the sweater came naturally from considering Elphaba’s situation. Living on her own, she’d likely create something practical and comforting – a robe, perhaps – and she has the means to do so, with a loom in her treehouse where she makes her own clothes. The sweater simply fits with her resourceful nature and ability to create things from what’s around her.

Throughout her travels in ‘For Good,’ Elphaba has been making her own clothes. Because she’s constantly on the move and doesn’t have a proper home with walls and a roof, she needs a way to stay warm. That’s how the idea for her famous cardigan came about.

Okay, so the movie’s got people talking, and not just about the story. I’ve seen a lot of chatter online about a particular scene with Elphaba, specifically her wardrobe choices during a romantic moment. Some viewers found it amusing she bothered to get dressed at all before things got intimate, but others felt the bulky, hand-knitted cardigan she wore during ‘As Long As You’re Mine’ wasn’t exactly… flattering. The director, Tazewell, recently responded to this criticism, and here’s what they had to say…

You might wonder why she wasn’t wearing something else, like a black robe. But it doesn’t really make sense for her to have that, does it? I believe her clothing choices simply reflect her personality, values, and what’s important to her.

The costumes for Wicked: For Good were designed with the characters in mind, and that’s especially true for Elphaba’s famous cardigan. It’s always interesting to learn how things are made, and now fans can see the thought process behind this iconic piece of clothing and why it was created.

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2025-12-03 17:39