Amber Benson in Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Tara Maclay, portrayed by Amber Benson, is a quiet, small town white witch. She is best known as the other half of one of TV's healthiest relationships. Tara is the girl that allows Willow to accept and embrace being gay. She's the water to Willow's fire. After meeting Willow, she begins to gain confidence, lose her stutter, and start speaking up. Not to mention she has some killer updos.

Tara is the most emphatic character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She's had a traumatic start to life. Her mother and only ally died when she was a teenager. The men in her family convinced the women that they were demons in order to keep them under control. She's been bullied and grew up with little to no friends. But, these hardships didn't break her, they made her more intuitive and stronger. She's the girl everyone goes to for real talk and the only one most would feel comfortable having a breakdown in front of.  Everything she does is paved with good intentions. She only uses magic to help others, not for personal gain.

Tara's style emulates the angsty, feminist singer/songwriters of the 90's and 00's. She looks to icons like Ani Defranco, Aimee Mann, Tori Amos, Liz Phair, etc. for inspiration. Her look features baggy cargo pants, graphic tee-shirts with long sleeves underneath, flowy maxi skirts, and a killer zig-zag, middle hair part. Tara is the master of layering. She wears little to no makeup. She sticks with a natural, Earth Mother vibe in her personality and appearance.

Mixed with this tomboy style is a Renaissance element. Sometimes, it borders on a Renaissance fair costume, but it's an interesting take on fantastical depictions of old-timey witches. She wears corsets over maxi, long sleeve dresses; a style seen in the 1500's. She tones it down with modern touches in the colors, accessories, hair, and cuts of the garment. This aspect of her style draws from Stevie Nicks if you replaced her dark colors with earth tones. This outlandish look is displayed perfectly in the musical episode of Buffy, entitled, "Once More, With Feeling."

Hit a high note with this bewitching look:

The three key pieces to this look are:

Corset. This can be a hard one to find, but if you look hard enough you will find it. Steer away from the gothic lace up corsets and look for warmer colors mixed with blues, pinks, and/or greens. One of the most interesting things about corsets is their detailing. The piping in the body and top not only helps the garment keep its form, it provides intricate lines, shapes, and textures. The snaps can be in the back or the front. It could lace up. There are many options with corsets, but really it's the corset that finds you.

Flowy Skirt. You want the skirt the be long, either to the ankle or to the top of the foot. Think about layering and texture in the body and bottom of the skirt, often in places where it usually is not. For fall and winter, look for a thicker fabric, like most cotton or cotton-blends. For spring and summer, look for a gauzy, sheer fabric, like chiffon, with a silk slip underneath. Layering different types of fabrics in the skirt can also be an interesting take. For this look, stay away from pleats and body-con maxi skirts.

Optional: Long Sleeve Tee Shirt. To get that effortlessly layered look, you have to find a well fitting tee shirt. In past articles, I've explained that finding basics is all about trial and error in the dressing room. For layering shirts, the bottom piece should be pretty tight. You don't want it to bunch at the top or middle of the corset. Stick with a cotton top; don't get something silk or another slick fabric that might cause the corset to slip off. Look for a low-cut, rounded neckline to show some skin and hide the fabric behind the corset; it will look like it only covers the arms.

My Recreation: 

photo cred: Sarah Howard

The Breakdown:

Corset: Goodwill-23rd St, NYC (Originally Betsy Johnson)

Skirt: Goodwill-125st-Harlem, NY

"I'm under your spell"

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