It’s not just because they’re the lead characters

Wicked has literally changed lives across the world since its release in November. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo truly embodied the spirits of Glinda and Elphaba, from their singing to acting skills. However, viewers have noticed one strange inconsistency in Wicked while Glinda and Elphaba are at Shiz University, and it seems to be their drastically different school uniform choices. Yes, they’re the main characters in the movie and there doesn’t technically need to be a reason as to why they have different clothes to everyone else, but there actually is.

Why Glinda and Elphaba don’t wear the same school uniform as everyone else

via YouTube

During their time at Shiz University, Glinda sports her own pink variation of a school uniform which doesn’t contain any of the normal parts of the uniform. As she says, she’s not used to not getting her own way, so it’s highly likely she just does what she likes. She doesn’t seem to have any time for people who she can’t gain something from, and she’s got her heart set on being taught by Madame Morrible. Therefore she’s openly disrespectful to the other professors like Dr. Dillamond. Why would she listen if any of them told her to wear the appropriate uniform?

Elphaba’s reason is a lot more straightforward. Elphaba, who has a complex relationship with her father, is only visiting Shiz at the start of the movie to drop off her sister Nessarose who is enrolled there. Once her sorcery emerges, Madame Morrible desperately wants her to stay and take private lessons together. She’s only meant to be there for one day, so it makes sense that she wouldn’t have had any uniform to bring herself.

via YouTube

Elphaba does wear the light blue shirts that the rest of the Shiz students wear, but she doesn’t yet have her own blazer. Her pinafore, unlike the uniform stripes, falls jagged like she’s tried to fashion her own out of scrap materials to fit in, which is an AMAZING stylistic choice to represent her character. Desperate to blend in, yet born to stand out.