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

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The cardigan heard around the world.

Cynthia Erivo stands in the Wizard's lair with a look of uncertainty in Wicked: For Good.
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

The firs Wicked movie (which is streaming with an Amazon Prime subscription) was an Oscar-winning success, with costume designer Paul Tazewell taking home an Academy Award for his work on the book to screen adaptation. The sequel For Good broke box office records, and once again brought some iconic costumes to the big screen. Although one look in particular has gone viral: the chunky cardigan Elphaba wore while singing "As Long As You're Mind" with Fiyero aka the sex cardigan. And the discourse has gotten so loud that Tazewell has weighed in.

Just like its predecessor, the costumes in Wicked: For Good are gorgeous, colorful, and methodically crafted. They help to immerse the audience in the world of Oz, and reflect the inner workings of the characters the Wicked cast is portraying. But that knit that Cynthia Erivo rocks throughout her love song is arguably the most viral of these looks. Just ask the internet.

What The Internet Has Been Saying About The "As Long As You're Mine" Cardigan

Anytime a movie or TV show gets popular, there are inevitably a ton of memes that make their way online. The Wicked films are no exception to this, and after For Good hit theaters back in November, there was instantly a ton of discourse about Elphaba's sex cardigan. While singing "As Long As You're Mine" she slips this number on, before she and Fiyero seemingly make love in her hideout.

Case in point: the following meme that uses an image from The Devil Wears Prada. This is a common format meme format for any time a piece of celebrity fashion goes viral. Check it out below:

I'm sorry, but the term "sex cardigan" is endlessly funny to me. On top of the chunky homemade look of this garment, some moviegoers just found it funny that Cynthia Ervio's character put clothes on during this heavily implied love scene. Hey, that's how you maintain a PG rating.

While some people were baffled by this choice of costume for Elphaba, others really loved. Another funny response that went around online is below:

Same, though. They say any press is good press, so the fact that this particular costume went viral is yet another reason why Wicked: For Good is such a sensation. There are a ton of memes about this sweater, with another funny response poking fun at her mixing lingerie with the handmade knit. Check it out below:

Funny enough, there are some fans who wanted "As Long As You're Mine" to be more steamy, despite Wicked: For Good's PG rating. Especially since the song included Sexiest Man Alive Jonathan Bailey, who got to have a brief shirtless scene after the song concluded. But what does Paul Tazewell think about the chatter related to his viral costume piece?

How Costume Designer Paul Tazewell Responded To The Sex Cardigan Discourse

Tazewell is having a great year, winning both an Oscar for the first Wicked movie and a Tony Award for his work on Death Becomes Her on Broadway. He recently spoke to NPR about his work on For Good, and eventually the subject of the sex cardigan came up. He spoke about his thought process behind this viral garment, saying:

It came out of very literally an organic decision of what does Elphaba have access to? And living alone, what choice would she make when she's looking for a robe, some way to be protective and warm? ... It's operating as her robe for that moment. She's got a loom in her treehouse, where she's weaving her own clothing. She's manifesting all these things from the elements that are around her, and the sweater is just in keeping with that.

Points were made. Elphaba is crafting her own clothes thanks to being on the lamb throughout For Good. And her hideout doesn't necessarily have walls or a real ceiling, so she's going to need to keep warm somehow. And just like that, the idea for the infamous cardigan was born.

While some moviegoers were tickled by Elphaba putting clothes on before sex, others wanted her to wear something a bit more sexy than the chunky homemade cardigan she wore during "As Long As You're Mine". In the same interview Tazewell went on to address those critics, saying:

Now indeed, you could say, Well, why wasn't it a black, slinky peignoir? But where would she get ... that? Well why would she even have it? … I think that it just follows through with reasonable choices that define who a character is and what is important for them, where their priorities are.

His thought process behind Wicked: For Good's costumes were ultimately very character-based, especially Elphaba's viral cardigan. It's fun to take a look behind the curtain and see how the sausage gets made, and now fans have some answers as to how/why this garment in particular was crafted.

Wicked: For Good is in theaters now as part of the 2025 movie release list.... complete with the sex cardigan. Now I'm wondering if Universal will put out some merch, allowing fans to wear a similar look.

Corey Chichizola
Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more. 

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