It's true that there's no place like home, but have you ever fancied taking a trip to Oz? Dorothy Gale is the main character in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a story that has been adapted and retold many times. The original novel was written by L. Frank Baum and published in 1900. Since then, we have taken several trips back to Oz in movies, TV series, Broadway musicals, and more. Follow along with us as we share the incredible history behind Dorothy's costumes in The Wizard of Oz!
1. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)
[Source: W.W. Denslow/Wikipedia]
Author L. Frank Baum worked closely with his friend and illustrator W.W. Denslow, enough that they shared the copyright for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The book was quite lavish for the time and included many colorful illustrations to help bring the world of Oz to life for its readers. While the book didn't explicitly state Dorothy Gale's age, many assume from the illustrations that she is between 8 and 12. As you can see in the illustration here, Dorothy wears a blue dress with white spots and blue tights. She also sports silver shoes, not the famous ruby red slippers that were changed for the movie. However, she had other outfits, including a red dress and a jester-looking outfit with bells. The book was an immediate hit, which led to a flurry of adaptations.
2. The Wizard of Oz (1902)
[Source: L. Frank Baum/Fred R. Hamlin/Julian Mitchell/Wikipedia]
Baum and his collaborators presented Fred R. Hamlin, the Chicago Grand Opera House manager, with a stage version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Hamlin liked the script and passed it on to director Julian Mitchell, who adapted it for the stage. Many of the outfits Dorothy wore appeared to be influenced by the novel's illustrations. However, this musical poster features Dorothy wearing a wildly different outfit with a pointed hat, shorts, striped sleeves, and collar accents. The actress who played Dorothy was also notably older than the book character.
3. The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays (1908)
[Source: The Radio Play Company of America/Wikipedia]
Eight years after the first novel was published, an early attempt was made to bring The Wizard of Oz to the motion picture screen. The result was The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays, a mixture of live actors, tinted magic lantern slides, and film. While the production was very well-received, it cost more than it could bring in and only ran for two months. The movie itself was lost, but The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays notably contained the earliest documented film score. Only a few still survived, but we can see that Dorothy is played by a child actor wearing a light blue dress with spots.
4. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910)
[Source: Selig Polyscope Company/IMDb]
The earliest surviving film of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is the 1910 short film of the same name. This film was not colorized, but we can still see Dorothy, played by a young girl wearing a dress. You may also notice the cow in the lower right, introduced in the 1902 Broadway musical version of the story. The cow is named Imogen, and they replaced Toto in the stage production. Portions of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz movie are based more on the stage musical than the novel, although they include the Wicked Witch of the West, who had been noticeably absent.
5. His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz (1914)
[Source: The Oz Film Manufacturing Company/IMDb]
L. Frank Baum often wrote or was involved in writing adaptations of his books, including the 1914 film His Majesty, the Scarecrow. The movie was loosely based on his original novel, but added plot and characters, which led to a new book in 1915, The Scarecrow of Oz. As you can see in this still from the movie, Dorothy wears a striped or gingham-checked knee-length dress and an oversized hair bow.
6. The Wizard of Oz (1925)
[Source: Chadwick Pictures Corporation/IMDb]
1925's The Wizard of Oz is one of the stranger adaptations of Baum's books. Dorothy lives on a farm in Kansas and has two men vying for her affection. They're all whisked away to Oz, where Dorothy finds out that she is the rightful ruler of the Land of Oz. The current ruler devises a marriage plot to retain his position, but she takes a shine to Prince Kynd. Dorothy is much more grown-up in this production and even marries at the end. In this image from the film, you can see that Dorothy has noticeably short, curly hair and wears a dress with stripes decorating the skirt. We can't help but be surprised that her character changed so much after everything else about the movie.
7. The Wizard of Oz (1933)
[Source: Ted Eshbaugh Studios/IMDb]
The Wizard of Oz story has a history of being on the cusp of cutting-edge movie technology. A short film made in 1933 used Technicolor techniques and may have been the first full-color animated film. Interestingly enough, while Dorothy is in Kansas at the beginning, her world is monochromatic, and the movie changes to full color after she enters the land of Oz! Sadly, The Wizard of Oz never had a theatrical run in color because they didn't obtain proper licensing for using Technicolor film. As you can see, the film's style is reminiscent of Fleischer cartoons, which were popular in the 1930s. Dorothy is depicted as a young child wearing a simple blue dress and a bright red bow.
8. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
[Source: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/IMDb]
The most iconic film version of The Wizard of Oz was made in 1939, starring Judy Garland. The movie notably used Technicolor to make the world of Oz bright and colorful, starkly contrasting with the black-and-white film while Dorothy was still in Kansas. The Wizard of Oz was a roaring success and would influence subsequent adaptations for years. Even now, Dorothy's blue gingham dress from this movie, paired with ruby red slippers, is a popular Halloween costume you're almost guaranteed to spot if you go out. (Notably, the magical shoes were changed from silver to red for this movie!)
9. Tales of the Wizard of Oz (1961)
[Source: Crawley Films/Videocraft Productions/IMDb]
A series of animated shorts was made for television by Crawley Films, which would later become Rankin/Bass. The animation for the Tales of the Wizard of Oz cartoon was highly stylized, with Dorothy wearing a dark blue dress and her hair in a ponytail. Later, a TV special movie was made in this style in 1964, Return to Oz.
10. Off to See the Wizard (1967)
[Source: Chuck Jones Enterprises/Four Star Productions/MGM Animation/Visual Arts/IMDb]
Off to See the Wizard was an anthology TV series featuring animated segments and live acting. Chuck Jones, of Looney Tunes fame, provided the animation. Dorothy kept the double-pigtail hairstyle from the popular 1939 movie, minus the curls. However, her dress was a bright pink color in all the episodes.
11. Journey Back to Oz (1972)
[Source: Filmation/IMDb]
Although Journey Back to Oz was an animated movie, it was officially made as a sequel to 1939's The Wizard of Oz for the movie's 35th Anniversary. Liza Minnelli, the daughter of Judy Garland, even voiced Dorothy. The film flopped in theaters, but it earned more recognition on TV. Journey Back to Oz was loosely based on Frank L. Baum's second novel, The Marvelous Land of Oz. Although the animated movie was a direct sequel to the 1939 film, Dorothy's costume was simplified to a blue dress with a white undershirt and a red belt with a matching headband.
12. The Wiz (1974)
[Source: William F. Brown/Charlie Smalls/Geoffrey Holder/IMDb]
The Wiz was a Broadway production that retold the story of The Wizard of Oz from an African American perspective. It featured all-new music and an all-black cast. The Wiz won seven Tony Awards, including an award for Best Musical. Stephanie Mills portrayed Dorothy in the original production. As you can see, Dorothy wears a white dress. The Wiz inspired a movie of the same name and had a Broadway revival decades later.
13. The Wiz (1978)
[Source: Motown Productions/IMDb]
It only took a couple of years after The Wiz hit Broadway to become a major motion picture. The movie featured an all-star cast, including Diana Ross as Dorothy Gale, Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow, Nipsey Russell as the Tin Man, and Richard Pryor as The Wiz himself. Unlike the Broadway production that stuck closer to the original story, Dorothy was an adult and a teacher living in Harlem. The movie was initially a flop but has become a beloved cult classic. Dorothy wears a white blouse and a light blue skirt that looks quite different from the character's usual depictions.
14. The Wizard of Oz (1982)
[Source: Toho/Topcraft/Wiz Corporation/IMDb]
The popularity of The Wizard of Oz reached well beyond the United States' borders, and in 1982, a Japanese animated film adaptation was made. Like many adaptations before it, it followed the plot of Baum's original story. However, it adopted the ruby red slippers from the most popular Wizard of Oz movie. Regarding the rest of Dorothy Gale's appearance, she looks closer to Alice in Wonderland with her blond hair, blue dress, and white apron.
15. Return to Oz (1985)
[Source: Walt Disney Pictures/Silver Screen Partners/IMDb]
The dark fantasy film Return to Oz was made as an unofficial sequel to the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. It combined events from several of Baum's novels, mainly The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz. Many children who watched this movie still remember being terrified by The Wheelers, similar to kids afraid of the flying monkeys in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film. Dorothy wears a white dress with red and light blue pinstripes, and the ruby red slippers reappear.
16. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1986)
[Source: CINAR/Panmedia/IMDb]
In 1986, there was another Japanese animated Wizard of Oz production, a TV series named The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. They expanded the story to four of Baum's books, namely the first three books and book six in his Oz series. In the cartoon, Dorothy wore an outfit similar to the one in the Japanese animated movie from 1982. Throughout most of the series, a now redheaded Dorothy wears white shoes, although there are a few instances where she has red shoes.
17. The Wizard of Oz (1990)
[Source: DIC Animation City/Turner Entertainment Co./IMDb]
DIC acquired the rights to the 1939 Wizard of Oz movie and created a 13-episode television series. The character designs were pulled almost directly from the movie, including a cartoonish Judy Garland-looking Dorothy complete with ruby red slippers. Her dress was simplified from blue gingham to plain blue, but the overall design is the same.
18. The Wonderful Galaxy of Oz (1992)
[Source: E&G Productions/Enoki Films USA/IMDb]
The Wonderful Galaxy of Oz was an anime television series that set the original story in outer space. Dorothy's design is very different from her usual depictions. She was made blond once again, and she wears pink headphones. Her outfit comprises a red jumpsuit with pink sleeves and knee-high white boots. She and her companions are sent on a mission to find three crystals that will prevent the return of Gloomhilda, an evil witch previously banished by Dr. Oz.
19, Wicked (2003)
[Source: Universal Stage Productions/Fandom.com]
Wicked was one of the most influential adaptations of The Wizard of Oz after the 1939 film. While the original Broadway production included a Dorothy Galer, the character mostly remains unseen, interacting from off-stage. Only in one pivotal moment near the end of the musical do we see a silhouette of Dorothy. We can hardly comment on her costume as there's nothing to see, but we couldn't skip mentioning Wicked!
20. The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005)
[Source: The Muppets Holding Company/The Jim Henson Company/Fox Television Studios/Touchstone Television/IMDb]
The Muppets are well-known for their adaptations of popular stories, and they took a crack at The Wizard of Oz in 2005. Dorothy Gale was the main human character, with the Muppets filling in roles for her three companions and Toto, among other characters. The story was modernized with Dorothy living as a teen with her aunt and uncle in a trailer park. Dorothy mostly wears modern clothing like t-shirts and jeans in the movie, but her work apron in red gingham is a nod to Dorothy's most popular depiction. Dorothy also had a pair of magical silver shoes, keeping with the original novel.
21. Tin Man (2007)
The Sci-Fi Channel introduced a retelling of The Wizard of Oz called Tin Man. The story revolved around D.G., a woman who is a descendant of Dorothy Gale. Because the series was set in modern times, D.G. wears modern apparel, although her waitress uniform consists of the blue gingham pattern often associated with Dorothy. She is forced to return to Oz when she flees from evil sorceress Azkadellia's soldiers and undergoes a series of adventures as she rediscovers her place in O.Z.
22. Tom and Jerry & the Wizard of Oz (2013)
[Source: Turner Entertainment/Warner Bros. Animation/IMDb]
2013 was a big year for fans of The Wizard of Oz, with filmd like Oz the Great and Powerful and Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz. While Oz the Great and Powerful was the bigger release, it was a prequel and did not include Dorothy Gale. However, the Tom and Jerry adaptation followed the 1939 film very closely, adding our two cartoon characters. Once again, Dorothy Gale is a very stylized Judy Garland, with a solid blue dress similar to her gingham dress. She also has a pair of ruby red slippers like in the famous film. A sequel film was also made in 2016, Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz.
23. The Wiz Live! (2015)
[Source: Universal Television/Sony Pictures Television/Storyline Entertainment/IMDb]
A new adaptation of The Wiz was presented as a TV special in 2015. It combined elements of the Broadway musical and the 1939 Wizard of Oz, which was performed live from Grumman Studios in New York. Throughout the production, Dorothy wore a black shirt under a denim jacket and a blue and red plaid skirt. Notably, she wore two pairs of shoes—red high-top sneakers and sparkly silver shoes. Did we get the best of both worlds here?
24. Lost in Oz (2015)
[Source: Bureau of Magic/Amazon Studios/IMDb]
Lost in Oz was made as a series for Amazon Prime Video. The series is loosely based on Baum's books, with Dorothy adventuring in Oz to collect all the types of elemental magic with her new friends. Dorothy herself hardly resembles her classic depiction again, with medium-length hair and a red sweatshirt and jeans as the main elements of her wardrobe.
25. Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz (2017)
[Source: Turner Entertainment Co./Warner Bros. Animation/IMDb]
Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz is a cartoon series based on the 1939 movie and other books by Baum. It primarily serves as a sequel series after the Wicked Witch of the West is defeated and Dorothy has become a princess of Oz. This series is one of the few to depict Dorothy's gingham dress, as the recognizable pattern makes animation more complicated. Dorothy also wears ruby red slippers, a popular addition for her character. The Boomerang show ran for three seasons.
26. Emerald City (2017)
[Source: Shaun Cassidy Productions/Oedipus Productions/Mount Moriah/Universal Television/IMDb]
2017 presented us with a very short-lived Wizard of Oz TV series, Emerald City. The show only ran for one season and did not perform well. While Dorothy was plucked from a modern world, the Land of Oz she was presented with was a very high-fantasy setting with lavish costumes. In this series, Dorothy is a 20-year-old nurse who wants to find her way home. She is whisked into the world wearing a green jacket, jeans, and brown boots, an extreme departure from common depictions of Dorothy Gale. The rest of the costumes remind us of something out of The Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones, but it's a shame the series flopped.
27. The Wiz (2024)
[Source: Schele Williams/Charlie Smalls/Vogue.com]
The famous Broadway adaptation, The Wiz, enjoyed a revival on Broadway in 2024. Like other productions of The Wiz, they favor the traditional silver shoes instead of the ruby red slippers. Dorothy also wears a blue patterned dress with a blue shirt worn underneath. While the outfits are modern, they still look and feel like the characters we know and love!
28. Wicked (2024)
[Source: Universal Pictures/Marc Platt Productions/IMDb]
The wildly successful Broadway musical Wicked became a major Hollywood movie in 2024. While the Broadway production famously didn't depict Dorothy, she enjoyed a very brief cameo in the movie version. The camera flies past Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion as they walk along the yellow brick road on their way to Oz. Even at a glance, we can see that Dorothy wears a dress very similar to the one Judy Garland wore.
We're sure there will be plenty more adventures in the Land of Oz! What is your favorite piece of media surrounding Dorothy Gale? Have you ever worn a Dorothy Halloween costume? We'd love to hear from you! Also, don't forget to check out the rest of our Wizard of Oz costumes so you can go on a costumed adventure with your friends and family.
