After a strong seven-season run, Once Upon a Time left our small screens with a lasting impression. The show brought many classic, beloved fairy tale characters to life and threw them into a modern setting. Season after season, fans watched as their favorite heroes and villains battled it out in the ultimate test of good versus evil. Of course, as we all know, good always wins.
One of the elements that made Once Upon a Time really stand out from the rest of the shows on TV are the amazing costumes. The setting of the show frequently flipped back and forth to the Enchanted Forest and the sleepy Maine town of Storybrooke. Each time they were in the Enchanted Forest, the characters wore fairy tale-worthy, fantasy costumes. Back in Storybrooke, each character wore modern outfits tailored to their own individual characters’ personalities. And every time, it was beautiful. Whether it’s a copied look from a fairy tale or a new, modern spin, the costume designers nailed it. They really went all out, from minor stitching to immaculate details and embellishments.
Considering the costume designers went to all this trouble to create perfectly designed pieces of art, it’s no surprise there are plenty of hidden details you probably missed. Luckily, we’re listing ten of them here for you.
AT ONE POINT, EVERY MAJOR CHARACTER HAS WORN A LEATHER JACKET IN STORYBROOKE
We already know about Emma’s signature red leather jacket, but it turns out that all of the other major characters have a penchant for leather too. At one point in time, each character has worn a leather jacket in the modern world at least once. The Evil Queen has quite a few and Prince Charming also sports a brown one as his typical sheriff uniform. Captain Hook’s signature look also includes quite a bit of leather. This just goes to show a leather jacket can make anyone look cool.
CAPTAIN HOOK’S COSTUMES CHANGE WHEN HE STARTS DATING EMMA
Starting in Season 4, Captain Hook’s wardrobe gets an update. This coincides with when he starts dating Emma. Part of the show’s storyline was his major personality turnaround and the way that Emma changed him to be a better person. Over the years, he realizes that holding onto grudges shouldn’t take control of his life and that he too deserves to find true love. Naturally, the costume designers wanted his wardrobe to reflect this. We see a change on the outside that represents what’s happening inside. He starts wearing a more basic leather jacket look instead of his scary pirate clothes.
THE SNOW QUEEN NEVER WEARS SHOES
There’s one reason that shoes aren’t part of her wardrobe. Elizabeth Mitchell, who plays the Snow Queen, doesn’t like wearing high heels. She just isn’t comfortable walking in them in the woods. Considering her character is in the woods a lot, this was an issue the crew had to work around. Instead of trying to find suitable shoes for her costume, the designers instead chose to just have her character barefoot at all times. This way, she could do the job as effectively as possible.
BELLE’S HOSPITAL SCRUBS ARE YELLOW FOR HER CHARACTER
As many of us know, each main Disney princess has a signature color associated with her character’s clothing and look; Belle’s is yellow. Throughout the show, Belle sports her signature yellow gown on and off in the Enchanted Forest. However, you may not have noticed that her hospital scrubs are yellow too. In Season 2’s “The Outsider,” Belle and Rumpelstiltskin are in a confrontation with Hook when Belle falls over the town line. Her memory is wiped, she’s almost hit by a car and she ends up in the hospital. While she’s there, her scrubs are yellow, a nod to her fairy tale character.
SNOW WHITE’S FEATHERY WEDDING DRESS IS A NOD TO EMMA
One of Snow White’s most signature looks in the Enchanted Forest is her feathered wedding dress. It’s made from a pillowy pile of swan feathers, which is a nod to her daughter, Emma Swan. If there’s one thing we know about the show, it’s that everything is deeply connected, whether we realize it or not. This is just one of those smaller inconspicuous things that the average viewer may not have picked up on.
THE SYMBOLISM OF EMMA’S RED LEATHER JACKET
Emma Swan’s red jacket is a signature part of her look. She has a few different versions, but there is one she wears more than others. This one has sentimental value to her. In Season 5’s “Firebird,” she reveals the symbolism behind it. Originally, she bought it as armor to protect herself from the darkness and pain of the world, but now it represents her dedication to always protect her family out of love.
MR. GOLD WEARS A LOT OF PURPLE
There are so many episodes where Mr. Gold is wearing hints of purple, whether it’s a tie or a shirt. This is done for a reason: purple represents power and ambition. Both Mr. Gold and his fairy tale character Rumplestiltskin, are obsessed with power. It’s this obsession with power that ruins all of his personal relationships and drives his character toward evil, over and over again. Even when he’s Mr. Gold, the hints of purple represent the idea that his thirst for power is never gone…even when he’s trying to be a better person.
CORA USES MASKS TO HIDE HER TRUE SELF
When Cora is younger, she sneaks into a castle ball to try and win over the affection of Prince Henry. She’s wearing a mask to hide her true self, the poor miller’s daughter. It’s this disguise that sends her down a path of hiding her identity to further her position in the world. Later, when she’s sent through the Looking Glass to Wonderland, she becomes the Queen of Hearts. As the Queen of Hearts, she always wears a veil over her face. This is another symbolic way to mask who she is so that she can become this strange, mysterious leader who strikes fear in her subjects.
EMMA’S CAPE CLASPS ARE SHAPED LIKE MICKEY MOUSE
There are actually tons of hidden Mickey Mouse heads throughout the show, whether as a stuffed animal in the background of someone’s room or on clothing. When Emma and Hook land in the Enchanted Forest, she throws on a more period-appropriate cape. If you look closely, the clasps of the cape are shaped like Mickey Mouse. You have to look really, really close to see this. But there are two distinct Mickey Mouse heads on their sides, one in each clasp. There’s even a little part in the middle for his nose.
REGINA’S CHILDHOOD COSTUMES ALL HAVE NATURE SYMBOLS
When Regina is younger, she’s a good and innocent person. At this stage in her life, she frequently wears clothing that has nature symbols on it, such as florals, leaves, and vines. She also wears elemental colors, such as sky blue and earth brown. This association with plants can indicate that she’s connected with nature, animals, and her surroundings. Nature is alive and warm, a prelude to when Regina turns into the Evil Queen and becomes dead and cold to the world around her.
