The White Witch
Battle Garb

Jadis' battle dress takes an abrupt turn from her icy gowns, turning to chain and armor.

First seen as production art in an USA Today article, this ensemble is worn as the White Witch leads her forces against the Narnian army. She carries her wand, and later, her wand and a sword. Even later, we see her with two swords as she duels with Peter. The first is definitely a centaur weapon, the second is possibly Edmund's sword.

Overview

The costume's first layer is a heavy gray dress, sleeveless, likely with a fitted bodice but with a wide skirt. We only see this showing at the bottom of the dress when she spins, and through the mail in the exhibit pictures.

Over that is the dress of dark, fine mail, and a heavy leather vest. For more on these pieces, see below.

Armor

She wears a cuirass of armor, almost corset-like, of dark gray leather. Note how stiff it is.

From the waist, the vest curves up into an inverted V-shape just below the bust. At the back, it curves with the waist, pointing slightly at the center back. It's difficult to speculate about the neck, as it's occluded by the fur and her own hair. However, we know it extends far enough and forms armholes. It's very fitted, curving with the waist. Note that it's not side-fitted by seams: it's armor, so the leather would be shaped to fit Tilda.

Erin notes, "The breastplate is one single piece. Because the hem curves up in the front and the garment only covers the upper chest area, it was flexible to slide into and out of like a t-shirt. Well, a very rigid, leather t-shirt that you needed two other people to help you put on, but a t-shirt, none the less."

Chain Mail Dress

The chain mail is probably connected to the breastplate, rather than being an entire dress. The mail is lightweight, dark, and relatively see-through. Note on the exhibit images, below, how one can see where the gray dress ends, ground length, and how the chain extends past that.

One piece of chain is attached to the armor (we think), and extends from below bust at the inverted V in the vest, to below hip. This piece goes all the way around the back and looks like it could be edged in leather and laced up there.

We can see the "seam" below hip where this attaches to the wide skirt. The skirt is just a bit longer than ground length, with side front gores, probably side back gores, and maybe another, center back.

Erin clears some things up: "You guys are almost right on in the chain mail dress construction. They're anodized aluminum rings (which gives them their darker color and keeps them from tarnishing and rusting during production) that are attached both to the cuirasse and to a leather and spandex suspender/leiderhosen-like harness that is worn underneath. If the rings were attached solely to the breast and back plates, the (very real) risk of rings popping and the skirt falling off during the fight scenes would be realized in a matter of only a few takes!"

Fur, Hair, Crown

She wears a fur secured at the neck, golden and long-haired. It falls free over her shoulders and back, about elbow length. This has two thin fur under-arm straps on to keep it in place.

On a plot note, the fur is shaven from Aslan's mane, a triumphant tactic to instill fear and grief in the opposing army. Note how her own hair, the fur, and the crown, and her makeup add to make a mocking lion representation.

An unburnished golden plate crown or headdress sits in place of her melted ice crown. Angular with multiple spikes, it seems to be shaped like a stylized animal skull or perhaps antlers, with "fangs" hanging down over her forehead. Several multi-pronged arms extend from the top of the head down the sides and catch up the hair to the sides of the face.

Otherwise her hair is worn free, streaming out from underneath the crown. Look closely at some strands of her hair, however. They appear to be unnaturally red - as if stained so, possibly to fit her makeup.

Teaser, Trailer