Costuming The Handmaid's Tale : The silent power of clothes.

This article examines Ane Crabtree's costume designs for Margaret Atwood's *The Handmaid's Tale*, highlighting their significant social, cultural, and political impact beyond the television series. Crabtree's designs draw heavily on Puritan sartorial traditions—such as color symbolism, fabric choice, and garment cut—to reflect and critique the dystopian society of Gilead, where clothing enforces social hierarchy and control, particularly over women. The article explores how Crabtree's costumes, especially the iconic red handmaid robes and white bonnets, embody both oppression and subtle resistance, and how these designs have been mobilized globally as protest symbols and influenced contemporary fashion. Through detailed analysis of color, form, and historical references, the article situates the costumes within a broader cultural context of Puritan legacy and ongoing dialogues about power, identity, and conformity.