#magic robes

[pro-dumbledores-office]

Breaking Down Dumbledore's Outfit - Harry Potter HBO

In honor of HBO dropping their first trailer for the new Harry Potter tv show, I thought I would do a quick breakdown of the three different outfits we have seen Dumbledore in so far.

Promotional Outfit

This look gives us a very clear sense of how HBO is going to approuch Dumbledore's robes, and it is a noticeable shift away from the brighter, more decorative styles of the early films. The outer robe is a deep burgundy velvet with what appear to be maybe blue stripes that almost reads as black in low light, with a soft sheen that suggests a heavy, slightly worn fabric, and the cut is entirely traditional—long, flowing, and loose, with wide sleeves that open at the cuffs and reveal a slightly different tone inside, adding subtle depth without any need for embroidery or pattern, which is entirely absent here; beneath it, we see only hints of a very dark inner robe, likely black or deep brown, keeping the palette nearly monochromatic, while the hat follows the same restrained logic, being a soft, slouched cap in a dark, matte fabric with only light trim and embellishment, giving him more the look of a scholar than a theatrical wizard; his hair and beard are long and natural, less styled than in earlier portrayals, blending into the robe and creating a continuous vertical silhouette, and this is paired with minimal accessories—just his half-moon glasses and a simple ring.

Beach Scene with Flamels

In the behind scenes photo of Dumbledore on the beach he is wearing what at first glance appears black robes but on closer inspection reads as a very dark, inky blue. The outer robe carries a faint, almost quilted or patterned finish that adds quiet richness without ever becoming decorative, and the cut is more structured than in the previous look, hanging closer to an overcoat with broader shoulders and a straighter line through the body, while the sleeves remain tight and controlled rather than dramatically flared. Beneath it, a similarly dark inner robe of burgundy and blue.

Trailer Dumbledore

In the trailer itself we get just a glance at Dumbledore. Not even a good enough look to know what color his robes are. However, he is wearing a very different style of hat and is clearly also wearing his spectacles which I think clearly establishes that unlike the films, he almost never takes them off in the show. Also holding some sort of tuning fork.

[pro-dumbledores-office]

Dumbledore's Robes - A Break Down

Throughout the first two Harry Potter films, the costume designer did a great job capturing Dumbledore's wardrobe. In a conversation with JK Rowling, she discovered that the headmaster has a real fondness for clothes - following this lead, the films proceed to dress Dumbledore in an array of stunning outfits. Here is the breakdown of each of them.

1. Privet Drive

Due to the darkness on Privet Drive (thank you Deluminator) it is hard to get a good look at Dumbledore's robes in the opening scene of the film. However, they appear to be a royal purple color. I always thought they were the same robes he wears to the welcome feast that year but just obscured by the dim lighting. However, after watching the scene again, I have come to suspect they are a much bouncier velvet ensemble that is not seen again in the films. The robes are paired with a tall green pointed hat trimmed in purple velvet and adorned with gold astrological symbols along the velvet. The hat has a small twist at the very top and a tiny gold button in the middle of the brim - small touches that really elevate the classic wizard's headwear.

2. Start of Term Feast (1991)

This is the movie's version of Dumbledore's classic look from the book. His outer robe is a deep purple with finely sewn symbols all along it. The robe is trimmed in a black fur. The hat is a reddish purple and adorned with gold stars. The hat is conical - like all of Dumbledore's hats in the first two films - but bent backwards. Though we do not get a good look at it, the under robes seem to be a dark satiny brown that is fairy standard for Dumbledore.

3. Halloween Feast (1991)

Dumbledore's Halloween robes are just perfect for the holiday. A thick red outer robe with a subtle floral pattern that in some lights looks almost orange. This is paired with a pitch black hat covered in gold symbols and a matching dark black under robe. The flash of lightning right as he stands sadly makes it hard to get a clear picture of the whole outfit.

4. Quidditch Match

These are my favorite robes because they are stunning and so under appreciated. They also are the clearest sign of something that should be increasingly evident as we go through these outfits - Dumbledore dresses for the occasion. Sneaking around Privet Drive on a clandestine mission? Dark robes. Halloween? Reddish orange and black. Anyway, the robes that Dumbledore wears to the Quidditch match seem specifically designed for the outdoors. They are thick and the wizarding version of a gentleman wearing tweed in the country. The outer robe is made out of a thick multicolored material reminiscent of a tapestry and trimmed in fluffy black fur. His under robes are no less intricate - covered in rich Celtic symbols with a plummy base color. The hat matches the under robes and is vivid purple with gold stars and black fur trim.

5. Mirror of Erised Room

Once again, poor lighting and the fact that Dumbledore is walking or moving in every part of this scene makes it hard to get a good look at the robes and even harder to get a good picture. However, the robes seem to be the ones he wore to the start of term feast (and are thus maybe the ones he wore to Privet Drive). Other than that, there is not a lot more to say since its hard to get a good look at anything else.

6. Hospital Wing

Here we see Dumbledore at his most casual: his hair and beard are not groomed back, there is no hat, and you get the strong impression he just wandered over from his office after reading and writing all morning. The robes seem to be the same ones he wore at the Halloween feast, but here we get a longer look at them. This scene confirms to me that they are more red than orange. Also, we can see that they have incredibly long sleeves with an astrological gold design running along them. The under robe is a lovely warm brown with gold leaf designs on it that are only visible in certain shots.

7. End of Term Feast (1991)

For the end of term feast, Dumbledore's pulls out all the stops - donning what are almost certainly his flashiest robes. A black velvet like material forms the bulk of the robe and is overlaid with faint gold bars in a pattern reminiscent of Argyle. The trim of the robes is a magnificent purple with a hint of brown (in fact in some lighting they just look brown) covered in intricate Celtic flower designs, that I almost guarantee were sewed on by hand. His hat matches the robe in composition almost exactly and must be designed for this particular ensemble. Beneath the robes he wears a delicately patterned deep gold set of silky robes bound by a rounded belt buckle.

8. Start of Term Feast (1992)

Like a lot of well dressed gentlemen, Dumbledore seems to have a couple of well-tailored and hand made pieces that he cycles through in a number of different combinations. This becomes increasingly apparent in the second film since he wears to the start of term feast in 1992, the exact outfit he wore in 1991. So not a lot more to say here.

9. Halloween Feast (1992)

This is the first of Dumbledore's outfits that is unique to Chamber of Secrets. The outer robes are a dark reddish brown with a pattern of bars similar to the dress robes he wore to the end of term feast. Carved between the bars seem to be a variety of symbols. The trim is a dark brown fur. The under robes are brown (though red looking in the picture above) and the hat is a burgundy one bent stylishly bent backwards.

10. Hospital Wing (Night Time)

Personally, I have never been able to decide if in this scene we are looking at Dumbledore's night clothes - a heavy dressing gown - or his robes. Either way, it seems as though they are brown and intricately carved with a trim from the same material. Any more detail than that is hard to acquire in the dark. Even the color is hard to say definitively since they could easily be dark gray or black.

11. Dumbledore's Office

Here we see Dumbledore in the same robes he wore at the Halloween Feast and to visit Harry in the hospital wing all in the preceding year. He pairs it with a rather plain brown under robe with some gold filigree along the buttons. He wears his bent back burgundy hat again.

12. Hagrid's Hut

The night Dumbledore is removed as Headmaster he is wearing his tried and tested purple robes with intricate designs carved into them and black trim. He seems also to be wearing the hat from when he dropped Harry off at Privet Drive, though the cone is flattened out quite a bit more. His under robes are brown with gold inlay.

13. Dumbledore's Office

Upon his return to the school Dumbledore is wearing the exact same outfit as the last time Harry entered in his office. So not a lot to say about it this time I am afraid.

14. Celebration Feast (1992)

Here at the end of Harry's second year, Dumbledore once again dons his fanciest robes in celebration. This reveals just how much Dumbledore dresses for the occasion since just hours before he was wearing an entirely different - and far more casual outfit - and has now exchanged it in favor of this more celebratory garment.