Ron's Robes (WAS: nitpicky mutterings from a long lost soul...)

[Ellen & John Anglin]

--- In HPFGU-Movie at y..., Andrea <ra_1013 at y...> wrote:
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> --- Scott wrote:
> > > > magical object in the movie...Ron's damn robe kept changing 
colour 
> > the whole time. Black to grey black to grey. 
> <Snipped>
> > stairwell and it's grey...ick. This is a plain *bad* costume 
choice. 
> > I mean *why* make 500 black robes and one grey one????????????
> 
> I did notice Ron's robes and thought it was REALLY odd that he'd 
be the
> only one with gray robes.  > 
> Andrea
> 


Avid costumer speaking up here.....

Actually, tho it is distracting, it is a very <good> costume choice, 
and it was one of mu nit-picks from the first movie.

Rons robes are supposed to be second had. Worn. Ill Fitting. Tatered 
even.  We  didn't see any of this in the first movie- His robes were 
perfect and new like everyone elses.  THis may not be important in 
SS or even in COS, but by GOf it is going to be very important if 
the want to do the whole Dress robes schtick, as well as the theme 
of the Weasleys being Poor, and Ron being a bit resentful of this,

When I got my hands on the BLue Suede Calendar, I was thrilled to 
see that they were <Finally>  putting Ron in Properly Distressed 
robes!

They used Standard Theatrical Techniques for this- His Robes are 
made from Tussah Silk, which has a suitably nubby and irregular 
weave. It is what is used for beggars costumes and other raggy 
garments in the Theater.  It is floppy, and soft, and nubby, and it 
just "Reads" well as rags on the stage and to the camnera.  It is 
not a cop-out- Tussah silk is damn expensive, and Rons robes 
probably cost 2-3 times as much as the wool robes everyone else is 
wearing.

As for the color, thre are two explanations.  One is, his Robes are 
old and Faded- They have been washed and washed, and the color is 
supposed to be faded.  The other reason, which mayt or may not be 
intentional, is that Silk reflects light differently, and absorbs 
dye differently than wool.  Regardless of the exact color, wool and 
Silk fabrics look different under harsh stage and camera lighting. 
It is very hard to Dye different fibers to match under the best 
circumstances, so they probably decided to just highlight the 
difference instead.

In the scenes whre Ron's robes look black- Was it perhaps a low 
light scene?  It would be harder to see the differences in low 
light, just as it is hard to make out the subtle dark Paisleys 
Brocades and velvets that make up Lucius Malfoys costume- I do Wish 
his scenes were better lit!

Moaning Myrtles Robes are made from the same type of Silk as Rons 
Robes. Tom Riddles were not, as nearly as I was able to tell-  I 
promise to look even more closely next time.

I suspect they did hers in silk because she is a ghost, and not 
necesarily because she was poor- tho she might have been, this is a 
debateable point.  All the ghosts costumes visible in COS are 
tattered looking.  Nick's Elizabethan costume is very raveled about 
the trim, and there is a gash in his cape.  I wish we got to see 
more of the Grey lady and The Baron- I cannot comment on them from 
what I recall.

Anyway, based on Myrtle and Nick, I think they were looking for an 
old, worn and raveled look for the ghosts. 

Ellen
The Pottering Beekeeper