Scotland [sorry]/Clothing

[Neil Ward]

No: HPFGUIDX 4172

Sorry folks - that earlier reply to Christian should have been labelled
"Scotland".  Please feel free to tell me off in capital letters.  

I have a question now about clothing.  There has been a lot of discussion
about school uniforms recently (I haven't read all of it yet, so shoot me if
I repeat something) and, I guess, what the children wear under their robes.  

I was wondering where the children get their regular clothes from and what
they are like?

Harry, as far as we know, is still in Dudley's old clothes.  Does he wear
trainers or shoes?  If so, I guess they would be cheap and horrible.
Hermione, Daughter of Dentists, would be well-dressed, I suppose.  Would she
wear the latest Nike trainers or would she have to wear a regulation pair of
bespoke, witch-style hobnailed boots, purchased at Diagon Alley's little
known "Blister & Hobble's Shoe Emporium"? (which also sells socks,
naturally).   

But the children who hardly know the Muggle world - what on earth would they
wear?  Would Ron even know what Nikes or Reeboks were?  He was puzzled
enough by a 50p piece. Would Molly ride her broomstick up to London and
visit "Nike Town" in an ill-fitting, outmoded sun dress to look for the
latest pairs for her kids? (well, no, too expensive) Or would she buy
odd-looking knickerbockers and high-collared shirts and cobbled shoes in
Hogsmeade High Street?  Any thoughts?

I was thinking about the comments Dennis and I made just after his trip to
London (when we looked for Diagon Alley).  We thought the odd witch or
wizard or Hagrid might merge with the crowds because of all the theatres in
the area.  Actors always dress for attention, so a person in an emerald
cloak would not create a stir.  However, the other day, I was queuing for
the London Eye (the Millennium ferris wheel on the Thames) and right in
front of us was a group of hasidic jews in the full regalia - the men in
black coats, white stockings, hats, skull caps, ringlets - the lot; the
women wearing wigs and hairnets and carrying babies.  Funnily enough, they
didn't blend into the crowd at all and I thought "wizards and witches
probably would look really out of place in the Muggle world".  Incidentally,
one of my less-orthodix Jewish friends thought it was odd that these people
were even visiting the Eye, since it would be viewed as a frivolous thing to
do.  She didn't stand in the queue for an hour though...

I'm just trying to imagine Fudge visiting the Muggle Prime Minister, or a
similar scenario.  What would he wear, for example?  It seemed such a big
deal for Arthur to put his World Cup outfit together, I get the impression
that wearing Muggle clothes is quite a rare requirement for most of the
characters we've seen.

Neil: Shut up!  
FFA: OK.


            Flying-Ford-Anglia

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   "Then, dented, scratched and steaming, 
   the car rumbled off into the darkness, 
   its rear lights blazing angrily"

 [Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]

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