Robes, and Merchandising

[Littlered32773 at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 27369

lotusmoondragon at a... wrote:

> On a different note, am I the only person who hates the robes in 
the movie? 

Probably not, but I'm not in your camp there!

> There is no evidence in canon that they wear those tacky Catholic 
>school-type uniforms under their robes. To the contrary, there are 
>several instances in canon that support the notion they don't wear 
>anything other than under garments under them. I hate the idea of 
>them making the robes more like bath robes and less like the 
>traditional robes of Witches and Wizards. 

As someone who wore a Catholic uniform, I think I should be 
offended.  I'm not though as I'm sure I said it a million times while 
wearing them. :)  In the Sunday Times article, the designer defends 
her use of uniforms as something that would scream English Boarding 
School to the world.  It makes sense to me that they would have to 
wear some type of uniform under them.  I don't however think the 
robes look like bathrobes.  I rather like them.  If you asked a 
hundred people what "traditional" witches and wizards robes look 
like, you MIGHT get the exact same answer 10-15 times.  Everyone sees 
them differently.  In one of my costume design courses in college (I 
have a BFA in theatre design), we were given an assignment to design 
costumes for "Peter and the Wolf" and not one out of 22 designs 
looked anything alike.  I've designed "A Street Car Named Desire" at 
3 different theatres, and not one show looked even remotely alike, 
because each director had a different "vision" (but don't get me 
started on that!).  One director gave me several bags of different 
kinds of potpourrie, each with a different characters name on it, and 
said "I want them to look like that"  Crazy?  Absolutely, but it was 
one of the best shows I've ever designed.  It's all about the
"vision" and traslating that vision into something concrete.  


Examples:
> In SS, page 110: (Hermione said) "You'd better hurry up and put 
your robes on
<snip>
> "Would you mind leaving while we change?"

Why couldn't they also have to put their uniforms on?  She would need 
to leave for that too.


> Also in SS, page 90: Harry woke at five o'clock the next morning 
and was too 
> excited and nervous to go back to sleep. He got up and pulled on 
his jeans 
> because he didn't wan to walk into the station in his wizard's 
robes - he'd 
> change on the train.

If he didn't want to wear his robes, why would he want to wear his 
uniform?  I never wanted to wear my uniform if I didn't have to.


> In PoA, page 258: Harry took off his black school robes, removed 
his wand 
> from his pocket, and stuck it inside the T-shirt he was going to 
wear under 
> his Quidditch robes. (No mention of the sweaters they have on in 
the movie 
> preview)

True, no mention of the sweater, but why couldn't he wear a t-shirt 
under that?  Most sweaters don't have pockets, and he would need 
something to hold his wand.  BTW, I LOVE the Quidditch uniforms.  I 
like that they're a blend of Polo and Cricket uniforms.  VERY English.


> In GoF, page 244: Harry, whose attention had been focused 
completely upon 
> Madame Maxime, now noticed that about a dozen boys and girls, all, 
by the 
> look of them, in their late teens, had emerged from the carriage 
and were now 
> standing behind Madame Maxime. They were shivering, which was 
unsurprising, 
> given that their robes seemed to be made of fine silk, and none of 
them were 
> wearing cloaks.

They could have thinner robes (and uniforms) at Beauxbatons which I 
imagine is somewhere in the south of France, and aren't really 
appropriate for English winters, even if they have something on 
underneath them.


> There is also a scene in PoA (which I can't find) were Harry sneaks 
>of to  Hogsmead. He is very cold because he forgot to bring his 
>cloak.

Ever go outside in the middle of winter fully dressed but without a 
coat?  You'd still be cold.


> Also, the scene at the Quidditch World Cup, with Archie stating 
that he has 
> to have some "air on his private" (or something of the sort) 
indicates that 
> it's robes and nothing else in the Wizarding world.

Maybe Archie's in the Scottish camp, and like many kilt wearers,  
likes to go comando.  Or maybe, once they leave school (and uniforms) 
behind, they have more substantial robes (ie the teacher's robes) and 
don't need to wear anything else under them if they don't want to.


> And lastly, who else is disappointed in the merchandising? I am 
tired of who 
> ever is drawing Harry making him look like a geek. 
> 

No, you're not the only one.  I don't like the sketches of Harry.  He 
does look like a geek, and he's so clearly not.

                                                                     
Slon