Wizard Clothes?

[h_potter_uk <h_potter_uk@yahoo.co.uk>]

No: HPFGUIDX 49116

scheherazade wrote:
> What, exactly, constitutes the difference between wizard clothes 
and muggle clothes?  
> 
> So, are these just wizards that never manage to go anywhere outside 
the 
> wizarding world?  We know from PS that they're not supposed to be 
seen by 
> muggles in their robes, so what do these odd fellows do?

Me:
 I agree with bboy_mn and jazmyn. Older Wizards isolate themselves, 
but the kids are the ones bringing back the muggle influences from 
school.  Besides, when you've got Floo Powder and whatnot to get 
around, the muggle community doesn't have to see you even leave your 
house, so you can dress in your traditional wizard clothing.  When 
they have to dress like muggles, they aren't sure what to wear.

I think we, as muggles, encounter the same sort of problem with 
dressing like a culture different from our own.  I am a re-enactor 
for the American War of Independence (on the British side, of course 
*God Save the King*) and it's pretty interesting to look at the 
evolution of 18th century reproductions done by re-enactors.  I 
started out with the basic, stereotyped colonial fashion.  People 
(generally tourists) think - oh, yeah, tricorner hats and mob caps, 
but that's not true.  When you start delving deeper into the obsess- 
I mean, hobby, you see that there is a _big_ difference between what 
the public thinks is accurate and what is not.  Just like the 
wizarding world vs. the muggle world.  Arthur Weasley probably had 
the upperhand on his co-workers being that he works with muggle 
artifacts.  Other wizards have a stereotyped idea of what muggles 
wear or might have no idea at all.  

This also goes with the muggle stereotype of what wizards wear.  
Muggles outside of Potterdom think of the Hollywood Merlin when 
someone says wizard.  Old man, long beard, long, closed robes and a 
pointy hat. Or witches - we think of a scabby old lady with green 
skin, knotty black hair, and a long crooked nose. Now that Harry's 
come into the picture, we see (somewhat) normal kids as wizards, so 
why not dress them like us? 

Besides, look at the marketing and commercialism - especially here in 
the US.  Everyone is bombarded with that image of the ideal fashion 
and image.  Why would Wizard PR people not try to bring in muggle 
fashion?  Could the younger generations of wizards, even muggle-
borns, want to get away from the traditional wizard wear their 
parents wear and get into something new, something hip, something 
trendy?   Look at Bill Weasley.  He dresses like a punk (and his mom 
doesn't seem too happy about it.)

The discussion that bboy_mn pointed out was pretty interesting. (I 
went back and read it.) I suggest going to the school uniform page.  
It's really cool (but, then again, I'm a sucker for uniforms...)

So basically, the only difference between Muggle and Wizard clothing 
is the perception of it by the wearer and where the clothes are made.



Yours in Gryffindor,
Jenny

(who may have previously signed her posts 'Helouise' being that it's 
her pen name and she can't remember which name she used last.  So 
she'll use her real name because it's the one she responds to.)

(PS - on the discourse above about 18th century clothing - I should 
probably mention that I am a stickler for authenticity.  I mean, if 
you're going to do it, do it right, right?)