What's under their robes?

[sulky_rhino]

I was randomly browsing my friends' Memories today, when I found this post by furiosity. It's about what kinds of clothes wizards and witches wear in the HP books (the first five, I believe). Her conclusions are that Hogwarts students don't wear trousers under their robes, and that wizards only wear Muggle clothes when they have to interact with Muggles or

Comments

[luxovia]

Windy and rainy! I know school was awful in the winter here and we have a similar climate, if anything it's slightly milder. I've never really thought about what's under the robes but if it's nothing (and furiosity does make a very good case) then I feel for the whole Wizarding community! There are few things more uncomfortable than rain getting blown up your skirt!

Although perhaps there's a spell to prevent such discomfort?

[sulky_rhino]

A spell probably. Or maybe they wear long wooly underpants. :D

There are few things more uncomfortable than rain getting blown up your skirt!

Talking from experience? *snigger* ;)

[luxovia]

Talking from experience? *snigger* ;)

Hey I can't help that the nuns wouldn't let us wear tights! ;p

[darklocket]

I think this is one of those grey areas that JKR hasn't thought through properly, but it's certainly frustrating when you're trying to write R-rated fanfic. It's just really, really hard to make a man in a long black sack-dress sound sexy, that's what it comes down to. I like the way it subverts all our assumptions about gender, yes, but sometimes trousers are important. :) I'm just sayin'.

[the_con_cept]

I think this is one of those grey areas that JKR hasn't thought through properly... That's exactly what I was thinking. There are a few of those, and I've found that it just doesn't pay to try to sweat it too much. Sometimes you'll just drive yourself crazy if you're trying to be perfect. And sometimes a guy just needs a nice, sexy pair of trousers. ; )

[sulky_rhino]

The trousers fic! I'm going to go read it again now. :D

[sulky_rhino]

I think this is one of those grey areas that JKR hasn't thought through properly

That's what I think too. :) And knitting a Weasley robe for every child every Christmas would take too long for somebody with 7 children. :D

[nqdonne]

Personally, I don't think as strictly as F does on the subject - I cannot see children going trouser-and-top free under their robes. Mind you, I don't necessarily think movie!canon gets it right, either, but I imagine there's more to the Hogwarts uniform than just robes...

I'd like to think you can wear whatever you like under your robes, and that the purebloods might wear some sort of traditional undergarment, but Muggle borns might continue to wear Muggle clothes.

[sulky_rhino]

Maybe "Hogwarts robes" includes trousers and shirt. It could be they're like a part of the ensemble, so they wouldn't have to be mentioned separately, since everybody knows that. :) Or maybe those characters we've read about are just deviants who like to walk around without their trousers on. :P

[alexi_lupin]

I've alwas just thought you can wear whatever you want underneath your robes. In colder months ou might wear trousers of something, but in warmer months you might not. Which might exlain Snape showing off his undies to the world in Book 5.

[sulky_rhino]

I guess he likes a healthy breeze 'round his privates too. ;)

[slyth_enigma]

Given that the random guy at the world cup found trousers really strange and was used to having a "healthy breaze" around his privates, I doubt wizards wear muggle clothing (and quite possibly not underwear) under their robes unless they come from a muggle backround. Perhaps some sort of traditional under-robe, or other garment patterned differently than muggle ones?

Snape's father was a muggle, so that would explain his undergarments, although it makes it pretty clear he wasn't wearing pants.

As for the Weasleys, the parents seem to have difficulty understanding muggle clothes, but I could imagine them wanting their kids to know such things, and allowing them to where muggle clothes under their robes. But even Harry seems to shove his hand-me-down muggle attire to the bottom of his trunk durring the school year, so... who knows.

[sulky_rhino]

Perhaps some sort of traditional under-robe, or other garment patterned differently than muggle ones?

Yes, that's what I think too. :)