If I’m being honest, the whimsical Wizarding World has been a major part of my childhood years (as well as my adult life). There was something in those iconic spells, flying brooms, and the Hogwarts robes featured in the Harry Potter films that made me feel like I was stepping into J.K. Rowling’s storybooks.
But somewhere along the way, that magical charm slipped through our fingers. Specifically after Prisoner of Azkaban, the wizards seemingly swapped their quirky cloaks for jeans and sweaters just like us. So, the escapism was gone and I couldn’t understand why they would swap the fantasy element with bland depictions.
Well, it seems, Warner Bros. wanted to make the movies feel “relatable” for the muggle audience. But we didn’t sign up for Hogwarts: The Gap Edition. So now, with the HBO reboot on the horizon, I’m hoping they’ll bring back the fantastical flair that’s the signature of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World.
Harry Potter and my heartbreak over the loss of fantastical flair
If I could wave a wand and cast one spell over the Harry Potter movies, I’d shout out “revelio” to unveil the tragically forgotten wizard fashion. Because the wardrobe choice in the first three installments felt like an explosion of robes, cloaks, and hats that looked like they were borrowed from a medieval fever dream.
However, after Prisoner of Azkaban, as we witnessed Goblet of Fire come to life on screen, we could see the heartbreaking drop in the Wizarding World fashion. While the books often noted how the wizards struggled to dress like muggles, despite the International Statute of Secrecy requiring them to blend in, the movies seemingly skipped that part.
It broke my heart to see how the movies gradually lost its magical glory and the characters started dressing like they were prepping for a casual Friday. Soon, Jeans, hoodies, and sweaters became the Hogwarts uniform. Not to mention Harry literally fought Voldemort in denim. It seems that instead of leaning into the eccentric outfits mentioned in the books, the movie decided to “modernize” the look.
And as Reddit user @gingerjokes pointed out, perhaps Warner Bros. changed the outfits of the characters to “make it more accessible for people not into the fantasy genre”. Since the Harry Potter films are watched by everyone (whether they’ve read the books or not), I feel like that’s why Warner Bros. tried to make things more relatable for everybody.
Fingers crossed for the HBO reboot to rectify this grave mistake
But all is not lost. It seems we still have some hope left, now that HBO is gearing up for a fresh Harry Potter reboot. Maybe with this extensive TV series, we’ll finally see the magical fashion revival we deserve. And I’m hoping for full-on wizard runway energy—those swishing robes, absurd hats, and cloaks that moved dramatically in the wind like Professor Snape’s did (RIP to him and his iconic fashion moments).
Honestly, if they’re already rebooting the whole thing, why not go all out? Bring back Dumbledore in magnificent, bejeweled robes like Richard Harris last wore. And Merlin’s beard, put the Hogwarts students back in their black robes and pointed hats—we no longer want them to look like casual British schoolgoers. I want them all to look antic, enchanting, whimsical yet chic.
I understand that Warner Bros. previously tried for the films to “relate” to the audience by dressing the characters like us. But the truth is, people are now a lot more aware of the fantasy genre, and maybe few of them have even read the books. So now, HBO need not worry about the relatable element, because honestly flying broomsticks and dragons weren’t relatable either. But we still accepted that because we craved it—it was our escapism.
So, here’s to hoping HBO embraces the magical wardrobe because I can’t deal with the Gap edition all over again.
Harry Potter films are available on Max.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
