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How to Make Your Own Hogwarts School Uniform (PoA version)
Like I’ve promised, I want to post my Harry Potter Costuming Guide in this forum. I've compiled all my costuming notes to the best of my knowledge. Here you’ll find instructions on how to make your very own Hogwarts School Uniform (PoA version) and the best Harry Potter costume resources. I also have a costuming guide for the SS version, but I want to post the PoA version first since it’s more current with the movies. This post is exclusive to members of hp_costuming only. Enjoy!

~Co-Moderator Angela


How to Make Your Own Hogwarts School Uniform (PoA)
by mandymitchell

Here are the costuming notes for the Hogwarts school uniforms that appear in the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (PoA) and the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movies. Please note that I do not take responsibility for any of the purchases that you make.

Harry Potter Costume Resources


Ties:
The first thing you need to do before you get started on anything else is to purchase your tie! I would highly recommend Wizard Ties because they sell excellent quality ties based off of the movies. You need your tie in order to match the color of your lining.

WizardTies (PoA Adult sizes only)
http://www.wizardties.com

If you find WizardTies too pricey for you, Alivan’s also sells PoA ties and they have excellent customer service.

Alivan’s (PoA Youth and Adult sizes)
http://www.alivans.com


Where to buy robes:

The Pitch Quality Robe Shoppe
http://www.geocities.com/qualityrobeshoppe/ThePitch.html
The Pitch does a really nice job on robes!

Whimsic Alley
http://www.whimsicalley.com
Whimsic Alley sells PoA robes from all four houses for Adults and Children’s sizes. You have to put your own patch onto the robe. Lately, they've been having lots of problems with online orders such as late shipments. I would recommend you to purchase items at their Santa Monica store in California. If California is out of your reach, I suggest looking at other shops that sell robes.

Lituus Robes
http://www.lituus.org
You can purchase PoA robes from Lituus. However they are located in England.

Twin Roses Designs
http://www.twinrosesdesigns.com/futurefantasy.html
Twin Roses make really nice robes that come along with a house patch. They can make wand pockets upon request.

Robes 4 Wizards
http://robes4wizards.com
Robes 4 Wizards includes patches and wand pockets.

Mooney Couture
http://www.moonycouture.com/


How to Make Your Own Robe

Where to find fabrics for your robe:
For PoA, the exterior of the robe is black while the lining represents the color of a Hogwarts house.

Fabric suggestions:
Kona cotton
Broadcloth
Cotton
Cotton/polyester
Suit-weight wool
Suitings (polyester, linen, rayon, blends)
Twill
Linen

For the black exterior, I would recommend kona cotton or broadcloth. The only drawback to broadcloth is that it attracts lint. Otherwise it will work just fine. I will recommend getting your black fabric at Michael Levine’s at the LA Fashion District because it’s cheaper there. Go to solids section in the middle of the store and you will find bolts of broadcloth or cotton/polyester fabrics. Just make sure that you don’t choose a fabric that’s too heavy or too thick. If you want movie accuracy, I would recommend wool, but it can get really hot in the summertime.

For the lining, I would recommend kona cotton because it comes in more colors than broadcloth. This is where you need to purchase a tie first before making a robe. You need to match the color of the lining to the color of your tie. The color of your lining may not necessarily match the color of your tie 100%. If it is very close, then purchase it. If it’s still way off, I would recommend you to purchase your lining at F & S Fabrics. That fabric store has solids that come in every shade known to mankind. It’s a bit more pricey but it’s well worth it. That’s where I got my lining for my Ravenclaw robe and the lining for Ashley’s Slytherin robe. However you can also purchase your exterior fabric there as well.

F & S Fabrics
10629 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 475-1637

Either way, it’s still a worthwhile fabric store to check out. I usually go there for last resort if I can’t find anything. They do sell amazing fabrics and they can also re-order bolts of fabric for you just like Michael Levine’s.

Robe patterns:
These following patterns are excellent but are out-of-print. You might still find them in JoAnn's or on ebay:

McCall’s 3663, McCall’s 4340, and Simplicity 5840

There are robe patterns that are currently in-print. But you may have to modify them and make alterations on your own if necessary. My best suggestion would be to use pictures of the robes from the Harry Potter films as references while you make the costume:

Simplicity 9887 and Butterick 4050

If you still manage to find the out-of-print patterns, here are the following tutorials:

McCall’s 3663
http://www.mccallpattern.com/item/M3663.htm?tab=&page=1
I used McCall’s 3663 for my robe. The sleeves have a lot of excess and the robes are too full that they need to be shortened.

McCall’s 4340
http://www.mccallpattern.com/item/M4340.htm?tab=&page=1
I would also suggest using McCall’s 4340. This pattern needs few alterations and is a lot closer to the movie. The robe is also less full.

McCall’s 3663 creates drapery effect. McCall’s 4340 hangs straight down. In the end, it doesn’t really matter. They’re both really good patterns. It depends on what type of look that you want for the robes. Both robes look very similar anyways.

For males, I would recommend Simplicity 5840. This is a popular pattern used for PoA robes but it also tends to be roomy. The sleeves must be changed to bell sleeves. The hood must be made longer and end at a point. However this pattern can be used for females but it tends to be too large from what I’ve heard. I’ve never used this pattern before so I would suggest visiting this tutorial if you plan to use it.
Madame Malkin’s includes a guide to modifying Simplicity 5840.
http://www.costumebeginner.com/malkins/student/simp.htm

Robe instructions:
The length of the sleeves needs to be reduced. Once you are done cutting out the sleeves, measure your length from your shoulder to your wrist. Fold the sleeve over as if it were about to be sewn together. Cut off the excess fabric from the sleeves. (You’ll have somewhat of an excess to cut off because the sleeves tend to have a fantasy drape.)
Once you are done sewing the seams of the sleeves together, you need to make bell sleeves otherwise your sleeve will end up pointy. In order to do so, round off the sharp corners of the sleeve by cutting the excess off. Do not forget to refer to the Harry Potter pictures.
Make the hood end at a point.
When sewing the hood and the robe together, sandwich the hood in between the robe. This will be kind of confusing but you have to make sure that the colors match once you turn the robe inside out.
Finish sewing the edges of the robe together. Then sew on the sleeves.
Make sure that the robe falls to your ankles. To hem the bottom edge, cut of ¾ of inch of the lining. Turn up the exterior edge twice, press, and then sew. It sounds kind of confusing but that’s how I hemmed my robes. Unless you have better way, then go for it.
When in doubt, always refer to Harry Potter reference pictures.

Robe closures:
The robe closures are soft black clasps. You can also use black Chinese frog closures. The opened loop of the frog closure will be on your left-hand side of the robe (where the patch is).

Online Robe Tutorials:
Madame Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions
http://www.costumebeginner.com/malkins/student/robes.htm#pattern

Madame Malkin’s provides a tutorial on how to make your own Hogwarts robe. It also goes over every single type of robe pattern that’s available.

Making Robes and Cloaks is another online robe tutorial.
http://www.servantsofthelight.org/knowledge/makingrobes.html

Here's another online tutorial for the PoA robes:
http://students.kennesaw.edu/~tsd1347/harrypotter2.htm

Vampire Anneke's Online Tutorial
http://anneke.usanethosting.com/Cosplay/Harry_Potter/PA_Student.html


Sweaters (optional):
For PoA, the sweater is the same as SS except that the stripes on the V-neck collar are gone, and the sweater is charcoal grey. Students also have the option of wearing the PoA sweater vest. Note that the Hogwarts school uniform can also be worn without a sweater as in the Buckbeak scene in the Prisoner of Azkaban movie.

Hobbie’s House of Wizard Wear (Adult and children’s sizes available)
http://www.wizardknits.com
The best place to get sweaters would be Hobbie’s House of Wizard Wear. Their sweaters are accurate to the movie and everything is custom made. Lately, I’ve been hearing that Hobbie’s House a long turnaround time. If you want a sweater, put in an order right now and be very patient. They won’t start making the sweater until you order it.

Whimsic Alley
http://www.whimsicalley.com
But if you can’t wait that long, you can always purchase your sweater at Whimsic Alley. Lately, they've been having lots of problems with online orders such as late shipments. I would recommend you to purchase items at their Santa Monica store in California. If California is out of your reach, I suggest looking at other shops.

Of course, if you don’t want to buy a sweater, you can try to make one. I made my first sweater by ordering a heather grey sweater/sweatshirt from Target. I added my stripes by using fabric ribbons. Overall, I pulled off the look. But I didn’t like the quality of it. It was part of my first Gryffindor outfit that I wore once and then retired it.


Scarves (optional):
For PoA, the scarves have the trapped bar design.

Hobbie’s House of Wizard Wear
http://www.wizardknits.com
Hobbie’s House sells PoA scarves four all four houses and in different lengths. That’s where I got my scarf, and it’s of the highest quality. Once again, they have a long turnaround time.

Whimsy Wearables
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=3860198&uid=1342719&members=1
http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=hisgrouchyness
Whimsy Wearables is a great place to order PoA scarves. I ordered one from them in the past. They’re a lot faster, and I think their colors are more accurate. The only thing is that their scarves tend to be much thicker and warmer. I know they have a waiting list right now due to their popularity but they won’t take as long as Hobbie’s House.

Whimsic Alley
http://www.whimsicalley.com
Whimsic Alley also sells scarves but they tend to be slightly shorter in length. Lately, they've been having lots of problems with online orders such as late shipments. I would recommend you to purchase items at their Santa Monica store in California. If California is out of your reach, I suggest looking at other shops.

Alivan’s
http://www.alivans.com
Alivan’s sells PoA scarves for Gryffindor and Slytherin only.

Make your own scarf:
Scarves can be time consuming. So if you’re going to make one, you better start right now. Make sure your yarn colors match the ones in the movies.

atypically.knit
http://knit.atypically.net/index.shtml
atypically.knit has patterns and instructions on how to knit Harry Potter scarves for PoA. They also sell PoA scarves.


Skirts:
For PoA, girls wear charcoal grey kick-pleat skirts. You can either make one or purchase one. They don’t take too long to make.

Frank Bee
http://www.frankbee.com
(Select Kick-Pleat School Uniform Skirt Style #34 for PoA. Pick charcoal grey. This particular skirt has two pleats in the front and two pleats in the back.)

Buckhead Uniforms
http://www.buckheaduniforms.com
(Style 134 PCT Teen for PoA; Select charcoal)

Omega Uniforms
http://omegauniforms.com
(PoA style, Black Poly/Cotton Kickpleat Skirt)

How to make your own your own PoA skirt:
Fabric: Charcoal grey fabric or suiting material. You can find them easily in the LA Fashion District.
Pattern: Simplicity 5351 skirt F (with a few modifications)
Make sure that before you cut your fabric that you extend the length of your skirt. The skirt falls just above the knees. Refer to the picture of Hermione. Don’t just cut everything right away with this pattern. Skirt F puts a horizontal seamline on the skirt. Do not cut the fabric according to the pattern. Add the horizontal band to the current skirt pattern. Tape them together and then cut the skirt. Don’t even bother cutting out the flaps.


Shirts:
Students wear long-sleeved white collar dress shirts. You can buy them at JC Penny, Old Navy, and other department stores.

Socks:
For PoA, girls wear black nylons.
Boys wear black socks.

Pants:
Boys wear charcoal grey pants for PoA.


Patches:
I would recommend ironing on the patch onto the robe and then using a zigzag stitch to secure the patch. Due to Warner Bros. cracking down on Harry Potter costume production, Patch Palace no longer exists. They changed their name to Crest Palace, but you can still find their Harry Potter patches on ebay. You can also get patches at Whimsic Alley and American Patches.

Crest Palace (formerly Patch Palace)
http://www.marketworks.com/storefrontprofiles/default.aspx?sfid=131239
http://stores.ebay.com/canadapatch
http://stores.ebay.com/CrestPalace

ebay
http://www.ebay.com

Whimsic Alley
http://www.whimsicalley.com
Lately, they've been having lots of problems with online orders such as late shipments. I would recommend you to purchase items at their Santa Monica store in California. If California is out of your reach, I suggest looking at other shops.

American Patches
http://www.americanpatches.com/potter.htm


Shoes:
Boys wear nice black shoes while girls wear black Mary Janes.

Zappos Shoes
http://www.zappos.com
eBay
http://www.ebay.com
Payless Shoes
http://www.payless.com
Asian Ideas
http://asianideas.com/silkmaryjanes.html
Planet Shoes
http://planetshoes.com


Wands:
The Noble Collection
http://www.noblecollection.com/
The Noble Collection is selling exact replicas of Harry Potter wands at affordable prices. I would highly recommend them if you are portraying a specific Harry Potter character.

Whirlwood Wands
http://www.whirlwood.com
Whirlwood Wands sell excellent wands! They are pricey.

Alivan’s
http://www.alivans.com
Alivan’s sells high quality wands.

Whimsic Alley
http://www.whimsicalley.com
Whimsic Alley sells wands provided by Phoenix Wands. Lately, they've been having lots of problems with online orders such as late shipments. I would recommend you to purchase items at their Santa Monica store in California. If California is out of your reach, I suggest looking at other shops.


Harry Potter Movie Pictures:
Leaky Picture Galleries
http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/#gallery:home

Mugglenet’s Harry Potter Gallery
http://www.mugglenet.com/gallery/


Harry Potter Costume Links:
The Harry Potter Cosplay Community
http://www.livejournal.com/community/hp_costuming/
Feel free to post any questions you may have on the Harry Potter Cosplay Community. I Co-Moderate this forum. This forum is opened to people who have questions on any Harry Potter character.

Harry Potter Costume References
http://www.livejournal.com/community/hpc_ref/

Harry Potter Knitting & Crafts
http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=weasleysweaters

Best Wizard Wear Resources
http://www.wizardknits.com/best-wizard-wear-resources.html

Contact:
chochang77@gmail.com
If you have any questions or need any help, feel free to contact me at my e-mail address. Best of luck on your costume!