Dress robes

"Everyone wears them, Ron! They're all like that! Your father's got some for smart parties!"

- Molly Weasley to Ronald Weasley

Dress robes are a formal variety of robes worn by witches and wizards for special occasions. They were similar in style to regular work robes, just differing in colour. For example Harry Potter once wore bottle green dress robes.

In the 1994–1995 school year, students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were required to bring dress robes in addition to their normal uniforms and equipment. This was due to the fact that the school was hosting the Triwizard Tournament that year, which included the Yule Ball in December.

Members of the Slug Club also appeared to be wearing dress robes when they attended the Slug Club Christmas party two years later. They are more expensive to purchase than ordinary robes. Dress robes were worn to the Funeral of Albus Dumbledore. Those who attended the Wedding of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour also wore dress robes as they would have for any wizarding wedding, party, or other special event.

Styling
Male

Harry said that the only real difference between dress robes and regular robes was the colour. However, the robes have a lot more added decoration. Lace frills, beads and intricate patterns in the fabric (usually silk or a heavy cotton), are are not rare among the many designs, however Cedric Diggory's dress robes are long and purely black with some patterns in the fabric itself.The robes may also change due to traditon of the school, as seen at the Yule Ball, the Dumstrang students have fur due to the cold temperatures in their native country.Dress robes can also be a fancy suit or waistcoat with a nice tie and shirt.

Female

Most female dress robes are a dress of sort. They can be either long or short and be of any decoration imaginable. For example, Fleur Delacour and her wedding dress features what looks like wings of a swan in black lace on the bottom half.

Behind the Scenes

 * In the films, men's dress robes can be compared to tuxedos and fancy suits, as they serve the same purpose, to be worn at highly formal events. Ladies' dress robes are for all intents and purposes equivalent to Muggle dresses or gowns.