Ronald Weasley's dress robes

Ronald Weasley's dress robes
Object information
Usage	Special occasions
Owners	Ronald Weasley

Ron Weasley: "Well they're all right! No lace, no dodgy little collar..."

Harry Potter: "Well, I expect yours are more traditional..."

Ron Weasley: "Traditional? They're ancient! I look like my great aunt Tessie! I smell like my great aunt Tessie! Murder me, Harry."

— Description of Ron's Yule Ball dress robes

Ron Weasley wore a set of dress robes to the Yule Ball in 1994. They were very traditional in style, and thus old-fashioned and frilly, much to Ron's distaste.

History

"I had to get yours second-hand, and there wasn't a lot of choice."

— Molly Weasley about these dress robes

Like everything else Ron owned they were second-hand. Ron's mother bought them at a second-hand shop. In the summer of 1994, Ron discovered his robes. He insisted that his mum had accidentally given him Ginny's robes, but Molly declared that they were his.

Ron's look of horror at seeing his appearance in the mirror

During the school year of 1994, it became necessary for students attending Hogwarts to own a pair of dress robes for the Yule Ball, which was held on the night of Christmas Day. As the Weasley family was poor, Ron Weasley had to make do with second-hand robes. The old robes were given to Ron, who showed much reluctance to wear them, even going as far to make Molly Weasley suggest him to go naked and have Harry Potter get a photograph.

After getting dressed for the ball, in a desperate attempt to make his robes look more "manly", he used a Severing Charm on the ruff and cuffs which eliminated the lace but he did not do a very neat job and the edges ended up frayed looking.

Ron's date to the ball was Padma Patil, who was unhappy to be seen with him because his robes were so hideously embarrassing. Several others stared and laughed at the robes. Ron and Padma did not dance at all once at the ball, though this was also because Ron spent most of it jealously watching Hermione Granger dance with Viktor Krum. Padma ended up abandoning Ron in favour of a boy from Beauxbatons.

Later in the year, Harry gave Ron's brothers, Fred and George his Triwizard Tournament earnings of 1000 Galleons in order to help them start their joke shop, and semi-jokingly asked them to buy Ron a new pair of dress robes. So, out of gratitude, they honoured his request, and Ron soon had a newer, more attractive set of dress robes.

During the wedding of William Weasley and Fleur Delacour, he was seen in a newer, more attractive set of dress robes.

Behind the scenes

Ron Weasley in his dress robes as a POP! Vinyl

• Due to Molly Weasley being cut from the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Ron got the parcel with his robes from his mother from Nigel Wolpert instead.
• According to Pottermore, wizarding clothing has "remained outside of fashion", with dress robes supposedly only having undergone small alterations since the 17th century. This does not correlate with Ron having dress robes so drastically different from "modern" robes, especially given Draco's comment that they may have been fashionable in 1890.
• In Hogwarts Legacy, you can unlock robes which look just like Ron's dress robes from the film. The game also takes place in 1890.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game) (GBA version only)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• Harry Potter: The Character Vault
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
• The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac
• Hogwarts Legacy