In the Harry Potter books, what do wizards wear under their robes?

Question

In the movies, they wore ties and really nice shirts, but I don't think that's how it was in the books?

What do wizards and witches wear under their robes?

Answer 1

In the books, there's basically no mention of wizards wearing anything under their robes other than underpants (or in extreme cases nothing at all).

Order of the Phoenix

Snape was hanging upside-down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of greying underpants.

Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry took off his black school robes, removed his wand from his pocket, and stuck it inside the T-shirt he was going to wear under his Quidditch robes

Deathly Hallows (edited by me for brevity)

She led them down a side street, then into the shelter of a shadowy alleyway. ‘When you say you’ve got the Cloak, and clothes …’ said Harry, frowning at Hermione, who was carrying nothing except her small beaded handbag, in which she was now rummaging. ‘Yes, they’re here,’ said Hermione, and to Harry and Ron’s utter astonishment, she pulled out a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt, some maroon socks and, finally, the silvery Invisibility Cloak.

Ron, hurry up and change …’....‘When did you do all this?’ Harry asked, as Ron stripped off his robes....‘You’re amazing, you are,’ said Ron, handing her his bundled-up robes....

[note the lack of mention of him covering his little wizard while he changed]

Goblet of Fire

Harry, Ron and Hermione joined it, right behind a pair of men who were having a heated argument. One of them was a very old wizard who was wearing a long flowery nightgown. The other was clearly a Ministry wizard; he was holding out a pair of pinstriped trousers and almost crying with exasperation. ‘Just put them on, Archie, there’s a good chap, you can’t walk around like that, the Muggle on the gate’s already getting suspicious –’ ‘I bought this in a Muggle shop,’ said the old wizard stubbornly. ‘Muggles wear them.’ ‘Muggle women wear them, Archie, not the men, they wear these,’ said the Ministry wizard, and he brandished the pinstriped trousers. ‘I’m not putting them on,’ said old Archie in indignation. ‘I like a healthy breeze round my privates, thanks.’

and

All their teammates but Angelina were already in the changing room when they entered. [...] ‘Shut up,’ said Ron, stony-faced, pulling on his own team robes for the first time. They fitted him well considering they had been Oliver Wood’s, who was rather broader in the shoulder.

[Again, note that he didn't feel the need to cover up despite Alicia Spinnet being in the room]

---

UPDATE : It has been pointed out to me that in the French version of the novels, Ron is wearing a "pantalon" (e.g. pleated slacks) under his robe:

ses chaussures et le bas de son pantalon - _{^{Harry Potter a L'ecole Des Sorciers}}

Answer 2

There is one canonical mention of Hogwarts school ties, in Wonderbook: Book of Spells

If you were brought up in a wizarding family with House-Elves, then you may feel that using your magic to clean up after yourself is in some way beneath you. But rest assured, the first time you need to get a Stinksap stain out of a school tie without your House-Elf there to help you, you will be grateful you learnt the Scouring Charm.
_{(Wonderbook: Book of Spells - Chapter 3)}

The content for Wonderbook: Book of Spells was written by JK Rowling.

Wonderbook: Book of Spells is an enchanted book that brings spells to life around you, and includes new writing from J.K. Rowling, such as spell descriptions and stories from the wizarding world.
_{(jkrowling.com)}

Granted it doesn't specify Hogwarts, and it is technically possible that Miranda Goshawk was writing for one of the other ten magical schools. It is also possible that the dress norm changed in the few hundred years since Goshawk's book.

Answer 3

A bit of a necro, but i read it as just underwear as well specifically round the point of the polyjuice potion in chamber of secrets, they specifically don't steal crab and goyle's clothes, but they do snag extra big robes. Also, they ask for privacy changing on the train in the first book, if the robes were similar to the picture, they could have just put the robes on around their clothing.

I think the robes are like monk robes and less like bath robe in design.

Answer 4

Via Pottermore's section on clothing. Implies that at least some do not wear trousers under their robes.

Some members of the magical community go out of their way to break the clothing clause in the Statute of Secrecy. A fringe movement calling itself Fresh Air Refreshes Totally (F.A.R.T.)* insists that Muggle trousers ‘stem the magical flow at source’ and insist on wearing robes in public, in spite of repeated warnings and fines.**

* President Archie Aymslowe

** To date, they appear to have been taken as cult members by Muggles.

Answer 5

So... I’m reading Harry Potter.... and a thought occurred to me....

In the BOOKS... they never really mention or touch on what Wizards wear UNDER their robes... like.. we know that Wizards don’t know much about fashion in the Muggle world....

So that got me thinking: they can’t be naked... because there are several instances where it’s IMPLIED that they are not wearing anything except perhaps underwear... and a couple of instances where it’s mentioned a shirt or something... BUT... in doing some research...

There is no definite answer.

I did more digging into fan theories and what not and found this from a person who had his own theory and it actually makes sense...

“A bit of a necro, but i read it as just underwear as well specifically round the point of the polyjuice potion in chamber of secrets, they specifically don't steal crab and goyle's clothes, but they do snag extra big robes. Also, they ask for privacy changing on the train in the first book, if the robes were similar to the picture, they could have just put the robes on around their clothing.

*** I think the robes are like monk robes and less like bath robe in design. **** “

So... maybe? That makes the most sense. Monk robes cover the entire body. In the OotP, when Harry goes inside Snape’s memory, James flips Snape upside revealing his legs and underwear. In that specific case: a monk’s robe would make the most sense...

Personally: I always visioned the Hogwarts kids wearing like... regular clothes... a t-shirt, jeans, sneakers and their Hogwarts robes over their clothes... and in my own mind, the house elves visit the first year dormitories in the night and sow their house patches and house colors onto their robes so that they look like the ones in the movies (so you’d wear whatever underneath and your house robes).

But having found this out: I think the monk robes make the most sense.

I was rereading what Rowling had said on Pottermore (https://www.wizardingworld.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/clothing)

“Some members of the magical community go out of their way to break the clothing clause in the Statute of Secrecy. A fringe movement calling itself Fresh Air Refreshes Totally (F.A.R.T.)* insists that Muggle trousers ‘stem the magical flow at source’ and insist on wearing robes in public, in spite of repeated warnings and fines.** More unusually, wizards deliberately adopt laughable Muggle confections, such as a crinoline worn with a sombrero and football boots.*** “

At the end of the article:

• President Archie Aymslowe ** To date, they appear to have been taken as cult members by Muggles. *** These are generally taken by Muggles to be students on a dare.

The second set of bullet points: wearing robes in the Muggle world would make a Wizard appear as if they were in a cult... well, yes. If you wore black monk robes in the Muggle world, you would indeed look like a cult member, especially out in broad daylight...

I think it was the Sorcerer’s Stone(?): when Harry was getting his new school robes: Madam Malkin “slipped the robes over Harry’s head”...

Yeah: as I’m writing this: I’d think monk robes are what are being referred to and thought of.