Introduction
It's tough for big guys to find an appropriate Halloween costume. That's one reason why Rubeus Hagrid, the half-wizard, half-giant of the Harry Potter series, is such a great character. Even better, he's a fearless hero with a knack for communicating with dangerous "magical creatures". What's not to like?
Costume 1
Hagrid has three primary outfits. The most familiar of these can be seen here. Fortunately, so long as you're not a stickler for detail, this outfit can be recreated fairly easily and inexpensively. Do a tour of your local thrift stores and look for the following:
- A long, red, button-up shirt
- A brown, suede-look jacket with front pockets
- A black belt with large silver buckle
- A long, tan or brown overcoat/raincoat
- Loose, brown pants
Remove the sleeves from the suede-look jacket, and then layer everything as shown in the photo above. Don't worry about worn areas. Hagrid is known for his patched, well-worn clothing. The only items you'll need to complete your outfit are Hagrid-style hair and beard, and optionally, height-enhancing shoes. We'll cover those later in this tutorial.
If you'll be playing Hagrid in cold weather, you may want to look for a long, fake fur coat instead of an overcoat. Hagrid wears a coat like this on particularly frosty nights.
Costume 2
Hagrid's autumn outfit is a bit harder to make, simply because you'll need to add patches. Look for the following:
Note that there are two different vests shown in the photos above. Either one will do. Use the photos to determine the location of your patches. Add a pocket to Hagrid's left sleeve if you want authenticity.
Costume 3
In Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, Hagrid courts fellow half-giant Madame Maxime at Hogwart's Yule dance. For these scenes, Hagrid is at his most dapper.
To be dressed-up Hagrid, you'll need:
- A grey pin-striped suit that can be destroyed
- A wide beige or pale peach tie that can be destroyed
You'll be gluing tufts of auburn or medium brown "crepe hair" (wool) all over the suit. To find an appropriate glue, look here. For crepe hair, try these companies:
To create the yellow dots for your tie, try "touch dots", or just go to your nearest office supply store and buy some yellow dot stickers. You'll probably want to use glue to secure them.
For the tie's stripes, you may be able to find adhesive ribbon in the scrapbooking section of your local crafts store. If not, try these merchants:
Those willing to expend a little more effort can get a better look at a lower cost by cutting their yellow dots and orange stripes out of felt.
Hair, Beard & Mustache
For Hagrid's hair, beard and mustache, perfectionists will want to use the crepe wool we mentioned earlier. Learn how to use it here. For everyone else, the best all-in-one solution is probably the Mountain Man Wig and Beard:
Wig Only
If you don't need fake facial hair, try the Nobel Count Wig. You might want to tease this one a little, but be gentle. Again, scroll down.
Further up on the same page, you'll find the Wizard Wig, which will again require some teasing. The Wizard Wig is also sold at these stores:
Lastly, if you like the Hagrid of the earlier films, who's hair was more brown, try the Hippy Man wig. Again, this will need to be brushed back:
Beard & Mustache Only
For facial hair only, the best inexpensive solution appears to be the Curly Mustache and Beard in grey or brown offered by these merchants:
Height Enhancing Shoes
In the Harry Potter books, Hagrid is said to be twice as tall as an average man and nearly three times as wide. In the films, however, Robbie Coltrane, the actor who plays Hagrid, is made to appear roughly 8'6" (2.62 metres).
While you're unlikely to achieve this height, you can still tower over fellow partygoers by using elevator shoes. You can add almost 5" (12.7 cm) of height with these costume boots:
Actually walking in them may be another story. There are manufacturers of everyday height enhancing shoes that do a better job with comfort and usability, but these are somewhat expensive:
You've got all you need now. Have fun towering over your friends!
