Ronald Weasley's dress robes

The dress robes.

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

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

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

— Ron Weasley and Harry Potter before the Yule Ball

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

Before Ronald Weasley

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

— Molly Weasley to Ron Weasley on the purchase of his dress robes

Like everything else Ron owned they were second-hand. It's implied Ron's mother bought them on a second-hand shop, but there is also a possiblity they were a family hand-me-down and they once belonged to Tessie, Ron's great-aunt.

1994 Triwizard Tournament and Yule Ball

Ron wearing his dress robes.

"Don't you look...dashing."

— Padma Patil upon seeing Ron in his dress robes

Ron with Harry Potter and Parvati and Padma Patil at the Yule Ball.

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 Eve. 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.

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.

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)

Behind the Scenes

• Due to Molly Weasley being cut from the film version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Ron received his dress robes from the made-up character Nigel Wespurt instead.