Albus Dumbledore was the Headmaster at Hogwarts for many years and was considered by most people in the wizarding world to be the greatest Headmaster Hogwarts ever had. He understood early in his life that he couldn’t be trusted with power so he chose teaching as a way of passing on his considerable knowledge to the young witches and wizards who came to Hogwarts, and that is where he stayed for the rest of his life.
Dumbledore became personally invested in Harry Potter’s well-being. He knew that Harry’s home life wasn’t good but was pleased to know that Harry fit right in at Hogwarts. He later expressed regret that he didn’t share what he knew about Harry with him sooner, proving that he was human and prone to mistakes.
There are not too many options if you want to dress in a Dumbledore costume. If you can find it there is an officially licensed robe or you can wear a traditional wizard’s robe, of which there are many to choose from. You will also need Dumbledore’s very long hair and beard, as well as a wand.
Beyond that, there are a few additional accessories you can add to your costume. I’ve thought of every possible accessory you might want to include with your outfit and hope you have fun picking the items that you like most.
Mandatory Accessories |
Hair and Beard
Dumbledore’s long hair and long beard are two of his most identifiable features and are a must for any Dumbledore costume. There may be a few of you who have naturally long (really, really long) hair and beard, but I’ll bet that most of you reading this don’t.
Fred and George Weasley grew long hair and beards by crossing the age-restricted line surrounding the Goblet of Fire. Sadly, we Muggles don’t have that option, but we have Amazon, which is the next best thing to magic (at least, for shopping!).
There isn’t an officially licensed wig and beard, but that’s okay. There are plenty of hair and beard sets that are meant for wizards, so you should have no trouble finding the right hair and beard for your outfit.
Dumbledore’s Hair and Beard
Wand
There is no doubt that Dumbledore was an incredibly powerful wizard. Late in the Harry Potter series, we learn that Dumbledore’s wand was the infamous Elder Wand (sometimes also called the Death Wand). He had become both owner and master of the wand after he won it in his duel with Gellert Grindelwald.
Dumbledore understood the allure that the Elder Wand had over other wizards, including Lord Voldemort, and he hoped to be buried with it so it would be lost to future generations. As you know, that didn’t go quite as he planned because Voldemort broke into Dumbledore’s tomb and stole the Elder Wand.
Dumbledore’s Wand
Glasses
Dumbledore is one of many characters in the Harry Potter world who wore glasses. The glasses he wore had a half-moon frame, which, unfortunately, is the hardest style to find and is often not available on Amazon. To make it easier for you I have included three different frames, andy of which will work with your costume, although some of the styles go in and out of stock.
Dumbledore’s Glasses
Headmaster Outfit |
Hat
In the movies you often see Dumbledore wearing a hat. He wore several different hats in the movies and there were two official hats that were sold.
One style, seen here, is round and flat with a yellowy-orange tassel. It is adorned with colored embroidery on the bottom of the hat. There is an adjustable size band on the inside. This style is easier to find on Amazon than the second.
The second style was seen in the early movies and is a tall, pointy hat. This style is no longer made and is much harder to find.
You also have a third option, which is to buy a handmade hat. There are several sellers on Etsy that make gorgeous replicas of Dumbledore’s hat.
Albus Dumbledore’s Hat
Mask
Want to really look like Dumbledore? Then wear a mask!
There are two styles of Dumbledore masks. One has the likeness of Richard Harris who was the first actor to portray Albus Dumbledore in the movies, and the other is of Michael Gambon who took over the role after Harris died.
The masks are getting harder to find as time goes by so I have included links to several sources to help you improve your chances of finding one.
Dumbledore Mask
Replica Robe
There is only one officially licensed costume for Dumbledore and it is a Replica robe, meaning that the robe has been exquisitely replicated to look like that of one of the movie robes. Even the materials that the robe is made from are the same materials as the movie robe.
The robe goes in and out of stock on Amazon so if you click on the link but do not see the robe then it is not currently available there. In that case, I recommend that you click the eBay link because you might find one there. Although I’ll admit that I have a good friend who does a brilliant Dumbledore and he has been looking for the official replica robe for years without success. Good luck if you are also searching for it!
Replica of Dumbledore’s Robe
Exclusive Robe
HalloweenCostumes.com has exclusive rights to this costume, which comes with a grey tunic, cloak, and hat. It’s not identical to the replica robe but it’s pretty close and easier on your wallet if you are counting your knuts, sickles, and galleons.
Exclusive Dumbledore Costume
Alternative Wizard Robe
I hate to say this but you are probably going to find that the Replica robe is out of stock. If that happens, you still have options! There are plenty of other wizard robes for you to choose from, and they range in size from child to adult.
When it comes to choosing a wizard’s robe, don’t be afraid to go with purple or other colorful outfits. Dumbledore wore purple robes and was a very colorful character!
There are also gifted sellers on Etsy who make handmade Dumbledore robes that are gorgeous! You might pay a bit more for a handmade robe but the quality will be much better than a mass-produced costume.
Alternative Wizard Robe
Optional Accessories |
Blackened Hand
Dumbledore’s wand hand took a nasty turn for the worse in the sixth book and movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. He had put on a ring that was cursed and the curse unleashed death into Dumbledore’s body. Professor Snape was able to bind the curse temporarily, which contained the curse to the Headmaster’s hand, but within a year the curse was sure to claim Dumbledore’s life.
I look very hard to find a charred, blackened, or withered hand that you could use with your costume. In the end, I came up with a few options you can choose from. The simplest option is to wear a single black glove. People will know instantly why one of your hands is black and the other is not if you use this idea. I also found a few ghoulish costume gloves that you can wear.
Blackened, Withered Hand
Horcrux Ring
Do any of you remember the cause of Dumbledore’s blackened hand? 10 points for Gryffindor if you said the Horcrux ring! This Horcrux was made from a ring that had the Resurrection Stone, one of the three Deathly Hallow.
Just as an FYI, you will also see this ring called the Gaunt ring because it belonged in the Gaunt family for generations. Another 10 points if you know how Voldemort is related to the Gaunts…
Dumbledore may have been a wise old man, but the ring proved to be too much temptation even for him as he longed to be reunited with his sister who had died when he was a teenager. He temporarily forgot that the ring was a Horcrux and put it on, and the moment he did, his days were officially numbered.
Horcrux Resurrection Stone Ring
Deathly Hallows Necklace
Speaking of the Deathly Hallows, Dumbledore had been obsessed with finding and possessing all three of the Hallows at one time in his life. He got over the obsession (I think) but continued to have an interest in them throughout the rest of his life.
It would not be out of character for you to include a Deathly Hallows necklace with your Dumbledore outfit. Besides, his beard was so long that we will never know if there really was a necklace hidden underneath it!
Deathly Hallows Necklace
Deluminator
One of the very first things we see Albus Dumbledore do in the first story is use what he called a Deluminator. It is a magical item of his own creation and it works by sucking all nearby sources of light into it or releasing the light back to the sources when clicked.
As you know, the Deluminator was not just a light putter outer. It was also pivotal in helping Ron Weasley return to Harry Potter and Hermione Granger in the final book. Dumbledore knew that Ron would leave, but also want to return, so he used the Deluminator to help Ron get back to them. Clever man, Dumbledore!
Dumbledore's Deluminator
Knitting Magazine
We learned in Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince that Dumbledore enjoys reading magazines about knitting. He asked Horace Slughorn if he could take a magazine he had found in the loo and said, “I do love knitting patterns.”
Knitting Magazine
Fawkes the Phoenix
It takes an amazing man to tame a Phoenix enough for it to stay with him as a pet, and Dumbledore was such a man. Fawkes chose to stay with and was loyal to the Hogwarts Headmaster until Dumbledore died. Fawkes was an important part of the Harry Potter stories and helped Harry several times.
Did you know that Fawkes gave up just two feathers that were used in the core of two wands? And, did you also know that those two wands belonged to Tom Riddle and Harry Potter? J.K. Rowling made a lot of subtle connections like that throughout the entire series.
Plush Fawkes
Sherbet Lemon Drops
Dumbledore had a sweet tooth and one of his favorite candies was lemon drops, also called sherbet lemons. Keep a couple of these lemon drops in your robe’s pocket so you can indulge whenever you get a craving for sweets.
Sherbet Lemons
Hogwarts ID Badge
Add an ID badge to your outfit. There are a couple of styles, including the one you see here which is an official-looking Hogwarts staff ID that shows his picture, lists Dumbledore’s position and wand, and has his signature.
Image courtesy of sblackwell19
Dumbledore’s ID Badge
Dumbledore’s Last Will and Testament
I found a seller on eBay who made a gorgeous recreation of Dumbledore’s last will and testament. Some of you might think this is an odd thing to add to Dumbledore’s costume but who is to say that he didn’t carry it around with him inside one of his robe’s pockets to work on when he had a bit of free time?
Image courtesy of wizardingcreations101
Dumbledore’s Will
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