Snape, Snape, Severus Snape… Oops, sorry, I couldn’t resist!
So now we all know who Snape was, and whether you love him or hate him, there is no denying that he is one of the most beloved characters in the entire Harry Potter series. Therefore it comes as no surprise that he is a popular character to dress up as. For those of you who want to doubt his loyalties, just remember Hagrid who always said that if Dumbledore trusted Snape, then that was good enough for him!
If you want to dress as Professor Snape then you will need a bit of creativity. There is an official costume but it is incredibly hard to find so I have included other options for you. They may not be exactly like Snape’s clothes from the movies but they are very similar.
Then, just for fun, I have recreated as best I could Neville Longbottom’s Boggart of Snape wearing his grandmother’s clothes. That one was a lot of fun to put together. I have also included all the accessories you could possibly want, including his hair and wand. Oh, and don’t forget to include a nice, big sneer on your face!
From his hair, wand, and Dark Mark tattoo to his Professor costume, Boggart costume, and accessories, there are all the items you need for a Snape costume!
Mandatory Accessories |
Wig
Snape’s hair is described as long, black, and greasy in the books. However, Alan Rickman’s version of Snape in the movies skips the greasy part so you can, too. There is no official Snape wig but I have found three variations for you to use.
The first is Michael Jackson’s hair, the second is straight, black hair, and the third shows gothic styles. I encourage you to click on all three links to see all the different types of wigs you could wear.
Although I found three different types of wigs, they all have a few things in common. The hair on each wig is black, just like Snape’s was. Also, they are all a bit stringy, making them perfect for your Snape outfit.
Severus Snape’s Hair
Wand
Wands are incredibly complex and, although they are not alive and don’t have wills of their own, they connect with their owners and take on the personalities of their owners. Witches and wizards feel lost without their wands, as we saw in the final Harry Potter story when several characters lost their wands, including Harry.
As for Severus Snape’s wand, we don’t yet know anything about it, such as what type of wood it was made from or what its core was. Hopefully, author J.K. Rowling will share this information someday, but until that happens you can decide for yourself the wood and core that makes up Snape’s wand.
Have you ever considered that it was a wand that was Snape’s downfall? Voldemort killed Snape because he believed that Snape was the true master of Voldemort’s wand (he wasn’t – Draco Malfoy was).
Severus Snape’s Wand
Professor Snape Costume |
Cosplay Costume
Snape loved to wear a billowy robe over his coat and pants. At the time that I wrote this, there was a Cosplay version of Snape’s costume being sold on Amazon that includes the cape, coat, and pants. I’ve included links to sources other than Amazon since you never know when you will find a Cosplay costume there, too.
Severus Snape Cosplay Costume
Official Coat and Pants
Snape was often seen wearing a dark gray, long-sleeved, button-up coat with matching pants. When paired up with a cape he resembled a bat, and many people thought Snape was a vampire because of this, but the vampire aspects of Snape were just one of the many red herrings that J.K. Rowling included in the series.
The coat seen here is the official costume coat, but, sadly, both the coat and pants are often out of stock. I’m including them with the hope that when you click on them they will be in stock, but if they aren’t I’ve included alternative options that are listed below.
Official Replica of Snape’s Coat and Pants
Alternative Coat
If you find that the official costume coat and pants are no longer being sold you will be happy to know that there are alternatives that you can wear that closely resemble the official versions. The pants are easy – I’m sure you can find a pair of black or gray pants. It’s the coat that is much more difficult to find.
The good news is that I have searched for and found several alternative coats for you. Snape has a bit of a gothic or steampunk vibe, so some of the coats also have that same feel. I recommend that you wear a black shirt or turtleneck under the coat, and you can also add a cape (I have capes listed further below).
Each link has a different selection of coats. I encourage you to click each of them so that you can find the perfect coat for your version of Snape.
Alternative Coat
Boggart Snape COstume |
Vulture Hat
Neville’s greatest fear while at Hogwarts was Professor Snape and this is the shape his Boggart took. Neville made the Boggart humorous by forcing it to wear his grandmother’s clothes.
The first thing you will need if you want to wear Neville’s version of Snape is a vulture hat. There are no hats that look exactly like the one worn by Snape in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban but there are vulture hats that are silly enough to work for this costume.
Vulture Hat
Fur Wrap
The Snape Boggart wore fox fur around his neck because that’s what Neville’s grandmother wore. You will be hard-pressed to find an actual fox wrap because I’m pretty sure they are no longer legal but you can replicate the look by wearing a faux fur wrap.
The point is to look like an old lady so choose something fussy looking. You might even opt for something that ties with a pretty bow. Snape would love that, wouldn’t he!
Fur Wrap
Green Dress
The boggart shape in the film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban wore a green dress so I am included to believe that this is the type of dress that Neville saw his grandmother wear. She was described as a woman who was all business and the dress we saw fit that description.
Boggart Snape’s dress was green with long sleeves. If you are a man and you have never worn a dress before then my recommendation is to avoid super-tight dresses to ensure maximum comfort. The only other advice I can think to offer is to consider something in a plus size.
Update: I’m surprised to see that this kind of outfit is now difficult to find on Amazon. You might have the best luck finding something suitable on eBay.
Green Dress
Gloves
A vulture hat, fur wrap, and green dress were not the only pieces of clothing worn by the Boggart. Boggart Snape was incredibly good at accessorizing because he wore black, fishnet, fingerless gloves. Or, would it be Neville who was the one good at accessorizing, since he is the one who envisioned what the ridiculous version of Snape looked like?
Whether it was the Boggart or Neville who came up with the gloves doesn’t matter if you want to dress up in a Snape Boggart costume. What does matter is that the gloves are black and made from fishnet. Or, if you prefer lace instead of net then go with that instead. You can have as much fun as you want picking out your gloves.
Fishnet Gloves
Red Purse
So far you’ve seen the hat, wrap, dress, and gloves. There is just one more item that you need to complete the look for Boggart Snape – a purse!
The purse used in the movie was a red purse, which clashes perfectly with the green dress. The best type of purse to use is a clutch purse or a handbag. If you don’t know what those are, that’s okay. I’ve included links to both types to make it as painless as possible for you to shop for a purse.
Don’t look for a stylish purse. Instead, go for a purse that is fussy, just like Neville’s grandmother likely was.
Red Purse
Optional Accessories |
Dark Mark Tattoo
Severus Snape became a Death Eater in his youth so he spent most of his life with the same Dark Mark tattoo that all other Death Eaters had. We found out about the tattoo in the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when Igor Karkaroff mentioned to Snape that his tattoo was becoming more pronounced.
The tattoo was faint when it was in an inactive state. However, it became red and vivid when Voldemort used the tattoo to summon his Death Eaters to him.
Don’t worry – with a temporary Dark Mark tattoo, you won’t have to worry that a certain Dark Lord is going to summon you!
Dark Mark Temporary Tattoo
Always Tattoo
Speaking of tattoos, who is to say that Snape wasn’t also sporting a tattoo that said Always? Every true Harry Potter fan knows exactly what that means when talking about Snape so this would be a nice touch by showing how much he loved Lily Potter.
Of course, this makes the assumption that Snape had a soft side, something we never saw. I suppose it is possible that deep inside the gruff and abusive exterior there was a soft, mushy aspect to Snape’s personality.
“Always” Temporary Tattoo
Hogwarts ID Badge
I found a seller who makes Hogwarts teacher ID badges. Each badge includes details, such as House, name, gender, wizarding blood status, and wand type. You can choose a badge that has actor Alan Rickman’s picture on it, or, you can customize a badge with a picture of yourself and any name you want.
Image courtesy of sblackwell19
Hogwarts ID Badge
Death Eater ID Badge
You can wear a Death Eater’s ID badge, instead of a Hogwarts badge (or in addition to it). Just like the Hogwarts badges, you can choose one with Alan Rickman’s picture or use one of yourself. After all, Snape was a card-carrying member of Voldemort’s inner circle, and this proves it!
Image courtesy of sblackwell19
Severus Snape’s Death Eater ID
Potter Stinks! Button
During the Triwizard Tournament Draco Malfoy created magical buttons that alternated between saying “Support Cedric Diggory – The Real Hogwarts Champion” and “Potter Stinks!”. He delighted in getting all of his Slytherin classmates to wear copies of his badge.
Snape hated Harry Potter just about as much as he loved Harry’s mom. Snape would have never openly displayed his hatred by wearing a “Potter Stinks!” button but I can easily see him having it hidden away under his robes. If you wear one be sure to wear it so everyone can see that you were rooting for Cedric Diggory to win the Triwizard Tournament!
Potter Stinks! Button
Snape’s Tears
It is true that Snape despised Harry but it is also true that he risked his life to keep Harry safe from Lord Voldemort. He did everything he could to make Voldemort believe that he was still on Voldemort’s side. Only Dumbledore knew the truth.
The last thing Snape did for Harry before he died was to have Harry collect his memories in a bottle so Harry could see the truth about Snape and all that Snape had done to save and protect Harry. Therefore it would be appropriate for you to wear a necklace with Snape’s memories with your costume.
Bottle of Snape’s Tears
Potion Vials
There is one last thing you can add to your costume – potion vials. As the Potion’s Master, Professor Snape had access to any number of potions. The vials that we saw in the movies came in many different shapes and sizes, which means it doesn’t really matter what kind of bottles you use.
Hide a few potion vials in your costume so that you are prepared for any magical emergency because you never know when you might need to stopper death!
Potion Vials
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