Ah, Dolores Umbridge. She was a villain who was considered by many to be even more sinister than Lord Voldemort because she hid her evil intentions behind the mask of a respected member of the Ministry while Voldemort was completely open with his.
It was unfortunate that Headmaster Dumbledore was unable to find someone to teach Defense Against The Dark Arts in Harry Potter’s fifth year at Hogwarts because the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, stepped in and appointed his Senior Undersecretary, Dolores Umbridge, so that she could spy on Dumbledore to see if he was plotting to take over as Minister of Magic.
Not only did Umbridge spy on Dumbledore but while she was at Hogwarts she managed to torture and terrorize the kids. She would have done even worse had Harry and his friends stepped in and save the day. Dumbledore’s Army forever!f
I have to admit that I thought this was going to be an easy costume to put together but this ended up being the hardest one yet. Upon reflection, I wasn’t at all surprised that it was Dolores (sometimes misspelled at Delores) who caused me grief, but I persevered until I was done. From her hair, wand, and pink clothes to her cat pin and educational decrees, here is everything you need for a Dolores Umbridge costume!
Mandatory Accessories |
Wig
Dolores had short, wavy brown hair. The movie version of her character had a streak of grey in the very front that curled on her forehead. This reminds me of a poem my aunt used to tell me: There once was a girl with a curl in the middle of her forehead. When she was good she was very, very good. But when she was bad she was horrid.
I don’t think Dolores was ever good but she certainly was horrid!
Dolores Umbridge Wig
Wand
The wand Umbridge used was short and stubby, just like her. However, Pottermore has clarified that this wasn’t because of her stature. Rather, according to Pottermore, abnormally short wands are attracted to people who are lacking in character. In Umbridge’s case, her character severely lacked morals.
Umbridge’s wand was made from birch wood and had a dragon heartstring at its core. There was a pink-colored gem in the middle, though I’m curious to know if the gem was pink when young Dolores got the wand or if it changed to that color to reflect her girlish personality.
Dolores Umbridge’s Wand
Clothing |
Collar Wrap
I recommend that you buy a collar wrap to add to your outfit. The girlier, the better, like the one seen here with a big bow.
Pink Collar Wrap
Dress
We all know what Umbridge’s favorite color was – pink. Her fashion sense was, the pinker, the better. Look for something that is pink (of course!), is either a dress or two-piece suit, and is either solid in color or has a texture like a tweed. 10 points to your house if you can find an outfit that has darker pink trim in velvet, just like Umbridge’s dress had.
I found it very difficult finding a dress that wasn’t too sexy for Dolores Jane Umbridge (I’m pretty sure she would never be caught wearing a backless mini dress!). I did the best that I could but I’ll also be honest that you might be able to find something at your local thrift store.
Pink Dress
Sweater
You can wear a sweater over your dress or you can combine it with a skirt. You can choose from a pullover style sweater or one of the buttons, as long as it’s pink.
Pink Sweater
Coat
Umbridge wore a coat that was like a poncho with buttons and a collar. I had an incredibly difficult time finding something similar to what she wore. The closest thing I could find was what you see in the image below, but that’s the only one like that. I’ve included links to several different styles to help you find the coat that will look best with your Umbridge costume.
Pink Coat
Hat
There were times when Umbridge wore a hat. To me, it looks like a cross between a pillbox and a beret with lots of flowers on it. As with so many other aspects of her costume, I couldn’t a close match so choose something pink, flowery, and garish. I’ve included a variety of styles with the hope that you’ll be able to find the perfect hat for your look.
Pink Hat
Hair Bow
Author J.K. Rowling described Umbridge as wearing a black velvet bow in her hair, which reminded Harry Potter of a large fly sitting on the head of an even larger toad. You can easily add a bow by clipping one in your hair or wearing a headband.
Hair Bow
Purse
Of course, you’ll need to add a purse to your look. The one Umbridge used was a pink satchel-style handbag.
Pink Purse
Shoes
The last item needed to complete your Dolores Umbridge outfit is a pair of shoes, which are Mary Jane heels that are pink. Did I really need to say that again? Probably not since it’s obvious by now what color to choose.
Pink Heels
Optional Accessories |
Slytherin Locket
I’m sure you remember that Mundungus Fletcher stole Salazar Slytherin’s locket from Sirius Black’s house and sold it to Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This is why Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger broke into the Ministry of Magic, and they successfully retrieved the locket from Umbridge while she was in the process of determining who was worthy of being magical and who wasn’t, with help from Dementors.
Salazar Slytherin's Horcrux Locket
Cat Pin
Umbridge had a love of cats that bordered on obsessive and creepy. I’m a cat lover myself (one of my five cats is sitting on my lap right now as I write this) but even I cringed when I saw her with her cat items.
One thing I highly recommend that you add to your costume is a cat pin. Universal Studios has released at least two official cat pins but they are very hard to find. eBay is your best bet for one of those. However, any cat pin will work, so pick the one you like best.
Cat Pin
Cat Necklace
It would also be completely in character if you add a cat necklace to your outfit.
Cat Necklace
“I Must Not Tell Lies” Tattoo
Some may wonder why I’m including the “I must not tell lies” temporary tattoo since Umbridge didn’t have this on her hand but I think it would be fun to have these in your purse so you can force your enemies to admit that they won’t tell falsehoods.
"I must not tell lies" Temporary Tattoo
Quill
Of course, if you have the above tattoos in your purse then you need a writing quill. How else would you force these words onto the hands of those who oppose you?
Umbridge’s quill was a black feather, which is fitting because it’s as dark as her soul.
Feather Quill
Veritaserum
Dolores Umbridge started to get a bit paranoid (or was it power-hungry?) towards the end of her tenure as Headmistress at Hogwarts. She took to using Veritaserum, a truth potion, to get students to confess to whatever crimes she thought they were guilty of.
You can keep a bottle handy in your purse should you need to force a confession. This can either be in the form of a flask or a potion bottle.
Veritaserum Potion
Teacup
If you have Veritaserum in your purse then you’ll need a cup to pour it into. We know that Umbridge enjoyed drinking tea so add a teacup to your handbag to go with the truth potion.
Pink Teacup
Clipboard
Umbridge took it upon herself to determine which teachers were worthy of staying at Hogwarts and which should be sacked. She was often seen standing in a classroom with a clipboard, and either asking questions to the teacher or writing notes and what she saw.
Clipboard
Educational Decrees
Let’s not forget all the educational decrees that Umbridge enacted during her time at Hogwarts. Her proclamations included banning music, forbidding organizations not approved by the Headmistress, and expelling students found in possession of The Quibbler magazine.
Educational Decrees
Hogwarts ID Badge
I found a seller who makes Hogwarts student ID badges. Each badge includes a student’s details, such as House, name, gender, wizarding blood status, and wand type.
There are pre-made badges for many of the main characters that have pictures of the actors who portrayed each character. Or, you can customize a badge with a picture of yourself and any name you want.
Image courtesy of sblackwell19
Dolores Umbridge ID Badge
Potter Stinks Buttons
We didn’t actually see Umbridge wear a “Potter Stinks!” button but I’m sure she supported other students wearing them because she hated Harry.
Potter Stinks! Button
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