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Fashion as Communication: A semiotic analysis of fashion in the Harry Potter series ​ ​ Britney Newby

University of North Alabama

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Abstract

This paper discusses the ways in which people communicate through fashion, and the semiotic effects on character interpretation. Through fashion, people express themselves to others. People make fast assumptions of another person by looking at clothing. This is most evident in costuming in film, and the Harry Potter films are an example throughout this paper. Costumes give insight into a character before the character speaks. Viewers are able to deduce whether a character is good or evil based on costumes. People can see that the character, Bellatrix

Lestrange, is bad based on her dark clothing; just as people see Hermione Granger and know that she is good. Semiotic theory explains how people are able to make these assumptions. Dr.

McMullen (2017) writes that semiotics is the study of signs, and the process of creating and maintaining signs. While there has been extensive research on semiotic theory, there has not been sufficient research on how semiotics are used in how people communicate through fashion.

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Fashion as Communication: A semiotic analysis of fashion in the Harry Potter series

People communicate with one another in many different ways. One immediate way of communication involves clothing. What people wear is an expression of their personality or how they want to be perceived by others. Many studies have been conducted on semiotics and sign theory. However, social scientists have not thoroughly researched the communicative effects of fashion. How important is clothing in how people express themselves to others? Do people make fast judgements and assumptions based on the semiotic aspects of other’s outfits? These questions have yet to be scientifically researched and answered. On the other hand, costume designers for theater and film conduct extensive research on how to express a character through clothing. In order to exemplify the point of this paper, the characters, Hermione Granger and

Bellatrix Lestrange, from the Harry Potter series will be used to explain how costumes are ​ ​ important in understanding characters. This also allows for a deeper understanding of how people communicate through fashion with one another in reality. This paper will discuss the idea of clothing as a language, and will analyze the semiotic effects of color and design in the costumes of Hermione Granger and Bellatrix Lestrange.

Literature Review

Semiotics began to become a major approach to cultural studies in the 1950s and 1960s as a result of the work of the French structuralist, Roland Barthes. Dr. Janet McMullen (2017) discusses that “Roland Barthes introduced sign theory to the study of media messages in the

1950s. Applied to the elements of media messages and genres, he believed it could provide FASHION AS COMMUNICATION 4

insight into how meanings were built into them and how they might affect the receivers of the messages.” Barthes (1967) states the following:

Semiology aims to take in any systems of signs, whatever their substance and limits;

images, gestures, musical sounds, objects, and the complex associations of all of these,

which for the content of ritual, convention or public entertainment: these constitute, if not

languages, at least systems of signification (p. 9).

In short, semiotics is the study of signs, and is used to help people understand the messages and texts in society. A sign is something that stands for something else. Types of signs include icon, index and symbol.

In order to conduct a semiotic analysis of fashion, understanding codes is important.

McMullen (2017) states, “codes are systems which link signs together in a way that reflects the ways in which a culture interprets its values.” She also explains that codes serve two functions: they help us see the view of a society a person has, and they simultaneously help determine what that view will be (McMullen, 2017). Within a semiotic analysis, this is the reason people interpret Bellatrix Lestrange as evil as soon as the character appears on screen, and also why viewers immediately understand that Hermione Granger is a smart, good character. In Fashion, ​ Culture, and Identity Fred Davis (1992) writes, “I would hold that clothing styles and the ​ fashions that influence them over time constitute something approximating a code” (p. 5).

Clothing is a form of expression. Marianna Boero (2015), the author of the article, “The language of fashion in postmodern society: A social semiotic perspective,” writes, “if social semiotics focuses on the study of signs, spaces, and language mutations in the system of social discourses, fashion theory provides a perspective combining lifestyles, worldviews, personal FASHION AS COMMUNICATION 5

meanings, and social values about custom: indeed, in fashion we simultaneously observe participation in collective trends and the expression of individuality” (p. 303). What people choose to wear, or not wear, says a lot about them. There are many parallels between language/speech and fashion. In Language of Clothes, Alison Lurie (1981) writes, “sociologists ​ ​ tell us that fashion, too, is a language of signs, a nonverbal system of communication” (p. 3).

Lurie delves into the language of fashion, and the ways in which people communicate through clothing choices. Lurie (1981) states, “you announce your sex, age, and class to me through what you are wearing- and very possibly give me important information (or misinformation) as to your occupation, origin, personality, opinions, tastes, sexual desires, and current mood” (p. 3). People choose what to wear to proclaim (or disguise) identities, and people make fast interpretations of other’s clothing in order to make living and working easier.

Just like language, fashion has different dialects and accents. People have individual styles that are different from group to group and person to person. Lurie (1981) writes that “as with speech, each individual has his own stock of ‘words’ and employs personal variations of tone and meaning (p.4). Within the different individual styles, there are “limits imposed by economics, clothes are acquired, used and discarded just as words are, because they meet our needs and express our ideas and emotions (Lurie, 1981, p.12).

Lurie (1981) also writes about Roland Barthes; and that in his book, The Diseases of ​ Costume, Barthes speaks of “theatrical dress as a kind of writing, of which the basic element is ​ the sign” (p. 3). Costumes become their own form of lines within a script. According to Richard

Barsam and Dave Monahan (2016), the authors of Looking at Movies: An introduction to film, ​ ​ “Costumes can contribute to the setting and suggest specific character traits, such as social FASHION AS COMMUNICATION 6

station, self-image, the public image that the character is trying to project, state of mind, overall situation, and so on. Thus costumes are another element that helps tell a movie’s story” (p. 182).

Also like speech, context is highly important with costuming, and “the meaning of any costume depends on circumstances” (Lurie, 1981, p. 12). An example of the importance of context is that the costumes of the wizards in Harry Potter appear completely normal until the characters leave ​ ​ the wizarding world and join the “muggles.” Suddenly, the costumes appear strange and out of place. Barsam and Monahan (2016) state that “the costumes must reflect the social structure and values of an imaginary society” (p. 185). However, Boero (2015) makes the point that fashion plays a larger role in social structure and culture. She writes, “The word ‘language’ does not indicate only a verbal dimension, but involves all the sign systems through which humans model their position and their relationship with the world: fashion falls into this definition because it has an axiological function, that is, the skill to produce social values” (p. 305). This language of fashion is used in the costume design throughout the Harry Potter films by the use of color, design, and other props included in a character’s costume.

Discussion

According to Lurie (1981), “the first and most important of these signs, and the one that makes the greatest impact, is color” (p. 182). Color makes an important semiotic contribution in many different contexts including fashion. Within semiotic theory, the study of colors has developed into color theory. We have grown up in the semiotic contract of our culture to know that certain colors carry certain connotations. In the article “New forms of writing, new visual competencies,” Theo van Leeuwen (2008) writes, “color is used to confer identity, whether the traditional, formal identities of heraldry, uniforms and ceremonial robes, or the modern FASHION AS COMMUNICATION 7

‘psychographic,’ ‘lifestyle’ identities expressed through fashion, interior decoration and so on”

(p. 132). The author goes on to explain that “identity values are established through the cultural connotations of the colors” (Leeuwen, 2008, p. 133). This is because colors can have different meanings within different cultures. Wearing bright colors can be seen as cheerful in one culture and disrespectful in another. In the Harry Potter series, the different school houses of Gryffindor,

Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff have different colors associated with each house. Not only is this a way of distinguishing mini-cultures of students from one another, it also gives the viewer an insight into a character’s personality.

Color is an important sign in semiotic analysis because “color in dress is also like tone of voice in speech in that it can completely alter the meaning of what is ‘said’ by other aspects of the costume: style, fabric and trimmings” (Lurie, 1981, p. 182). Color has the capability to change the meaning of an article of clothing. If Bellatrix wore the same costume, but in light blue, viewers might feel differently about her character; or if Hermione wore black all the time, viewers might make different assumptions.

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Color plays a large role in the character of Hermione. She is often shown wearing the color pink. If she is not wearing the traditional school robes, the color pink can be found throughout Hermione’s wardrobe. The images above show Hermione dressed for the school’s

Christmas dance, in the school uniform and in casual clothing. The colors of the school robes indicate that Hermione is in the Gryffindor house. The colors of scarlet and gold carry connotations of bravery, passion and fire. The color pink symbolizes “the beginning of love and growth of a girl to a woman” (McMullen, 2017). These are true of Hermione’s character. She is young and naive, yet brave and growing into a woman. FASHION AS COMMUNICATION 9

Another example of the importance of color is the red dress that Hermione wears at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and is shown in the image above. The ​ ​ costume director for the Harry Potter films, Jany Temime, said in an interview with ​ ​ Entertainment Weekly, “I wanted a red dress because I wanted that color absolutely at that point ​ in the story. It had to be really strong, and [one] that you could see in Piccadilly Circus at night from very far away” (Ram, 2010). In the same interview, Temime also states, “[Emma Watson] thought it was a little daring for Hermione. It was the start of [her character] being more adult.

She was suddenly an object of desire for Ron. Suddenly Ron thinks, ‘Oh, my God, it’s a woman in front of me.’ And it was the last time we could see her glamorous because after that, it’s the beginning of jeans and thick sweaters for the runaway and all of the disasters that happen” (Ram,

2010). Red symbolizes love and passion. However, red also symbolizes blood and violence. The dress served a purpose to help tell the character’s story, while also serving as foreshadowing of the events that occur at the wedding. FASHION AS COMMUNICATION 10

When the audience sees Bellatrix for the first time in the films, viewers know she is an evil character. The image above shows the character. Bellatrix’s costume is another example of the semiotic importance of color. The costume she wears is always black. Within Western society, people carry negative connotations with the color black. According to most semiologists, black symbolizes death, absence of knowledge and evil (McMullen, 2017). Lurie (1981) writes,

“black, the reverse of white, is the color of night and darkness. For thousands of years it has stood for sorrow, sin and death” (p. 187). In the Harry Potter series, Bellatrix is a member of the ​ ​ Death Eaters. The Death Eaters make up the “bad guys” in the movies. With the word death in the title of the group that Bellatrix aligns herself with, it is not surprising that her character is dressed in black. Bellatrix is a shocking character. Lurie (1981) discusses how color affects perception of a character. She states, “merely looking at different colors, psychologists have discovered, alters our blood pressure, heartbeat, and rate of respiration, just as hearing a harsh FASHION AS COMMUNICATION 11

noise or a harmonious musical chord does” (p. 182). The costume enhances the emotional response that the audience has to a character.

While black is the color of negativity and evil, it can also symbolize sophistication and drama. The little-black-dress is an example of an all black outfit that carries a meaning of sophistication and elegance but is still slightly dramatic. The black costume that Bellatrix wears is obviously made to have a negative connotation. The difference between the sophisticated little-black-dress and Bellatrix’s costume is in the design and detail.

The overall design of a costume is important when conducting a semiotic analysis. In the interview, “Costume Drama,” on the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix DVD, Temime ​ ​ states, “everybody has to wear something that [the character] would have been thinking about before… because they have to fit in the world of Harry Potter, and the costumes have to make a ​ ​ little ensemble to give the costumes magic to the film” (Costume Drama, 2007). The costumes need to accurately represent each character, and need to appear real and honest to the personality of each character. Barsam and Monahan (2016) write, “although verisimilitude is a factor in costume design, other factors- style, fit, condition and patterns- can also define and differentiate characters” (p. 183).

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The costumes of Hermione Granger give some insight into how specific design elements are semiotic signs. Costume director, Temime, decided to incorporate stripes into Hermione’s costume. Above is an image of this costume. Lurie (1981) writes, “stripes often seem to suggest organized effort, a desire or ability to ‘follow the line’ laid out by oneself or others” She also states that different stripes may have different meanings, and “narrow stripes appear to have more to do with mental activity and intellectual order… imitating the ruled lines of a ledger, and suggesting attention and energy devoted to ordering detailed matters” (p. 206). In this way, stripes represent Hermione’s character traits of being a “rule follower,” detail oriented and studious. Another symbolic aspect of horizontal lines is that they represent vulnerability, but can also mean stability (McMullen 2017). Hermione epitomizes both vulnerability and stability. She is in danger throughout the series, and is a stable character that grounds the others when needed.

Like in the image above, Hermione is often shown wearing layers with thick sweaters over shirts. In the interviews on “Costume Drama,” Emma Watson, the actress that plays

Hermione, complained that “Hermione wears these awful, boring jumpers.” Later in the interview, Watson clarified that the “awful, boring jumpers” helped her get into character FASHION AS COMMUNICATION 13

because the costume is a part of Hermione. (Costume Drama, 2007). The overall look signifies someone that looks “bookish” and smart.

Design is important to the clothing of Bellatrix, as well. On the DVD interview,

“Costume Drama,” Helena Bonham Carter speaks about her costume as Bellatrix. Carter describes some of the reasoning behind the design choices, and states, “I wanted Bellatrix to look sexy. The idea was that from 10 feet away, she would look quite nice, but at about a foot, that all starts to fade away” (Costume Drama, 2007). The costume features a plunging neckline with triangular cutouts in the shoulders and sleeves. Costume designer, Temime’s choice for seductive clothing alludes to Bellatrix’s need for attention from men, especially Voldemort. The triangular cutouts, uneven pointed hemlines and angular points in the neckline and sleeves throughout the wardrobe symbolize violence, danger and ability to puncture (McMullen 2017).

Within the Harry Potter universe, Bellatrix was a character of high social status before ​ ​ being locked in a high security prison. Her austentatious clothing styles reflect her formerly FASHION AS COMMUNICATION 14

wealthy social status. The costumes made in velvet and leather depict the expensive choice in clothing and fashion, however the clothes need to appear old and worn from years of wear. The clothes tell the story of who the character once was, while showing the current state Bellatrix is in during the film. Temime states, “it has to look worn… so we have to create that look”

(Costume Drama 2007). The process of creating a worn look is called breaking down. Costume designers either create costumes from scratch or buy them new from stores. These looks are purposefully and meticulously destroyed to look worn by each character.

Other elements of signs in costume design include hair, makeup and accessories.

Hermione has bushy, brown hair and is not concerned with wearing makeup or her overall appearance. These elements represent her lack of frivolous primping and worrying about looks.

The accessory that she is seen with most is a book thus signifying her concern about school, making perfect grades and her reading habits. In the same way, Bellatrix has large, untamed hair that alludes to her wild personality. The costume makeup used to accentuate facial lines, dirty fingernails, and crooked and broken teeth show a lack of self-care from time spent in prison.

Another defining costume element that signifies Bellatrix is the dark mark. The dark mark is a symbol used by the death eaters, and each member has the mark prominently placed on the forearm for visibility. The mark is black with a snake wrapped around itself with a skull perched on its tail. The mark is meant to symbolize the death eaters as a group as well as the fear instilled by the death eaters individually.

Conclusion and Further Study

Overall, this paper gives a semiotic analysis of the fashion in the Harry Potter ​ series, and discusses how we communicate through fashion. Costume elements signify FASHION AS COMMUNICATION 15

characters through the language of fashion, color, design and other elements that include

hair, makeup and accessories. Semiotic theory is clearly used by costume designers in

films as a guide on how characters dress. The semiotics in fashion allow viewers to

receive signs as to who characters are within the series. This is evident in the examples of

Hermione Granger and Bellatrix Lestrange. The costumes reflect and represent the

personality traits and qualities of each character. The audience is able to construct

meaning from signs and symbols in costuming by being born into a semiotic contract.

However, this research is limited because of the lack of scientific research on the

semiotic effects of fashion, and how fashion is a form of communication in itself. There

is a call for future study and research on this topic.

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References

Barnard, M. (Ed.). (2007). Fashion Theory: A reader. London: Routledge. ​ ​ Barsam, R. M., & Monahan,D. (2016). Looking at Movies: An introduction to film (5th ed.). New ​ ​ York: W.W. Norton & Company.

Boero, M. (2015). The Language of Fashion in Postmodern Society: A social semiotic perspective.

Semiotica, 207, 303-325.

Davis, F. (1992). Fashion, Culture and Identity. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press. ​ ​ Leeuwen, T. V. (2008). New forms of writing, new visual competencies. Visual Studies,23(2), ​ ​ 130-135.

Lurie, A. (1981). Language of Clothes. New York: Vintage. ​ ​ ManicStreetPreacher. (2007, July 16). Harry Potter-Costume Drama Part 1 [Video File]. ​ ​ Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bRk70y0414 ​ McMullen, J. (2017). Semiotics. Com 314: Mass Communication Theory. ​ Ram, A. (2010, November 19). Harry Potter Costume Designer on Hermione’s Deathly Hallows

Dress. Entertainment Weekly. ​