From Scottish Wool to Hogwarts

What do Harry Potter, Quidditch and Scottish knitwear have in common? Quite a lot, as it turns out. The instantly recognisable Hogwarts jumpers and cardigans seen throughout the Harry Potter films were supplied by Lochaven of Scotland, a knitwear company based in Scotland. In 2001, Lochaven was chosen by Warner Bros. to supply Hogwarts school knitwear for the cast and extras, continuing throughout the film series.

And the story gets even more interesting when you look at the wool.

Lochaven's Harry Potter knitwear is made at its Scottish mill using natural lambswool. Its officially licensed Quidditch jumpers are made using 100% Scottish-spun lambswool, with the garments knitted and assembled in the same Scottish mill associated with the film costumes. 

The Quidditch costumes themselves were carefully designed to make the fictional game look like a real sport. Costume designer Jany Temime wanted audiences to recognise influences from sports such as football and rugby, while still giving Quidditch its own medieval, Hogwarts feel. The uniforms evolved considerably throughout the films, becoming lighter and more athletic as the story progressed.

The four Hogwarts houses also gave the knitwear its unmistakable identity: Gryffindor's scarlet and gold, Slytherin's green and silver, Ravenclaw's blue and silver, and Hufflepuff's yellow and black.