Character Customization in Hogwarts Legacy
Image via Avalanche Software

Why Are the Cosmetics so Bad in Hogwarts Legacy?

We paid $59.99/$69.99 for this?

Hogwarts Legacy is the latest Harry Potter game to hit the market, and already it’s taken the gaming world by storm! This magical RPG allows players to fulfill their dreams by stepping into the shoes of students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As students at Hogwarts, you can explore the rolling school grounds, Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest, Azkaban prison, and beyond! The Wizarding World is your oyster, you can go anywhere you put your magical mind to in Hogwarts Legacy!

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No one can argue the effectiveness of Hogwarts Legacy’s magical RPG elements and nonlinear narrative, but the in-game fashion is definitely arguable. The available cosmetics in Hogwarts Legacy aren’t just unfashionable, they’re plain bad. If you’re tired of being forced to choose between the lesser evils of the Hogwarts Legacy cosmetics, you’re not alone. Keep reading to find out why the cosmetics in Hogwarts Legacy are so unbearably ugly!

Why Are the Cosmetics so Bad in Hogwarts Legacy?

There are many things that this open-world RPG got right, but fashion definitely wasn’t one of them. The face-wear, eyewear, and even hats in this game are all nothing short of atrocious, even by Harry Potter standards. If there’s a legitimate reason behind Hogwarts Legacy’s ugly cosmetics, no one’s figured it out yet.

For now, the running theory is that the design team decided to make the cosmetics as whimsical and fantasy-like as possible, to stay true to the Wizarding World narrative; if this is the case, then they succeeded in making some astonishingly bizarre cosmetics that only Luna Lovegood herself could ever hope to love.

It seems like an odd choice for Hogwarts Legacy’s developers to provide such realistic character customization in addition to such unrealistic character cosmetics. Characters in this game often appear to be astonishingly human, but once you start adding some of this game’s ridiculous cosmetics, they only begin to look more and more like cartoons.

I understand that it’s a game about a magical alternate universe, but it almost seems as if the game can’t make up its mind on whether it wants to be a “realistic” game or not. What’s the point of making your character look exactly like you if you’re just going to be forced to dress it up like a clown later on?

What to do when gear slots are full in Hogwarts Legacy featured image
Image via Avalanche Software

We may never know why exactly the cosmetics in Hogwarts Legacy are as abominable as they are, but we do know that their appearances aren’t changing anytime soon.

More cosmetics may be added during updates or promotional events in the future, but they’ll likely appear just as undesirable as the originals. If you’re a fashion nerd and are being absolutely murdered by the game’s terrible cosmetic choices, then you may want to consider downloading some clothing mods!

Related: Does Fashion Matter in Hogwarts Legacy? Answered

Best Cosmetic Mods for Hogwarts Legacy

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t actually have to settle for the ugly cosmetics in Hogwarts Legacy! There are dozens of free cosmetic mods to help players jazz up their characters and their wardrobes. Here are a few of the very best cosmetic mods for Hogwarts Legacy and where to download them:

School Makeup Mod

School Makeup Mod for Hogwarts Legacy
Image via Avalanche Software/ZINXTO

Clothing and accessories aren’t the only things this game gets wrong. For whatever reason, the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry takes a conservative approach to makeup, which is odd when you consider all of the insane things students are allowed to get away with in school. Regardless, you don’t have to settle for Hogwarts Legacy’s non-existent makeup options! By downloading the School Makeup mod by ZINXTO on Nexus Mods, players can finally slap on as much in-game makeup as their little hearts desire, regardless of player gender!

Short School Uniform Skirts Mod

Short Uniform Skirts Mod for Hogwarts Legacy
Image via Avalanche Software/VillageMods

It’s a well-known fact that Hogwarts Legacy doesn’t offer much in the skirt department. Nearly all of the skirts in this game are ugly as sin and, for whatever reason, adhere to school dress code standards; why would we want to follow school dress codes in video games when they’re already so inescapable in real life?? If you’re tired of the ugly old lady skirts in Hogwarts Legacy, then you definitely need to check out the Short School Uniform Skirts mod by VillageMods on Nexus Mods.

Modern Glasses Mod

Modern Glasses Mod for Hogwarts Legacy
Image via Avalanche Software/AzurieWolf

There are arguably a lot of things wrong with the accessories in Hogwarts Legacy, but none are quite as atrocious as the glasses. The developers of this game really did glasses-wearers dirty when they designed the in-game glasses, but we no longer have to settle for what this game considers to be eyewear! You can finally equip your Hogwarts Legacy character with normal glasses by downloading the Modern Glasses mod by AzurieWolf on Nexus Mods!

BONUS – Trans Flag Scarf Mod

Trans Flag Scarf Mod Hogwarts Legacy
Image via Avalanche Software/XxCRAZYPOTATOxX

This mod may not relieve all of your fashion woes in Hogwarts Legacy, but there is something deeply and viscerally satisfying about proudly representing the trans community in a game made by a TERF. If you want to support the trans community and look cute while doing it, then check out the Trans Flag Scarf mod by XxCRAZYPOTATOxX on Nexus Mods!


Hogwarts Legacy may not have the most fashionable accessories, but thankfully, that’s not usually what people buy it for. If fashion just isn’t your thing or if you (god forbid) like looking like you crawled out of a Target clearance rack, then by all means, let nothing stop you in Hogwarts Legacy!

If you like playing open-world RPGs like Hogwarts Legacy with nonlinear narratives (and bad accessories), then you should definitely consider picking up a copy of either Skyrim: Elder Scrolls V or Elden Ring. Gamer Journalist has dozens of guides on both games if you’d like to check them out prior to purchasing!

Author
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Allysen Pierce
Allysen Pierce is a freelance writer with a passion for gaming who has been a part of the Gamer Journalist team since May 2022. Her main passions are horror games and dating sims (especially combinations of the two), but she has been known to play literally anything that is put in front of her. Her current favorite games include Skyrim, I Was a Teenage Exocolonist, Cult of the Lamb, Slaughter Horse, and Dragon Age: Inquisition. When she's not playing games (or writing about them), she can be found reading, baking, watching horror movies, or playing with her cat.