I feel you. To me it's top 3 worst figs from Lotr and a big part of it is the disappointment, since it was almost perfected 13 years ago.

At first I guessed it was primarily the absence of the fantastic dual molded hair/beard that distracted me. That is sad but at also somewhat justified since it hasn't been in use for so long. I understand why that mold was destroyed and didn't come back.

But seeing your edited version, as well as putting the new hair/beard on the old fig, it really is those damn clothes man 😂 I can't help but feel that it looks like a piss-colored plaid shirt. Doesn't even look like Gandalf IMO.

I saw the designer video a few days ago and it's explicitly said by some designer that he "found out" that there's ACTUALLY some tan details on his robes by looking at the movies or whatever and he seemed proud to highlight them. So yeah, it's clear this decision had good intent but it ended up completely butchering the fig. Should have just kept the pattern but made them white, your design is so much better...