Why do you say that robes are "cop-out-ish"? Do you consider them easier to draw than other styles of clothing? They always look so cool when you draw them so I never really thought about them being easier to draw.
Actually, I am just a random person who saw your response, while getting ready to post my own response, and knew what a red mage's skills were so I thought I'd answer. Sorry about the confusion.
Robey things in general are just fun (if not cop-out-ish XD )