The Doctor as a Fashion Icon

Today I’m wearing an outfit that, to fans of Doctor Who, will look overtly inspired by Peter Capaldi’s interpretation of the title character. To non-Whovians it’ll look, perhaps, quite dandy and fashion forward – more at home in London, Paris, or New York than on the rainy streets of a rural town in Lincolnshire.

Interestingly, my obsession with Doctor Who fashion started with my introduction to the show. The first episode I watched was David Tennant’s first ‘proper’ outing as the 10th Doctor, 2006’s ‘New Earth’, the start of series two of the revived Doctor Who.

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The “Fashion Journalist” Eleven

Matt Smith’s original, less considered look was something of an anti-fashion statement when the first images of the then new Time Lord were released.

Featuring a vintage tweed jacket, bow tie, braces, and a punk-ish pairing of big boots with turned up jeans, his look was a mixture of youthful reverence and elderly tradition. What Smith’s incarnation of the Time Lord did for both bow ties and the tweed industry has been well documented and rightly so. The eleventh Doctor almost single-handedly changed the face of men’s fashion (especially in the UK) over night.

The look mixes elements of classic tailoring with modern, slimmer styling. The use of matching elements and heritage fabrics creates the air of consideration and stylishness which often goes hand in hand with a certain degree of fashion-mindedness.

Smith wore two jackets in series five, both of which have proven elusive to replicate so many casual fans and cosplayers alike simply find close-enough weaves in vintage jackets and modify the fit and details accordingly.

The “University Student” Eleven

Matt Smith’s wardrobe as the Doctor was one which was constantly changing and evolving throughout his time on the show.

Smith stated early on in his Doctor Who days that he intended for his costume to shift and develop with time – and indeed it did! From his early days where his look was described as being something akin to Indiana Jones’ younger brother, to his later costumes which saw a more Edwardian silhouette take shape, Smith wore many costume variations.

Each fan has his or her favourite look for the eleventh Doctor, so there are plenty of Matt Smith inspired looks to be had. His series 7B look, which consisted of a purple tweed frock coat, black G-star jeans, various waistcoats, bow ties, braces, and shirts, and a pair of custom brown and purple boots, is often considered to be the definitive look of the eleventh Doctor. This is when he truly found his stride and matured as a character (not to mention Smith as an actor!) so it makes sense that his costume became more refined in order to reflect that.