Time Differential: Five to Eleven

Something a little different for you guys this week. Time Differential is a new type of look book where we mash up various combinations of the Doctors’ looks and see what comes out!

This time we’re mixing up two of my personal favourite Doctors. Both the fifth Doctor and the eleventh Doctor have a preppy, heritage inspired look which works well on gents of any age. The younger Doctor Who fan will suit either of these looks in the youthful, collegiate sense, and the older amongst you will pull out the classical, more gentlemanly nature of the look.

While initially this look can seem like a hodge-podge of styles, it’s actually a really comfortable and interesting look. The cooler weather that has finally struck the UK (and to an even greater extent, parts of the US) the use of layering will be a much welcomed wardrobe staple. The structured and heavier shirt underneath a cable-knit cricket jumper will lend a casual yet quirky warmth the whole look.

Advertisement

The “Military Man” Eight

In 2013 Doctor Who fans were treated to a sight many thought they’d never see again, Paul McGann on-screen again as the eighth Doctor. He appeared as the titular Time Lord in the prequel to the 50th anniversary special entitled “Night of the Doctor”.

McGann’s costume in the special was a revamped and militarised take on his foppishly Edwardian costume from the 1996 TV movie. While many of the details were similar to the original screen-worn costume, much had been added to tell the story of the eighth Doctor’s journey throughout the Time War.

Including a more relaxed pair of trousers, military gaiters and some beaten up brown boots, the eighth Doctor was re-imagined as a man of action, an incarnation of the Doctor who had grown weary of the Time War and the endless suffering his people were having to endure.

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 “Urban Explorer” Rory Williams

While he certainly comes second compared to the Doctor, it can’t be denied that Rory Williams was heroic in his own right. Willing to wait for the woman he loved for 2000 years and to travel the universe trying to find his baby daughter, Rory certainly earns the title of badass.

Initially a comic foil for the drama of the series, Rory developed and matured over the course of his time on the show, to the point where he’s considered a proper companion by the fans. Having travelled with the 11th Doctor and married the wonderful Amy Pond, Rory had to contend with some strong personalities but refused to fade into the background.

While his sense of style was more conservative than the bow tie clad Time Lord, he definitely had his own distinct look.

The “Christmas 2015” Ten

There’s very little we can add to what we’ve already said about the tenth Doctor’s costume. Having featured not one but two distinctly different lookbooks inspired by David Tennant’s portrayal of the iconic character, it’s perhaps best we let you seek those out in order to read our previous thoughts on the costume.

That said, the tenth Doctor’s style is perhaps the easiest to steal in so much as it’s a good smart/casual everyday look which can be modified and accessorised to suit your needs.

The blue variation of Tennant’s iconic look is a firm fan favourite and is one of the most interesting colour-ways to base a look on. This is due, in part, to the use of vivid blue mixed with deep reds and rust tones. The use of brown in the classic overcoat also roots this look in a wintery setting while also remaining versatile enough to be worn throughout the cooler months.

Christmas is a perfect excuse to dress up and this look adds an element of rakish attitude to an otherwise semi-formal getup.

The “Country Gent” War Doctor

When the War Doctor burst onto our screens at the climax of “The Name of the Doctor” fans were amazed (and confused) about his existence. Where did he come from? How did he fit into the Doctor’s time line? Was he even from this universe?

All those questions aside, fans were definitely glad that he was being portrayed by none other than veteran actor and theatrical legend, John Hurt. Hurt has a lifetime of performance behind him, so his being involved in Doctor Who was no surprise. An iconic British actor taking on an iconic British role in an iconic British television institution!

The War Doctor had everything fans could want for a one off 50th anniversary performance. He was loveable and quirky, with a depth of emotion and pain usually reserved for post 2005 Doctors.

Hurt managed to convey a wonderful combination of classic Doctor Who traits and modern eccentricities. His gruff exterior belied his tortured and sensitive soul and he was truly taken to the hearts of the audience.

The “Weekend Off” Sherlock Holmes

Chances are that if you like Doctor Who, you like the BBC’s Sherlock. Adapted by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, Sherlock saw a modern update for Arthur Conan Doyle’s super sleuth.

With Benedict Cumberbatch in lead role as the titular Holmes, the series premièred to rave reviews and earned a justifiably huge fan base.

The fact that two highly-regarded Doctor Who alums were behind the creation of the programme may have had an impact on the viewership as much as it did the overall quality of the show – the inventiveness with which the stories were modernised and updated made for a refreshing and unique viewing experience and made Sherlock a televisual sensation.

Naturally, parallels were made with Doctor Who and there are certainly plenty of similarities; after all, for a long time people have referred to Doctor Who as “Sherlock Holmes in space”, (a claim Moffat hotly denies) so it seems natural that Doctor Who fans will be similarly enamoured with the chaps at 221B Baker St.

The “Modern Edwardian” One

William Hartnell was a man presented with the daunting task of launching an entirely new BBC television programme. Doctor Who was a totally unheard of entity when he became attached to the project and, as it naturally would, his portrayal became a key part of the show’s history and mythos.

His introduction in 1963’s “An Unearthly Child” created a lasting image of ‘The Doctor’ which remains in the public consciousness to this day. Even if people can’t remember his name, they’ll definitely know his ‘look’ as the Doctor.

Dressed in distinctive Edwardian-esque clothing (which would go on to inform many other costumes for various incarnations of the Time Lord) William Hartnell managed to embody the out-of-time other-worldliness of the Doctor with very little to go on in the way of source material.

The “Series 8.5” Twelve

With series 9 well under way and the Autumn months at our doorsteps, it’s perhaps prudent to take a gander at how to best combine the layered looks Capaldi has sported in his performance as the Doctor and how to best combine them to create something recognisable, but ultimately unique.

Between series 8 and 9 of Doctor Who there was a changeover of costume designers. Series 9 saw the return of Ray Holman who took it upon himself to build on Capaldi’s series 8 costume by updating, deconstructing, or generally just reinventing certain aspects of the look.

Indeed, one of the earlier posts on this very blog took a look at an outfit inspired by the new, more casual look worn by Capaldi on the show.

The “Pitti Uomo” Dr. Who

This one came out of left field, didn’t it?!

Now, many fans don’t technically consider the “Dr. Who” films starring Peter Cushing to be “proper” Doctor Who (and don’t get me wrong, they aren’t!) but they do hold a valuable and important place in Who history.

The films themselves sought to cash in on the success of Doctor Who and the popularity of the Daleks. This brazen and unashamed cash-grab is somewhat laughable, but also comendable for attempting to launch Doctor Who as a bigger and bolder IP than it was to begin with and, while the films were somewhat popular and still fondly remembered by older fans, they’re often swept under the rug in an attempt to white wash Doctor Who history.

Peter Cushing plays the titular Dr. Who (that’s his name!) who is a human scientist who invents his own time machine (called the Tardis) and takes his young granddaughter Susan, slightly less younger granddaughter Barbara, and Barbara’s boyfriend Ian on some adventures.