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 “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 “Rebel” Nine

The ninth Doctor relaunched Doctor Who to an entirely new generation of viewers. Christopher Eccleston was the man cast in the title role and he was faced with the mammoth task of updated, reinvigorating, and re-imagining the part for the twenty first century.

Though Eccleston’s time aboard the TARDIS was short-lived, he successfully ingratiated himself with Saturday evening viewers and catapulted Doctor Who back into the hearts and minds of the British viewing public. Following the first series of NuWho, Eccleston departed – vacating the role and being replaced by fan favourite David Tennant.

While Tennant is immensely popular and helped to send the show’s popularity into overdrive, without Eccleston Doctor Who could very well have failed.

One of the biggest surprises when photos began to roll in from the 2005 series was the somewhat ordinary nature of the ninth Doctor’s costume. When thinking of Doctor Who many people conjure up images of long scarves, velvet jackets, and cricket whites – so Eccleston’s pared down and simple costume immediately set people aback as to whether or not this was going to be Doctor Who proper.

The “Hipster” Doctor-Donna

The culmination of series four saw the birth of an entirely new type of Time Lord. The Human-Time Lord meta-crisis made for a bone of contention with some fans and saw the Doctor use up an additional regeneration without changing his face.

On top of this, it allowed writer Russell T Davies the opportunity to give Rose Tyler a happy ending without affecting the continued adventures of the Doctor. The Doctor-Donna is, in essence, a bonkers idea – but it sort of works for me and the costuming used to delineate between the Doctor and the Doctor-Donna is nothing shy of subtle brilliance.

The use of the Doctor’s alternate blue suit and a simple maroon t-shirt created a clear and obvious distinction between the two characters and made for a fan favourite look many cosplayers still opt for today.

The “Pipe & Slippers” Ten

The tenth Doctor’s style created an entirely new generation of men who may well still be looking to replicate David Tennant’s signature Doctor Who style.

His look on the show was comprised of a custom, slim fitting brown suit which featured a mixture of elements: the cut and four button closure call to mind the British mod movement, while the belt back and welted breast pocket gave it the vintage air of the golden age of Hollywood.

The fabric was unique, and any Doctor Who fan worth their salt knows that the suit was cut from several pairs of GAP trousers that David Tennant was particularly fond of.

In addition to this, the suit was paired with plain coloured shirts, usually white, pale blue, or navy (though occasionally grey was used) and a pair of care-worn off-white Converse trainers sand shoes. The ties the tenth Doctor wore have been widely researched and well documented by the ever-impressive Steve Ricks and you can click here to read more about them. The long and short of it is that the ties had a base colour of brown, with overlaying patterns of light blue to pick out the pinstripe of the suit.