4th Doctor limited edition costume design print on eBay!

I just came across this item on eBay.

I find it a little curious as it is different from a version of the James Acheson costume design I had previously seen (see right), making me wonder if this has been drawn more recently.

Still, its a nice item and according to the listing hand signed by the designer.

Limited edition Tom Baker
costume design

This year Doctor Who celebrates its 50th Anniversary.



Here is your opportunity to purchase a piece of television history!

Celebrated Costume Designer James Acheson designed the costumes and monsters for more than 30 episodes of Dr Who between 1972 and 1976.

Acheson worked initially with Jon Pertwee (The 3rd Doctor) but went on to create the iconic look for the fourth incarnation of “Doctor Who”, Tom Baker, who is still considered by many as the most beloved and successful of the actors to have played the role. Acheson’s initial design of the brown fedora hat, the red corduroy jacket and the ridiculously long striped scarf, is an image that has endured for more than 35 years.

James Acheson has worked on international film productions for more than 30 years. His work includes costume designs for the ‘Spiderman’ trilogy and most recently ‘Superman -Man of Steel’. He has won no less than 3 Academy Awards (Oscars) for his film work on such films as ‘The Last Emperor’,’ Dangerous Liaisons’ and ‘Restoration’.

This is a high quality giclée print of the memorable costume design for Tom Baker’s first appearance as the 4th Doctor Who, in the first episode of “Robot”, complete with costume notes listed at the side of the drawing. This print is now offered for sale, in a strictly limited edition of 100. Each of these prints is individually signed and numbered by the artist.

Price: £249.00

Printed on Hahnemüle Matt Fine Art Photo Rag 308g/m2 paper.

Print size: 296mm x 419mm (A3)

Paper size: 315mm x 449mm

Printer: Epson Stylus Pro using Archival Inks

June Hudson costume designs on eBay

Someone seems to be selling off a small collection of June Hudson costume design prints, original sold at an event in Longleat.

Her designs are always so lovely to look at, I thought it would be nice to share them here, and if you’re quick, you could snap one up!

Tom Baker Fourth Doctor costume design

SOLD FOR £27.56

This auction is for a colour print of the June Hudson alternative design for a new costume for Tom Baker as the 4th Doctor.

The 42 X 30 CM (16.5 X 11.5 Inch) print was bought from June at a Doctor Who event in Longleat around 15 years ago and it has been personally signed by June. It’s on nice quality paper card and in mint condition.

The print shows tom dressed in tweeds with a norfolk jacket and a different coloured scarf, it would look lovely framed.

The Leisure Hive
Mena costume design

SOLD FOR £113.11

This auction is for a colour print of the June Hudson designed costumes for the Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor Who Story – The Leisure Hive.

The 42 X 30 CM (16.5 X 11.5 Inch) print was bought from June at a Doctor Who event in Longleat around 15 years ago and it has been personally signed by June. It’s on nice quality paper and in mint condition.

The print shows the costumes designed by June for the actress Adrienne Corri who played "Mena" as well as the costumes for two other "Argolins". These were used for the first story in Tom Baker’s last season as The Doctor in 1980.

The Leisure Hive
Romana costume design

SOLD FOR £36

This auction is for a colour print of the June Hudson designed costume that was used by Lalla Ward’s Romana in Tom Baker’s 4th Doctor story, The Leisure Hive.

The 42 X 30 CM (16.5 X 11.5 Inch) print was bought from June at a Doctor Who event in Longleat around 15 years ago and it has been personally signed by June. It’s on nice quality paper and in mint condition.

The print shows the ‘sailor suit’ costume designed by June for the actress Lalla Ward and depicts her standing with K9 in the background, it would look lovely framed.

If the Fourth Doctor wore a bow tie...

... this would be it!

While on the hunt for the perfect Matt Smith bow tie, a good friend of mine has found an interesting maker on Etsy.com, called TheDirectorsCabin.

As well as a small range of Eleventh Doctor bow ties (see right) they also do a number of other Doctors including the Fifth and Tenth, plus several abstract Doctor Who related patterns.

But the ones that caught my eye from a Fourth Doctor point of view were a number based on the iconic scarf!

A number of options are available in self and pre-tied as well as batwing and butterfly shapes. There’s even a pocket square!

Tom Baker Tribute Cotton Freestyle butterfly bow tie

Tom Baker Tribute Cotton Freestyle batwing bow tie

Tom Baker Tribute Pre-tied
Double bow tie

Tom Baker Tribute Silk Freestyle bow tie

‎Tom Baker Tribute pocket square

Tom Baker Freestyle
bow tie and pocket square

Hello Cosplay - season 12 corduroy jacket

So far all my Costume Reviews have been based on the listings and their photos attached.
I have written them from my point of view of what I can see and their overall appearance. I know this is not ideal, but since a lot cosplayers are widely seen online though their own photos at conventions, I think it acts a preview to how they will look beyond seeing it first hand.

So now I welcome the input of one of my readers who has purchased a Fourth Doctor season 12 corduroy shooting jacket, and who has written a review for us. As you’ll read, the jacket has already failed to deliver on it’s name :(

4th Doctor
Tom Baker Jacket

Price as of 

August 2013 - $99

Review by Alex Murphy

Immediately noticeable here is the biggest flaw with this replica: This is a blazer instead of a shooting jacket. The material is a cotton/polyester blend clearly intended for suiting instead of the very characteristic corduroy of the original.

Piggy-backing from that is the cut, which is much too tailored and clean – great for a suit, but far from the slightly disheveled, bohemian look that the loose, baggy cut of the original has.

The color is a good hue but too light. The pockets are a bit small, much too box-y, and are lacking any kind of trim. The lower pockets especially are not nearly large enough – the originals were much baggier and held quite a number of things.

They are also conspicuously lacking the inverted box-pleat up the center, though strangely the breast pockets include them. The buttons are much too prominent, probably due to the lighter color of the fabric, and the choice of flat black buttons. This jacket does have the token flap for the odd pocket on the sleeve, but it’s just a flap and doesn’t include an actual pocket underneath.

The back of the jacket fares a little better. The gussets are nice and deep and the belt is pretty loose. Unfortunately there isn’t enough length in the back (another casualty of the suit interpretation) and the sleeves are much too tailored. The elbow patches are black instead of the original grey and made from the same cotton/polyester blend the rest of the jacket instead of leather.

For the casual cosplayer, it’s not terrible. One thing I’ve found with Hello Cosplay’s work is that I’ve never had to alter anything I’ve received from them. My jacket was tailored well, is comfortable, and has mostly held up during long periods of cosplay (some minor seam popping in the lining is the worst I’ve experienced in a year of convention cosplaying and occasional real-life wear).

Unfortunately, as a replica, the jacket is far from perfect. If you have another $10 to pitch in, the other shooting jacket replica Hello Cosplay offers looks to be leaps and bounds better than this one.

Doctor Who? Doctor Vera!

I’ve just seen a trailer for the new series of Vera on ITV.
It stars Brenda Blethyn as Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope of Northumbria & City Police.

I was struck by her costume, which bears an uncanny resemblance of the Fourth Doctor’s wardrobe.

She is wearing a heavy wool overcoat with large buttoned lapels; a fishing-type hat, which could be mistaken for a fedora (okay, from a distance!); and a long(ish) multi-coloured scarf!

The colour palette of the scarf isn’t that far off from Tom’s classic season twelve look.

Just like Tom, she seems to sometimes wear it looped around her neck, or on occasions just draped around her shoulders.

When it is just around her shoulders, it does look quite long.

Now, ironically, Tenth Doctor costume designer Louise Page is currently working on series four of Vera, which was commissioned before series three had even been broadcast!

She did not design for series three, and has inherited the established costume. It’s like The Doctor is following her around....

Here, while it remains online, is the full trailer.

The best Romana cosplayer - EVER!

Just got back from Project Motor Mouth 2 and had the most fantastic day seeing no less than TWELVE classic series companions.

One in particular I was keen to meet was Lalla Ward, who I adored as Romana.

I cheekily asked if she would pose in my Tom Baker Frock Coat and recreate her photo from Destiny Of The Daleks - and she said yes!

It was a great thrill to see her wearing it - and I love this comparison!

Retouching by Lucian Hughes

Thanks Lalla - you MADE MY DAY!

The 4.50 from Weng-Chiang

Theatrical costumes can be a mix of custom-made and off-the-rack items.

Often stuff can be specially made at great expense for leading players in one production, then put into storage for many years before resurfacing to cheaply clothe supporting or background actors in something else.

Although there is no doubt The Doctor’s frock coats were custom-made (one for Tom Baker and a copy for the stunt double) it is quite possible the various tweed trousers and Victorian shirts were simply found from Angel’s vast archive of stock.

Another such combination of item could be parts of his Victorian sleuthing outfit from The Talons Of Weng-Chiang.

I was watching a vintage episode of Miss Marple - not the recent travesty starring Geradine McEwen or Julia McKenzie, but the classic episodes with Joan Hickson.

While watching 4.50 From Paddington, I noticed one of the lead players was wearing a dark rust-red velvet jacket (see left, top).
Single-brearted, it has revered lapels (see left, second picture) and a distinctive polka-dot design (see left, third picture).

There is no question in my mind it is the jacket worn in The Talons Of Weng-Chiang!!!

Miss Marple was entirely shot on 16mm film (just like the location filming for Doctor Who was in the 1970s) and the American DVDs I have aren’t the best transfer. But please take my word for what I see.

This was the Christmas day episode in 1987, so post-dates its Doctor Who appearance by a full decade.

Amusingly it is being worn by Irish actor John Hallam, who two years later appeared in the Sylvester McCoy serial Ghost Light as the etherial alien Light (see below).

Cosplay Sky - season 16 Frock Coat

After brining you my magnum opus costume index for The Fourth Doctor, I thought it was time to get back on the reviews of replica coats available around the internet.
Today the season 16 Frock Coat offering from Cosplay Sky.

Based in China, Cosplay Sky has been making costumes for over five years and specialise in a lot of Anime and genre films and tv shows. Their style can be very angular with broad lapels and flared skirts.

Now, having made my own replica of this coat, I can immediately see a number of serious shortcomings in the cut of this coat. Some are quite picky, but others are more obvious.

Ecru Brown Long
Trench Coat

Price as of July 2013 - $179.99

It does become a problem of where to start with this, as the coat is such a anime caricature of what should be one of Tom’s iconic Frock Coats.

The whole body of the coat seems excessively elongated, even down to the cuff piping being twice s high up the sleeve as it should be.
The waist is quite tailored, which only accentuates the disproportions of the coat.

The piping around the edges of the lapels and pocket flaps are not the right colour. It needs to be a real dark brown (almost black) rather than the milk chocolate colour used here.

The fabric used doesn’t really look to be quite right, but of the three season 16 Frock Coats I have reviewed this is almost the best colour of the bunch - ironic as it is without doubt the worst cut of what’s on offer.

The buttons on the back are set too far apart, and the back vent is exactly central, where it should be off centre and have a slight overlap.

The pocket flaps are very rectangular and don’t have the slight flare of the real thing.

But to add to things, one of the outer pockets is completely missing!
The lower left-hand pocket has been omitted, and remaining pocket left is too close to the front and to big enough.

And to confuse things even more, two large flap-less pockets are added at the back. All a bit of a mess.

The waistline pockets are too big and crash the buttons. They should be close, but not that close.
The buttons could be moved, and should be in a slight diagonal line, diverging at the top - but this is the one and only practical fix on a coat that is frankly way to wide of the mark to be not worth the effort.

Shocking.

EVEN MORE 4th Doctor items on eBay

It’s been a bit quiet lately for original Fourth Doctor items on eBay, but I have come across one thing worth looking at.

It’s a costume design from The Brain Of Morbius by L Rowland Warne.

A similar costume design was sold on eBay back in March (see right).

That was just a good colour copy, but this one is the original.

Brain Of Morbius
Costume design

SOLD FOR £411.50
after sold for £944.61 to non-payer

This is an original costume design drawing from the 1975 Doctor Who serial the Brain of Morbius.

It is a finely detailed piece, in pencils and watercolour. There is a small tear to the top edge which fortunately doesn’t encroach onto the artwork itself and one or two minor bumps in the paper which I’m sure will come out once the artwork is framed.

These are small flaws in what is an incredibly well preserved piece of Doctor Who history. Written on the back is: “Ohica + outdoor robe hat as 2nd sisters” The piece measures 295mm x 410mm.

I obtained it from a well known collector in 2002, and it has remained in storage ever since. A piece of artwork as exquisite as this deserves to be on display as the centrepiece of someone’s collection.

Costume index - season eighteen

© June Hudson

Beginning with Season 18, John Nathan-Turner took over as producer of Doctor Who.

One of the most immediately and noticeable changes he made was a redesign of the Fourth Doctor’s costume by the legendary June Hudson.

Although retaining the same overall concept, to start with nothing was carried over from previous seasons (though he did start wearing his leather cuff boots from halfway through the season), and a more co-ordinated plum colour scheme was introduced.

The early part of this season was produced out of broadcast order.
To start with The Doctor wears argyle socks and suede brogues. These appear in The Leisure Hive, State Of Decay and Meglos. From Full Circle onwards he reverted to his brown leather cuff boots.

PRODUCTION		BROADCAST
The Leisure Hive		The Leisure Hive
State Of Decay		Meglos
Meglos		Full Circle
Full Circle		State Of Decay
Warriors’ Gate		Warriors’ Gate
The Keeper Of Traken		The Keeper Of Traken
Logopolis		Logopolis

By screening them out of production order, The Doctor’s footwear appears to change week-to-week.

Season Eighteen

Costume index - season seventeen

There is very little new in the Doctor’s wardrobe this year, but if there was a fashion trend developing this season, it would be for a more casual look, with unbuttoned waistcoats; open-collar shirts and loose hanging scarves.

The mix-and-match on show plunders costumes originally designed for Terror Of The Zygons, The Deadly Assassin, The Image Of The Fendhal and The Power Of Kroll. None of these are worn as intended.

This season also serves to demonstrate an almost distain for his fedora hat. More often than not is relegated to his coat pocket. Last season he only put it on an average of one scene per episode - during this season it is barely one time per serial, and as the season progresses he doesn’t wear it at all.

The first half of the season was recorded out of order, with the Harris Tweed frock coat being his favourite coat of choice.

PRODUCTION		BROADCAST
The Creature from the Pit		Destiny of the Daleks
City of Death		City of Death
Destiny of the Daleks		The Creature from the Pit
Nightmare of Eden		Nightmare of Eden
The Horns Of Nimon		The Horns Of Nimon
Shada		(unaired)

Season Seventeen