Costume index - season twelve

A while back I took a look at the costume transition scenes that kick off the start each Doctor’s era.

One of the most bizarre has to be Tom Baker’s, where he repeatedly bursts out of the TARDIS in a series of inappropriate costumes: from a Viking; to the Knave of Hearts; through a clown outfit; before finally donning his future trademark fedora hat and scarf.

But what happened next?

Tom appeared in 42 adventures (counting Shada, the unfinished story from 1979). Here is my breakdown of the costumes he wore.

Season Twelve

It should be said that part of season 12 was recorded out of order compared to the broadcast.

PRODUCTION		BROADCAST
Robot		Robot
The Sontaran Experiment		The Ark in Space
The Ark in Space		The Sontaran Experiment
Revenge of the Cybermen		Genesis of the Daleks
Genesis of the Daleks		Revenge of the Cybermen

This gave rise to a continuity error with The Doctor’s scarf, which gets shorter for The Ark In Space before returning to its debut length for The Sontaran Experiment, only to loose it again for the rest of the season.

And the winner is.... Romanadvoratrelundar

This year is looking to be very successful for the costumes I have been making.

Back in February I won Best In Show for my Ultimate Six Frock Coat, and I have now learned that a number of my other clients have been strutting their stuff and winning competitions along the way.

I made Claire a Romana Pink Frock Coat outfit in February, and soon after she attended a regional convention called Coast Con 36 in Biloxi Mississippi.

It’s a small general sci-fi fantasy event attended by approximately 1,200 to 1,500 people over the course of the three days.

This convention is not specific to any one sci-fi genre, so there were people from many different sci-fi platforms.

Claire attended with her little brother who dressed as a mini Fourth Doctor alongside her as the companion, which made for an interesting combination!

When he wasn’t taking The Doctor role, her brother was inside their Dalek acting as operator!

Homemade from the original plans by their grandfather, their Dalek is a curious combination of classic and new series styling, in a mid-1970s colour scheme ala Genesis Of The Daleks, with Destiny Of The Daleks grenades around the shoulders.

Also at the convention was a superb replica K-9 - the perfect foil for Romana.

Claire had already got her cuff boots and long white scarf as well as a suitable blouse to wear.

I made her the Pink Frock Coat and matching Pantaloons with braces to match.

Part of the convention involved a costume competition, which had several prizes up for grabs.
There was Male/Female hero, Male/Female villain, and group as well as a Best In Show.

They competed and won the Group division, with Claire’s brother inside his fill scale Dalek. There was much discussion about giving them the Best In Show prize too, but the award was a six-foot sword which is not the most appropriate prize for a child to win so a $40 cash prize was given instead.

Claire’s thinking on entering the competition was that it would be a good opportunity for her little brother to have some fun and that if we won something that would just be lagniappe.

Claire told me about her costume:
As for my costume, I absolutely love it. It fits perfectly and it looks amazing. I am easily recognizable as Romana from Destiny of the Daleks. The workmanship is fantastic and I am extremely pleased with the overall result. My favorite part of my costume is the coat itself. It is the best fitting coat I have ever owned which I find astounding since you never saw me in person and did all of it off of measurements sent over email.

Herbert Johnson hat on eBay

Over the past months I have been highlighting many ORIGINAL costume pieces that have cropped up on eBay.
I deliberately try to keep this to screen-worn or used items, as it is possible to stray into a multitude of fan-made (but vey nice) copies which are just a distraction.

But today I found something worth looking at.

I must emphasis this is NOT screen worn, but is near identical to the Herbert Johnson fur felt fedora which debuted in The Brain Of Morbius in 1976.
It looks to be contemporary to the time, since Herbert Johnson stopped making this particular hat many years ago.

Here is the listing info on the hat.

Doctor Who - Tom Baker
original Herbert Johnson hat

SOLD FOR £205

Here we have an identical style of fur felt, broad brimmed floppy hat as worn by Tom Baker when he was Doctor Who.

It is made by the same make of bespoke hatters, Herbert Johnson and was made in the 1970’s. These hats are very rare.

This hat has been stored for many years and is in excellent condition.

The hat size is 6 and 5/8 and is dark/bottle green in colour.

Baron Boutique - season 16 Frock Coat

A couple of months ago in my costume reviews I looked at the Magnoli season 16 Frock Coat - now it’s time to see how Baron has handled their own version of this season 16 classic.

Baron Boutique are based in Nepal, and have been selling a wide variety of garments since 1998, of which their replica film and tv costumes are only a part.

Fourth Frock Coat

Price as of May 2013 - $479

Obviously this is a coat that I have become very familiar with over the past few months, so I do know my way around it a bit better than most. So I apologise now if I’m a little bit more critical than usual.

The first impression of the coat, as with any garment, is the choice of fabric. The website states the fabric is a super 110s wool, which is more appropriate for making a suit or formal trousers rather than a overcoat.

The screen-worn coat is made form a Harris Tweed, so is much, much heavier and has a coarse weave. So to use a standard wool will not give the fell and drape of the original.

That said, they have cut the coat in such a way that it drapes and flares reasonably well, though not in the same was a heavier tweed would.

The lapels are a fair size, though could be a little bigger as could the collar.
The roll-line of the lapels is a fraction too high, so the ratio of lapel to level of the waistline is too top-heavy.

The size and position of the buttons holes aren’t too bad, though the lower six should have a keyhole.

Like the Magnoli coat, the trim on this version is bias binding which is a finely woven cotton tape as opposed to a more open weave wool braid.

The pockets are a little off, with the flaps being too square. The lower pockets are definitely too small.

The button placement is not so bad, though I feel it is too far apart at the top.
Although this is not a coat with a practical double-breasted front, it should feel and look as though it might actually work.

The back is the major letdown on this coat.

As a frock coat it has been cut to an American style, which has the waistline seam running all the way around the coat, whereas it should stop at the placement of the back buttons.

The placement of these back buttons is too far apart, and thus the princess seams above run in the wrong place too.

All in all this is the better of the options for understand what a frock coat is, though some of the pattern cutting lets it down.

The feel of the coat is of a lightweight blazer jacket, but knee length.

The main failing is the choice of fabric, which is totally wrong.

Cosplay Sky - season 12 corduroy jacket

This month in my costume reviews I’m looking at the season 12 shooting jacket offered by 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.

Dark Red Corduroy Trench Coat

Price as of April 2013 - $150

The CosplaySky take on the season 12 shooting jacket, is a stark contrast to the version Baron Boutique I previously reviewed.

The immediate difference is the colour. Where the Baron Boutique jacket is way too light, this is way too dark.

The colour chosen is a deep burgundy rather than a more screen accurate burnt orange colour. This reminds me more of the season 18 greatcoat, which I’ll be reviewing in due course.

The pocket are correctly constructed, but are all way too big, boxy and angular to look right.

The original jacket has a shabby, baggy feel to it and this is all just too crisp and sharp for my liking.

The pockets are correctly trimmed along their tops, but it is too wide and bold as well as the wrong colour.
With the jacket too dark and the trim too light and wide, it makes them stand out too much.

The jacket has grey elbow patches which are by far a much better match to the real jacket compared to the Baron Boutique version, but they look to be fabric, possibly a felt rather than leather. I may be wrong - please correct me if you have one of these jackets and can confirm it to me.

There is an interpretation of the sleeve pocket, but it looks to be too large in my view.

The one part of the jacket that to me is seriously lacking is the back. The belted back is very unflattering and lacks the looseness of the real thing.
There are the gusseted sides to the back, but they just don’t look right and the overall effect of the back is that it is more fitted than it should be.

So, looking beyond the colour, how well does the jacket look?

Well the only way I can describe how I see it is to describe it as a caricature of the jacket.

All the details are there - the flapped box pockets; the belted back; grey elbow patches; the gusseted rear; the curious flapped sleeve pocket - but they are thicker, bolder, wider than they should be.

You can see the cutter of this jacket is more used to making the replica Anime costumes seen around comic conventions the breath of the US, with their angular lines and shapes.
This should be the original shabby-chic look The Doctor is known for. His slightly disheveled appearance that masks a brilliant intellect.

Getting my ducks in a row

You’d have hopefully seen my completed Fourth Doctor costume.

One thing which finishes of the ensemble and is the icing on the cake are my set of flying duck brooches!

They are something I have always associated with the coat, but now I look back over photographs and episodes they only appeared in one adventure, The Power Of Kroll.

I’ve been looking around for a decent set, and along the way have picked up some suitable candidates.

Here’s what I found.

This was the first set I found, and I’ve seen several sets of these on eBay.

Cast in resin, the colouring is very stark and cartoon-like. I can’t help thinking of Daffy Duck when I see them.

As a quick place-holder set they fitted the bill very well, but I was always going to be on the look out for a better design.

A set identical to these are on the coat on display at the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff.

This set are quite a bit smaller my the first set I bought, but are just as effective.

They are more like the ceramic versions original seen in the 1970s.

I like them, but am not too keen in the blue colouring.

This is actually the latest set I have bought and are a more stylised design.

I think they are actual ceramic, so I’m pretty sure they date from the 1970s or 1980s.

The colouring is much nicer, in oatmeal and brown with a touch of green.

They are wonderfully kitsch!

This final set are the same moulding as the blue ducks above, but are painted in a more subtle colour scheme, akin to the brown tones of the period set I recent purchased.

The way they have been painted and partly rubbed off, gives them a nice aged appearance.

These are my personal favourite and are the ducks I currently have on my coat.

FURTHER 4th Doctor items on eBay

A few more original costume pieces from the Fourth Doctor era have popped up on eBay.
Here’s what I found.

Robots Of Death
Skirt worn by Toos

SOLD FOR £350

This is the skirt worn by the character Toos in the classic 1977 Doctor Who story Robots of Death.

It is simply a stunning piece of design and has obviously taken many hours to produce. It is in near perfect condition for a costume piece of this age, with no loose seams or missing pieces. Dozens of ‘jewels’ and adornments have been painstakingly attached. I can’t over-emphasise just how impressive this piece looks up close – it’s amazing!

This is a rare opportunity to own a costume worn by a key character from the Golden Age of Doctor Who – don’t miss out!

Is Peter Jackson a mystery auction buyer?

A news story doing the rounds this week, emanating from the Entertainment Weekly website, concerns Lord Of The Rings director Peter Jackson.

It’s been long known that Peter is a Doctor Who fan - especially of the Sylvester McCoy era.

In August 2011 I reported the news that Peter Jackson showed off his original Doctor Who costumes to Sylvester himself when he was auditioning for his role in The Hobbit.

The current story centres on a quote from Peter where he expresses his desire to direct a future episode of Doctor Who, stating he’d do it and only ask for a Dalek in exchange for his fee!

But the part of the article that caught my attention more than anything was the photo of Peter surrounded by part of his collection of Who props.

Firstly he is wear a (not so good) Tom Baker scarf. “So?” you might ask - but if you look carefully you’ll see it is part of a lot that sold at Bonhams in 2007.

The sale was of particular note as and ORIGINAL Tom Baker velvet frock coat sold for £8,400 - but a poorly matched ensemble costume sold for a staggering £24,600!

The scarf he is wearing is part of that costume.

It would now appear the buyer was none other than Peter Jackson!

Furthermore the Cyberman lurking at the back looks to be one of those sold at the 2010 Bonhams Doctor Who Auction.

It might appear that this A-list director has been a secret auction stalker for quite some time...

Magnoli Clothiers - season 16 Frock Coat

The past couple of months I have reviewed the Fourth Doctor coats on offer from Baron Boutique and Cosplay Sky. This month I thought I’d have a look at the options from Magnoli Clothiers.

Based in New Zealand, Magnoli Clothiers makes reproduction vintage and popular film costumes. Garments are made in Thailand and India, with accessories and some leather goods made in America, China and New Zealand.
Originally making Indiana Jones costumes, they have branched out to cover a wide variety of film and tv clothes.

Currently the only Fourth Doctor item on offer is the season 16 Frock Coat. A version of the season 12 shooting jacket and the season 18 greatcoat were available, but seem to have been withdrawn from sale.

Baker Frock Coat

Price as of March 2013 - $850

Having seen the original coat on display at the Doctor Who Experience, I find it difficult to like this replica.

My first problem is how the coat is displayed on the website. It is creased and crushed, in desperate need of a press or steam, making it look like its been rescued from a charity shop. It is shown on a mannequin, but is buttoned up - a state the coat is never seen in on screen, so makes it look even less like the original garment.

So now I have that off my chest, what about the coat itself from a design view.

The fabric used, though from a distance looking not a bad colour, is far fro the right weave. It is described as a tweed, but has a visible waffle finish to it which isn’t right.

It lacks the weight of the Harris Tweed the real coat is made from and looks more like a suiting or jacket fabric.

The cut of the lower part of the coat is too straight and doesn’t have the flare that a classic frock coat should display, looking more like a Cromie overcoat.

The lapels and collar look way too small, and the waistline pockets by comparison look too large!

Across the body of the coat, the placement of the buttons is incorrect, with them in two vertical lines rather than diverging.
Again, if the construction of the coat was understood, this would not look like this.

The trim is made from bias binding, which is a cheap alternative to the correct woven braid.

The button holes on the lapels look too small and lack the impact of the original. Their placement is a bit off too, with the top-most too close to the lapel point for my liking.

The back of the coat is unseen, so I cannot comment on if it has the correct large back pockets in the skirt; the princess seems on the upper back or have the right spacing of the waistline buttons.

MORE 4th Doctor items on eBay

Not strictly a screen worn costume, this item popped up on eBay this month and I thought it worth sharing as it is beautifully drawn.

The Brain Of Morbius
costume design

SOLD FOR £51

I was lucky enough to own the original of this sisterhood costume sketch for many years. Before I sold it I had 2 copies made. One for me, and one for a friend. Sadly the friend passed before I could give it him. Hence now after holding onto to it a few years I feel the time is right to let another collector enjoy it. It is printed on top quality glossy paper. You will not be disappointed. The original would cost a lot of money now, so for the true fan this is a cheaper version. I only have one when its gone its gone.

The size is 42cm lengh by 30cm width. Also this isn’t some cheap photocopy done by myself. It was done at a local art supplies shop on their professional equipment on super thick glossey paper.

Cosplay Sky - season 13 Frock Coat

I’ve recently been looking over the Fourth Doctor costumes on offer from Baron Boutique. This month I thought I’d start to have a look at the options 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.

Ecru Brown Long Trench Coat Suit

Price as of Feb 2013 - $189.99

This coat is a replica of the tweed Frock Coat Tom Baker first wore in The Android Invasion.

My first point of review is always the fabric for a coat, and from the looks of the photos, they have used a wool tweed material not unlike the Donegal on Matt Smith’s series five jacket.

Although not a screen accurate match for this coat, it certainly goes someway to reflect the drape and feel of the original coat.

The collar looks to be made from velvet rather than the thunder-cord corduroy on the screen worn coat, but it is in the right area for colour so not so bad.

The buttons on the front are a bit out of position, being in two vertical lines, rather than diverging at the top.
The choice of buttons isn’t too bad, though the cuff ones should have been a lot smaller - they look very clunky and draw the eye too much.

The cuffs themselves are oversized and misinterpreted. They have been done like the cuffs on the Sixth Doctor Frock Coat, but should be flush with the surface of the sleeve.

The elbow patches on the sleeves look very large and almost take up half the length of the arm!

The back of the coat seems to be lacking the princess seams and the buttons are too widely spaced.
The back split is dead centre, which isn’t right, as it should under and overlap.

The large pockets on the back of the coat are placed way too high and far too close to the centre. Quite how you would reach to put anything in them is beyond me.

Lengthwise the coat looks to be about right, with a decent flare to the skirt, though the lower back could have been more nipped to emphasis this.

The lining is a pale silverish blue, which actually isn’t far off the correct colour.

All in all this isn’t such a bad coat. I’m surprised as to how it looks, compared to some other the other coats Cosplay Sky offer, which I shall be reviewing over the coming months.

Check back each month for a new review.

Four Frock Coat - Bob Mitsch is THE DOCTOR!

A little while back I took some photos of me wearing my recently finished Four Frock Coat.

It’s great fun to mess around wearing a costume like this - makes you feel the part.

But when it comes to Tom Baker costume photoshoots, Bob Mitsch is the Master - or should I say Doctor - at it!

Photo © Deverill Weekes www.deverillweekes.com

Let’s face it, it was only a matter of time before he wanted one of these coats, and now I’ve made him one, he’s bee having fun getting his photo taken - posing like a a good un!

Photo © Deverill Weekes www.deverillweekes.com

He’s still getting his costume together, and by Gallifrey One next month will have the waistcoat, better trousers and the all important episode specific brooch!

I can’t wait to see how he looks when it’s all done.

Photo © Deverill Weekes www.deverillweekes.com