The 1980’s bohemian
In a soup of social media, optical media, audio media, media media! we are never far from being reminded of things we once knew, watched and maybe loved. The recent release of Doctor Who the Collection Season 24 on Blu-ray has been one such injection of nostalgia and probably when I needed it most. This series of my very favourite show went out in 1987 when I was a grubby child of 10 years old. Actually that’s not true, I was never grubby but I definitely was only ten. New series, new doctor, new titles, new adventures, it was also the time we had a rather exciting and shiney new VHS recorder. My sister and I persuaded mum and dad to get one, so they did a very 1987 thing of renting it from radio rentals. Sounds weird just to think of renting a Video Recorder, when such things aren’t even made any more. But it meant I could record the new series of Doctor Who and…KEEP IT! Bliss indeed, I could watch it over and over, which my sister Anna and I did. In fact we watched it until the tapes literally wore out.
But now I have it on optically and audibly perfect Blu-Ray, all 8 discs of it and it’s made me reassess these stories and the work that went into them and in particular the costumes. There were several costume designers working across the 12 episodes of this season, Ken Trew, Janet Tharby and Richard Croft. But it fell to Ken to design the new Doctor, Sylvester McCoy, a brand new outfit. Much less shocking and other worldly than some of his predecessors, Sylvester's costume would be much more at home on the street of 1980’s Britain. No it wasn’t leg warmers, bum bag and white jeans (that was Bonnie Langford though, who played his companion Mel) but there was quite a large influence of 1980’s fashion in the design even though it was based on a 1930’s bohemian look. It’s a look I realise I still love and many of the individual pieces would work very well in todays fashion and style market.
The Jacket
Sylvester McCoy stated he’d like lots of pockets for props, gadgets and most importantly his script! The jacket is based on a Norfolk Jacket style, popular in the 1930’s era which is characterised by its large pockets and sewn in belt. Ken Trew gave Sylvester bellow pockets, which is a really lovely detail and superb for keeping lots of stuff in. Everybody loves lots of pockets, never be mean with the pockets. The original design shows a half back belt and box pleat down the back seam, the latter detail was omitted in the end but I really love the half back belt that was kept. The back is part of men’s wear design that often gets over looked, so to add this detail is so lovely. The fabric choice was originally shown as being linen, but the designer settled for raw silk noile in the end. Linen tends to crease rather easily and the Noile will not. The fabric is made from the short stubby pieces of silk left over from weaving the posh shiny stuff. It is a mat texture with natural slubs. The fabric is usually undyed and the exact colour can depend on what the silk worms where fed!
The cut of the jacket was very typical of the eighties, baggy, broad on the shoulders but with lovely 1930’s details on the pockets and back belt.
There isn’t a sewing pattern that quite matches this one, but if you pick a modern jacket pattern you can then mark the relevant changes yourself to add the bellow pockets, half belt and squared off front facings.
The Trousers and shoes
Recently high waisted trousers such as oxford bags have made a return to the catwalks, sadly the high street has been rather slow in the uptake in this trend which is a shame as they are super flattering. The seventh Doctor wears high waisted trousers, with clip on braces, one inch turn-ups and forward facing pleats. The fabric is a bold glen check wool in green, beige, red and brown. The fabric is really difficult to match today, but the best place I have found is upholstery fabrics or smaller weavers in Scotland. Spoonflower offers this design but it’s not printed on wool sadly. The forward facing pleats are slightly unusual in men’s trousers but is a really lovely touch. Usually pleats in trousers face towards to the pockets, but these ones face the centre front instead.
The eighties where quite hot on high waisted trousers, watch any of the reruns of Top Of The Pops and they’re everywhere. Simon Cowell was ridiculed in the 2000’s for wearing them still, but common sense has prevailed and today they are back.
If you’re keen to make your own Seventh Doctor Trousers, then try my McCoy Trouser pattern available in my shop.
The Co-respondent shoes are a lovely finishing touch to the costume, I have a black and a brown pair myself which I cherish wearing. Made fashionable in the 1930’s by Wallace Simpson, they are still unusual to see on a mens feet today, but if you fancy a pair have a look at London Brogues. The original shoes where taken from the BBCs own stocks and the white areas painted on.
The Pullover
Now the pullover is rather distinctive and slightly overstating the mystery in the character of The Doctor but the colour palette is spot on eighties. The question mark deign was there at the producers request, but if you want novelty fabrics for an outfit, I can think of many places such as linings, novelty handkerchiefs, ties, braces and buttons. But maybe not the pullover. It’s actually a tank top with rather cute pockets on the front and based on a golfing jumper, luckily this eye catching garment has been replicated by Lovarzi along with the paisley scarf and handkerchief. Yes I own one. Yes I do wear it out of the house!
The Hat
Finally and most importantly we have the Doctors hat. A folding Panama hat with the brim worn up and a tobacco handkerchief tied round it as a hat band. The folding Panama is brilliant for travelling, I have worn one myself for several years, inspired by this of course. You can roll it up and pop it in your bag whilst you’re on the plane or coach and pop it back open when you need it. The best ones I've found are from the Panama Hat Company. They come in different weaves depending on the depth of your pockets, but which ever one you choose you’ll look ace in it. More men should wear hats and not bobble hats or baseball caps!
I love seeing the typical 1980’s colour palette and cut applied to this 1930’s inspired costume. It still has design elements that work really well today, and fabrics choices that still inspire my work today.
