For "shiggles", notions on Whittaker's wardrobe

[Redfern]

A fun exercise in speculation, fans often wonder what kind of wardrobe the Doctor will wear once the newest performer has been revealed. I recall seeing an early interview with Billy Piper and Christopher Eccleston. I saw him sporting a "buzz cut" and a leather jacket and I just assumed he had not yet dressed, the production wanting his ensemble to be a surprise, his scalp trimmed short to accommodate a wig. Surprise! That was his costume! Upon seeing Matt Smith, a fair number of fans thought he might dress a bit "emo". Instead, he became a nerdy college prof'. Capaldi's promotional shots suggested a Pertwee inspired theme, which he did for a bit, but then he went for something of an "aging rocker" motif.

So the question arises, what might Jodie Whittaker wear? It's been stated what she sported in her "reveal" clip will not be her ensemble for the series proper. Supposedly, it was something "thrown together" in order hide her identity until the crucial moment. But given the amount of positive feedback from people, it's possible it may influence what the production finally chooses. Then again, they may steer away from expectations. It's really anybody's guess at the moment.

So, just for fun, what would you like to see Whittaker wear? Text based descriptions are fine, but if one would like to display or link photographic or illustrative example, so much the better. Obviously, let's adhere to the "terms of service" No need to get T'Bonz incensed!

Reading a similarly themed thread at Gallifrey Base, some fans felt it's time to introduce some color beyond blacks and "earth tones". Yes, One of Tennant's suits was blue and his trainers were often red. One can say he's been the most colorful Doctor (in the literal sense) since the series' revival. Anyway, two words dominated, green and blue. Other thoughts noted things like "long" coats and pants (instead of a dress or skirt). the opinion between boots and shoes was rather split.

So, taking those general notions into account, I "slapped together" a "generic" ensemble, testing those two colors. For personal "shiggles", I applied a short scarf possessing a stripped pattern usually associated with Tom Baker. And yes, I'm aware the face looks like Jodie's only in the most general sense, two eyes, a single nose, a mouth and fair skin. the renders are meant to speculate upon a possible wardrobe; they are not meant to be efforts trying to recreate Ms. Whittaker's features.

 

[Lonemagpie]

The coat and hood she had in the reveal trailer is perfect - they'd be fucking morons not to keep it.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

The coat and hood she had in the reveal trailer is perfect - they'd be fucking morons not to keep it.

Amen! IMO, the best Doctor outfits have been the least flashy ones, like Hartnell & Troughton, which were intended to convey a certain old-school aesthetic without drawing too much attention. And I love the fact that Capaldi hasn't been married to a single look like it's a uniform.

Flashy clothes can distract too much from the performance. Tom Baker only got away with his goofy scarf because his hair & face were even goofier!

And, if it were me running the show, I'd have 2 hard & fast rules for Whittaker's Doctor at all times: No skirts. No cleavage.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

But the Doctor has been known to go native in the historical pieces. Granted, he's not done it recently, but what'll happen the next time this new Doctor steps out of the TARDIS in Victorian England? Will she do what they've done previously and dress as men did? Will she grab what Bill or Clara wore when they landed there?

More likely IMO, they'll either pay lip service the time period and the Doctor will just continue on the adventure at hand. Nine and Ten didn't bother switching wardrobe all that much, for example.

Mark

 

[φ of π]

A fabulous cocktail dress.

 

[Starkers]

She should go for something sedate, kinda like Servalan in Blakes 7. Understated.

 

[Starkers]

The coat and hood she had in the reveal trailer is perfect - they'd be fucking morons not to keep it.

Isn't that actually Capaldi's hoodie she's wearing though?

It does suit her, but it also feels very much like Twelve's look and I think she, like all doctors, needs to distinguish herself from her predecessor. Having had a think about this I like the idea of giving her a WW2 Land girl kinda look, that would fit in with the mid to late 20th Century aesthetic we've had with most of the modern Doctors (U-Boat Captain, 40s Spiv/70s cop, 1950s professor, Capaldi ruins it somewhat!).

And of course it would make an interesting point in the background. Land girls were women who took on traditionally masculine roles and proved they were just as capable of fulfilling them as the men were.

I was on the money with Smith (the elbow patched jacket and scatty professor seemed obvious the first time I saw him interviewed) so who knows?

 

[Mr Awe]

She should go for something sedate, kinda like Servalan in Blakes 7. Understated.

Humor, dead pan mode?

 

[Lonemagpie]

Isn't that actually Capaldi's hoodie she's wearing though?

Nope.

 

[David cgc]

...that would fit in with the mid to late 20th Century aesthetic we've had with most of the modern Doctors (U-Boat Captain, 40s Spiv/70s cop, 1950s professor, Capaldi ruins it somewhat!).

Putting aside the t-shirts and hoodies, I've heard Capaldi's regular "on-duty" look of the slim coat and dress shirt with no tie is reminiscent of '50s street fashions, so you could look presentable without anything for your opponent to grab on to when you got into a fistfight. I can't back that up or find my source, and my own knowledge of midcentury british youth culture is... limited... so take that with a grain of salt.

 

[Venardhi]

I think a good look for her would be something playing off equestrian riding outfits. Chic and tailored without being too obviously modern, feminine without approaching fanservice. A bit "proper" but with flare enough to have character and flexibility enough to swap out different colors or patterns for variety between episodes. Some of the patterns can even be a bit "loud" if you're into that kind of sixth Doctor thing.

 

[David cgc]

I think a good look for her would be something playing off equestrian riding outfits. Chic and tailored without being too obviously modern, feminine without approaching fanservice.

"Why does the wardrobe have all these damn jodhpurs? Oh, right."

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

But the Doctor has been known to go native in the historical pieces. Granted, he's not done it recently, but what'll happen the next time this new Doctor steps out of the TARDIS in Victorian England? Will she do what they've done previously and dress as men did? Will she grab what Bill or Clara wore when they landed there?

More likely IMO, they'll either pay lip service the time period and the Doctor will just continue on the adventure at hand. Nine and Ten didn't bother switching wardrobe all that much, for example.

I don't recall too much native dress outside of the William Hartnell years. The 1st Doctor would dress up in his historical stories every so often. Though that also seemed to involve an element of going undercover for him, like impersonating a French government official in "The Reign of Terror" or a Roman musician in "The Romans." Other times, he would keep his normal clothes, even if his companions were changing, like in "Marco Polo" or "The Aztecs." His normal clothes seemed perfectly fitting in "The Gunfighters."

Outside of that, I can't remember much period dress for the Doctor. I suppose there was Tom Baker's Sherlock Holmes getup in "The Talons of Weng-Chiang" but nothing from the new series. While Matt Smith had sort of gone native in "The Snowmen," it was still just a variation of his usual late-Season 7 outfit.

Isn't that actually Capaldi's hoodie she's wearing though?

It does suit her, but it also feels very much like Twelve's look and I think she, like all doctors, needs to distinguish herself from her predecessor.

William Hartnell & Patrick Troughton dressed in a very similar way but no one would ever be accused of getting the 2 mixed up. I suspect that would be even less of a problem going from Capaldi to Whittaker.

Besides, for me, it's less about the black hoodie and more about the long gray coat. And long coats have never really been a Capaldi thing.

I think a good look for her would be something playing off equestrian riding outfits. Chic and tailored without being too obviously modern, feminine without approaching fanservice.

Depends on how tight the pants are.

Oddly enough, many years ago when I first started picturing a female Doctor, I pictured Rachel Weisz in an equestrian outfit. But when I picture Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor, the equestrian idea just doesn't feel right. It feels too aristocratic & feminine and I think her look should be more casual & sexless.

 

[Venardhi]

While both the pictures I posted were definitely sexier than I imagine her, "sexless" doesn't feel right either to me. I think you can take that style to a more casual level without completely erasing her figure or femininity.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

I don't recall too much native dress outside of the William Hartnell years. The 1st Doctor would dress up in his historical stories every so often. Though that also seemed to involve an element of going undercover for him, like impersonating a French government official in "The Reign of Terror" or a Roman musician in "The Romans." Other times, he would keep his normal clothes, even if his companions were changing, like in "Marco Polo" or "The Aztecs." His normal clothes seemed perfectly fitting in "The Gunfighters."

Outside of that, I can't remember much period dress for the Doctor. I suppose there was Tom Baker's Sherlock Holmes getup in "The Talons of Weng-Chiang" but nothing from the new series. While Matt Smith had sort of gone native in "The Snowmen," it was still just a variation of his usual late-Season 7 outfit.

Capaldi has gone Victorian on more than one occasion, though to be fair in "Deep Breath" is was as much from needing a disguise or a warm smelly coat. He's also dressed up for "Mummy on the Orient Express", which is arguably a period piece.

It's not like any Doctor has dressed as the locals do on any regular basis, but to me many of his incarnations have made the effort at least some of the time. Only one (Nine) seems to outwardly think it's not worth the bother ("I changed my jumper"), but even that Doctor was literally pictured in Victorian threads at one point. OTOH, Six stands out by actually dressing up in the clothes of an alien culture in one story (Revelation of the Daleks).

Still, on modern Doctor Who it seems to come down to the writer and the actor working together to determine a proper look. Matt Smith famously rejected the initial costume ideas presented to him, while it's arguable that Capaldi quickly tired of the look he started with and lobbied for an ever-evolving look keeping just a Crombie coat as the common element.

Mark

 

[C.E. Evans]

I actually do think they should continue what Capaldi started by having her have a signature coat, but mix it up with the rest. No real regular costume. Most of the time she'll wear trousers and boots, but could surprise us with a Edwardian long skirt and heels once in a while, especially if she's intending to be somewhere in polite company. Sometimes she'll sport an an open-necked blouse, sometimes a buttoned-up blouse and tie. Sometimes a waistcoast, sometimes not. In any of the combinations, though, she'll be classy but also very much a traveler.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Helen Mirren wore an outfit for Paris Fashion Week that's downright Doctor-ish and would work for Whitaker.

 

[marillion]

I like the coat, but when did baggy pants become a thing again? Ugh... Not a good look IMHO...

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Helen Mirren wore an outfit for Paris Fashion Week that's downright Doctor-ish and would work for Whitaker.

It's like a simpler Missy outfit.

 

[Nightowl1701]

Fan artist Paul Hanley had a great design for a female Doctor, based on actress Ruth Wilson. With a couple tweaks, I think it'd work perfectly for Whittaker.

I agree with both Hanley and Redfern on one thing - it's way past time for The Scarf (in one variation or another) to make a comeback!