“Suspenders b̶o̶w̶ ̶t̶i̶e̶s̶ are cool.”
November 11, 2017 8:06 PM Subscribe
How Doctor Who’s New Costume Cleverly Leans on History [Vanity Fair] “Cosplayers and fan artists alike, rejoice! Doctor Who, the iconic, lead-swapping franchise, has just revealed the costume for the 13th actor taking on the moniker of “The Doctor”: Jodie Whittaker. The reveal of a new Who costume—soon to be replicated and worn by convention-goers around the world—is always a cause for celebration. But anyone following the cloud of controversy swirling around Whittaker’s casting will know that, this time, the costumers on the long-running show faced a new challenge when selecting just the right coat and trousers for the time-traveling adventurer.” [.jpg]
• Doctor Who costume designer explains how to dress a Time Lord [Radio Times]
• Doctor Who costume designer explains how to dress a Time Lord [Radio Times]
““It’s never about my ego – the actor always has a huge say on what direction to take. They need to have the final say.” Holman said before Whittaker had been cast. “There’s a lot of pressure dressing this 2,000-year-old alien, but my secret to designing a new Doctor is dressing the actor appropriately – doing the right thing for that person. It’s all about making them feel good.” Holman has a signature extra he has added into past costumes – a red button – and although we can’t see one in the first look at Whittaker’s outfit, that doesn’t mean it won’t present itself. Not only did Holman add a red button to the cuffs of Matt Smith’s tweed and Peter Calpaldi’s purple velvet jackets, but the designer also injected a splash of red onto the buttonhole of a certain Sherlock Holmes.”• Doctor Who's hardest task yet – making yellow braces happen [The Guardian]
“But those braces are something else. Red braces and the new Doctor would have been in tricky skinhead territory. Especially with those boots. But the mustard yellow brings to mind fellow sci-fi traveller Mork (of late-70s throwbacks Mork & Mindy) who, when he wasn’t in his red bacofoil and crimplene boiler suit, was rarely seen without his wonderfully upbeat rainbow coloured braces. There is something reassuringly children’s TV presenter about the braces, too. And maybe, given Dr Who’s core audience, that’s no bad thing. When the monsters get too scary, the Doctor’s attire will be a comforting distraction.”• Doctor Who Costume: The Vogue Verdict [Vogue]
“To our despair, there’s nary a tech trainer nor a fabulous jacquard frock coat in sight. Instead, the new Doctor Who costume comprises a clever hotch-potch of sartorial nods to previous Doctors. A grey ankle-skimming coat has a hint of a dressing gown about it thanks to piping on the sleeves and hem, and its length recalls David Tennant’s hulking brown Withnail-style greatcoat as the Tenth Doctor. Teal culottes and yellow braces reference both Patrick Troughton (the Second Doctor) and Matt Smith’s bowtie-and-braces-wearing Oxbridge academic steampunk-cum-Eleventh Doctor.”• Doctor Who’s first female Doctor, Jodie Whitaker, gets a fantastic new costume [Polygon]
“Unlike the previous doctor’s costume, which was worn by actor Peter Capaldi in the role, Whitaker’s costume is a little funkier. There’s a ’70s aesthetic woven into the fabric, and it’s fair to say that with the suspenders, the costume is somewhat reminiscent of Matt Smith’s suspenders he donned as the 11th Doctor. Other people have pointed out that Whitaker’s costume, including the suspenders, also bears resemblance to Robin Williams’ classic sitcom character from the ’70s, Mork from Mork and Mindy. The photo also gives us our first look at the newer TARDIS, which can be seen in the background. The magical police box looks greener than it has in the past, but it’s difficult to say if that’s the new color or if it’s just a hue that occurred as a result of the photo’s editing.”• Here's the new Doctor Who costume for the 13th Doctor, fans are (surprise!) split [Games Radar+]
“It may seem a little silly to obsess over what an essentially immortal alien who carries around a plot device machine in their pockets chooses to wear, but the costume has always been an important part of The Doctor's identity. What would Matt Smith's Doctor be without his love of bowties and fez hats? Or David Tennant's Doctor without pinstripe suits, sneakers, and 3-D glasses? Dare I say Tom Baker's Doctor without his scarf? These are important visual distinctions that give us a peek into a Doctor's personality. Moving away from Peter Capaldi's grumpy magician look, it seems that this new Doctor will be a bit more quirky and vibrant. I'm totally fine with that, but what do you think? Is this new costume a good look for Whittaker's Doctor?”
I'm gong to just place myself on team "love it" and let this comment go on my permanent Whovian record.
posted by Joey Michaels at 8:48 PM on November 11, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by Joey Michaels at 8:48 PM on November 11, 2017 [7 favorites]
Thirteen will be the first Doctor in the rebooted show with a bright, colorful outfit. The last two Doctors in the original series had colorful attire (Six being an example of having too much of a good thing), but ever since the show was revived, all the Doctors were given limited palettes with their attire. They could have any outfit, provided it was dark or in muted tones. A change has been long overdue, so while I have some questions about specifics--how well will Thirteen be able to run with suspenders and high-waisted pants--the overall tone strikes me in a positive way.
posted by stannate at 8:50 PM on November 11, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by stannate at 8:50 PM on November 11, 2017 [3 favorites]
#TeamSuspenders
posted by Fizz at 8:52 PM on November 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 8:52 PM on November 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
My most heartfelt congratulations to Jodie Whittaker, the first woman to play Jesus in Godspell!
posted by Sys Rq at 8:56 PM on November 11, 2017 [30 favorites]
posted by Sys Rq at 8:56 PM on November 11, 2017 [30 favorites]
Suspenders means something different in the UK.
posted by Artw at 9:01 PM on November 11, 2017 [20 favorites]
posted by Artw at 9:01 PM on November 11, 2017 [20 favorites]
braces it's BRACES we can't see if she's wearing suspenders and it's none of our business anyway
posted by angeline at 9:02 PM on November 11, 2017 [34 favorites]
posted by angeline at 9:02 PM on November 11, 2017 [34 favorites]
The last two Doctors in the original series had colorful attire (Six being an example of having too much of a good thing)
Colin Baker clownsuit alert is on standby awaiting how much it turns out to be a costume and how much it's just clothes.
posted by Artw at 9:05 PM on November 11, 2017 [3 favorites]
Colin Baker clownsuit alert is on standby awaiting how much it turns out to be a costume and how much it's just clothes.
posted by Artw at 9:05 PM on November 11, 2017 [3 favorites]
I like it, but I'd have given her a slightly more formal jumper. You know, something with a big of an angle off the shoulders/neck to frame her face. Because Sys Rq kinda nailed it on the Godspell reference.
posted by Saxon Kane at 9:12 PM on November 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Saxon Kane at 9:12 PM on November 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
Born in India, raised in Texas, now a Canadian. My vernacular is a hodge-podge. Braces, suspenders, whatever you want to call them, they're bright rainbows and I'm on board.
posted by Fizz at 9:16 PM on November 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 9:16 PM on November 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
alien ankles
posted by roger ackroyd at 9:20 PM on November 11, 2017
posted by roger ackroyd at 9:20 PM on November 11, 2017
For the record, and speaking of Six: Colin Baker officially approves.
posted by angeline at 9:25 PM on November 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by angeline at 9:25 PM on November 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
A highly subjective, seat-of-pants analysis of how clothing has made the Doctor in the revived show:
0. War Doctor was a battle-tested scavenger looking to scrape up one mighty blow to end everything. He was built for practicality, and not fashion.
1. Nine was the shell-shocked veteran looking like he really needs a pint or three while watching the action at Old Trafford, and his outfit reflected that.
2. Ten was the manipulative boyfriend who hoped you wouldn't catch on to his actions, as you were being distracted by his geek-chic attire.
3. Eleven was the conflicted old soul in a young body who wanted to dress for both his ages simultaneously.
4. Twelve is a grumpy old man who wants to be taken seriously, and who wants to banish the young/old conflict of his predecessor. Dressing in black and grey, while sporting a white dress shirt, are his ways of stripping down the frippery of the past and conveying to everyone that he has power. Unfortunately, the conflict of his past hasn't gone away, and he occasionally lapses into streaks of poor judgement and self-sabotage. Similarly, sporting sunglasses and a rock guitar cuts away at the serious nature he wants to show off.
With this being said, what say you about Thirteen's outfit expressing her personality? Should we immediately jump to saying that bright colors = exuberant personality? I'm obviously leaning toward this interpretation, particularly since we've had a run of Doctors who weren't exactly like sunny days sweeping the clouds away. What do you think?
posted by stannate at 9:27 PM on November 11, 2017 [9 favorites]
0. War Doctor was a battle-tested scavenger looking to scrape up one mighty blow to end everything. He was built for practicality, and not fashion.
1. Nine was the shell-shocked veteran looking like he really needs a pint or three while watching the action at Old Trafford, and his outfit reflected that.
2. Ten was the manipulative boyfriend who hoped you wouldn't catch on to his actions, as you were being distracted by his geek-chic attire.
3. Eleven was the conflicted old soul in a young body who wanted to dress for both his ages simultaneously.
4. Twelve is a grumpy old man who wants to be taken seriously, and who wants to banish the young/old conflict of his predecessor. Dressing in black and grey, while sporting a white dress shirt, are his ways of stripping down the frippery of the past and conveying to everyone that he has power. Unfortunately, the conflict of his past hasn't gone away, and he occasionally lapses into streaks of poor judgement and self-sabotage. Similarly, sporting sunglasses and a rock guitar cuts away at the serious nature he wants to show off.
With this being said, what say you about Thirteen's outfit expressing her personality? Should we immediately jump to saying that bright colors = exuberant personality? I'm obviously leaning toward this interpretation, particularly since we've had a run of Doctors who weren't exactly like sunny days sweeping the clouds away. What do you think?
posted by stannate at 9:27 PM on November 11, 2017 [9 favorites]
Bracing!!!
But if you look at who wears/wore suspenders/braces on TV, you get, in addition to Mork - Urkel, Larry King, Magilla Gorilla, most mimes (not just Shields & Yarnell), Gary Cole in Office Space and way too many Wall Street villains since the '80s...
Of course the horizontal rainbow stripe is almost TOO Mork-reminiscent.
But considering I personally cringed every time Matt Smith declared a piece of clothing was "cool" (and in spite of that, I do own a fez among my hats), bring it on...
posted by oneswellfoop at 9:35 PM on November 11, 2017
But if you look at who wears/wore suspenders/braces on TV, you get, in addition to Mork - Urkel, Larry King, Magilla Gorilla, most mimes (not just Shields & Yarnell), Gary Cole in Office Space and way too many Wall Street villains since the '80s...
Of course the horizontal rainbow stripe is almost TOO Mork-reminiscent.
But considering I personally cringed every time Matt Smith declared a piece of clothing was "cool" (and in spite of that, I do own a fez among my hats), bring it on...
posted by oneswellfoop at 9:35 PM on November 11, 2017
Wesley Crusher? What are you doing here!
posted by effugas at 9:40 PM on November 11, 2017 [27 favorites]
posted by effugas at 9:40 PM on November 11, 2017 [27 favorites]
Effugas- flagged for fucking fantastic.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 9:41 PM on November 11, 2017
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 9:41 PM on November 11, 2017
yes, effugas, those are almost Wesley stripes... alert the Wheaton!!!
posted by oneswellfoop at 9:45 PM on November 11, 2017
posted by oneswellfoop at 9:45 PM on November 11, 2017
I can't say I'm crazy about that outfit. Very 70's comedian/mime/clown.
posted by bongo_x at 10:13 PM on November 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by bongo_x at 10:13 PM on November 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
With this being said, what say you about Thirteen's outfit expressing her personality?
Too big for her britches?
posted by Sys Rq at 10:20 PM on November 11, 2017
Too big for her britches?
posted by Sys Rq at 10:20 PM on November 11, 2017
He did leave with the Traveler, after all.
posted by effugas at 10:23 PM on November 11, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by effugas at 10:23 PM on November 11, 2017 [4 favorites]
I think it looks pretty good. Comfortable but with the jutted out shoulder pads bringing just a hint of the Time Lord formal robes.
The boots are awesome.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 11:00 PM on November 11, 2017
The boots are awesome.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 11:00 PM on November 11, 2017
I like it. Coupled with her look, it feel it's a mix of comfort and whatever was lying around the TARDIS that fit. Lot of Doctors, lot of style options that don't mix (you know, like the stomper boots).
posted by Samizdata at 12:01 AM on November 12, 2017
posted by Samizdata at 12:01 AM on November 12, 2017
Also, as a frequent duster wearer in bad weather, sometimes you just gotta billow.
posted by Samizdata at 12:02 AM on November 12, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by Samizdata at 12:02 AM on November 12, 2017 [4 favorites]
I like it more every time I see it, but part of me still wants to see Thirteen in an old-timey tweed suit ... I love the jacket, though. It's more cape than jacket.
posted by fire, water, earth, air at 12:17 AM on November 12, 2017
posted by fire, water, earth, air at 12:17 AM on November 12, 2017
I wonder - in regards to how it reflects the direction the character is going to go - if the costume suggests they're going to explore how somebody who has identified as male for 2000 years adjusts to suddenly being female? Like there is just the slightest bit of deliberate "this is how a man dresses a woman" going on to my eye and I think that's kind of perfect.
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:04 AM on November 12, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:04 AM on November 12, 2017 [7 favorites]
Suspenders means something different in the UK.
An American friend once utterly silenced a stuffy British dinner party when she said to a newly-married guest "I saw your husband just last month and he was looking great in his red suspenders".
posted by rongorongo at 2:17 AM on November 12, 2017 [11 favorites]
An American friend once utterly silenced a stuffy British dinner party when she said to a newly-married guest "I saw your husband just last month and he was looking great in his red suspenders".
posted by rongorongo at 2:17 AM on November 12, 2017 [11 favorites]
I'm not actually hating on it, but the lower part of that outfit reads 100% to me as "these are the comfy pants I put on when getting home and changing out of my real pants, but then I remembered I needed to take out the trash so I had to put socks and shoes back on". I genuinely can't tell if wearing socks and shoes like that with pants like that is a thing other people do or if it's supposed to be deliberately weird; I just have a really hard time picturing the decision process that would be involved if I left the house in yoga pants and boots. Is this a thing that somehow becomes more possible if you call them trousers?
posted by Sequence at 2:51 AM on November 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Sequence at 2:51 AM on November 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
I don’t like it. She looks like she’s a minute away from pretending to be trapped in a box.
posted by betweenthebars at 3:26 AM on November 12, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by betweenthebars at 3:26 AM on November 12, 2017 [7 favorites]
The Kremlinologists of Who fandom have been studying this photo in fine detail to try and determine Chibnell's intentions...
When Who first started the Doctor wore clothes, but always slightly off - a bit out of place - various frock coats and frilly shirts - a bit Victorian / a bit Edwardian. Something an alien might actually wear if all human history was kinda one thing to them. Then along came 4 with the iconic big hat and long scarf, which was still 'clothes' bit def taking a step towards 'costume'. Then we had 5 and the cricket outfit. Still clothes - just- but a big step away from anything normal with its celery etc. Then OMG it's JNT and 6 and Who was dressed in a hideous costume that was a direct opposite of normal clothes. It looked shoddy and cheap and frankly embarrassing (like the rest of the show at the time). The next incarnation was slightly better but was still costumey with question marks all over the place.
One of the earlier indicators that nu Who was going to be 'quality' television was the Doctor was totally back to normal clothes, so normal they were a bit on the boring side - a leather jacket, is that it? And that's pretty much they way they've been since - clothes but with just the odd iconic feature added - long coat, tennis shoes, bow tie, fez... the current costume is pretty much a tribute to the first few versions.
And now the first Time Lady Doctor. It looks like clothes, clothes harking back to another era, clothes the alien knowing all space etc etc... with those nu who touches - the braces, that stripey t-shirt (an lgbt rainbow fuck you to the haters? a tribute to 4's scarf?
It's def a step away from previous Time Lady examples - Romanas 1 and 2 which were either posh frocks or pink girly variations on the doctors current costume.
Personally I do kinda like but... but... to get all Kremlinology there's a slight worry it's all a bit '80s sat morning kids telly presenter' and 'wacky' and that has me worrying the character is going to go in that direction. But hey, it's only a kids' show.
The new Tardis looks proper mind, none of your odd coloured windows and properly battered and harking back to the 70s.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:30 AM on November 12, 2017 [9 favorites]
When Who first started the Doctor wore clothes, but always slightly off - a bit out of place - various frock coats and frilly shirts - a bit Victorian / a bit Edwardian. Something an alien might actually wear if all human history was kinda one thing to them. Then along came 4 with the iconic big hat and long scarf, which was still 'clothes' bit def taking a step towards 'costume'. Then we had 5 and the cricket outfit. Still clothes - just- but a big step away from anything normal with its celery etc. Then OMG it's JNT and 6 and Who was dressed in a hideous costume that was a direct opposite of normal clothes. It looked shoddy and cheap and frankly embarrassing (like the rest of the show at the time). The next incarnation was slightly better but was still costumey with question marks all over the place.
One of the earlier indicators that nu Who was going to be 'quality' television was the Doctor was totally back to normal clothes, so normal they were a bit on the boring side - a leather jacket, is that it? And that's pretty much they way they've been since - clothes but with just the odd iconic feature added - long coat, tennis shoes, bow tie, fez... the current costume is pretty much a tribute to the first few versions.
And now the first Time Lady Doctor. It looks like clothes, clothes harking back to another era, clothes the alien knowing all space etc etc... with those nu who touches - the braces, that stripey t-shirt (an lgbt rainbow fuck you to the haters? a tribute to 4's scarf?
It's def a step away from previous Time Lady examples - Romanas 1 and 2 which were either posh frocks or pink girly variations on the doctors current costume.
Personally I do kinda like but... but... to get all Kremlinology there's a slight worry it's all a bit '80s sat morning kids telly presenter' and 'wacky' and that has me worrying the character is going to go in that direction. But hey, it's only a kids' show.
The new Tardis looks proper mind, none of your odd coloured windows and properly battered and harking back to the 70s.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:30 AM on November 12, 2017 [9 favorites]
Peter Davison , the Fifth Doctor, FTW. /me drops microphone
posted by mikelieman at 3:30 AM on November 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by mikelieman at 3:30 AM on November 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
It sad for the cosplayers about the braces. They're not always great with boobs, so you go over, do you go round, either way they become very booby if you've got some. Ms Whittaker looks quite slight in this photo.
posted by Iteki at 3:44 AM on November 12, 2017 [8 favorites]
posted by Iteki at 3:44 AM on November 12, 2017 [8 favorites]
I just like that she's a she! can't wait to see her in action
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 3:55 AM on November 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 3:55 AM on November 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
yes, effugas, those are almost Wesley stripes... alert the Wheaton!!!
He already knows. half of Twitter pointed it out to him 2 days ago.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:15 AM on November 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
He already knows. half of Twitter pointed it out to him 2 days ago.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:15 AM on November 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
He already knows. half of Twitter pointed it out to him 2 days ago.
Oh, Wheaton knew before that.
For my part, while I like the coat and the earring, the whole ensemble gives me pause. Where the best outfits for the Doctor look fundamentally thrown together - and moreover by an alien with debatable fashion sense and an overly broad frame of reference - this looks styled. The past Doctors' garb always had a cosmic jumble–sale quality to them (even a dandy like the Third's looked like it was hastily nicked from Adam Adamant's wardrobe). There's nothing off the rack or second hand about the Thirteenth's, however. It's like a fashion magazine's idea of what next season's "eccentric" would be. Something seems off about this as a characterization, if one may be permitted to read into it.
What really gnaws at me, though, is the very fact that we're all discussing and debating the merits and minutiae of a costume when we know next to nothing about who's actually writing the programme. The rumors that Chibnall's putting together a writers' room remain rumors. Past writers Neil Cross, Phil Ford, Gareth Roberts, and Catherine Tregenna have all expressed their desire to work on the programme again, but there's no news that any of them have been signed up. And the old guard of Davies, Moffat, and Gatiss are clearly out. (Similarly, we have no confirmations about who'll be directing, apart from Jamie Childs for the premiere.) For a programme expected to begin filming early next year, that's not encouraging. For one that, in the end, lives and dies on the strength of its writing, that's bothersome.
Oh well, such is the expected fretful period of anxiety and ambivalence for Doctor Who fans that traditionally precedes a new actor in the role and a new showrunner/production team. Hopefully it will all work out for the best, and this time next year, it will seem strange that there ever was a debate.
posted by Doktor Zed at 4:55 AM on November 12, 2017 [5 favorites]
Oh, Wheaton knew before that.
For my part, while I like the coat and the earring, the whole ensemble gives me pause. Where the best outfits for the Doctor look fundamentally thrown together - and moreover by an alien with debatable fashion sense and an overly broad frame of reference - this looks styled. The past Doctors' garb always had a cosmic jumble–sale quality to them (even a dandy like the Third's looked like it was hastily nicked from Adam Adamant's wardrobe). There's nothing off the rack or second hand about the Thirteenth's, however. It's like a fashion magazine's idea of what next season's "eccentric" would be. Something seems off about this as a characterization, if one may be permitted to read into it.
What really gnaws at me, though, is the very fact that we're all discussing and debating the merits and minutiae of a costume when we know next to nothing about who's actually writing the programme. The rumors that Chibnall's putting together a writers' room remain rumors. Past writers Neil Cross, Phil Ford, Gareth Roberts, and Catherine Tregenna have all expressed their desire to work on the programme again, but there's no news that any of them have been signed up. And the old guard of Davies, Moffat, and Gatiss are clearly out. (Similarly, we have no confirmations about who'll be directing, apart from Jamie Childs for the premiere.) For a programme expected to begin filming early next year, that's not encouraging. For one that, in the end, lives and dies on the strength of its writing, that's bothersome.
Oh well, such is the expected fretful period of anxiety and ambivalence for Doctor Who fans that traditionally precedes a new actor in the role and a new showrunner/production team. Hopefully it will all work out for the best, and this time next year, it will seem strange that there ever was a debate.
posted by Doktor Zed at 4:55 AM on November 12, 2017 [5 favorites]
Tom & Lorenzo are suitably impressed:
hurf durf something to do with trouser length braces blundstones would have been a better choice of footwear grmbl
posted by Elizabeth the Thirteenth at 5:29 AM on November 12, 2017 [5 favorites]
no matter where the Doctor sits on the gender spectrum, they should always be portrayed as a brilliant, mercurial, occasionally dark, scientist/adventurer/professor with an outrageously strong, if highly idiosyncratic ethical code and a warped way of looking at the universe. In other words, at the Doctor’s heart, no matter who the Doctor is, he or she should always be a great, big nerd. You can make him or her a cool nerd or a sexy nerd or an old nerd, but the Doctor should always be just a little nerdy.I'm with them there, I suppose. There's a lot to like here (those colours! that coat!) and it's definitely in character, but there's nerdy and then there's Nerdy. This is a bit too kids' party entertainer/play school host and not enough explorer/scientist for my liking. She doesn't look like a grownup and it makes me worry for the characterisation. I'd hate to see the female Doctor infantilised.
hurf durf something to do with trouser length braces blundstones would have been a better choice of footwear grmbl
posted by Elizabeth the Thirteenth at 5:29 AM on November 12, 2017 [5 favorites]
> 0. War Doctor...
Thank you for indexing from zero.
posted by mystyk at 5:47 AM on November 12, 2017 [7 favorites]
Thank you for indexing from zero.
posted by mystyk at 5:47 AM on November 12, 2017 [7 favorites]
there's a slight worry it's all a bit '80s sat morning kids telly presenter' and 'wacky'
Slight...
posted by Doktor Zed at 6:02 AM on November 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
Slight...
posted by Doktor Zed at 6:02 AM on November 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
When Who first started the Doctor wore clothes, but always slightly off - a bit out of place - various frock coats and frilly shirts - a bit Victorian / a bit Edwardian.
I don't know about that - I remember reading about how finding the right costume for Patrick Troughton was an essential part of defining what his character was, and also the way that Jon Pertwee's frilliness sort of defined his action-hero-type doctor (pace Jason King without the moustache. There hasn't been a Doctor with facial hair, has there?). As with everything else he did, JNT took the costuming strategies that had always been there and pushed them towards the extreme, the off-putting, the potentially offensive. Though not, thankfully, the actually illegal.
posted by Grangousier at 6:11 AM on November 12, 2017
I don't know about that - I remember reading about how finding the right costume for Patrick Troughton was an essential part of defining what his character was, and also the way that Jon Pertwee's frilliness sort of defined his action-hero-type doctor (pace Jason King without the moustache. There hasn't been a Doctor with facial hair, has there?). As with everything else he did, JNT took the costuming strategies that had always been there and pushed them towards the extreme, the off-putting, the potentially offensive. Though not, thankfully, the actually illegal.
posted by Grangousier at 6:11 AM on November 12, 2017
I think when we fret we should remember that the reason you always need more than one woman character is that otherwise she has to carry the burden of representing all women, which is impossible. I see her as the *first* woman Doctor, not the only one.
posted by emjaybee at 7:16 AM on November 12, 2017 [14 favorites]
posted by emjaybee at 7:16 AM on November 12, 2017 [14 favorites]
My initial reaction was that she looked like an adult Punky Brewster, but taking another look, the costume isn't really that gaudy. All I could see were the suspenders -- excuse me, the braces -- and the rainbow, both of which on review are not really all that loud. (That's about as muted as rainbows get.) Plus, since this isn't the '80s and I imagine she'll actually change clothes, perhaps more than once in an episode, this photo is probably more of a mission statement than what she'll literally dress like most of the time. (I assume the Peter Davison coat will be around most of the time; I do like that.) As such, it implies 13 will be more fun than the Doctor has been in a while -- or at least that that's the intent now. The Matt Smith publicity photos made him look like he was playing the Sandman, which turned out not to be the case in actual practice. Once Jodie Whittaker has had the opportunity to inhabit the character a little, she may be something else entirely.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 7:30 AM on November 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by kittens for breakfast at 7:30 AM on November 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
All this talk of suspenders and gender fluidity has put me in mind of a Doctor Who/Rocky Horror crossover, and it is a good place to be.
posted by Devonian at 7:50 AM on November 12, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by Devonian at 7:50 AM on November 12, 2017 [4 favorites]
Should we immediately jump to saying that bright colors = exuberant personality? I'm obviously leaning toward this interpretation, particularly since we've had a run of Doctors who weren't exactly like sunny days sweeping the clouds away.
Six dressed as wildly exuberant as well, and we ended up with one of the most sort of brutal, dark Doctors of the era in retrospect. Sometime the woman betrays the clothes she wears. I can't help but think of the many roles of dark queens dressed beautifully, daintily even.
posted by smallerdemon at 7:57 AM on November 12, 2017
Six dressed as wildly exuberant as well, and we ended up with one of the most sort of brutal, dark Doctors of the era in retrospect. Sometime the woman betrays the clothes she wears. I can't help but think of the many roles of dark queens dressed beautifully, daintily even.
posted by smallerdemon at 7:57 AM on November 12, 2017
I gotta say, I hate it. I can't stop thinking of Mork from Ork and various children's entertainers on TV shows for 4-year-olds.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:24 AM on November 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:24 AM on November 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
Even as a forty-year fan of Who, at this point I have to wonder why the Doctor, who literally has multiple closets the size of a city block in the TARDIS, only ever seems to wear his or her Doctor uniform like a scout leader or flight attendant (see also: virtually every animated show ever). We can actually recognize a person by their face, for the most part.
It's not like the Doctor really needs the time-saving advantage of wearing the same outfit every day.
posted by sonascope at 8:36 AM on November 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
It's not like the Doctor really needs the time-saving advantage of wearing the same outfit every day.
posted by sonascope at 8:36 AM on November 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
Why is it that publicity photos like this are never pictures of people in real places anymore? It's all photoshop cut and paste, punch up the colors, then add a glare to pretend something is lit from the right direction. No art or spontaneity, just fakery and contrivance. Everything ends up looking the same.
posted by jabah at 8:40 AM on November 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by jabah at 8:40 AM on November 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
The more I look at those trousers, the more chic I see that they are. They are not my taste, at all, but very chic, indeed. Lovely coat--I wish to see it from the back.
posted by crush at 9:07 AM on November 12, 2017
posted by crush at 9:07 AM on November 12, 2017
Even as a forty-year fan of Who, at this point I have to wonder why the Doctor, who literally has multiple closets the size of a city block in the TARDIS, only ever seems to wear his or her Doctor uniform like a scout leader or flight attendant (see also: virtually every animated show ever).
I've assumed it's because the Doctor simply doesn't care. At the beginning of a cycle they find something comfy and then fill one of those closets with a few thousand copies of it. Sartorial problem solved, never worry about it again.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 9:08 AM on November 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
I've assumed it's because the Doctor simply doesn't care. At the beginning of a cycle they find something comfy and then fill one of those closets with a few thousand copies of it. Sartorial problem solved, never worry about it again.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 9:08 AM on November 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
It is a time honoured tradition in my house to be sceptical of new Doctors, to wince at their outfits, to cringe when they first try to do funny, and then somehow miss the transition after they’ve first stolen a scene with a stone cold monologue and demanded to be taken seriously and the nebulous middle time when the new Doctor has simply become the Doctor, and maybe even someone’s favourite, and the outfit has become a necessary hallmark, and if you rewatch the introductory episodes the jokes seem to land better upon review, and you’re worried whether the Doctor will quit and make a dash for Hollywood and leave you all set to initially dislike whoever replaces them all over again.
Rinse and repeat for another fifty years.
posted by Construction Concern at 9:12 AM on November 12, 2017 [12 favorites]
Rinse and repeat for another fifty years.
posted by Construction Concern at 9:12 AM on November 12, 2017 [12 favorites]
Basically I haven't had anything to shout at Chibnall about yet so I'm itching to have a go at it.
posted by Artw at 9:41 AM on November 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Artw at 9:41 AM on November 12, 2017 [3 favorites]
I'm torn. I don't like the outfit - jenfullmoon covered that pretty well, IMO - but I'm also *really excited* for a female Doctor and don't want to be the least bit negative. S'pose I will reserve judgment until I see her running around outwitting villains in it.
(I agree with the upthread sentiment that she should only be the first female Doctor, too. We need more than one!)
posted by mordax at 10:32 AM on November 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
(I agree with the upthread sentiment that she should only be the first female Doctor, too. We need more than one!)
posted by mordax at 10:32 AM on November 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
Why does what she's wearing in this picture matter so much? Do the various Doctors Who get just one outfit each that they have to stick to?
posted by pracowity at 10:49 AM on November 12, 2017
posted by pracowity at 10:49 AM on November 12, 2017
Do the various Doctors Who get just one outfit each that they have to stick to?
Yes, that is a tradition for the show. The fourth doctor mentioned in the article had just one major outfit change over seven years (from a brown coat and hat to a burgundy one). The fifth doctor wore the exact same outfit for three straight years (taking off the coat once in a while on desert planets).
I think the 13th doctor has a very good coat, but needs just one more accessory added to complete the look (Map case? Alien compass in a nice leather pouch?)
posted by JDC8 at 11:03 AM on November 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
Yes, that is a tradition for the show. The fourth doctor mentioned in the article had just one major outfit change over seven years (from a brown coat and hat to a burgundy one). The fifth doctor wore the exact same outfit for three straight years (taking off the coat once in a while on desert planets).
I think the 13th doctor has a very good coat, but needs just one more accessory added to complete the look (Map case? Alien compass in a nice leather pouch?)
posted by JDC8 at 11:03 AM on November 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
(Map case? Alien compass in a nice leather pouch?)
Thirty-seven pieces of flair.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 11:14 AM on November 12, 2017 [7 favorites]
Thirty-seven pieces of flair.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 11:14 AM on November 12, 2017 [7 favorites]
I have read all the links and all of the above comments but, when it really comes down to it, I just want some more Who.
I don't care what they're wearing (though to be honest - bowties yes, fez no), when it airs (so long as it's soon), where (so long as I can get it in Canada even if it has to fall off the back of a truck) or what so long (obviously) as it's Who.
Why?
Because I do.
Because it's the closest thing to an infinity adaptable superhero committed to making progress by making do.
Because it knows it's silly and, despite it, has managed to be clever and funny and heart wrenching - all because it know's it's silly.
Because it doesn't make me feel bad, or feel bad when I revise the portions I loved as a kid.
Because it's been a wellspring of hopeful optimism through a history of decades and everything we know about the new iteration thus far (including the wardrobe bits this post is actually about even though I don't care one whit about them) makes me hopeful for it's future too.
5 Ws, 5 whys, please please please air more than 5 episodes before going on hiatus. please and thank you.
posted by mce at 11:30 AM on November 12, 2017 [4 favorites]
I don't care what they're wearing (though to be honest - bowties yes, fez no), when it airs (so long as it's soon), where (so long as I can get it in Canada even if it has to fall off the back of a truck) or what so long (obviously) as it's Who.
Why?
Because I do.
Because it's the closest thing to an infinity adaptable superhero committed to making progress by making do.
Because it knows it's silly and, despite it, has managed to be clever and funny and heart wrenching - all because it know's it's silly.
Because it doesn't make me feel bad, or feel bad when I revise the portions I loved as a kid.
Because it's been a wellspring of hopeful optimism through a history of decades and everything we know about the new iteration thus far (including the wardrobe bits this post is actually about even though I don't care one whit about them) makes me hopeful for it's future too.
5 Ws, 5 whys, please please please air more than 5 episodes before going on hiatus. please and thank you.
posted by mce at 11:30 AM on November 12, 2017 [4 favorites]
Even as a forty-year fan of Who, at this point I have to wonder why the Doctor, who literally has multiple closets the size of a city block in the TARDIS, only ever seems to wear his or her Doctor uniform like a scout leader or flight attendant (see also: virtually every animated show ever).
Because the Doctor, as an iconic hero in the classic sense, needs to be instantly recognizable, the same way a man in a dinner jacket with a pistol stands for James Bond but another in a deerstalker with a meerschaum pipe represents Sherlock Holmes. Ideally, the character design should be readily identifiable merely by its silhouette (a guiding principle in animation, by the way).
Incidentally, Peter Capaldi hamstrung his interpretation of the Doctor by switching costume choices too soon and too drastically, to say nothing of growing out his hair to Third Doctor proportions. He may have wanted to express his character change, but going from Cosmic Stage Magician to Doctor Hoodie was a bridge too far.
posted by Doktor Zed at 12:02 PM on November 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
Because the Doctor, as an iconic hero in the classic sense, needs to be instantly recognizable, the same way a man in a dinner jacket with a pistol stands for James Bond but another in a deerstalker with a meerschaum pipe represents Sherlock Holmes. Ideally, the character design should be readily identifiable merely by its silhouette (a guiding principle in animation, by the way).
Incidentally, Peter Capaldi hamstrung his interpretation of the Doctor by switching costume choices too soon and too drastically, to say nothing of growing out his hair to Third Doctor proportions. He may have wanted to express his character change, but going from Cosmic Stage Magician to Doctor Hoodie was a bridge too far.
posted by Doktor Zed at 12:02 PM on November 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
I was just thinking of the rather dodgy outfit Sarah Jane Smith wore in Hand of Fear and a bit of googling show she had a different set of clothes for just about every story she was in. I don't know if there were any other companions who did that - I know some had costume changes but they were like once a season or there abouts (like Leela switching to a slightly more practical one)
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 4:10 PM on November 12, 2017
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 4:10 PM on November 12, 2017
The raincoat thing is fine. I can see a case for the rainbow banding her chest being a positive callout. (More obvious to me than the Mork thing.) The oversized bloomers that end mid-ankle? Not so much. She is The Doctor. The first time being a she. I'd like to imagine that, like Missy, The Doctor would dress to celebrate that. Joyful. Inspired. I'm not sure this is it.
That said, I'd rather be discussing actual episodes. Who can we bribe to get this show early?
(P.S. Bowties suck.)
posted by jojo and the benjamins at 4:33 PM on November 12, 2017
That said, I'd rather be discussing actual episodes. Who can we bribe to get this show early?
(P.S. Bowties suck.)
posted by jojo and the benjamins at 4:33 PM on November 12, 2017
Yeah....
* Highwater pants look good on no one--what are you, Urkel?
* High waisted pants, same...what are you, Urkel?
* Combined with suspenders (lemme guess, in England those are what Americans call garter belts?)...what are you, Urkel?
* Rainbow-ish shirt--probably wouldn't mind except combined with the rest = what are you, Mork?
I was hoping for a nice coat and stompy boots and something actionwear (probably regular pants) with a bit of feminine flair, but...nope.
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:49 PM on November 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
* Highwater pants look good on no one--what are you, Urkel?
* High waisted pants, same...what are you, Urkel?
* Combined with suspenders (lemme guess, in England those are what Americans call garter belts?)...what are you, Urkel?
* Rainbow-ish shirt--probably wouldn't mind except combined with the rest = what are you, Mork?
I was hoping for a nice coat and stompy boots and something actionwear (probably regular pants) with a bit of feminine flair, but...nope.
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:49 PM on November 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
Really, I'm just hoping that Doctor Who ends up being good again.
posted by tobascodagama at 7:05 PM on November 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by tobascodagama at 7:05 PM on November 12, 2017 [2 favorites]
It's nice to see the new doctor discussion pattern continuing as normal (moving on to complaints about the new outfit and "hoping the show ends up good again.") Happens every time.
posted by JDC8 at 7:57 PM on November 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by JDC8 at 7:57 PM on November 12, 2017 [1 favorite]
We need a poll on which is worse: 12's stupid sunglasses or 13's MC Hammer pants.
posted by jojo and the benjamins at 10:52 PM on November 12, 2017
posted by jojo and the benjamins at 10:52 PM on November 12, 2017
The part about boobs is an excellent point, there.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:07 PM on November 12, 2017
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:07 PM on November 12, 2017
I absolutely love it, and what brings the whole ensemble together is a very important accessory: Whitaker's smile. There's something about that expression that combines whimsy and a quiet confidence. The other glorious thing about the whole look is it seems like The Doctor has finally learned to live with themselves and their actions.
posted by DrAstroZoom at 7:59 AM on November 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by DrAstroZoom at 7:59 AM on November 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
The high waist on her leg-clothes (pants, trousers, culottes, breeches, etc. I am not going to try to pick the correct word here, knowing that in both American and British English, one uses one's pants to keep ones fanny from being exposed, but that is about the only similarity) keeps messing with how I perceive this Doctor. It shortens her torso, and makes me mentally do a double take in trying to put her ensemble together in my mind. It feels alien. It may just be that I don't travel in the correct circles for high waisted garments, but I am so unused to them that they weird me out. I don't see why all the focus is on the yellow elastic pieces holding up the leg-clothes (once again, not using a term one way or another here), I feel like they fit quite well with everything.
The rest of the outfit, however is great. I especially like the coat. And I think that with time, I will get used to the waist location on the leg-clothes. Until then, it serves as a useful reminder that the Doctor, no matter the body, is an alien to all us humans.
posted by Hactar at 9:57 AM on November 13, 2017 [2 favorites]
The rest of the outfit, however is great. I especially like the coat. And I think that with time, I will get used to the waist location on the leg-clothes. Until then, it serves as a useful reminder that the Doctor, no matter the body, is an alien to all us humans.
posted by Hactar at 9:57 AM on November 13, 2017 [2 favorites]
I like the culottes or whatever you want to call them. They look comfy and I don't see why they would present a problem when running.
posted by inconstant at 11:09 AM on November 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
I also don't understand how women wear braces because wouldn't they just constantly end up moved to either side of one's boobs?Not every woman has boobs of a size sufficient to make this a significant problem (or at all). And even if the straps do get pushed aside, it might be worth it anyway for the sake of dispensing with horrible pinchy waistbands that are always too tight when you're sitting or too loose when you're standing.
posted by inconstant at 11:09 AM on November 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
I think this outfit is great. I haven't watched Doctor Who since the 80s, but I am always interested in their uniforms.
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:24 PM on November 13, 2017
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:24 PM on November 13, 2017
In general, I'm going to withhold judgment on this until we see 13 in action. It might end up really working for me in context in a way that it isn't in the photo.
That being said, as someone who is trying to organize a group of friends to all cosplay as the Doctor together... *sigh*
Because I am the lady person in said group and therefore I will be trying to figure out how to deal with braces/suspenders over a large bust.
posted by JustKeepSwimming at 3:33 PM on November 13, 2017 [2 favorites]
That being said, as someone who is trying to organize a group of friends to all cosplay as the Doctor together... *sigh*
Because I am the lady person in said group and therefore I will be trying to figure out how to deal with braces/suspenders over a large bust.
posted by JustKeepSwimming at 3:33 PM on November 13, 2017 [2 favorites]
I don't mind this outfit -- it seems fine, so I guess you can put me down on Team Like -- but I also want to go on record as saying that I care far less what she wears than I do that she exists. Mostly, however, I care that she has actual Practical Pockets She Can Put Practical Shit In, as opposed to Traditional Lady Pockets.
Because I am the lady person in said group and therefore I will be trying to figure out how to deal with braces/suspenders over a large bust.
Yeah, no, that's bullshit and also misses the very point of the Doctor's gender fluidity. The braces are worn by a Doctor of brief endowment; you are not briefly endowed, and thus this is not a suitable Doctor to cosplay for you. Someone else can be this Doctor, and you can be the 7th Doctor perhaps. Or the 4th!
Many layers; much camouflage.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:23 PM on November 13, 2017 [4 favorites]
Because I am the lady person in said group and therefore I will be trying to figure out how to deal with braces/suspenders over a large bust.
Yeah, no, that's bullshit and also misses the very point of the Doctor's gender fluidity. The braces are worn by a Doctor of brief endowment; you are not briefly endowed, and thus this is not a suitable Doctor to cosplay for you. Someone else can be this Doctor, and you can be the 7th Doctor perhaps. Or the 4th!
Many layers; much camouflage.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:23 PM on November 13, 2017 [4 favorites]
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posted by leotrotsky at 8:19 PM on November 11, 2017 [5 favorites]