Gallifrey One - Matt Smith Frock Coat photo shoot

You might have noticed that on the Thursday meet and greet at Gallifrey One I debuted my new Matt Smith series seven costume.


It was all a bit last minute - I didn’t start work on the frock coat until the 1st of February, less than two weeks before I flew out - and the velvet waistcoat was thrown together on the Tuesday  Tuesday before, the day before I set out!

I’m pretty darn pleased with the frock coat.
Leaving it this late did mean I got a lot of the subtle details nailed which some others might have missed or got wrong.

One thing in particular I did spot was the bizarre configuration of buttons and buttonholes down the front.

Firstly there are NO buttons! 

However, there are a dozen buttonholes - three in each lapel and three on either side around the middle.

The lowest of these is unusually above the waistline seam.

They don’t show up in most photos, but if you look very closely there is a shot in the latest trailer where the lighting picks them out (see left).

This arrangement of holes reminds me very much of the frock coats worn by Tom Baker during his era.

While at Gallifrey, I had the chance of a decent photo shoot courtesy of Scott Sebring, who kindly offers his professional services to the cosplayers free of charge!

Here is my costume in all its glory. Thanks Scott!

Photo © Scott Sebring

Tweeds are out - Frock Coats are IN!

Just to affirm the changes to the Eleventh Doctor’s wardrobe, some new spin-off novels are being published - and the covers relict the changes to Matt’s costume.

The Dalek Generation

This gives a sneak view of the inside of the frock coat, and you can see the silk velvet waistcoat quite nicely.

Shroud of Sorrow

This just give a side view of the coat, but you can get a better idea of the cashmere fabric the cost is made from, which is cool.

Plague of the Cybermen

Finally the Frock Coat is ditched, and we see the waistcoat and maybe a better view of the fabric the new shirt is made from.

As I hope you can see it is similar, but not the same as the Utah shirt from series six.

Matt Smith’s NEW boots!

As you will have just seen, I have debuted my latest Matt Smith Costume at Gallifey One. I pulled it together over the past few weeks, and with barely a day to spare I collected my latest boots from the boot makers to Matt Smith.

The boots are truly beyond stunning.

They are made from two colours, a dark brown and a purple to compliment the new Cashmere Frock Coat.

To top that they are covered in hundreds of hand punched detailing at every twist and turn of the leather.

When I collected my boots, I went to their workshop where all the boots for some amazing film and tv work are done.
Recently they worked on Les Miserables, Lincoln and The Dark Knight as well as the latest Thor movie.

Having just finished the boots they still had the card pattern lying around, so I was able to get an insight into how shoes are designed and cut.

The boots are then made around a foot shape, known as a “last”. I have had several boots made for me now, but when it can to making these they could not lay their hands on my last.

Quick thinking, they realised my feet are pretty much the same size as Matt’s, so they used Matt Smith’s actual last to my my boots!!!!

This also meant the pattern didn’t need to be graded up or down, so what I have are preciely the same as Matt’s in every regard.

How cool is that??!

If you look very closely you’ll see the lasts are labelled WHO rather than Matt’s name as his casting was top secret.

The boots have one very last secret to give up, which I’ll show you properly very soon. It’s such a subtle and clever touch - and so cool when you hear what it is!

Gallifrey One - Lobby Con

So I’ve touched down back in LA to attending this years Gallifrey One convention.
This is the third year I have come, and have been greatly looking forward to catching up with everyone and show off a few costumes I have been working on, so of them in secret . . .

The day before the convention kicks off has a evening gathering in the lobby of the hotel, affectionately called Lobby Con.
It generally carries on throughout the weekend, but most people are downstairs in the ballroom area where the main events are taking place.

I quickly spotted a client of mine, who as been the first to take delivery of a Ultimate Six Frock Coat.
He was proudly wearing it a gaining a lot of attention and questions about what it was. Many had seen my work on it, so this was their first chance to see it for real.

It wasn’t long before the lobby was buzzing with cosplayers and those casually dressed.

The last thing I wanted to do was turn up at the party wearing the same dress! Besides, I didn’t want to take any limelight from my client who was enjoying the attention he was getting (and rightly so).
Time I thought to premiere a NEW costume I made this month which I have been keeping under wraps - my Matt Smith Series Seven Cashmere Frock Coat.

I have been prepping this for a little while now, collecting reference images to make sure I cut it just right, as well as gathering the accessories to make it complete. These include a burgundy velvet waistcoat with a laid-in collar; a bronze fob chain with a hanging penny; the G-Star RAW jeans I have from my series six costume as well as just a place-holder bow tie for now; but to top it off , the day before I left London I collected my brand new hand-made boots.

The costume had a mix of reactions, mainly because not everyone is familiar yet with the latest incarnation of matt’s costume, so they assumed it was either my own improvised future Doctor’s clothes; some wondered if it was The Next Doctor; or seeing the waistcoat, thought it was from the latest Christmas Special.

But the consensus of opinion was it looked GREAT!

Check back real soon and I’ll give you an exclusive glimpse inside the boot makers and give you a great preview of Matt’s new footwear.

The Infinite Quest

Have you ever wondered how I create the patterns I use for my costumes?
Ever been curious as to how I source my fabrics and materials?
How about how I tailor my coats so they look sharp and professional?

Well, if you are attending Gallifrey One in just over a week you can find out!

As part of the cosplay track over the convention, a variety of discussion panels and presentations are taking place covering all aspects and ability levels of costume making are scheduled.
From the basic Cosplay 101 for beginners; through special panels on dressing as The Doctor and his companions; as well as how to build monsters and aliens from the shows 50 year history.

I've sat in on a couple of these panels over the two years I have been going, and last year I unintentionally dominated a panel while talking about The Ultimate Tennant Suit. Luckily my fellow panelists were totally okay with how things went as everyone in the room, them included, were captivated by my talk.

So this year I have been given a dedicated solo panel to discuss taking costume making to the next level.

My plans are to talk extensively about the Ultimate Six Frock Coat, the Tom Baker Frock Coat I made last year, as well as a few surprises along the way.
I will show the earliest cosplay project I ever made (which I still have) and tell of the path that has lead me to where I am now.
I shall explain the ethos of the work I do and the vintage sources I use for the patterns that make the coats I am known for.

I do hope that if you are at Gallifrey One this year you will come along and hear what I have to say and see close up the costumes I shall have with me to illustrate my talk.

Oh, and there will be free Jammie Dodgers......

THE INFINITE QUEST

3pm Saturday 16th Feb 2013

All welcome

A Meeting Of Doctors - on OFFICIAL BBC tumblr page!

Do you remember last year I did a big photoshoot in Cardiff with Kevin Coppa and Matt Elliott, my Tenth and Eleventh Doctor look-a-likes?

We had a great time and took some fun shots around the Cardiff locations.

Our best shoot was in Eddies Diner, the location for The Impossible Astronaut.

We even got mistaken for the REAL Doctor Who crew and caused some online speculation of a return to scenes from previous episodes!

Anyway, Matt dropped me an email this week (that’s Matt Elliott, not Smith) to tell me one of our photos had been picked up by the Official BBC Doctor Who Tumblr page, and it had been liked, shared and reposted almost 19,000 times!

I had to check it out, and it’s true - WOW.

Doctor Who Official on Tumblr:
Best cosplay ever?

New TARDIS interior!

Oh, I can see you’ve doing the TARDIS up a bit.    I don’t like it.

Second Doctor, The Three Doctors

Sorry, from these pictures I am not mad keen.

eBay Layer Boots

Just to show these things do happen, a friend of mine spotted a pair of genuine All Saints Layer Boots on eBay!

However, after the listing be online for a few days it was suddenly closed with a Buy It Now.
me thinks someone did an off-eBay deal. I wonder who? (clue - it wasn’t me)

All Saints Layer Boot UK Size 9, EU 43

This is an amazing pair of used All Saints boots in a size 9, I love these shoes. They work well with any outfit, you can wear it with just about anything, casual or smart and it looks great! It's also in very good condition as I bought 2 at the time and rotated between them. There is evidence of general wear and tear, and the inside heel is beginning to peel off on either foot (see picture), very few scratches here and there. In other words, you'll have to be looking really hard to notice any scruffs; the leather has been well looked after with frequent polishing. I also have a half insole in, for extra comfort and support against long hours of wear.

All Saints retailed this at £165. I am starting the auction at 99p, so no matter how you slice this, you're starring at a great bargain. Good luck to all interested and any questions are more than welcomed.

A Christmas costume of delights

So, the Ponds have gone - and so it seems is any form of style The Doctor had in his wardrobe!

Matt started out in season five with a slightly make-shift costume, cobbled together in haste. This was refined in series six with a more tailored interpretation of his tweed and jeans look.

But all that has well and truly gone out of the window come The Snowmen, this years Christmas special.

There were a number of fan-taken location photos floating around the net, but we now have the first of the official publicity pictures show The Doctors new look.

Here’s a little mini breakdown with my first impressions of the costume, and how it seems to be a nod to a lot of previous Doctors from times gone past.

Bonhams auction - 12th December 2012

It’s nearly December, and that means yet another Bonhams Entertainment Memorabilia sale.

As usual Doctor Who gets a look in, with a range of eras represented, including a stunningly colourful poster for the second Peter Cushing Dalek film, Daleks Invasion Earth 2150AD.

But the main items on offer cover the now finished spin-off series, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. Since both these series had the bulk of their runs alongside the Tennant era, I have listed them in my Coat blog.

Here are the only items relating to the Matt Smith era, one of which is from his guest appearance on The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Bonhams sale 1793
(12th December 2012)
Entertainment Memorabilia

Lot 143
Third Doctor (1970-1974)

Lot 144
Fourth Doctor (1975-1980)

Lot 145
Sixth Doctor (1984-1986)

Lots 146 - 147
Seventh Doctor (1987-1989)

Lots 150 - 163
Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures

Lot 118
Daleks Invasion Earth 2150, British Lion Films, 1966, British ABC Cinema quad poster, with overlaid snipe for 'Indian Paint', 30 x 40 inches (76x102cm)
Estimate: £500 - 700
Sold for £625

Lot 148
Doctor Who - A Chrismas Carol, December 2010: A foam latex model of a shark, to scale, overpainted, on wood and metal stand, accompanied by another fin, the shark - 104 x 60 inches (360x152cm)

Estimate: £1,000 - 1,500
Sold for £875

Footnotes
The episode features Matt Smith as the Doctor with Michael Gambon and Katherine Jenkins in supporting roles. The 'Christmas Carol' inspired story has a shark as a major feature of the plot.

Lot 161
The Sarah Jane Adventures, Series 4 - Death of the Doctor: A Shansheeth part costume, 2010, comprising: a full length long-sleeved purple velvet robe with Velco to back; purple plush velvet cape and sleeves, with further velvet collar, boot covers together with large black net petticoat, labelled 'Paul' and undergarments with original BBC stock numbers
Estimate: £250 - 300
Sold for £687

Footnotes
'Death of the Doctor' is one of only two episode of the SJA to feature Matt Smith as the Doctor. The Shansheeth are a species of Vulture type creatures.

Easter Island statues - but no bow ties

Not strictly costume related - but I thought it would make you smile.

I was out and about and visited a local garden centre.

Wandering through the garden stoneware area I noticed that Easter Island heads seemed to be the in thing this year!

There were concrete ones in buff, cream and grey, as well as ceramic glazed ones in blue and black.

But that wasn’t all - indoors was another alternative, this time in dark grey simulated slate.

Now it makes me think of Matt Smith!

The connection was referred to in The Impossible Astronaut, when The Doctor and River Song are syncing diaries. They mention Easter Island, alluding to the visual resemblance between Matt Smith and the famous statues.

But the connection had been made quite a while before, when tv critic Charlie Brooker made the following observation.

“The TARDIS has been whirling charmingly in space since the pre-Nando’s era, and in that time it’s housed 11 Doctors: Silver-haired grandpa William Hartnell; flute-playing hobo Patrick Troughton; dandy Worzel Gummidge-in-Waiting Jon Pertwee; eccentric boggle-eyed mop Tom Baker; Peter Davison, the troubled-looking Timotay Doctor; Colin Baker, a permed and spiky weirdo; kooky walking tour guide Sylvester McCoy; tousle-haired motorbiking action hero Paul McGann; crop-haired and intense Christopher Eccleston; national crush David Tennant; and the new guy, Matt Smith, who looks a bit like a friendly Easter Island statue in a bowtie.”

Charlie Brooker

Costume Station Zero - High Council of Tweed

My good friend Bob Mitsch in the US has released the latest episode of his Costume Station Zero podcast!

EPISODE 11

25th October 2012

Ewan Anderson joins Bob to talk about conventions, glories, mishaps and dive into the 11th Doctor’s Costume as seen in Series 5.

Episode 11 - The High Council Of Tweed

London Calling!

Now I don’t normally write about the day to day filming of Doctor Who - I prefer to keep things as spoiler free on my blog as possible - but this week saw a day’s work in the capital for the travelling Time Lord and his new companion.

This is a first for the Matt Smith era. Since Steven Moffat took over everything has been shot down in Cardiff or the surrounding area, unlike during Russell T Davies time in charge, when trips to London for Rose Tyler’s housing estate, or to use The Globe Theatre were a regular highlight of a season.

In fact the recent series seven episode The Power Of Three - correct me if I’m wrong - was the first story to have scenes set in London, though a Welsh castle stood in for the Tower Of London.

But finally, after two and a half series - the TARDIS has landed!

Look away now if you don’t want to see what's been going on.

Costume Station Zero - Monster chat!

My good friend Bob Mitsch in the US has released the latest episode of his Costume Station Zero podcast!

This time it has a MONSTER flavour!

EPISODE 6

9th & 11th October 2012

Mette Hedin and Bryan Little join Bob to talk Doctor Who monster making including the Vashta Nerada, Silurians, Sutekh the Destroyer and Ood.
You can see some of their costumes in a masquerade skit from 2009 called Timelord Retirement Club.

Episode 6 - Monster Masque (part 1)

Episode 6 - Monster masque (part 2)

Mini Doctors on eBay

I’ve had a number of emails lately from parents looking for Matt Smith costumes for their children.
Working as a bespoke tailor it isn’t possible for me to make such clothes cheaply. After all a child’s jacket still has two sleeves, a collar and lapels as well as the necessary pockets and detailing.

As an answer I have always pointed them to eBay in search of bargains.

Just to show what can be found, here are half a dozen items currently available, or recently closed.

This shows the price range of options available, so keep searching – they are out there.

The first of these is actually an officially licensed dressing up outfit from UK clothes retailer, Marks & Spencer.

Boys fab DR WHO fancy dress outfit
from M&S age 5-6yrs