Doctor Who - Season 25 (1988)

(Note: I excluded 'Remembrance of the Daleks' as all the costumes were hired vintage clothing or military surplus, and thus no costumes were actually designed and made for that serial)

'The Happiness Patrol'

Costume Design by Richard Croft

Croft designed a double-breasted jacket and skirt made of crushed red velvet for Sheila Hancock as the dictator Helen A, the outfit complimented by the gaudy wig and makeup. The double-breasted jacket gave an authoritarian nature, befitting the character's role.

Croft also designed a set of wide-sleeved, loosely cut jackets, with lighter coloured rings of fabric around the waist (that were obscured by the belts worn with the jackets).

In-Vision incorrectly (as usual!) states that they were bought, but this auction listing for one of the jackets proves that they were made by the costumier Derek West.

(The various men's uniforms, however, were chef's jackets and trousers dyed pink with some fabric applied for their letter designations)

For the rat-like 'Pipe People, Croft designed and made a set of hooded gowns made up of a quilt of different fabrics in white, black and grey, with belts of coloured fabric.

'Silver Nemesis'

Costume Design by Richard Croft

While the serial had several characters from the Jacobean era, I feel the only period costume Croft designed and made from scratch was the silvery dress worn by Fiona Tucker as the Nemesis statue.

According to Mike Tucker in an interview with the WhoSFX blog, the dress was coated in Front Axial Projection material that would reflect any light shone on it.

I don't know about Fiona Walker's main costume as Lady Peinforte - while perhaps the black fabric jerkin was made for her, I suspect the rest of the costume's components was period wardrobe hire, as it does not match the Nemesis statue costume exactly.

Costume Reuse Note: The costume worn by Gerard Murphy as Richard was indeed a wardrobe hire, as it had first appeared in the 1983 historical drama series By The Sword Divided. Interestingly, Richard Croft was also costume designer on that series!

Croft also designed and made a set of Cybermen jumpsuits, as the ones originally made for 'Earthshock' years earlier were not fit to be reused anymore. The new jumpsuits were fastened by a zipper, and had wires attached to the cuffs and ankles to give a more futuristic element.

The helmets and chestplates were yet again made by Richard Gregory, as discussed by Mike Tucker in the previously linked WhoSFX interview.

(In-Vision's issue on the serial claims that the silver Cybermen jumpsuits were minimally altered WWII g-suits, despite that a sketch of the suit is right next to it! Yet it says Gerard Murphy's costume and Anton Diffring's uniform were custom-made? Did In-Vision *ever* get it right?)

'The Greatest Show in the Galaxy'

Costume Design by Rosalind Ebbutt

Many circus costumes were designed and made for serial by Rosalind Ebbutt, with the first being the tailcoat, waistcoat and trousers worn by Ricco Ross as the Ringmaster. Ebbutt showed me a sketch she had done for the character, with fabric swatches, confirming the costume was designed and made for Ross.

Ebbutt also designed and made a silvery clown costume for Ian Reddington to wear as the Chief Clown, with his costume made out of a shimmering metallic grey fabric.

Ebbutt also designed and made several clown costumes for the extras playing the Chief Clown's robotic minions, with her sketches published in In-Vision's issue for the serial (for once, it is actually useful about Doctor Who's costuming!)

Ebbutt designed and made the clown costumes in several styles. Four clown costumes were made as patterned one-piece garments, with some having strips of translucent material over them.

Two clown costumes were made in a wide-shouldered suit and trousers style, made of shiny patterned fabrics.

Three clown costumes were made in a waistcoat and tailcoat fashion, with a set of overtly long trousers made for the performer who would walk on stilts.

The last two clown costumes were made in a baggy shirt and pants style, both of them with comically oversized ties. Again, all the clown costumes included in this article match the design drawings Ebbutt did for the clown costumes.

Costume Reuse Note: While there was other clown costumes briefly glimpsed in the serial, these can be assumed to wardrobe hires, according to Ebbutt herself. Any clown costumes that aren't included in this article were the ones I suspect of being wardrobe hires.

For the rest of the serial's guest cast, they were all in wardrobe hires or bought clothes. However, Ebbutt made the futuristic jacket worn by Daniel Peacock as the futuristic biker Nord. The jacket was worn with a helmet modified by a propmaker to have bat ears.

The outfit also worn by Jessica Martin as Mags was also designed by Ebbutt with a look inspired by punk fashions, with a tattered vest and makeshift belt made up of strips of fabric, as well as strips of fabric over a top. The pattern evokes the fur of predatory animals, indicating the character's bestial nature.

(In-Vision claims that the sweater worn by Gian Sammarco as Whizzkid was knitted by Ebbutt, when more than likely it was a wardrobe hire. In-Vision...I give up.)