Doctor Who - Season 12 (1974)

'Robot'

Costume Design by James Acheson

It was Acheson who was responsible for inventing Tom Baker's look as the new Doctor; as Acheson himself described it to the fanzine In-Vision; 'It was more eccentric, not flamboyant. Pertwee was very flamboyant, but whereas Pertwee was much more the sartorial, frilly, velvety, greying Doctor Who, Baker was this much more manic, scarecrow-like, slightly more dangerous Doctor Who.'

One inspiration for Acheson's vision of the new Doctor came from the French painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, in particular his posters for Aristide Bruant's cabaret show. The bold red scarf and wide-brimmed hat influenced the look of Tom Baker's costume.

Of course, an amusing and oft-repeated detail about Baker's costume is how one of its most iconic elements - the scarf - came about by accident. Acheson had Begonia Pope, a knitter, make a scarf for him, but she accidentally used up all the wool Acheson gave her, resulting in a massively long scarf. Baker and the production team loved the scarf, and so it remained part of the costume.

The 'poet fedora' was bespoke-made by Royal Hatters of Herbert Johnson, who also made Patrick Macnee's bowler hats in The Avengers, and Harrison Ford's fedoras in the Indiana Jones films. I would imagine the shooting jacket, trousers and waistcoat were also custom-made items; in this this sketch by Acheson, one of his notes suggests that Begonia Pope knitted the waistcoat.

Costume Reuse note: There is a brief sequence where Baker sports costumes from the wardrobe stock; one of them is the King of Hearts costume from the 1971 film adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. The clown costume and Viking costume were also no doubt from other productions, but which ones?

I also suspect that the fascistic uniforms worn by Patricia Maynard as Miss Winters and her 'Scientific Reform Society' thugs were custom-made as well. Not only do the fabric and buttons on the differing uniforms match, but these don't resemble any real-world military or civilian uniform of the era.

'The Ark in Space'

Costume Design by Barbara Kidd

The crew of the 'Nerva' space station all sport white uniforms consisting of flared trousers and zip-up jackets. The jackets have a panel over the shoulders (a design trait Kidd was fond of in her futuristic costume designs) with coloured piping around the edges. The colour-coded uniforms were likely a nod to Star Trek.

'The Sontaran Experiment'

Costume Design by Barbara Kidd

The human astronauts wear zip-up jumpsuits with a cloth collar, indicating where a spacesuit helmet would go. Judging by one of the surviving jumpsuits, they were fabricated at the Morris Angel & Son costumiers.

Costume Reuse note: The Sontaran Styre's spacesuit costume is just a reuse of the Sontaran Linx costume made by James Acheson for 'The Time Warrior', albeit with a new collar and helmet.

'Genesis of the Daleks'

Costume Design by Barbara Kidd

This dystopian serial starts with an unnamed Time Lord sent to give the Doctor his mission, wearing an ominous high-collared black robe – apparently this costume design was inspired by the depiction of Death in The Seventh Seal.

Due to the setting, most of the cast are in uniforms with the Kaleds wearing buttonless black jackets and breeches; the design of the jackets feels slightly inspired by WWI Royal Flying Corps jackets, with a more sloping cut.

The rest of the Kaled Elite wear futuristic jackets with sloping zips and round collars; its very hard to see the zippers and collars thanks to the video quality and dark lighting. The rest of the costume components, such as the belts, riding breeches and jackboots, were no doubt bought.

At least two futuristic vinyl labcoats were made for Kaled Elite's scientists, as well as for Michael Wisher to wear as Davros; Davros' jacket seemingly goes down much longer like a smock, or possibly by a Howie-style surgical robe.

The opposing Thals meanwhile have green as their signature colour, but only the Thal leaders wear bespoke-made costumes consisting of smart wraparound green jackets (worn over turtleneck jumpers) and trousers.

I am fairly sure the radiation suits worn by the rocket silo guards were bespoke made - the shiny material doesn't match any real fire suit, and the shoulders are ribbed and cut to let the sleeves out.

The last of Kidd's costume duties went to making the tattered rags worn by the 'Muto' scavengers on Skaro's surface. All of the other Skaro performers wear a variety of bought utilitarian clothes; overalls, dungarees, dentist scrubs, fencing outfits (dyed green to match the dungarees), and military surplus.

'Revenge of the Cybermen'

Costume Design by Prue Handley

The costume budget of this serial went to the Cybermen and their enemies the Vogans. The Cyberment had not appeared since 1968's 'The Invasion', and the costumes were in no state to be reused. Costume designer Prue Handley also felt that the Cyberment costumes in 'The Invasion' were too obviously altered swimwear.

Handley instead had a set of futuristic zip-up jackets and flared trousers fabricated in a silvery-painted material, with the assorted 'hard parts', such as the helmet and chest unit, being made by sculptor Allister Bowtell.

To contrast with the Cybermen's silver costumes, the Vogan costumes utilized gold. Vogan noble Vorus (David Collings) sports the serials flashiest outfit – the Vogans are associated with gold and this motif is plainly demonstrated by his chain-mail like underclothes and symmetrical chest piece.

Costume Reuse note #1: Vorus' tunic was reworn by a bit-part performer in the Blake's 7 episode 'Warlord'.

Costume Reuse note #2: The 'Interplanetary Space Command' officers wear the beige 'Ike'-style jackets originally made by Christine Rawlins for the UNIT soldiers in 'Spearhead from Space'.

The soldiers under Vorus’ command wear similar outfits to him, minus the more ornate patterns, but still keeping up a pleasant symmetry.

The Chief Councillor of the Vogans, Tyrus (Kevin Stoney) is opposed to Vorus, and this opposition is also demonstrated in his own dress, which is much less officious or ornate as Vorus, instead essentially being a mesh gown adorned with golden pieces.

The guards loyal to Tyrus also are in similar golden gowns, but with belts and no added pieces, with their commander only distinguished by his belt having more 'gem' pieces stuck on.

Doctor Who - Season 10 (1972)

'The Three Doctors'

Costume Design by James Acheson

A blue woolen dress was designed and made by Acheson for Katy Manning to wear; according to Manning, it was knitted by the same person who created her woolen dress in 'The Time Monster' a year earlier. The rest of the costume was bought, the blue fur coat was from Biba.

The Time Lords appear again with new costumes consisting of black tunics with pointed collar plates and white vinyl cuffs. The elder Time Lords wear capes of a blue material (that looks suspiciously like curtain fabric) with wide shoulder boards also made of white vinyl.

The villain Omega (Stephen Thorne) was designed by Acheson as wearing a blue sparkly robe with metallic armor with a grimacing mask; the first of such designs Acheson would realize in his career in such films as Time Bandits, Brazil and Highlander.

The costume's 'hard parts' (ie the helmet, chestplate and wristguards) were made by freelance sculptor Allister Bowtell who Acheson often contracted (such as for the Mutt costumes in 'The Mutants' and the Master's zombie mask in 'The Deadly Assassin').

Costume Reuse note: The chestplate and wristguards were reused on an extra in the Blake's 7 episode 'Assassin'.

'Carnival of Monsters'

Costume Design by James Acheson

Achesone designed a new costume for Pertwee, consisting of a bottle-green velvet smoking jacket, worn with a new Inverness cape with orange silk lining its insides.

The alien entertainers Vorg (Leslie Dwyer) and Shirna (Cheryl Hall) both wear pastel-coloured outfits. Vorg wears a tailcoat made of a mottled blue-ish materical coated with colourful disks over the lapels, cuffs and pockets. Under the tailcoat is a zip-up pink and green waistcoat with golden lining and a shiny patterned shirt.

Shirna meanwhile is a multicoloured leotard of green and pink, with blue leggings and pink gloves; little ping-pong balls cover her costume.

Vorg and Shirna briefly wear silver-lined grey spacesuits with no helmets; as far as I know these did not appear in any earlier UK-filmed scifi productions, so most likely they were made by Acheson for this serial.

Costume Reuse note; One of the spacesuits was worn by an extra in the opening sequence of the later serial 'Resurrection of the Daleks'.

The bureaucrats of Inter Minor wear a uniform consisting of a top with quilted high collars and sleeves, worn over spandex trousers with white lining; an armor chestplate and wristguards complete the costume.

The immigration control chairman is distinguished by this chestplate having more lines (in a similar manner to the uniforms Acheson had previously designed for 'The Mutants' and 'The Three Doctors') and a grey robe of a quilted material.

Costume Reuse note: The robe was reused in the later serial 'Meglos', as well as very briefly on an extra in 'Dragonfire'.

The ‘functionaries’ of Inter Minor wear uniforms consisting of a large foam piece covered in tubing; the sleeves and leggings also have tubing around the end.

'Frontier in Space'

Costume Design by Barbara Kidd

Kidd's costume designs for this serial took inspiration from the visuals of space opera fare such as Dan Dare, Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers; the women's dresses all have wide collars, with Vera Fusek wearing an orange dress with a short cape as the Earth's president.

Fusek later wears a less cliched, and in my opinion more elegant, pale blue dress with glittery lining around the collar; it is worn with a cape of the same material, with lining on the shoulders.

The men wear similarly space age costumes; a green tunic with a shiny chest panel and collar was designed for Michael Hawkins as General Williams. A futuristic helmet and shoulder pads were also made, evoking futuristic armor.

Costume Reuse note; The various extras playing Earth soldiers wear fencing uniforms that have been dyed blue or green, with padded 'armor' shoulder pads, wristguards and ankle guards worn over them. The spacesuits are racing jumpsuits worn with the same wristguards/ankleguards and spacesuit helmets reused from Pathfinders to Mars. The penal colony uniforms are karate gis dyed blue.

A similar jacket was designed for Roger Delgado to wear as the Master impersonating a police commissioner; this jacket is of a darker and shinier material, but with a similarly raised collar.

Kidd also designed the costumes of the Draconians, their costumes taking inspiration from Japanese garb as well as their reptilian basis in the script; the Draconian nobles' robes are green with belts, curved threading on the chest, and larg shoulder pads painted to have an organic, scale-like texture.

Costume Reuse note: One of the Draconian costumes was reused on an extra in 'Destiny of the Daleks' a few years later.

The Draconian emperor wears a similar robe made of a shiny fabric of a deeper green colour, with larger and more pointed shoulder pads; he also wears a larger, golden sash held by green and blue straps.

The Draconian soldiers wear robes of a looser cut, with their shoulder pads brounded downwards.

'Planet of the Daleks'

Costume Design by Hazel Pethig

Pethig designed an entirely new costume for Pertwee's Doctor to wear; this new suit was constructed by Anthony J. Hewitt, a Savile Row tailor. Unlike Pertwee's other costumes, this jacket was double-breasted.

Hewitt with the 'Planet of the Daleks' suit.

Several tan spacesuits were made for the Thal soldiers, with tubed material around the shoulders and cuffs. These were made for the production, not reused from any earlier ones.

Costume Reuse note: One of the Pathfinders to Mars helmets, painted white, is worn with one of the suits briefly. One of the spacesuits was reused in the serial 'The Android Invasion' a few years later.

'The Green Death'

Costume Design by Barbara Kidd

Kidd designed another velvet smoking jacket for Pertwee to wear in this serial; the new jacket is black in colour, with red lining around the lapels.

Note: Any information about the bespoke-made contemporary costumes made for Katy Manning is sourced from Doctor Who Magazine Special 52: Costume Design Special Issue.