Dino's Costumes

[galacticprobe]

I know it's been a while since I've had anything to add to this (and I hope my wife doesn't kill me for it), but I recently came across some old photos of my wife and I at one of our first SF Conventions (our second one, I think - Atlanticon II, Virginia Beach, VA, early 1984). My wife made a Leela costume from a modified swimsuit pattern. She also threw a 4th Doctor scarf together for me - based on magazine photos - while I was underway on my buoy tender. I know the photos aren't the best, but they are over 28 years old now.


Leela, complete with (real) knife in the sheath. The brown body bit and the blue waist skirt are two separate pieces. (And no: my wife didn't want to take a photo of the back of the costume with her in it!) The necklace she found in a generic "K-mart"-type store. The knife and sheath I'd had for ages, so she just made a covering for the sheath to make it match the costume and sewed a loop in the cover so she could slip it over the skirt belt. The sheath had a loop in it that went over the knife to hold it in.


Leela and the 4th Doctor. It's as light as I could get the photo without it starting to wash out. I am wearing a Tom Baker-ish hat even though you can't see it. (On the plus side the darkness of the background does help - a little - hide my military hair cut.) And the dark areas of the scarf are really brown. My wife also made the waistcoat I'm wearing, which I've sadly far outgrown (I was only 110 pounds back then!) But at least you can see a little more detail in my wife's Leela costume. The atmosphere at the Con was getting rather warm at the time so I had taken my red corduroy jacket off; between the scarf and the jacket I was starting to sweat various bits of my anatomy off!

I'll update this again once I get more bits together. (And please, no comments on how ugly I am; I already know! )

Dino.

[galacticprobe]

Okay... this one is long overdue, but I finally have something to update. Timegate 2013, Atlanta, Georgia:

         2nd Doctor, Patrick Troughton (Reference photo)                                 2nd Doctor, me, at Timegate 2013 (not the sharpest pic by any means,
                                                                                                           but at least you can see there is a resemblance)

That "recorder" pose seemed to be everyone's favorite. As soon as I touched the mouthpiece to my lips people came out of the woodwork to snap photos. (Too bad The Evil One's camera was feeling a bit off for that photo above. She couldn't figure out why the photo kept coming out blurry. I finally had to settle for this one because my face was starting to cramp from that pose!) It's The Evil One's recorder because she's mislaid mine, which had green tassels tied to the end.

And before anyone comments on it: YES! I did shave off the beard and mustache! The wife said if I was going as far as getting the wig to look as much like the 2nd Doctor as I could, I might as well - as she put it - "go the full Monty and shave it all off!" So I did. And looking back at it now, as usual, she was right. (It's all grown back in now, and as you'll notice the mustache and beard definitely help hide the ugly!


Ah... I see someone's been doing the TARDIS up a bit... again. I don't like it.

A little better photo, though it doesn't show the detail in the trousers. Starting from the top...
The hair is a "Beatles Wig" (the search used on Amazon). There were hundreds of hits for that search, but one of them that showed someone wearing a "Beatles style wig" (looking a bit like John Lennon, complete with round framed, yellow-lens eyeglasses) seemed to come the closest to Troughton's look, so we went for that one. The wig was quite, erm, full?... but after the wife did some artful trimming of it, well, you can see the results.

For the shirt I went for "The Three Doctors" look: blue shirt (again see above reference photo). It was one of my shirts I used for my 1860s living history civilian shipwright impression. My seamstress friend made it for me. It has a good color match, and the large floppy collar. (Under the coat are classic, Victorian puffy sleeves, but since Troughton never took his coat off in "The Three Doctors", I figured that didn't matter.) Slightly turning up the collar at the back, leaving the top button open and using the safety pin from the bow tie to hold the collar closed, you get a good 2nd Doctor look to that large collar.

Which brings me to the tie. The Evil One actually made the bow tie I'm wearing. The wife found a nice navy blue with white polka dots cotton fabric and bought some. Then after a serious Google Images search for "Patrick Troughton Doctor Who" we finally found a photo from "The Three Doctors" where we were actually able to count the dots on the tie: for the "bow" part there are three rows of dots with three dots, staggered, in each row, and four dots in the pattern of a diamond in the center "hub" where the "tied" piece is. That's what The Evil One used to make her pattern for the tie. She did all the cutting and sewing for the tie; I had the hard part of turning that narrow tube she sewed for each part of the tie right side out. There are two for the tie itself giving it a front and back part, and one for that center "hub" that holds the tie together. Once she had the tie finished, I pushed a safety pin though the center piece (since it was just a loop around the main pieces of the tie) and that put the finishing touch on the bow tie. This tie pattern seems to be very close to how Troughton's tie looked in his later stories, and even in "The Five Doctors". (His tie looked to get a bit floppier in "The Two Doctors", and slightly droopy in "The Five Doctors", but the polka dot pattern looks the same.) To pin the tie in place the wife pushed the pin through the shirt near the top button, and then just ran the pin through the buttonhole to fasten it. The safety pin was the standard kind about two inches long (not a diaper pin with a white plastic fastener, which Troughton wore in "The Three Doctors" - that was very hard to find). But since that was the only time he wore a diaper pin with his tie I could easily live with a regular safety pin.

(A close-up of the bow tie so you can get a better idea of how it turned out. Again, a bit blurry, but there are two layers to the "bow" part that you can still make out on the right side of the photo. The left side is pretty clear as far as counting the dots goes. And then there's that "diamond" pattern of the dots on the tie's hub. If I can get a better photo of the tie I'll update it.)

The trousers I wore are actually my 1st Doctor tan-with-houndstooth check pattern, because I've sadly outgrown my white with large black houndstooth trousers. (I'm working on getting The Evil One to let them out enough for my expanding waistline to get into. Yeah, I know I look "svelte" enough, but when I bought my 2nd Doctor trousers I was a 33-inch waist; now I'm a 36. That just doesn't fit no matter how you squeeze!) The trousers are high-waisted (seriously high-waisted; the top of that waistband was almost at my sternum!) with side slit pockets - which need to be made deeper - and have no belt loops. And at the moment they have no buttons for braces; I need to replace them. (All versions of the trousers were found at second-hand shops for about $1.99 each! Though, not all found at the same time.)

(A better shot of the trousers' detail. Notice the small button on the bandanna in this one; more on that in a few.)

My braces are clip-on, black, generic suspender-type. I have red ones - someplace - in the house, but as hard as we looked, we just couldn't find them. This, I found to be a real bummer because The Evil One had enough yellow felt to make the flower, moon, etc., shapes on Troughton's braces. Though, for "The Three Doctors", he actually wore white or slightly off-white braces with red shapes on them. Luckily, 99% of the time my coat hid the braces.

Socks: normal, white socks. The shoes were brown slip-ons (Faded Glory). Troughton wore brown Hushpuppies, sometimes lace-up, sometimes slip-on. (In "Spearheads From Space", when the newly-regenerated 3rd Doctor was obsessed with finding his shoes because the TARDIS key was hidden in one of them, the shoes he was apparently wearing in "The War Games" and when he regenerated were slip-on, seen clearly as the 3rd Doctor shook the key out of them.) So I went with easy brown slip-ons.

Now for the coat: This one was made from the pattern of a standard Victorian mourning frock coat. My seamstress friend made it for me, and purposely made it too large to give it that 2nd Doctor baggy look. She left the side seam open (where a small ticket pocket would be on a real mourning coat), and adding an extra outer layer of fabric successfully recreated that bulging pocket look. And those pockets are deep! My elbows enter those pockets before I'm anywhere near the bottoms! And to make the pocket bulge out even more I loaded them with anything I could think of, and that I had at hand: a large magnifying lens, a small, 1920s book about "The History of the Earth and the Universe" (how apt), a pen light for his sonic screwdriver, and of course the recorder - among other things I can't remember. (See first photo above for a good look at the pockets.) There are four buttons on the front of the coat, and currently three buttons on each cuff. At times Troughton had four buttons, at other times two; so I'm toying with taking one button from the left cuff and moving it to the right so the right cuff has four. This way I can cover both bases as in one publicity photo Troughton's right sleeve has four buttons, and in other publicity photos he's got only two on his left.

The coat's breast pocket is also quite deep and where I hid my "brainy specs" until I actually needed to see something clearly. The red bandanna is your standard red patterned bandanna. Troughton used several different colors (seen in color publicity photos), but I went with the red because that's what most people associate him with. (I invoked a little artistic license here; though my left arm is hiding it you can see it in the "Trousers' Detail" photo above. Remember that small button I had pinned to my bandanna? It's one a friend gave me that says "Bow Ties Are Cool", and has a burgundy bow tie on it. The 2nd Doctor: wearing a bow tie before bow ties were cool. )

And I think that's about it for my 2nd Doctor outfit. Now for the easy one:

                                         The 9th Doctor!

This one really was the easy one. The V-neck sweater/jumper is a Merona cotton jumper from good old Target. (I emphasize the cotton because those are the ones I bought, were less expensive than the same-look wool ones, and so far after numerous washings and dryer tumblings haven't shrunk at all. I bought one wool one back in 2008, I think, and it did shrink quite a bit after the first tumble in the dryer.) I managed to get all colors from there - though it took a few seasons as not all colors came out at the same time. The dark navy blue and black jumpers did come out at the same time, so I was able to pick them up together. The next year Target came out with a nice dark burgundy jumper. The year after that I snagged the purple one. The only jumper I'm missing is that odd green one with the seam down the front and the really odd neckband (see just how odd the neckband is in "Father's Day" when the Doctor is charging the cell phone battery while not wearing his jacket).

As for the jacket: I got it about five years ago from a place on line called Hollywood Jackets. I don't know if they're still around, but back then they had a sale and I got this for $99 US. It's not an exact replica, but it's close enough, especially when you remove that one button on the belt in the back. The jacket is taking forever to wear, and where it is wearing the underneath color is very pale grey, not brown, but a little rubbing with some brown shoe polish made short work of that. This is a cowhide jacket and it's a heavy thing!. It's hell to pick up, and while I don't notice the weight when I'm wearing it (weight distribution and all that), I can't help thinking that the added weight isn't all that good on my back. So, when the V. A. finally comes through with my retroactive disability I may get one of the lighter-weight lambskin jackets some places are offering.

The trousers are plain old black jeans, though any black, casual, flat front, non-creased-leg trousers would do nicely. And while you can't see the belt, it's just a plain black leather belt with a square, standard silver buckle (as close to the buckle seen in "Dalek" as I could find). And moving down further there are just plain black socks on my feet.

The boots are so close to what the 9th Doctor wore I'd go as far as saying they're a perfect match: same tread on the soles, same ankle height, same lace-up... they just don't have any name-brand label on them. I found those at Sears. When I got them a few years ago they were $35 US ($39 US if you wanted the steel-toe version, which is the ones I got - great for crowded Dealers' Rooms, and now that I've got problems with toe pain? Oh yeah, am I glad I did get those steel toes!). They've got great cushy insoles so they're great for walking, and the "snow tire" tread is thick enough that even in the snow it takes a long while for your feet to start feeling any chill.

Sonic Screwdriver: Standard CO version. I've got the extendable one with the sound, and for more accuracy in size (for the "Stitch Nazis" who want to see that when they were snapping photos) I've also got the non-extendable, soundless version that came with either The Journal of Impossible Things, or the Vortex Manipulator. (I carry both around with me: the larger extendable version in the inside pocket, and the non-extendable version in one of the side flap pockets. And yes, this is my favorite regular-wear outfit for most of the fall through spring seasons... I do change my jumper!)

Final note: I assembled both of these outfits while I was still on active duty and pulling a good pay check, so I had the money to play with. Still, it took a few years to get all of the pieces for each one, but looking out for bargains, such as in those second-hand shops, or those no-name Sears boots for over $100 less than name-brand, and of course the (average) $25 Target jumpers, makes it less painful no matter how you look at it.

And that covers two more of my Doctors' outfits. I'll update again when the opportunity presents itself.

Dino.

[DoctorWho8]

They look great, Dino!
Bill "the Doctor" Rudloff

[tony farrell]

Yes, it's a slightly more convincing look now that you've 'misplaced' the moustache!!!
T

[galacticprobe]

Thanks, Bill! That means a lot to me. (And probably also to my wife who styled the wig, and my friend who made the shirt and coat; and I know The Evil One is proud of the tie she made - she made sure my wife and I knew that! And she has every right to be. That's a killer Troughton bow tie!) I'm still on the lookout in second-hand shops for a really pale grey shirt so I can mail it to my friend, have her cut the sleeves to make it a 2nd Doctor era short sleeved shirt, and use the extra material from the sleeves to replace the collar. Then I can do more than just "The Three Doctors" look.
For my 9th Doctor I'm still trying to figure out that green jumper! I want that one so badly now that I can almost taste it!

And, Tony... yeah... I had thought about getting rid of the 'stache for my 11th Doctor at the Otakon (while I was still active duty, but on terminal leave awaiting retirement). But as I had the totally wrong hair for the 11th anyway, I asked the wife's opinion and she said not to bother with the 'stache since I didn't have the hair, and wouldn't look so much like Matt Smith without it. (I'm still looking around for a Matt Smith-ish wig. So far no luck. I might have to look for a "Jack Lord/Steve McGarrett" or "Elvis-ish" wig for that, and then let my wife have at it for the styling! She did a smashing job on my Troughton wig, if I do say so myself.)

I also still have to find a decent wig for my 1st Doctor's outfit. (Though when I wear that one out to a formal occasion, which I have done several times, I won't wear the wig! Wig=conventions only. )

Dino.

[DoctorWho8]

You know, if you can find a gray or tan jumper in the same style, then dye it a dark forest or hunter green, that may get it to about the same color.
Bill "the Doctor" Rudloff

[atomicgraph]

man that second doctor is fantastic you got tjhe look and feel of it i'm totally impressed!

[expendable]

What a wonderful set of outfits! Will you be painting your recorder?

[galacticprobe]

You know, if you can find a gray or tan jumper in the same style, then dye it a dark forest or hunter green, that may get it to about the same color.
Bill "the Doctor" Rudloff

Never tried dyeing anything like that before, but the color isn't the problem, Bill. I've got a green jumper that's pretty close color-wise; it's that really odd neck band and the seam down the front that I can't figure out how to recreate:
- Image from "Dalek"
- Image from "Father's Day"
- Extreme close-up from the DWE display
In all three of the above you can see how the knit weave changes direction at the neckband, and how it looks like a bit of a "buttonhole" stitch where the "V" comes together. Then there's what looks like a whip-stitch going down the vertical seam, and in the full-length photo the whips aren't evenly spaced (probably done by hand). And finally in "Father's Day" when the Doctor has his jacket off, you can see the neckband - from about the shoulder seam around the back to the other shoulder - has that garter stitch pattern to it and that knit pattern following the V line sort of pulls up to meet it. That's the thing I'm having trouble figuring out how to do.

man that second doctor is fantastic you got tjhe look and feel of it i'm totally impressed!

Thanks, atomicgraph! That really makes me feel great. (And I was just hoping for a "close enough to be recognized" look!) Though my wife took a look at the first two photos with Troughton - and me "trying" at - playing the recorder and (the lovely thing that she is) pointed out that I've almost got the same lines on my face as Troughton does in that pose "...right down to the dimples in the cheeks and the bags under the eyes." (I think I know where The Evil One gets it from now.) She did notice the only thing I don't have is Troughton's great blue eyes; mine are hazel, and I can't wear contacts because my eyes get too irritated. Ah well. Comments like yours (and Bill's from his earlier post higher up) really make me feel super that I was able to be so true to one of the great Classic 'Doctor Who' actors. Thank you both, again!

What a wonderful set of outfits! Will you be painting your recorder?

Thanks, expendable! Since I do wear my 9th Doctor outfit on a regular basis during the cooler-weather months (and have worn my 1st Doctor's to formal concerts when I could attend those - where I still felt underdressed in spite of inquiries of where I got my "fabulous-looking coat"), I'm seriously thinking of wearing my 2nd Doctor's outfit during one of the outings where my wife helps me get some walkies in, just to see what sort of reactions I get. I've only had one person recognize my 9th Doctor outfit, and he was your stereotypical "fan boy" (overweight, oily mussed-up hair, teeth needing a wire brush... the sort that you can imagine only leaving the role-playing table for school). Boy, did that make me feel great. I did wear my 11th Doctor outfit (burgundy Series 5 version) when my wife and I went out for our anniversary, and the waiter at the restaurant pointed at me and gave me a "thumbs' up", so that was a cool experience.

As for that recorder... That belongs to The Evil One so I can't paint it. She'd mislaid mine during her orchestra years of high school. That recorder was an all-pale-wood recorder that I'd tied greed tassels onto. I'm thinking of painting that one - as soon as she finds it. If I happen across another wooden or plain plastic one (not a plastic one that's got all those flared bits on it) that's not too expensive, I'll probably snag it and paint that one.

Dino.

[expendable]

Pat Troughton's recorder looks similar to a style marketed by House of Marbles and by Horner.

[galacticprobe]

Yes; the recorder The Evil One mislaid on me was a Hohner, exactly like this one:


I remember when my wife bought it for me; it came in the same box! Thanks for the maker's name, expendable! I've got my eye on a few replacements already now that I know what I'm looking for.

Dino.

[galacticprobe]

Posting a quick update because when I looked through this I noticed that quite a few of the photos - with commentary - from Timegate 2013 that I had posted have vanished! Not sure how that happened, but since I did spend so much of the Con in my 2nd Doctor persona, this one wouldn't be complete without the 2nd Doctor with Jamie:

"Oi, Doctor, look at that beastie over there. That's not another Cyberman, eh?"
"Oh, my giddy aunt! Run, Jamie!"

And of course with Doctors all over the hotel, why not:
The Two Doctors, Revisited!

This was the first time my wife and I got to see Colin Baker since June 1985 (in Valley Forge, PA). When we passed in the lobby, not far from that fantastic TARDIS, Mr. Baker said "Oh! Look at you! That's got to be the best Pat Troughton I've seen yet!" (Fan boy mode kicked in, but I brought it under control quick enough.) What can you say to a comment like that? This, coming from the 6th Doctor himself, a man that filmed a story with Patrick Troughton?! Well, first I thanked him profusely. Then I asked if he would mind posing with me for another version of "The Two Doctors" while my wife took a photo. His response: "Why, yes! I'd love to!" And so he did. And as soon as we were set, people and cameras transmatted in from everywhere and it was "seizure time" with flashes going off like the paparazzi!

After the photos as I was thanking this friendly, wonderful man again, his wranglers came and rushed him off to another panel. He had many panels that weekend, and for a man his age and size he can still move like lightning!

I may re-post the other photos that vanished, but that's going to take time, especially since I have to wrack my brain trying to remember the comments I put with them. Ah well. I'll eventually get there, but these I think were the two important ones that needed to get back into this topic.

Dino.

[superrichi1a]

He's right about your second Doctor, I've never seen a cosplayer inhabit the part so well! You really seem to "click" with that look, so it's great to see the pictures!
Colin I think must be my favourite Doctor to meet, not that I've met many, but Colin is always so happy and cheerful and generous with his time. I was surprised at Leicester that he had such a short que. Had a talk to him, he autographed my DVD, then broke con rules by giving me a free photo, just because there was no one else waiting. I made a bit of a fool of myself I think, he was happy to have a conversation and chat, but I was just so awestruck at how approachable a Doctor was that my replies were a bit feeble! Ah well!
As for the pictures - the comments don't necessarily have to be the same, and wise words are welcome! But pictures, pictures and new pictures are wanted

[DoctorWho8]

I know another second Doctor cosplayer that can do battle with you.
Bill "the Doctor" Rudloff
P.S., It's not me.

[kiwidoc]

Fantastic Dino, that's a great look and terrific pics.