Ranking the 10 Greatest Doctor Who Outfits of All Time
"I was hoping for minimalism, but I think I came up with magician."
It is a truth universally acknowledged that the Doctor is fond of costume changes every time he regenerates. “Big scarf, bow tie, bit embarrassing,” Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor says when deciding on his new look. “What do you think of the new look? I was hoping for minimalism, but I think I came up with magician.” But some Regenerations of the Doctor have better fashion sense than others. As Peter Capaldi, easily one of the best-styled Doctors in the show’s history, approaches his final episodes as the titular Time Lord of Doctor Who, we thought it would be a good idea to revisit alterations to various Doctors’ signature looks.
The majority of these 10 outfits are from the newer seasons of Doctor Who, with only one outfit from old Who making the cut. Featured most heavily are Matt Smith’s 11th Doctor (king of bowties and cool hats) and Capaldi’s 12th Doctor (master of cool, collected fashion), as the two most recent Doctors definitely had the most change-ups in their looks.
Here are the 10 best alternate Doctor outfits between regenerations.
10. 12th Doctor, “Robot of Sherwood” outfit
So simple, but so refined — and definitely telling of the 12th Doctor’s style. While the 12th Doctor was duking it out with Robin Hood, he sported a fancy purple shirt (which he stylishly buttoned up) and his go-to, red-lined jacket.
Best feature: Purple shirt!
9. 12th Doctor, Maroon velvet coat outfit
As one of the first variations to the 12th Doctor’s minimalist magician look, the showrunners gave Capaldi a maroon velvet coat to wear with his usual getup.
Best feature: The coat, duh!
8. 10th Doctor, Tuxedo
It was rare that the 10th Doctor made adjustments to his look, but when he did it was when he wore a nice tuxedo that he once claimed was cursed in “Voyage of the Damned” because bad things always happened when he wore it.
Best feature: Converse with tux!
7. 2nd Doctor, Fur coat
The 2nd Doctor would always sport an enormous fur coat when dealing with cold weather. Whether he was going up against the Ice Warriors or the Abominable Snowman, he was always cozy.
Best feature: Um, it looks warm?
6. 11th Doctor, Tuxedo
The 11th Doctor was fond of showing up to events — including his potential deaths — dressed to the nines in a tuxedo and cracking jokes. And while a lot of Who fans lovingly referred to Smith’s 11th Doctor as a “drunk giraffe” while he boogied at Amy and Rory’s wedding, at least he looked fancy while doing it.
Best feature: Fancy white scarf!
5. 11th Doctor, “Let’s Kill Hitler” outfit
The all-too-short-lived green coat first introduced in “Let’s Kill Hitler” probably blocked too much of the rest of the Doctor’s outfit for it to be a viable option. But he definitely looked good. Maybe that’s why River Song was flirting so much with him.
Best feature: Long, green military-style coat!
4. War Doctor, “The Day of the Doctor” outfit
Despite all his hardships, John Hurt’s War Doctor definitely looked cool. Maybe it was the faux hawk or the frayed scarf, but he was definitely rocking a Mad Max, end-of-the-world vibe the whole time (but, like, in a cool way).
Best feature: Long, leather trenchcoat with popped collar.
3. 11th Doctor, “The Crimson Horror” outfit
While “The Crimson Horror” isn’t necessarily lauded as one of the best Who episodes, the 11th Doctor’s matching, dark tweed suit and bowler hat really sold the accent he pulled with Clara at his side.
Best feature: Matching bowler hat!
2. 11th Doctor, “The Snowmen” Christmas outfit
Very festive velvet waistcoat paired with a jaunty top hat and long, maroon coat; wool scarf looks quite cozy. If the 11th Doctor proved anything during his time, it’s that he could rock the heck out of a hat.
Best feature: Jaunty top hat!
1. 12th Doctor, “The Magician’s Apprentice” outfit
Just look at those pants! (Definitely a callback to Patrick Troughton’s 2nd Doctor.) Pairing his self-proclaimed “magician” coat with a hoodie became a pretty regular thing for the 12th Doctor, but throwing on a graphic tee underneath and some heavy boots really took the look to the next level. 12/10, should wear again before regenerating.
Best feature: Pants!
