Hi all, great site, just joined and my first post here.
I have been following this post for a while, as I am also making a War Doctor costume up, and have been struggling to find the bits I need, and still missing several bits for the full costume.
I used to work in a costume department for a TV & Film unit for nearly 10years, now I work for museums, recreating full historically correct costumes for display.
So I would like to add a few things to this thread, I hope you don't mind and it may just help others out.
With a walk on character, the costume is often just thrown together out of what is in the wardrobe collection. Little is made up, or even altered due to the lack of time/money. So safety pins and duct tape are used instead of a needle and thread.
The more important or regular the character, the more tailored the costume. Even several copies of the exact same item of clothing is made up, in case of it getting damaged or it getting dirty through the filming.
I noticed with the Christopher Eccleston Dr Who leather jacket, it changed colour several times, Black, Brown and dark Navy Blue and I don't think this was just the lighting effects, more a wardrobe continuity issue. As it was the first re-make Dr Who season, probably the costume / wardrobe budget was just to low.
We have all seen those continuity mistakes in films and TVs, neck ties that change colour, or become undone, tied-up mid scene etc.
Then as soon as David Tennant took over, and the success was recognised of the series, the budget fitted the costume requirements.
Now moving on to John Hurts appearance, there are a few things that poke me in the eye.
The gaiters look like plain leather to me, not suede. I feel that they may be old buttoned 'Dress' gaiters from something like a Highland Guard dress/formal uniform. Originally they would of been white leather but have been turned, reversed or even taken apart and re-stitched so the inside 'undressed' leather face is showing and not the patent leather side. They have also been dyed with, well I think, Pat37 Blanko. Well that's the idea I am going with for my costume anyway.
To an experienced costume designer and/or wardrobe seamstress, it would not have been a major job to remodel these gaiters, or they may have been left over from another film.
Also just because something is used in filming, as say a scarf, it doesn't mean it actually was a scarf to begin with. In this case I know from experience that just about anything could of been used, from a cut up tea-towel, a sleeve off an old dress or a length of old fabric brought on the day from a charity shop All just to add that missing something to the costume, the look wanted, or just to the whim of the filming director.
The waistcoat is a 'shawl-collar' double breasted waistcoat, possibly a Favourbrook or Tagliatore? Crushed Velvet, with I think 10x brass dress buttons, with mother of pearl and guilt trim. (I will have to go to Cardiff to see the original). If it is 12 buttons, the top or bottom two are just for show.
The leather jacket is not technically a true Peacoat. John Hurt's has no breast pocket, the Peacoat hip pockets are wrong (as John Hurt's has no flaps on the pockets, and they are slanted pockets on his). It looks more like a mid 70s 'Hunters' 3/4 length jacket. So it could be a Harrington, a Barracuda, a Sheerings or a Barnstormer Peacoat 'style' copy. All these have slanted pockets on the hips, no breast pocket and a tartan lining.
The nearest I have found was an Stratojac 1970s 3/4 length jacket, and with the belt & belt loops, epaulettes and the button down cuff bands removed. All I have to do is age it and dye it down a few shades and change the buttons to 'Monkey Fists' and it's good to go.
The main problem with doing costumes for TV and Films is, buttons! They fall of, come off or just disappear with no reason. Buttons are the curse of all costumers, and often any old button of a similar look is used to replace the missing button or buttons. We carried boxes and boxes of buttons when on location, just because of the button issues. The main characters costumes would of had tones of spare buttons to use, but the walk on characters, well, any 'near enough is good enough' button would get used. Matching that, with a homemade costume, is nearly impossible.
The War Doctor was a 'walk' on part, any future appearances will, no doubt, see his costume change and/or improve.
As a foot note, the last production I worked on was going to be just a 4 part period drama. It turned in to a 38 episode series, and the costume budget alone went from £20k to over £300k!! So I for one am looking forward to seeing more of John Hurt's version of the Doctor.
All the best John