Doctor Who Matt Smith Purple Frock Coat fabric options

Indy Magnoli

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I've been getting several requests to do the new Matt Smith DW frock coat, so we started sourcing some available fabric options. The two best contenders are these:

20oz wool/poly tweed:
mag-smith-frock-F23857_zpsbf62d728.jpg


16oz wool/poly tweed:
mag-smith-frock-3287719-3_zps5f62ab3c.jpg


The first one has a bit too much fleck, while the second has no true flecks, though something about it appeals to me more than the first. I've got a few others, but those are really the two closest options, in my opinion.

Let me know what you think.

Kind regards,
Magnoli
 
I've got one customer interested in having one made in the first fabric. Just curious what the rest of you guys thought as I'll probably have to buy a bit of it to get a good price...
 
I'm not interested in one, but still, in the interest of helping out.
I'm looking at both options and neither seems all too close to the actual fabric (shown here from Steve Rick's blog, credit where it's due)
FABRIC.jpg
Ignoring the lack of a brown check design on the purple fabric, the first is closer I suppose, so if it's strictly those two options, then the first is better.
 
Yea, the first is better, but honestly if it were me I wouldn't try unless I found something with brown in it.
 
Well that's the trick with "close-enough" options... finding something similar that won't break the bank. Both of the above options are the same price as our standard coat fabric (which is unusual when we go searching for closer alternatives to our in-stock materials).

Thanks,
Magnoli
 
I get if the customer wants it now, but if you're looking for something to bulk order, I'd hold out for a purple and brown fabric. Jo-Ann's fabrics had one a few months ago that was a very similar weave to the first one you posted except it was predominantly brown with purple flecks. It looked pretty decent from a distance, but it was polyester. It was discontinued way back, though.
 
I personally say go for the second one - it seems closer to the original fabric in my eyes, somehow.
 
Since the response to these fabrics hasn't been stellar, I'm not going to waste our money. I'll keep looking and hope for something better...
 
Forgive the drunk pic. I made mine using a silk/wool tweed that had a kind of crosshatched pattern to it. It actually came pink, and I dyed it to get the eggplant color. Now that I've handled the real fabric, I wish I would have gone darker, but I did this when there were only 2 reference photos out, and it really did come out quite close.

378328_10151064063067408_1824996843_n.jpg
 
So I did find this fabric on fabric.com.

Wool Blend Shimmer Coating Purple - Discount Designer Fabric - Fabric.com

Flat out, it's not correct. Instead of white flecks, it has silver, slightly shiny flecks. At a foot or two distance, it looks ok. It's a medium to heavyweight so it should make a nice hanging coat. The best thing about it, is that it was only $2.95 a yard so if you're looking for a decent coat on the cheap, this is a great way to go. It matches the look of his coat on screen and from in-filming photos. The studio photos under more intense lighting make the coat look a lot lighter than this fabric though. Under a bright light, this does lighten up a lot.

I ordered three yards to match the Simplicity pattern I found (#2895) and with the fabric in hand, I'm pretty happy with it. I need to get some purplish corduroy for the back collar still.

I was just about to begin cutting this afternoon when I heard the news about Matt Smith. It kind of dampered my desire to do this but with SDCC so close, I don't really have time to do something else so "geronimo"!

Mark
 
I had our supplier send me a big lot of swatches and now, seeing them in person, I think this is the best option:

mag-frock-fabric2_zps4875c896.jpg


The main draw back is the inclusion of red flecks, but they are less frequent than the white flecks and are fairly subtle when viewed from a distance. There are also some black vertical and horizontal lines throughout the fabric giving it a window-pane-esque appearance.

Kind regards,
Magnoli
 
That is actually a pretty solid close enough. In the end, this is honestly one of the most interestingly weird costume pieces I've ever seen. From not having buttons or side pleats like a standard coat and using incredibly high end fabric and then only being partially lined I think it really is a good fit for Smith's doctor considering he himself said his costume should be an extension of his personality.

Good luck to both of you absolutely nailing this coat
 
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