Doctor Who is one of the longest-running science fiction TV shows of all time, with the British drama captivating audiences for over 50 years since the show debuted in 1963 with William Hartnell in the role of the Doctor.
Due to this incredibly long runtime, the show has aged dramatically in some areas, with one of the most notable being the fashion and style of the titular Doctor This article will list 5 of the best Doctor costumes and 5 of the worst.
Best: Eighth Doctor
In the 90s, Paul McGann took over the role of the Doctor in an attempt to reboot the series. The studio ordered a TV movie to be made, with a focus on attracting an audience from the USA.
Paul McGann’s costume in the TV special was terrific, with the costume highlighting the Doctor’s eccentric nature and drawing on a classic science fiction aesthetic with its Victorian style.
Worst: Ninth Doctor
This will almost certainly be a controversial addition due to the popularity of the Ninth incarnation, with Christopher Eccleston turning in one of the best performances as the Doctor in the show’s history.
That being said, regardless of how fantastic the performance was, his outfit has aged pretty badly. While it’s not as offensively bad as some of the others on this list, it is a dull outfit that looks like it smells like cigarettes and the pub.
Best: Fourth Doctor
On the face of it, there isn’t anything particularly incredibly about the Fourth Doctor’s costume. However, from a fan’s perspective, the costume is the most iconic outfit in the history of the show and easily deserves a position on the best of this list.
The outfit is eccentric without being ridiculous (a mistake that Doctors after Tom Baker would make) and captures the character of the Fourth Doctor perfectly.
Worst: Fifth Doctor
The Fifth Doctor is one of the most loved incarnations of the Doctor, with actor Peter Davison doing incredibly well to take over the role of the Doctor from the universally loved Tom Baker.
However, while this version of the Doctor is well remembered, his costume isn’t great. This costume appeared to start a trend toward the stranger and more ‘whacky’ outfits for the Doctor. For some reason, the stylists on the show decided that it would be great to attach a stick of celery to his Doctor’s lapel.
Best: Third Doctor
Jon Pertwee’s Third Doctor is another incarnation that is almost universally loved among the fan base, with Pertwee’s version of the Doctor adopting a ‘swashbuckling’ personality that made for a sharp departure from the prior versions of the character.
This ‘swashbuckling’ nature was also seen in the character’s costume, with the Doctor sporting a ‘frilly’ costume that managed to capture the style of the 70s in a unique manner that has aged very well.
Worst: Seventh Doctor
Fans generally look back on the Sylvester McCoy years with fondness. While the Seventh Doctor would ultimately be the final Doctor to pilot the TARDIS before the series was put into hiatus, he is generally thought to have done well in the role.
However, his costume is very strange and, again, ties into this strange trend of ridiculous costumes after Tom Baker left the role. The costume makes the Doctor look like an upper-class British Riddler more than the Doctor.
Best: Twelfth Doctor
This entry may be controversial due to this Doctor’s heinous obsession with ‘sonic sunglasses’ that was most universally hated among the fan base. However, this list will choose to ignore and forget the sonic sunglasses (as almost every Doctor Who fan should try and do).
This Doctor had several different outfits during his run in the TARDIS, but all of them managed to combine a modern style with the classical aesthetic of the Doctor from the 70s.
Worst: War Doctor
Another entry that could be controversial, the War Doctor provided one of the biggest shocks in Doctor Who history, with this incarnation being a previously unknown version of the doctor that existed between the Eighth and Ninth incarnations.
While, stylistically, there is nothing wrong with the War Doctor as he was locked in a gruelling conflict, his clothes are also worn and grubby which gives him a dirty look.
Best: Eleventh Doctor
Aside from the fez, the Eleventh Doctor has one of the best outfits in Doctor Who history. Throughout his run in the TARDIS, the Eleventh Doctor had several different outfits, all of which perfectly captured the eccentric nature of the character.
Furthermore, the bow tie also became an intricate feature of the incarnation, with the phrase ‘bow ties are cool’ being used all over the internet during Eleven’s run in the TARDIS.
Worst: Sixth Doctor
Colin Baker certainly had a difficult time in the TARDIS. While Baker always turned in a fantastic performance, he was always hampered by the poor writing during his run in the TARDIS. This poor writing immediately damaged the Sixth Doctor’s image among fans, with the incarnation strangling his companion immediately after regenerating.
While strangling a companion is a terrible crime, this incarnation’s worst crime is by far his costume. The colorful jacket is the definition of an eyesore and should’ve been thrown in a bin or burned.
