The 11th Doctor’s “scales” waistcoat had the honor of being the first waistcoat worn with his then-new “7b” costume, as well as having by far the most screen time of his three waistcoats (including an entire episode in which he wore it without the accompanying frock coat).
It also had the distinction of being the only one of his three waistcoats to not have lapels, and its fabric was truly unique – particularly, in my opinion, when paired with the passementerie buttons.
It was primarily seen during the first half of “season 7b” – from the eighth episode, “The Rings of Akhaten,” through the eleventh episode, “Journey to the Center of the TARDIS.”
The waistcoat’s cut and style were quintessentially Victorian (or at least theatrical) – an appropriate choice, considering his then-new Victorian-style frock coat. The back construction appeared to be similar, or perhaps even identical, to that of his velvet waistcoat.
Generally speaking, the “scales” waistcoat had passementerie buttons early on, then switched to standard 4-hole/horn buttons.
Also generally speaking, the Doctor wore waistcoat with the fob chain at first, then without, and then with it again.
Who would have thought that one seemingly simple garment would have yielded so many different subtle variations? Between the two types of buttons, whether or not all the buttons were buttoned, the disappearing fourth pocket, and the fob chain, I had to make a chart to keep track of all the variations!
And that‘s not including the potentially different button positioning, pocket positioning, or the flipped shot!
But don’t worry!
I accounted for all the relevant construction details in my Tailors Gone Wild 11th Doctor “scales” waistcoat sewing pattern (well, as best I could, considering all the aforementioned variations), and my 11th Doctor “scales” waistcoat sewing tutorial is thorough enough for you to construct a fantastic replica of your own. 🙂
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