Conclusion
The 11th Doctor’s “Snowmen” costume was a beautiful piece of costume design, full of subtle details and a wonderful addition to the Doctor’s wardrobe.
Unfortunately, it didn’t have much screen time compared to other outfits Eleven wore, but it was memorable and loved by many – myself included.
I found it vaguely reminiscent of Patrick Troughton’s first costume as the Second Doctor, although I don’t know whether or not that was a conscious, intentional inspiration for costume designer Howard Burden.
The shirt (and the fabric it was made with) was lovely. The waistcoat, trousers, and frock coat were all generally Victorian in their cut and style, which was appropriate considering the era during which “The Snowmen” took place. The “floral” bow tie was exquisite. The distressed top hat helped give the whole costume a feel of eccentricity and timelessness, and what better qualities for a costume worn by our beloved Time Lord?
In addition to being a delightful costume in its own right, it also paved the way for Eleven to adopt a more Victorian (hybrid) look with his “season 7b” costumes.
In short, costume designer Howard Burden created a beautiful costume for the Eleventh Doctor, echoes of which would continue to be felt for the remainder of the season, and of Eleven’s era.
If you’re interested in making a replica “Snowmen” costume, I accounted for all the appropriate details in my Tailors Gone Wild “Snowmen” costume sewing patterns, and my 11th Doctor “Snowmen” costume sewing tutorials are thorough enough for you to construct a fantastic replica of your own. 🙂
And if you enjoyed this costume analysis, please support my costume research on Ko-Fi!
Every bar of gold-pressed latinum helps me produce more sewing/costuming resources like this. 🙂