Doctor Who – Every Doctor’s Signature Outfit Ranked

With each new incarnation comes the most important question of all – does the Doctor still have drip?

I’m no fashionista, so take this ranking with a grain of salt, but as an avid fan of the show for most of my life I’ve formed some opinions on each Doctor’s signature outfit. Let’s rank them!

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

What Were They Thinking?

16 – The Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker)

My eyes! MY EYES!

I’m pretty sure the Sixth Doctor’s outfit was designed to be as disgusting to look at as possible – all the producers hated the show by this point, and they probably thought the whole thing a farce. If you’re running a circus, you might as well dress your lead in a clown outfit … Except clown outfits are supposed to be fun and playful, not clashing and mis-matched.

15 – The Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison)

The only other outfit in the series that boggles my mind every time I see it, the Fifth Doctor’s attire is tacky in all the wrong ways.

A cricket costume is both mundane and nonsensical, and the stick of celery pinned to the front is the nail in the fashion coffin.

Passable

14 – The First Doctor (William Hartnell)

I suppose you have to give the First Doctor credit as there was nothing to compare it to at the time … but his outfit is a bit boring.

He dresses like an upper class school teacher, which is appropriate for the character but mundane for the screen.

13 – The War Doctor (John Hurt)

The War Doctor’s whole schtick was that he was a scruffy, war-torn man ripped apart by time and regret. As a result, his outfit is dirty and worn.

Nothing stand-out, but it did the job for a one-off anniversary special.

12 – The Fugitive Doctor (Jo Martin)

Like the War Doctor, the Fugitive Doctor was a novelty addition to the canon that was only meant to be on screen for a couple of episodes.

I like her pale blue overcoat, but the orange undershirt and collar feel a bit clashing.

I Can Dig It

11 – The Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton)

A step up from the First Doctor, but the Second Doctor didn’t exactly set the fashion world alight with his outfit.

It has the same problem as before in that it’s not very eye-catching, but I appreciate the more informal, eccentric approach. And that bowtie was a sign of things to come!

10 – The Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy)

I regularly see the Seventh Doctor’s outfit ranked near the bottom (or at the very bottom) of lists like these, and I think that’s harsh.

The question marks on the vest are a bit OTT but I like them, and the suspenders and hat combo are weird in the right ways. But yeah, it can hurt your brain to look at sometimes.

9 – The Fifteenth (?) Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa)

At the time of writing this we don’t even know for sure what number Doctor Ncuti Gatwa will be, so it might be a bit early to judge his outfit too.

Orange is my favourite colour so he’s off to a good start, and I can dig the long, patterned overcoat and matching trousers, so time will tell if it translates to the screen. And whether he’ll be wearing his signature outfit for more than a couple of episodes …

8 – The Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee)

People like to nickname the Third Doctor as the “Bond” Doctor, so it seems apt that his outfit is dashing and daring.

He wears the swankiest suit you’ll ever see, but in odd colours to remind you that it’s indeed an alien behind the bowtie.

Eye-Catching

7 – The Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi)

What seems like an understated costume at first glance soon becomes more than meets the eye.

The Twelfth Doctor rocks that flowing overcoat and then some, and I love the red lining on the inside of the suit – it makes him look like a magician!

6 – The Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker)

The only ranking where the Thirteenth Doctor doesn’t finish in the bottom three, I was immediately a fan of her bubbly outfit when it was announced.

You can never go wrong with an overcoat, and the suspenders / rainbow shirt / earrings combo are a great mix.

5 – The Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston)

The Ninth Doctor’s garb is strikingly un-striking, especially when compared to the fanciful get-ups of Classic Who – but that’s exactly why it worked so well.

Eccleston rocks that slick leather jacket, and the everyman attitude that he brought to the role is reflected in the outfit.

4 – The Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann)

After a string of bizarre outfits in a row, it was great to see the Eighth Doctor return to the OG style by donning a simple, high-class suit.

He looks positively dashing in the 1996 TV movie, mainly due to the Victorian-style waistcoat and cravat.

Iconic

3 – The Tenth Doctor (David Tennant)

You might think the Tenth Doctor being so high is a biased choice since Tennant is my personal favourite Doctor, but I think a lot can be said about the outfit’s mass appeal.

I really like both the brown and blue variants of his suit and tie, and the McCartney-esque trainers are such a jarring yet perfectly on-character choice for footwear.

2 – The Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith)

The Eleventh Doctor single-handedly made bowties and fezzes cool again. It’s rare for a Doctor’s outfit to change culture at large like that.

Matt Smith’s incarnation was an inspiration to geek-chic stylists everywhere – the shaggy coat is perfect for the “Raggedy Man” persona, and the suspenders signify his penchant for joy and fun.

1 – The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker)

Could it be anyone else?

There’s a reason the Fourth Doctor has remained in the public consciousness for so long (other than Tom Baker’s eccentric performance, of course) – I love the signature hat and scruffy overcoat, but the overly long, multi-coloured scarf has gone down in sci-fi legend.

Every child of the 70’s recalls asking their nan to knit them a long scarf – if that hasn’t earnt the Fourth Doctor a place atop this list, I don’t know what will.

Aaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: