It’s going to be a happy Wholloween for fans of a long-running British TV series. BBC’s Doctor Who returns with a new season Sunday, Oct. 31. If you want to celebrate by wearing something chic and geeky, Heroicouture has you covered with an entire line of Whovian-friendly clothes and accessories.
Specializing in sophisticated fashion for the “chic geek,” Heroicouture caters to fans who don’t necessarily do their shopping in the junior’s section and are looking to inject some class and style into their wardrobes.
Sandra L. Botero founded the brand as a made-to-order company, hand-sewing the clothing herself. An OG fangirl who grew up watching Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman and reading comic books, Sandra is a self-described “curvy Latina” who made her own outfits to wear to conventions.
Heroicouture features exclusive prints designed by Sandra and her daughter, Jaime L. Botero. The brand has expanded to include a few more employees, but the clothing is still handsewn. Sandra partners with a manufacturer who specializes in helping women, many of whom are indigenous.
In exciting news for the fashion house, Sandra recently signed a licensing deal with Game Master, a new esports reality show slated to begin filming in January in Atlanta. Heroicouture will design official merchandise and apparel worn on the show. Hosted by Wil Wheaton, the series stars 12 amateur gamers who will live together and compete for a $100,000 prize. Produced by Georgia-based Peach Maria, the nine-episode show will air in spring 2022 via streaming.
Heroicouture’s 2021 collection features designs inspired by Doctor Who, Star Wars, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Temple of Geek Chic recruited some Whovians to model the Doctor 13 collection, including Sera (@bougieandthegeek), Maddie (@maddie_whovian), Monica (@thisdorkynerd), and Beatrice (@suprbee). Here is our review.
About the Doctor 13 print:
This exclusive, collaborative print, designed with Jaime L. Botero, is a vibrant homage to Jodie Whitaker’s Thirteenth Doctor. Slashed with a rainbow stripe pattern inspired by the Doctor’s signature shirt, it’s unlike any other design we’ve seen. We love the colorful, cosmic planets and eye-popping purple fabric emblazoned with silhouettes of the TARDIS and Whitaker. If she’s your Doctor, you’re going to want to rock all the styles Heroicouture has in this print.
Ruffle Sleeve Top – Doctor 13
Soft and flirty, this cold shoulder-style top is light and comfortable. The feathery, ruffled sleeves are soft and silky. The design is elegant and subtly geeky. The colorful print on the poly chiffon sleeves looks lovely in contrast to the plain, black knit bodice. You could easily dress this top up with a skirt or stylish pants, or pair it with jeans for a casual look. This piece is understated and classic but makes a bold, geeky fashion statement.
Beatrice is pictured wearing a size Medium.
Asymmetrical Cardigan – Doctor 13
You have to put this dreamy cardigan on to understand its full appeal. Designed to be worn open as a layering piece, it has a fabulous drape to it that makes it extremely fun to wear. It’s more like a cardigan crossed with a sophisticated wrap. Pop this on and instantly dress up a plain outfit. The stretchy peach-skin knit fabric is light and comfy and we can’t overstate how much we love that this cardigan has pockets! Our only wish is that the inside lining was purple or black instead of white, which can be distracting to the eye.
The Doctor 13 cardigan looks amazing on our model, Sera, who especially appreciated the three-quarter-length sleeves. “I thought this was a really nice, comfortable overpiece,” she said.
Sera modeled a size 3X.
Doctor 13 Dolman
This dolman top is striking, thanks to the color block effect featuring the Doctor 13 print paired with black. The style is surprisingly versatile and can be worn with almost anything, from casual yoga pants to the dressiest office ensemble. The jersey knit is soft and breezy. The top is stretchy, slouchy, and almost off the shoulder. The sleeves go nearly to the elbow, making for ease of movement and the comfiest, most flattering fit.
Maddie modeled an Extra Small.
Doctor 13 A-Line Skirt
This skirt is fun to wear, thanks to its gorgeous purple and brightly patterned print. It’s flowy and has a classic feel and fantastic twirl to it. The hem tends to hit just below the knee. The fabric is cool and sleek. The stretchy, elastic knit waistband provides extra comfiness. Hidden seam side pockets had us fangirling hard.
“I liked the skirt,” model Monica said. “It’s soft and super comfortable. Definitely pay attention to the length when ordering. I’m short, so it was a little long on me.”
According to the Heroicouture website, the skirt can be worn either high or low on the waist, so size up or down accordingly.
Monica modeled a size Large.
Doctor 13 Peplum Belt
In case you’re wondering, a Peplum Belt is a stretchy strip of fabric with a chiffon ruffle that is worn around the waist. We’d never encountered this accessory before, but it’s definitely interesting and original.
According to the Heroicouture website, the Peplum Belt “originated from the bustle in the Victorian era and was used in jackets to wear over the hips with large hoop skirts. It actuates a person’s figure in just the right way no matter what size or shape you are.”
We asked Sandra to give us some styling tips for the belts. She suggested pairing it with one of Heroicouture’s matching skirts or tops, particularly the Ruffle Sleeve Tops (but not the dolman or cardigan). You can also match it with the Palazzo Tuxedo Pants.
The belt can function as an accent-type accessory with jeans and a black top, or a black or basic-colored dress or skirt. “You can still be geeky but not overtly geeky,” Sandra said.
Peplum Belts come in sizes XS to 3X and run a little small, so size up if you want more fabric to work with when you tie it.
Other accessories
We also tried out face masks, headbands, and scrunchies in Heroicouture’s Doctor 13 print.
The models gave the face masks their seal of approval, saying they fit well and were comfortable.
The stretchy, knit Doctor 13 Headband and Doctor 13 Scrunchies provide just the geeky pop of color to brighten any outfit. They can be worn anywhere at any time, although the smaller scrunchies might be a tight squeeze for adult hair.
Overall:
During our photoshoot, Heroicouture’s clothing and accessories received resoundingly good feedback from our models. They noted the comfort of the clothes, the softness of the fabric, and the versatility of the pieces. We love that the clothes can be styled to fit the most casual to dressiest of occasions. They’re machine washable, which makes them extremely practical. The sizing is inclusive with items available in XS to 3X (and 4X and 5X by custom order)
If you’re looking to build a subtle yet geeky wardrobe, you can easily mix and match items in the same print to form complete outfits, including tops, pants, skirts, outerwear, and accessories.
We’re fans of Heroicouture because of the high quality and uniqueness of their hand-sewn products. The prints are imaginative, creative, and colorful. It’s obvious a great deal of attention to detail goes into their design and creation. This is a small business with a very personal touch.
The Doctor 13 print is also available in a round cross-shoulder bag, scarves, neckerchiefs, Tie Sleeve Tops, and Palazzo Tuxedo Pants.
We’ll be exploring more of the brand’s fandom-themed lines in upcoming Temple of Geek Chic posts. To check out Heroicouture’s entire 2021 collection, visit the website.
Photos by Monica Duarte.
More Doctor Who coverage from Temple of Geek:
Join our Doctor Who tweet-along leading up to the new season
Weeping Angels, Sontarans return for the new season of “Doctor Who”
