Her Universe made a lot of Doctor Who fans excited by announcing that it would be offering the 13th Doctor Cosplay outfit. The new Doctor Who styles premiered exclusively at San Diego Comic Con and will be available in the fall at Hot Topic.
We got our hands on the entire collection! The collection includes the 13th Doctor pants, jacket and top made by Her Universe. Since the reveal of Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor on the BBC television series Doctor Who, fans have been putting together their own 13th Doctor inspired outfits and cosplays.
13th Doctor Cosplay Collection
Her Universe has now simplified that by providing fans with a place to purchase the officially licensed outfit. Jodie was seen briefly as the 13th Doctor at the end of the Twice Upon At Time Christmas Special. In the Christmas special Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor is seen regenerating into Jodie Whittaker’s 13th Doctor. Since then the anticipation for the new Doctor has been huge. At the Hall H Panel at San Diego Comic Con she received an overwhelmingly warm welcome from her fans. As well as a roaring applause when she surprised fans at the Her Universe Fashion Show by walking the runway as a model in the 13th Doctor Coat from their collection.
Much like our other Temple Of Geek Chic Reviews, we are taking this outfit and putting it to the geek test. If you’re looking for information about screen accuracy and how this holds up as a cosplay, check out our Screen Accuracy section below by cosplayer Doc In The Box. OK, lets get started.
The Coat
First, I just want to remind everyone that this coat is not meant to be a cosplay coat, even though it works perfectly fine as a cosplay or a bound. The coat is fully functional and meant for daily wear. It is meant to be a piece of your everyday wardrobe. It is like I stated before a fully functional coat and our favorite part about that is all the POCKETS!!!! The Pockets are deep! Two pockets in the front of the coat and a small deep pocket on the inside of the coat. I am almost certain that small pocket on the inside of the coat is meant for a sonic screwdriver. At least that is what I keep telling myself.
This Anorak styled coat is almost floor length. The coat closes with snaps from top to bottom. There are no zippers on this coat. When you close the snaps completely from top to bottom it provides plenty of coverage from the wind and cold. The outer layer of the coat is 60% Cotton and 40% Polyester and lined with 100% polyester blue lining. It will most likely protect you from cold days and cold breezes but it may get soaked in rain or snow. A cool little addition to the coat, that we thought was really fun, is the TARDIS design on the inside lining of the coat. The coat is mid weight, but feels heavier because of how long it is.
Before ordering, I recommend checking the size chart and paying attention to the length of the coat. I am 5’3″ and the coat was just above my ankles. The length looked much more fitting on Doc In The Box, who is 6″. Also a good note when checking the size chart, don’t focus on the size as much as on the measurements. This coat doesn’t seem to have a special women’s cut. We think it works well for both men and women. The sizing seemed a little off when comparing it to other Her Universe merchandise I have purchased in the past. I think it runs a little larger than their usual junior sizing. The reason for this may be because of something that Jodie Whittaker said during the Her Universe Fashion Show:
“Any age. Any gender. Any one can wear it. You’re not dressing as a girl and you’re not dressing as a boy. You’re dressing as The Doctor!” – Jodie Whittaker
The hood is wide and loose. If you pull it all the way over your head it comes down to just above the brow line. The color of the coat is a soft blue-ish gray. It almost looks beige in certain lights. Jodie describes this being inspired by the color of the sky that she fell through when she was thrown out of the TARDIS in the Christmas special. Overall I think it is a great coat for the fall weather and a great everyday coat. The thing that I appreciate most about the coat is that it is subtle in it’s design, and the color scheme is soft and can be worn with a wide variety of outfits. It is a great piece of incognito geek wear. It is also Time Lord approved as it was worn on the runway of the Her Universe Fashion Show by the 13th Doctor herself!
The Top
The rainbow top is soft and comfortable. I really appreciate that the rainbow stripe goes all the way around the back. The only concern I have about this top deals with the neckline. The collar appears to be ruched a little at the seam. I don’t know if that is intentional or not. It is a small detail, but something I noticed. The scoop neck hangs a little higher than the shirt worn by Whittaker in the promotional images. But like I stated before, this is meant to be an everyday representation of our fandom and not a screen accurate cosplay. But even then as far as screen accurate goes, this comes really really close. I wore it un-tucked in the photos to give readers a better idea of the length of the shirt. On the show it is worn tucked in.
The Pants/Trousers
High waisted for the win! The culottes style pants are high waisted and this curvy geek girl really appreciates that. These are probably one of the most comfortable pair of pants I have tried on. They are soft and drape nicely. There is a lot to say about the wide leg. I was initially against the look of the wide leg style. But after wearing them all day at a convention, I was reluctant to take them off. The comfort is real. They are perfect for both casual and dressy looks. Absolutely worth the buy. Pair them with a blazer or a cardigan and it’s perfect for work! This is a perfect example of geek wear that is sustainable and may be worn as more than just cosplay. Perfect for on and off the convention floor. The embroidered TARDIS above the pocket is absolutely darling. As mentioned with the length of the coat, be aware of the length of the pants. Depending on your height, the pants may not appear the same length on everyone. The pants have a sewn in cuff. In the promotional images of Jodie it looks like the pants are cuffed by hand. They do not come with buttons/snaps for the suspenders (bracers), they way that they do on the show. But if you’re really serious about using them with suspenders, you could probably sew in an attachment for them. Or you can go with a clip on style suspenders. I am more about comfort than I am about screen accuracy. And these are more than recognizable enough for a cosplay. Plus… TARDIS!!! I can’t get over how cute that embroidered TARDIS is. I can not speak to how these will look or fit on men, as we didn’t have an opportunity to try it on a guy. Let us know in the comments below if you are a guy who tried them on. I would love to hear your thoughts on fit.
Screen Accuracy Comparison by @Doc_in_the_Box
This is a breakdown of the coat as Monica covered some of the differences in the top and trousers above.
Personally, I love this coat and wish I had “ready to wear”, “off the rack”, “available in store” options like this when I was building some of my Doctor cosplays!
The coat is sturdy and very well made, with everything needed to be recognized as the Thirteenth Doctor. Now, keep in mind, this coat was designed for casual street wear. This is not a screen accurate replica of the actual coat.
We have provided side by side photo comparisons of the screen accurate coat and the Her Universe coat below. Here is what we found:
Front of the coat: The Her Universe coat does not have a seam on the left side of the coat, which leaves the left side ending at the rainbow stripe. There are buttons (snaps) added to the Her Universe coat which run from top to bottom that you don’t see on the screen accurate coat. We assume that the reason for this is that the Her Universe coat is meant to be functional and close completely, where the actual 13th Doctor coat is a costume and not meant to be functional. The rainbow pattern is definitely different but still recognizable as part of The Doctor’s wardrobe. Hood lining on the Screen Accurate coat runs to the very edge of the hood where the Her Universe coat has about a two inch seam from the edge.
Pockets: Pockets are a different style and design with the HU coat running vertically and the SA coat angled about 45°. Piping on the SA coat runs around the outside of the pocket where the HU coat runs on the back edge of theirs. We have no idea yet if the SA coat will have an inside pocket the way the HU coat does, but as the previous four incarnations of the Doctor had inside pockets, we don’t see why the 13th Doctor wouldn’t.
Sleeves: Piping on the sleeve does not go all the way around on the SA Coat. Where as sleeve piping on the Her Universe coat does. Piping on Jodie’s coat is also angled where as the Her Universe coat runs straight across the sleeve. This is a small detail, but we are adding it in just for kicks, the SA coat has pink lining inside the sleeve, which the Her Universe coat does not have.
Back of the coat: Both coats have princess seams on the back for a better coat fit. We are not 100% certain but we believe that the SA coat has a vent/slit in the back. In the promotional photos it is hard to tell. But in some of the action shots it looks like only a portion of the back of the coat is lifting up, giving the impression of a vent. We can not be certain but are making an educated guess that the SA coat has a vent. The HU coat does not.
With all that said, there is still no reason you want to let this coat pass you by. The price point is reasonably priced and, unlike cosplay replica websites where you have to hope and wish the item you ordered fits correctly and looks as good as the pictures they provided, you can actually see and try this coat on in store before purchasing.
Even if you are looking for the perfect screen accurate replica coat for your cosplay, I would still highly recommend this coat as the perfect stand in to get you out on that convention floor sooner while you continue to work on that screen accurate replica. The coat does fit universally, as I have worn it myself, so any Time Lord loving individual could sport this coat. The only telling design of the coat that differentiates it from a women’s or men’s coat would be the direction of the button snaps but, does that really matter? I think not. The Doctor is The Doctor and I’m still going to be wearing mine on the convention floor!
The only detail I really wish they kept in the design of this coat is the rear vent but that didn’t stop us from bringing this coat home from Comic Con. All in all, if there is any doubt about the quality or look of this coat, I refer you to The Doctor herself, strutting it down the catwalk during the Her Universe Fashion Show at San Diego Comic Con.
Overall
As a cosplay it is absolutely the most comfortable and most functional cosplay I (Monica) have worn to date. I wore it all day at San Diego Comic Con and combined with all the pant and coat pockets it was perfect for my con needs. I was able to comfortably walk around in it at the convention and carry my camera bag on my back while wearing the coat. It is more than recognizable as a 13th Doctor Cosplay. I really love this outfit! For the price you are paying, for the opportunity to try it on in store at a Hot Topic and not blindly online, the price is a steal. The pants are my favorite because they align with current fashion trends and styles, they are comfortable and they feel nice on. This entire outfit is huge win for Her Universe. I just really hope they come out with the suspenders soon!
You can learn more about Her Universe and Our Universe and purchase the current line of apparel and accessories by going to www.heruniverse.com and by following Eckstein & Her Universe online @HerUniverse on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Her Universe is a stand-alone subsidiary of Hot Topic, Inc. You can always keep up with when the collection will be available by checking the Hot Topic online store at www.hottopic.com. For more information, visit hottopic.com and follow @hottopic on Facebook, Twitter,Instagram and Snapchat.
What do you think of this collection? Let us know in the comments below!
Written by Monica Duarte and Doc_In_The_Box
About Author
I’m not sure if you’ll be able to answer this, but do you know the price of the coat? Currently it’s not listed on Her Universe or Hot Topic.
I have the pants. I impulse bought them at con (jacket was out of stock in my size) and wore them all day sunday. No regrets!!!! I have worn them 4 times since! I want to live in them. Most comfy pants I own. They are super cute paired with a tshirt and cardigan too. I want them in other colors haha.
When will it be released online?
love the outfit where can I buy it?
https://www.hottopic.com/search?q=doctor%20who
Hi Cristina! The outfit is available at Hot Topic, Boxed Lunch and Torrid. It is made by Her Universe.
where can you buy the pants? I’ve been looking all over!
Emma, here is the link to the pants in this article.
https://www.heruniverse.com/product/doctor-who-thirteenth-doctor-high-waist-pants/11429142.html?cgid=shop-by-license-doctor-who
Can you explain the sizing on their website? Says junior sizes0,1,3,5,7,9. In uk? Or does size 9 mean up to the medium?
Can you explain the sizing on their website? Says junior sizes0,1,3,5,7,9. In uk? Or does size 9 mean up to the medium?
I am no sure what the UK sizing is. The best way is to go by the measurements vs by the 0, 1, 3 etc. Also you can email the company directly and ask them.
I wish I had read this sooner! My friend purchased this coat for me for an amazing sale price and I told her to get a medium, thinking it would be safe for sizing as often small coats are too tight in the back across the shoulders. This one is a loose fit and I’m 5’3″ tall, so it’s also long on me. 😭 I also have to roll up the sleeves.
Of course it’s sold out everywhere now and there’s no chance at exchanging it for a smaller size. It’s very well made. I think it will be worth paying someone to take it in for me.
can you please tell me what size your coat has?
can you please tell me what size your coat has?