The Doctor's Wardrobe

One of the key parts to get right about a Captain Jack outfit is the trousers. Generally he wears quite a variety, so getting something 100% accurate isn’t the be all and end all, but there are a few tips to keep in mind in order to really step up your outfit.

Click here to access the main costume index page.

I’ll also preface this catalogue of trousers by saying that although I’ve done my best to list absolutely everything, I might’ve missed some. If anyone out there has evidence of something I’ve missed or gotten wrong please feel free to contact me and I’ll be delighted to expand my knowledge.

This era was the last hurrah before skinny trousers became the norm.
Ten = regular cut, Jack = full cut, Martha = boot cut.

Here you’ll get to experience my “old man yells at cloud” moment as I have a rant about why modern trousers are an absolute abomination. I can just about live with slightly slimmer leg profiles below the knee if the fabric has a decent amount of elastane to actually move about in, though they can make you look top heavy. But why for the love of god why did trousers that sit below one’s natural waist ever become a thing? In every conceivable way trousers that sit on your actual waist are miles better. They’re leagues more comfortable, they move on one’s body better, they don’t show the wearer’s backside when they crouch down, they are aesthetically more flattering to one’s proportions. Plus the lowering of trouser rises over the years has caused waistcoats to become comically long to the point where they don’t really sit on the body properly anymore, so they’ve ruined those too! Trousers have sat at one’s waist for hundreds of years, not out of tradition for tradition’s sake, but because that is the location that makes the most geometric sense to fit an actual human being.

Have you seen hundred year old pictures with men wearing suits pretty much all the time? One of the reasons they could do that was because the suits were cut in a way that made them comfortable to wear. Modern suits are cut in a way that prioritises certain choices for fashionable proportions over comfort; trousers too low, jackets too short, the whole thing restrictively tight. The tragedy of it is that a lot of people now think that that's how a suit is supposed to fit, but if your suit is markedly less comfortable to wear than your casual clothes then you're clearly not wearing the right kind of suit.

Full Cut:
One of the key things that really really makes the silhouette is having trousers that are full cut (i.e. have a loose leg profile). Even modern off-the-peg straight/regular cut trousers don’t cut it, you need to look for trousers that are wide legged. One can sometimes very slightly increase the voluminosity of trousers’ legs by buying a size up, but even this isn’t really enough to get the right leg profile. Whereas most modern trousers that are labelled “regular fit” or “straight fit” might have a fairly slim cuff circumference of around 15 inches, full cut trousers like Jack’s Cardiff era ones will be in the region of 18 to 20 inches, even the slimmer ones he wears after this are at least 17 inches. Go and measure your own trousers to see how they compare.

Above is an example of a modern straight/regular fit (left) versus a more period correct fit (right), notice how the full cut trousers are wide enough to fully cover the laces. Every time you put on a pair of skinny trousers, AskOkey sheds a single tear.

Leg profile terms like regular fit don’t really mean much nowadays as every brand seems to have a different idea of what a regular fit is. Terms like "straight cut" or "tapered" are misleading as even full cut trousers taper below the knee. The only trousers that are truly straight cut (as in the same width all the way down the leg) are Oxford bags, which traditionally have a hem circumference of 23-24 inches (though some later "fashion" ones were made with absurd 40+ inch circumferences). If you’re buying trousers for a Jack outfit it’s best to take a tape measure with you to get a gauge the actual leg circumference.

An example of how to to measure the circumference. These trousers have a diameter of 7⅝ inches, meaning their circumference is 15¼ inches. By modern standards these would probably be called a regular fit, for a Jack look you ideally need 17-20 inches.

I mean... if you think this is a good look then that's up to you. Personally I think it looks like they've squeezed themselves into trousers meant for an eight year old.

Natural Rise:
The rise is how far up the body the trousers come up to. Jack’s trousers have a rise that sits around the body’s natural waist (the bellybutton area), whereas most modern trousers have lower rises that fall more towards the hip bones. Natural rise trousers are fundamentally more comfortable as they sit around the body’s narrowest point, unlike low rise which makes no sense on a geometrical level. If you’re going for an alt, be sure that the trousers’ rise is high enough. Sometimes if a brand makes trousers in multiple lengths the longer ones will have a higher rise, so go for one of those as the legs are easy enough to shorten and will need to have turn-ups added anyway.

So called "high rise" trousers sit at the body's narrowest part, which (when sized correctly) means that they stay in position much better and allow the wearer a greater degree of movement.

Full Break:
A trousers' break is essentially how much the end of the leg crumples at the footwear, so longer leg means that there will be more of a crumple. Generally, most of Jack’s trousers have a decent break, with the twin pleated ones having the greatest break. If your trouser legs are too short and don’t break at the bottom to some degree they’ll look off. You don’t want trouser legs so long that you tread on the back of them when you take your boots off, but generally you want them a little on the longer side.

Break is basically a matter of personal taste, lengths either side of these thresholds will start to look ill-fitting though.

Break is also influenced by the width of the leg. A slim cut will touch the top of the footwear and start to crumple at a shorter inseam length than full cut trouser would, as the latter will sit over more of the shoe. The possibility for a slightly longer inseam on full cut trousers is beneficial, as it will show less of the wearer’s socks and shins when the trousers ride up during seating.

Forward Pleats:
If you do go for a pleated trouser look then make sure they are forward pleats rather than the much more common reverse pleat, which Jack never ever wears. Forward pleats are where the pleats are folded so that the excess fabric is folded inwards towards the fly, whereas reverse pleats fold outwards towards the pockets. Forward pleated trousers are hard to find nowadays, but fortunately if you can’t find suitable forward pleated trousers, Jack did wear a handful of flat fronted (unpleated) ones that will be easier to find alts for. Twin forward pleated trousers did have a bit of a revival in the late 80’s to early 90’s before trousers started getting impractically slim, so a second-hand pair might not be too hard to find.

Double forward pleats (left) compared to single reverse pleats (right). The top of the image shows the direction that the fabric is folded to achieve either forward or reverse pleats.

If you have pleated trousers made using one of the online tailoring services out there, they will almost always only offer reverse pleats as part of the standard configuration process, but usually you can specially request forward pleats if you email them. Also to note, some places in China that make trousers might show forward pleats on a stock image, but actually make them with reverse pleats. It’s always best to ask about that detail before buying.

Another thing to note about Jack’s pleats are that they are incredibly functional. The purpose of pleats is to open up and allow the trousers to expand in certain situations (like sitting). Most modern trousers that have pleats have them more for show, there is little fabric within the pleat to actually open up with any volume, this also saves a little on fabric costs. Jack’s trousers by comparison have more generous amounts of material within the pleats.

Matte Fabric:
Most of Jack’s trousers are made of wool. From what I’ve seen nearly all of his pleated ones are twill with a lightly brushed finish, most likely worsted flannel. Worsted wool is what most modern suits are made from, this cloth is generally more lightweight and with less of a pile. Wool flannel is a thick fabric with a more distinctly woolly texture. Worsted flannel by comparison is a nice midpoint in properties between the two.

The swatches of the left hand side are examples of Holland & Sherry worsted flannels. Compare these to the right hand image of the screen worn dark grey twin pleated trousers, on display at the Doctor Who Experience.

Whilst a high quality worsted wool can look tremendous, most modern off-the-peg suits are victims of cost-cutting measures, being very lightweight and blended with synthetic fibres. Usually this results in a fabric with a somewhat shiny finish that lacks the natural matte look and elegant weighty drape than a higher end pure wool would have. The key takeaway is to pick a fabric that has more of a matte surface, and a bit of weight to it. Mid-century woollen garments were noticeably heavier than modern ones, and this detail has been reflected in Jack’s wardrobe by the costume department.

Also, I know some of you out there are thinking “but John’s allergic to wool” and that is true. Yes he is, however not all wool is the same. A wool allergy isn’t an autoimmune condition like a peanut allergy, it’s more like just having particularly sensitive skin. The coarser the wool and more often it rubs against the skin, the more likely it is to cause a rash. At least some of John’s trousers were half-lined, probably most of them had this if I had to guess, meaning there was little actual skin contact. Lining can have multiple functions in trousers aside from shielding sensitive skin, it can make them move more smoothly against the body for better motion, add a layer for slightly increased warmth, and on lightweight trousers prevent them from becoming somewhat translucent.

The pocket lining of the trousers can be seen from time to time, it appears to be a white or off-white cotton.

Brace Buttons:
Take the time to sew in some buttons inside the waistband for button braces, it doesn’t take long and really makes a big difference compared to using naff looking clip-on braces. Be sure to specifically use thick buttonhole tread in order to keep them secure. If you don’t want to sew the buttons in then I suggest you go for John’s unpleated cotton trouser look and forgo braces entirely.

An interior shot of the dark brown trousers used in the first series of a Torchwood. Note the brace buttons and lining.

Some key points, there is a proper spacing for brace buttons that even professionals get wrong sometimes. The buttons have to be placed correctly and spaced out enough to provide an even pressure. On the braces themselves the tab should be spread wide enough to create core of a curved inverted U shape than a sharp upside down V shape. For the front buttons, place the inner button inside the waistband inline with the leg’s front crease, and the outside button around 3 inches towards the side. The rear buttons benefit from a wider placement, if they are too close together you’ll be constantly fighting a wedgie. I typically space these ones around 4 inches apart (2 inches either side of the rear centre seam).

John’s two varieties of Miracle Day trousers. The pair on the left has the buttons spaced too tightly together, the ones on the right are more appropriate.

Turn-ups:
The vast majority of Jack’s trousers have turn-ups approximately 1.5 inches tall. If you’re buying uncuffed trousers then be sure to order a leg length at least a couple of inches longer than you normally wear in order to have enough material to create the turn-ups.

Turn-ups came into fashion around the turn of the century. During WWII Britain actually banned their addition as part of fabric rationing, a policy which lasted in varying degrees of strictness from 1941 to 1949.

Turn-ups is the English term, whereas cuffs is American English.

Section Index:

By my reckoning, Captain Jack wears seventeen different pairs of trousers throughout his tenure, cut to ten different patterns.

7.1. MOD R.A.F. battledress - blue-grey (2005, 2008*)

7.2. Angels twin pleat - first pattern - medium grey (2006)
7.3. Angels twin pleat - second pattern - dark grey (2006)

7.4. Angels twin pleat - standardised pattern (2006-2008)
7.4.1. dark grey (2006-2008)

     7.4.2. medium grey (2008)
       7.4.3. navy blue pinstripe (2008)
   7.5. Angels twin pleat - fishtail (2006)
       7.5.1. dark grey (2006)
       7.5.2. dark brown (2006)
   7.6. Angels single pleat
       7.6.1. grey-beige (2008)
       7.6.2. charcoal grey (2008-2009)
       7.6.3. navy blue (2008-2010)
   7.7. Angels flat front (2006-2008)
       7.7.1. navy blue (2006-2008)
       7.7.2. dark grey (2008)

     7.7.3. medium grey (2008)
   7.8. Di Stefano flat front - navy blue (2011)
   7.9. Di Stefano flat front - fishtail - navy blue (2011)
   7.10. Unknown dark grey flat front (2020-2021)

7.1. MOD R.A.F. battledress - blue-grey:

Years Used: 2005, 2008*
When we are first introduced to the Captain, he wears pretty standard WWII era R.A.F. battledress uniform trousers. These trousers feature a natural rise (high waist), no pleats, vertical side pockets, a flapped pocket on the wearer’s front left, and two flapped back pockets (though John seems to have the flaps tucked in).

The bottom right shows a typical example from a reënactment place. The fabric on Jack’s appears to be slightly different in hue than the blouson, so they must’ve been made from different rolls of fabric rather than a perfect matching set.

Presumably he wears these trousers in the 2008 Torchwood card game photo too, as the rest of the military outfit was recreated for this photoshoot.

7.2. Angels twin pleat - first pattern - medium grey:

Years Used: 2006

For Captain Jack's introduction in his own spin-off, he wore a pair of grey trousers that were noticeably lighter than the dark grey moleskin of his coat. These trousers has the following design details:

Twin forward pleats
Slated side pockets
No rear pockets
Very full cut leg (~20 inch estimated cuff circumference)
Natural rise
Very full break
No turn-ups
Off-centre hook and eye front tab
Seven belt loops
Interior belt loops in-line with the interior pleat
Button fly

These trousers are a key part of Jack's introductory look.

These trousers were only used for the first two episodes. They were very likely the first pair created for the spin-off, with tweaks being made to the pattern for the subsequent styles produced.

Various shots showing a lot of the design details unique to this pair.

7.3. Angels twin pleat - second pattern - dark grey:

Years Used: 2006

The next pair of twin pleated trousers that Jack wears are a dark grey colour, made out of a twill weave fabric that appears to be a worsted wool flannel. Stylistically they are very similar to his previous pair, albeit with the following changes:

Vertical side pockets
Turn-ups
Full cut leg (slightly less so, I’d estimate 19 inches)
Full break (not quite as long as before)
Interior belt loops positioned between the pleats

I believe this second pattern was only used for the first series of Torchwood and some of Doctor Who's third series.

These trousers were worn in promotional photos for the first series, then intermittently throughout it. I suspect that these were made after the medium grey ones but before the later twin pleat ones where the design became more standardised.

7.4. Angels twin pleat - standardised pattern:
Years Used: 2006-2008

It seems that at some point during the first series the standard design that the twin pleated trousers were cut to was standardised. This standardised design was carried over into the trousers created for the second series. The changes were subtle, with the frontal belt loops being moved slightly closer to the centre, and the hook and eye closure being changed to a central one rather than a tab. This means that these trousers all have the following features:

Twin forward pleats
Vertical side pockets
No rear pockets
Full cut leg (~19 inch estimated cuff circumference)
Natural rise
Full break
Turn-ups
Central hook and eye front closure
Seven belt loops
Interior belt loops slightly inside the interior pleat
Button fly

7.4.1. dark grey:

Years Used: 2006-2008
These appear to be made of the exact same material as the precious dark grey ones. They were introduced during the first series of Torchwood. These trousers are actually similar enough to the other dark grey ones have been used interchangeably, during the Utopia storyline Jack starts off wearing the pearlier pair, but by the time he is imprisoned by the Master is now wearing this more standardised version.

End of Days (left) and Last of the Time Lords (right). These essentially became the standard dark grey trousers once the earlier pattern ones were phased out.

7.4.2. medium grey:

Years Used: 2008

For series two, a second pair of light grey twin pleat trousers were introduced, and appear intermittently throughout the episodes. The colour appears to match the medium grey series one trousers, but cut to the standardised twin pleat design.

Seen here in the episode Adam, Jack typically pairs these particular medium grey trousers with his cornflower blue end-on-end shirt.

7.4.3. navy blue pinstripe:

Years Used: 2008

Jack’s least commonly worn of the standardised design twin pleat trousers are a pair with subtle pinstripes that were donned for Something Borrowed, though may have been used in other episodes as indicated from the behind the scenes photo on the right. Although the dark colour is truly to gauge on-screen, a subsequent costume auction lists them as being navy blue.

As far as I’m aware, these trousers only appear in series two. However the behind the scenes photo on the right seemingly shows John wearing them with 30mm braces which were more of a series one thing, so I’m not sure.

7.5. Angels twin pleat - fishtail:
Years Used: 2006

During series one of Torchwood, Jack would occasionally wear fishtail trousers. For those who don’t know, this rear style was standard on trousers back when they were designed to be worn with braces. With the popularity of belts steadily increasing over the course of the 20th century this trouser style became far less common in the latter half, ultimately replaced with the totally level horizontal waistline modern trousers have. The fishtail feature allows the trousers to drape better, and helps prevent the shirt from untucking when sitting.

Backshots of both of the fishtail trousers, grey on the left (Greeks Bearing Gifts) and brown on the right (They Keep Killing Suzie).

Harkness’ trousers have belt loops, allowing him to wear both belt and braces with these. Save for the fishtail rear, the design of these trousers is essentially identical to his typical twin pleated trousers. The only notable difference is that the brace button on the front have a tighter spacing. Whenever he wears fishtail trousers, he always wears burgundy braces instead of his usual grey.

7.5.1. dark grey:
Years Used: 2006
The more commonly worn pair of fishtail trousers was his dark grey pair, once again in a similar colour to the greatcoat. They are worn intermittently throughout the first series and are often hard to distinguish from the non-fishtail versions when the coat is worn.

These shots show off the leg profile and break of the trousers.

7.5.2. dark brown:
Years Used: 2006
The other pair of fishtail trousers he dons is a dark brown pair, which are only seen during They Keep Killing Suzie. Photos of these from a subsequent costume display and auction show that these were half-lined and used a plain weave wool rather than the more usual twill.

Definitely an under appreciated look.

The brown and green colour scheme from this episode may be a subtle reference to Jack’s extensive service as a Captain in the British Army during the First World War. The general colour palette is somewhat reminiscent of Army uniform colours.

The outfit on display for the Made in Wales Exhibition (left) and auction listing (right).

7.6. Angels single pleat:
Years Used: 2008-2009
Starting in series two, Jack adopted single forward pleated trousers into his rotation. These are still loose legged but are slightly narrower than his twin pleated ones. The legs maintain a full break and usually have turn-ups. Further up the side pockets are forward slanting, two rear pockets are present, and so are the usual brace buttons. The navy blue pair has a button fly, so I suspect they all share this feature.

Single forward pleats (in line with the belt loop)
Slanted side pockets
Two rear pockets
Fairly full cut leg (~18 inch estimated cuff circumference)
Possibly a slightly lower rise than the twin pleated ones
Full break
Central hook and eye front closure
Seven belt loops
Interior belt loops slightly inside the interior pleat
Button fly

Although the pattern these trousers are cut to seems more or less standardised, there are a couple of design details that change between the colours:

Leg end (whether they have turn-ups or not varies)
Rear pocket style (some have double welts, others single)

7.6.1. grey-beige:
Years Used: 2008
These trousers are a bit of an oddity, appearing in only one scene in Adrift and half-hidden behind Jack’s desk. The colour appears to be somewhere in the grey-beige spectrum, but is hard to place specifically without additional reference. It is not known if these have turn-ups or not. The rear pockets appear to be single welts, there are no buttons visible below the welt, though it is possible that the pockets might be unbuttoned, hence hiding the buttons.

These are quite a bit lighter than Jack’s usual shades but I think they work well and give a bit of natural variety to his wardrobe.

If you’re looking for an alt then visually these appear essentially identical to British Military Tropical Trousers, perhaps that was the costume designer’s inspiration for these? Jack’s are just different enough that I believe they were custom made rather than being actual No2 trousers. They can be picked up cheaply from military surplus places, though the exact design around the waistband area can vary a bit so be aware of that.

Issued tropical trousers for comparison.

7.6.2. charcoal grey:
Years Used: 2008-2009

These trousers were seemingly introduced for the flashback scenes in Fragments, though given the dim lighting not all that much detail is visible. There’re one or two brief scenes in late series two where these could’ve also appeared but the way they were shot makes it tricky to confirm either way.

Shots of the series two trousers from the episode Fragments and when it was on display later on.

For post-explosion Children of Earth, Ianto sourced new trousers for Jack that were seemingly identical to the ones worn in Fragments. If they aren’t the exact same trousers then they are essentially the same.

Shots covering all the key details of the charcoal trousers seen in Children of Earth.

These trousers are the darkest grey ones that he ever wears. Unlike the other dark grey trousers that more or less match the shade of the moleskin, these charcoal ones are significantly darker than the greatcoat. The fabric is a twill weave like many of his previous ones. These trousers do not have turn-ups, and the rear pocket style is double welted with closure buttons.

7.6.3. navy blue:
Years Used: 2008-2009
These trousers appear in a lot of promotional photographs, and are by far the most commonly worn of Jack's single pleated trousers. They were introduced in the second series, and went on to be used for early Children of Earth. They are made of a navy blue wool twill, either worsted or worsted flannel. These trousers have turn-ups and buttons on the rear pockets, but whether they are single or double welt is unclear.

The lower right is a close up of the screen worn trousers, showing the twill weave.

7.7. Angels flat front:
Years Used: 2006-2008
During Torchwood’s first two series, Jack would occasionally wear a pair of trousers that were a noticeably more modern style than his usual choices. These trousers are never worn with braces and are always donned whenever the waistcoat was, though he occasionally wears them without it. I suspect that these trousers' lower rise leant that the holster could still be worn on the belt without the waistcoat getting in the way. These are the key features:

Probably cotton chino cloth
Flat front
Fairly full cut leg (~18 inch estimated cuff circumference)
Rise is a bit below the natural waist
No turn-ups
Angled side pockets
Two rear twin pleat pockets with buttons
Seven belt loops
No buttons for braces
No crease ironed into them (unlike all his wool trousers)
Button fly

Based on an auction listing, at least some of Jack’s trousers were made of cotton. These ones were probably custom made for the show, but appear to be pretty generic looking chinos. My advice would be to find a good alt by hunting for loose fitting chinos that have the same (more formal) suit trouser type design that these have. Not all chinos use the same fabric, some cheap ones nowadays are made of a thin and stiff plain weave cotton, whereas proper chino cloth is a twill fabric.

7.7.1. navy blue:
Years Used: 2006-2008

This colourway was commonly used throughout the first series. It continue to be used in the second, but was phased out around halfway trough. The belt loops on this pair are positioned slightly differently to the subsequent grey ones, along with having slightly broader loops.

These trousers are sometimes mistaken for black due to how navy blue looks through a lens.

7.7.2. dark grey:
Years Used: 2008

For the second series, Jack starts using a pair of grey flat fronted trousers in a shade that is similar to the greatcoat moleskin. As before, these are the trousers he chooses to pair with the waistcoat, but does wear them standalone on occasion.

In most promo shots of John wearing the waistcoat he wears these trousers to go with it.

7.7.3. medium grey:
Years Used: 2008

These appear to be more of a medium grey colour. They appeared in Reset and possibly other episodes too.

It's not impossible that these are the dark grey ones under different lighting, but I think the perceived shade difference is too great for that.

7.8. Di Stefano flat front - navy blue:
Years Used: 2011
The main pair of trousers worn during Miracle Day were, much like the rest of the outfit, made by Di Stefano. These are made out of a navy blue worsted wool twill fabric.

The lower two images on the right show the twill weave close up, the corner image was take with flash.

In terms of overall design these are more modern than most of the Cardiff era ones he wore. Gone are the pleats, and the rise isn’t as high as his more period looking ones. The leg profile is more of a modern loose cut than a period accurate full cut (they have a confirmed hem circumference of 17⅓ inches) though the trousers have a full break and turn-ups. There are eight belt loops, two rear twin-welt pockets, two slanted slide pickets, and seemingly a small hidden coin pocket at the base of the waistband. On the front the brace button spacing varies, some of the trousers made for the series have paired a bit close together and others are more correctly spaced.

7.9. Di Stefano flat front - fishtail - navy blue:
Years Used: 2011
The other pair of trousers used during Miracle Day were Jack’s high waisted pair. Less is seen of these so details are harder to pin down, but they appear to also be a navy blue colour with a similar sort of leg profile, break, turn-ups, etc. The most significant difference is the higher waist that this pair has, with the extra height being added above the belt loops and fastened with a visible or waistband button.

The scene on the left takes place in 2011, the right takes place in 1928.

At the rear, these trousers have a fishtail design and no pockets. This lower positioning of the belt relative to the top of the trousers gives it a somewhat gun belt or work belt look. These high waisted trousers are always paired with the brown ended braces.

7.10. Unknown flat front - dark grey:
Years Used: 2020-2021
These flat fronted trousers appear to be wool in a shade of grey similar to the greatcoat. Overall these have a similar profile to his more modern style Miracle Day ones, the leg profile is loose but not as full cut as his twin pleated ones (I'd estimate a hem circumference of around 17 inches) and the rise is also below the natural waist. As with most of his other trousers, these retain a full break, though don't appear to have any turn-ups. It is difficult to make out if there are rear pockets or not (I reckon that they probably do given the overall more modern design) however the side pockets appear to be slightly forward slanting (as is the case with modern suit type trousers). These do have brace buttons, however they are spaced very close together. Seven belt loops are present on the waistband.

Behind the scenes shots from Fugitive of the Judoon.

It’s possible that these were custom made, though they’re generic looking enough to be off-the-shelf, so any wool trousers of the same design and the right sort of loose cut would do after adding some brace buttons.