8. Shirts

Whilst Captain Jack rarely wears anything too radical in the shirt department, there are a lot of little things that come together in order to create the right sort of look for the character. Much like with the trousers section, I have attempted to catalogue every variant of shirt that John wore, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if there are one or two subtle variants that have slipped under the radar.

Click here to access the main costume index page.

If you follow the advice in these sections below then that'll give you a pretty good idea of what properties you should look for when buying an off-the-peg shirt for your outfit, or even commissioning a custom made one.

This shirt is not like his others, read on to learn the secret.

Perfect Fit:
Given that nearly all of Jack’s shirts were tailor made for John Barrowman, they tend to fit him perfectly. It is important to know what makes a shirt fit well. All too often, off-the-peg shirts are overly voluminous things that don’t follow the contours of the wearer and instead look more like something Mr. Darcy would wear. Just as grave of a sin is a shirt that is too snug, modern fashion often pushes skinny fits for everything. If you’re wearing a shirt and the buttons on the body start to strain or the arms squeeze against your biceps as you move or sit, then the shirt’s fit is too small. The trick is to have a shirt that follows the lines of your body, but is loose enough to never ever fight against you and restrict your movement.

The shirt on the left is far too tight in the upper half of the body and in the arms, you can see the fabric and button straining against the wearer. The shirt on the right is clearly too loose for the wearer, resulting in the muffin top appearance over the trousers and general billowing look.

Another tip if you ever have a shirt custom made is to have an appropriately high armhole. If the armhole is cut too low then any time you move your arms up they’ll pull the body of the shirt upwards too and untuck it. Also, if the shirt armholes are cut higher than the ones of the jacket, then when one puts a jacket on it’ll cause the sleeves to pull up the arm slightly. If this happens then the sleeves either be too long without a jacket but ok when worn with one, or ok without a jacket and too short when the wearer puts one is put on. Many mass-market shirts and suit jackets today are cut with low armholes in order to fit as many body types as possible, however this means that causes the body part to move about untidily during everyday tasks. For those who are unsure about fit, this guide gives a good idea of how to get the perfect fit.

Spearpoint Collar:
One of the key parts of Jack’s Cardiff era look is the spearpoint collar shirt. This vintage style of collar features elongated front points that are noticeably longer than modern collar styles. This collar style first came into fashion in the 1920’s, with variations in the exact proportions occurring over the next few decades.

This annotated diagram is an example of a fairly typical modern collar. The point length isn't all that different from the height of the rest of the collar and on this example the collar spread is a fairly classic distance rather than the wide spread ones that are now fairly common.

It is important to note that in a spearpoint collar, only the front points are proportionally elongated. The collar band itself and the height of the rest of the collar aren’t all that different to modern shirts. Many custom shirt makers offer larger collar styles, but they nearly always increase the other dimensions in addition to the length of the front. This results in a vaguely Harry Hill style collar that looks more like an exaggerated costume piece than a true spearpoint collar. I don’t know the exact measurements of John’s collars but if I had to estimate I’d say that 88mm (3½ inches) along the points, 42mm (1⅔ inches) tall at the back, and a collar band of 35mm (1⅜ inches) would get a collar with the right proportions. Jack’s shirts don’t use collar stays and appear to have little in the way of structure from stiffening interfacing or starch. The collar points themselves are able to bend freely.

Harry Hill's shirt collar is clearly intended to be completely over the top, but it illustrates the kind of look that can happen when enlarging all the parts of a collar as a whole. Captain Jack's screen worn shirt on the right shows how the spearpoint look is achieved by only elongating the points.

It's also important to note that not all spearpoint collars will look the same, as it's not a standardised shape or length, more just a term to describe a collar with elongated front points. Some manufacturers out there make them cartoonishly long, and others have an ultra narrow spread that'll make you look like you're cosplaying Joe Pesci's character from Goodfellas.

John posing with the costume on display at the Doctor Who Experience. This is one of the few times we get to see the shape of the collar when worn buttoned up.

Double Cuffs:

In general, Jack seems to prefer double cuffs (also known as French cuffs) on his shirts, these are the ones that are designed to be folded back on themselves and worn with cufflinks. Single cuff shirts (also known as barrel cuffs) can also be worn with cufflinks assuming there is a buttonhole on each side of the cuff. Britain actually banned double cuffs for several years during the war, as part of fabric rationing measures.

Examples of all most common cuff types. Jack generally goes for French Square, though a handful of his shirts use buttons instead.

No Placket:
Although there are a couple of exceptions to this rule, in general Jack seems to prefer his shirts made without any form of exterior button placket, this is sometimes called a French front. This makes sense as whilst a button placket will help increase symmetry when a shirt is fully buttoned up, it decreases symmetry when the collar is worn open as Jack does.

Only three of Jack's shirts feature a button placket like the one on the right.

Textured Fabric:
The majority of Jack’s shirts were made using an end-on-end weave cotton, also known as fil-à-fil. This fabric looks like a plain cotton poplin from a distance, but close up it has a very fine texture created from using two differently coloured threads as part of the weave.

An example of a light blue end-on-end cotton, a large percentage of Jack's shirts use this weave.

The result is a tastefully textured fabric that is more visually interesting and can have a slight iridescence that gets more pronounced the greater the degree of contrast in the two thread colours. A subtle texture often makes a cloth look more high end. I speculate that this was chosen in order to take advantage of the 1080i high definition cameras that were used since the first episode. Doctor Who by comparison was shot in 576i standard definition until the series four specials, meaning subtle textures like this would be invisible on-screen.

Shirt Stays:
A top tip for keeping your shirt tucked in and looking crisp all the time is to use shirt stays. These are basically elasticated straps that connect the base of your shirt to the top of your socks and pull down on the shirt to ensure it always looks crisp and stays tucked in. These are sometimes used by military personnel to maintain a sharp look. The strap sensation is a little weird at first but they really do make you look a lot tidier.

I don't know if shirt stays of this style were ever actually used in the series, but they are extremely useful in keeping oneself looking sharp. I do know however that for Miracle Day at least there was an elastic patch added to some of the shirts used during running scenes that went underneath the crotch and kept the shirt tucked in.

Left = an example of shirt stays and how they keep the shirt tucked in.
Right = a screen worn shirt from Miracle Day, with crotch piece to keep the shirt in place.

Section Index:

By my reckoning, Captain Jack Harkness wears a total of 21 distinctly different shirts over the course of all of his appearances where he wears his R.A.F. inspired outfit.

    8.1. MOD light blue - R.A.F. (2005, 2008*)
    8.2. French MOD light blue - military (2006-2008)
    8.3. Angels spearpoint collar (2006-2010)
        8.3.1. light blue (2006-2008)
            8.3.1.1. end-on-end (2006-2008)
            8.3.1.2. Oxford (2008)
        8.3.2. cornflower blue (2008-2009)
        8.3.3. royal blue (2006-2008)

            8.3.3.1. end-on-end - white buttons (2006-2008)
            8.3.3.2. poplin - grey buttons (2008)
        8.3.4. navy blue (2006-2010)
            8.3.4.1. grey buttons (2006-2010)
            8.3.4.2. white buttons (2008-2009)
        8.3.5. seafoam green (2006)

        8.3.6. steely blue - barrel cuffs (2006)

        8.3.7. white striped (2006)

    8.4. Nigel Hall blue striped (2006)

    8.5. Angels modern (2009)

        8.5.1. cornflower blue (2009)

            8.5.1.1. with placket (2009)

            8.5.1.2. without placket (2009)

        8.5.2. light blue (2009)

    8.6. Di Stefano light blue - military style (2011)
    8.7. Di Stefano royal blue (2011)
    8.8. Chester Cordite light blue - spearpoint collar (2020)

    8.9. Unknown navy blue (2021)

    8.10. Unknown light blue - large collar (2021)

8.1. MOD light blue - R.A.F.:

Years Used: 2005, 2008*
Underneath the layers of wool in his debut outfit, Captain Jack wore a light blue shirt in keeping with the uniform, though paired with a silk ascot rather than the regulation black tie.

Not much of this shirt is actually visible, but it is clearly an attached collar version (detachable collar versions were also worn during the war). It is presumably made of end-on-end cotton as this was the standard material for these shirts, a weave Jack continued to favour into the 21st century. Most of these shirts produced during this era would’ve been half-button ones rather than ones that button all the way down, though it is impossible to tell which type Jack wears. Cuff style could vary too, though Jack seems to have barrel cuffs, which makes sense as double cuffs would get crushed by the blouson's narrow cuffs.

This is probably the most that is ever visible of this shirt.

Pretty much any light blue shirt with a similar collar will work for this look, but reënactment places do sell proper replicas of the WWII style shirt. To be honest given that the cuff style looks angled rather than rounded this leads me to believe that the screen worn one is a random modern light blue shirt rather than a proper uniform piece, but for the purposes of the episode it is meant to be a R.A.F. shirt and given the real-world variation in them it would likely not raise any eyebrows.


8.2. French MOD light blue - military:

Years Used: 2006-2008
With the advent of his own spinoff series, Captain Jack wore a new shirt that was very much in keeping with his uniform look. These are the main features:

• Light blue end-on-end cotton
• Two hole transparent buttons
• Standard shaped modern collar
• No button placket
• One button rounded end barrel cuffs
• Shoulder straps (the braces are worn over these)
• Two flapped chest pockets (though not the same design as those found on an equivalent R.A.F. shirt)
• No rear pleats
• Rear darts
• 6 button opening
• Sleeves that are about a couple of inches too short for Barrowman (though he usually wears it rolled up)
• No button on sleeve placket

"Come on! She was going to say, "Here's your pizza." and I was going to say, "How much?" and she says "Oh whatever, 20 quid." and I say, "Oh, I don't have any money.". I was working on a punch line. I hadn't got there, but it would've been good."

This shirt was used with a variety of outfits across the first two series. In the top right image you can see the sleeve length is short on Barrowman.

After many years of believing this to be a custom made one that combines aspects of R.A.F. and U.S.A.F. shirt design, I was by chance able to identify it! It turns out that the screen worn shirt is from the French Air Force, albeit one of a particular vintage as the ones that are currently issued are not quite the same as Jack's. Fortunately, I have managed to find a limited stock of 100% screen accurate vintage shirts! This is the first time that these have been available, they are priced at £39 and can be supplied in most sizes. If you want one of these then email me here or send a message via my Instagram.

One of my screen accurate shirts, get in touch if you want one!

This shirt was popular throughout the first series and returned in the second during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s flashbacks in Fragments. So he has canonically owned been wearing it since before becoming the head of Torchwood Three.

A closer look at some of the fine details, such as the distinctive pocket shape, textured fabric, and cuff style.

Note that in 2017 France changed the name of their Ministry of Defence to Ministry of Armed Forces. As the former was correct at the time of this shirt's creation I will be sticking with that one. I'm not sure the precise era this exact style of shirt was introduced or discontinued within the service but I suspect it to be 1990's to 2000's era.


8.3. Angels spearpoint collar:
Years Used: 2006-2010
Nearly all of the shirts worn by Barrowman during his Cardiff era were made by Angels to a vintage spearpoint design. These Angels shirts had the following details:

• Spearpoint collar (non-detachable)
• Double cuffs (with the sole exception of the steely blue shirt)
• No external button placket
• No pleats at the rear
• No pockets
• Rear darts to give the middle a more tailored fit
• One piece rear yoke (usually, for some shirts a two piece yoke was used)
• 7 button opening
• Button on the sleeve placket

    8.3.1. light blue:
     Years Used: 2006-2010
This colour of shirt was probably the one most commonly worn during Jack’s Cardiff era. From what I can tell it was made it two slightly different versions, both used white buttons.

        8.3.1.2. end-on-end:
        Years Used: 2006-2010
In keeping with WWII R.A.F. uniform shirts, the cotton is an end-on-end weave giving it a tasteful texture when viewed up close. Of the two types of light blue, this is the more commonly used.

This and the navy shirt are probably the most commonly selected ones during the second series.

        8.3.1.2. Oxford:
        Years Used: 2008
It seems that some of the light blue shirts were made of an Oxford cotton. Unlike the end-on-end cotton, this fabric is woven from a single colour and is slightly thicker. This texture can be seen in certain scenes when watching From Out of the Rain on blu-ray, as it can sometimes look more like twill under sub-optimal viewing conditions. This weave of shirt might’ve been worn in other episodes too.

The Oxford cloth's texture is just visible in the photo on the right.

    8.3.2. cornflower blue:
     Years Used: 2008-2009
This shirt is essentially identical to the light blue shirt, right down to the end-on-end weave, just in a slightly darker shade of blue. The difference is not always apparent given there isn’t much between the two. From what I can tell, this colour was worn in the first two series of a Torchwood, plus probably the 1965 scenes in Children of Earth, though I can't be totally sure of that given the scene's lighting conditions.

Shots from Adam. This shirt is sometimes mistaken for the lighter blue one given how the shades aren't massively different.

    8.3.3. royal blue:
     Years Used: 2006-2008
Jack’s royal blue shirts make several appearances over the first two series.

        8.3.3.1. end-on-end - white buttons:
        Years Used: 2006-2008
Although not always visible in-episode, the first of Jack’s royal blue shirts featured an end-on-end weave which gave it a subtle texture. This shirt can be more easily distinguished by the white buttons. This shirt was used for the first two series of Torchwood.

Shots from Countrycide, the image on the left shows the texture of the cotton.

        8.3.3.2. poplin - grey buttons:
        Years Used: 2008
For the second series a new royal blue shirt was introduced. This kind used a cotton poplin and can be distinguished from the other from its smoky grey buttons. It is prominently featured in Something Borrowed.

Shots from Something Borrowed.

    8.3.4. navy blue:
     Years Used: 2006-2010
The darkest of Jack’s shirts were his navy blue ones. Both were cut the the same pattern, with the only discernible difference being the button colour. These shirts were sometimes used interchangeably by the costume department, as the button colour changes between scenes in the third series. The fabric appears to have no discernible texture, so is likely cotton poplin.

        8.3.4.1. grey buttons:
        Years Used: 2006-2010
This version was the first one that was introduced (during series one), it has smoky grey buttons. This shirt can occasionally be mistaken for the white button one under certain lighting conditions, as the buttons have a smooth finish that reflects light easily.

This shirt had the greatest longevity amongst Jack's collection.

        8.3.4.2. white buttons:
        Years Used: 2008-2009
This appears to be identical to other version, just with white buttons. It was introduced in the second series.

Notice how the buttons look white even when not reflecting studio lights.

    8.3.5. seafoam green:
     Years Used: 2006
Whilst Jack is known for wearing various shades of blue, for the first series of Torchwood he also donned a seafoam green shirt on several occasions. The material is Jack’s preferred end-on-end cotton, which is somewhat uncommon in this colour. The buttons are white in colour.

Left = They Keep Killing Suzie
Right = Out of Time
Hands = on hips

This shirt was first seen in They Keep Killing Suzie paired with brown trousers, though was later worn in Out of Time paired with dark grey trousers. It made its last appearance in Combat when Jack visits Owen in the hospital towards the end of the episode.

A shot of the screen used shirt that shows the end-on-end texture.

Although this is speculation on my part, it is possible that this shirt (along with the brown trousers) was intended to channel the colour palette of British Army uniform. Jack was canonically a veteran of many battles of the First World War, serving as a Captain in the British Army.

    8.3.6. steely blue - barrel cuffs:
     Years Used: 2006
A shirt frequently worn by Barrowman during the first series was a steely blue one that he usually paired with his waistcoat, though was also worn standalone (Greeks Bearing Gifts). It is made out of end-on-end cotton with white buttons.

The top right image nicely shows the subtle iridescence that end-on-end weaves can achieve.

This one is identical to all his other Angels spearpoint collar shirts, save for having one button barrel cuffs with a curved end instead of the usual double cuffs. The curve has a smaller radius than most, which seems typical of Angels’ barrel cuff shirts from the brief period where they sold them on their website. I did try to contact Angels about the possibility of ordering these, but received no reply.

A screencap from 2020 when Angels seemingly sold these through this website.

    8.3.7. white striped - unknown cuffs:
     Years Used: 2006
This shirt was only seen during Greeks Bearing Gifts during a single scene. It appears to be made to the same pattern as the Angels spearpoint shirts, which leads me to believe that this is another one made by them (though I can't be 100% sure). Unfortunately the cuffs are never seen due to the sleeves being rolled up. The material is a white cotton with a repeating pattern of blue and red stripes.

I assume this was made to try out the striped shirt look but wasn't as popular as solid blues, hence why it was only seen once. Personally I think it gives some realistic variation to Jack's wardrobe.

8.4. Nigel Hall blue striped:
Years Used: 2006
This is one of two striped shirts that was worn by Jack, seen in the series one episodes Random Shoes and Out of Time. The features are:

• Light blue cotton with darker stripes (in two shades)
• Modern collar
• No button placket (though a seam is present that acts as a discontinuity in the striped pattern and brings the lines closer together in this area)
• Rounded end barrel cuffs (though worn with cufflinks)
• Two piece rear yoke with diagonal stripes
• White buttons
• 7 button opening

This one is definitely the boldest of Jack's shirts.

Based on a description from an auction listing, this shirt was made by Nigel Hall. This brand has manufactured a great deal of shirts over the years, and as far as I’m aware nobody has ever found one in the wild.

8.5. Angels modern:
Years Used: 2006
For Jack’s post-explosion Children of Earth outfit, Barrowman wore three slightly different variations of a fairly generic looking blue shirt. Based on the overall look of it I suspect these were made by Angels, as it looks a lot like his earlier shirts, but with a few tweaks to make it more modern looking (as in-episode Ianto bought it in a shop). That being said I can't guarantee it, these do look like they were made bespoke as they have no visible brand label sewn onto the inside.

The collar has been swapped from a spearpoint shape to a smaller modern style with a wider spread, much like the later Miracle Day shirts. The cuffs are also a one button barrel style rather than his favoured cufflink style, though the shape of the end style does seem to change between shirts. Overall, these shirts are probably the easiest to find decent off-the-peg alts for. All three were exclusively used in the third series.

Photo taken from an auction showing three of the cornflower blue Children of Earth shirts, note the collar shape of them compared to the two spearpoint collar shirts.

    8.5.1. cornflower blue:
     Years Used: 2009
Both of the shirts made in this colour seem to use identical end-on-end cotton fabric. The shade is a slightly more vivid version of cornflower blue compared to the spearpoint collar one that was introduced in the second series.

        8.5.1.1. no placket:
        Years Used: 2009
Starting on Day Three, Jack wears a shirt with no button placket, and unfortunately the end style of the barrel cuffs is never seen directly.

This is the first post-explosion shirt of Children of Earth.

        8.5.1.2. with placket:

        Years Used: 2009
At some point off-screen after hurriedly leaving the makeshift base and talking to Frobisher on the phone, Jack changes into a shirt made out of identical fabric to the previous one. In terms of design, this version has a button placket and squared ends to the button cuffs. This is actually the first time that jack wears a shirt with a button placket.

This is the second post-explosion shirt of Children of Earth.

    8.5.2. light blue:
     Years Used: 2009
This shirt is worn for Day Four and Day Five, it is made out of a light blue end-on-end cotton and has rounded barrel cuffs. Unlike the previous two shirts, this one is featured in the promotional photos for Children of Earth.

This is the third post-explosion shirt of Children of Earth.

8.6. Di Stefano light blue - military style:
Years Used: 2011
With Jack’s new outfit came a brand new shirt. This one doesn’t appear to be based on any particular military’s uniform, but is militaristic in style.

• Light blue cotton poplin
• White buttons
• Modern collar (dimensions on image below)
• No button placket
• Shoulder flaps (this time his braces are worn under the straps)
• Two rounded base unflapped chest pockets
• Double cuffs (with a very subtle fine speckle pattern printed inside, so not normally visible)
• One piece rear yoke
• Twin darts running the entire length of the back panel
• 8 button opening
• Button on the sleeve placket

Whereas on Jack's previous military shirt that he wore the brace straps over the shirt's shoulder straps, on this one he always wears the braces underneath the straps of the shirt.

Screen used shirt from The Blood Line, featuring authentic damage from the episode.

Some of the closer details from the screen worn shirt. The modern style collar features a point length of 2¾ inches and a spread of 4½ inches. Inside the double cuffs is a printed cotton with a very subtle speckled pattern.

8.7. Di Stefano royal blue:
Years Used: 2011
Another shirt by Di Stefano, this one appears to be cut the the same design as the light blue one but with the following changes:

• Royal blue end-on-end cotton
• Matching coloured buttons
• No pockets
• No shoulder straps
• Barrel cuffs (one button, rounded end)

Screencaps from Immortal Sins.

This one only appeared for the 1920’s scenes in Immortal Sins. The overall design of this shirt is quite modern, so it looks rather anachronistic in that setting.

Screen used shirt from when it was sold by Propabilia.

8.8. Chester Cordite light blue - spearpoint collar:
Years Used: 2020
With Jack’s long awaited return came a new shirt. For Fugitive of the Judoon a light blue 3½ inch spearpoint collar shirt from Chester Cordite was used. This was available from their website between 2019 and 2021, and is now unfortunately discontinued in this fabric, though other shirts are still available cut to the same design.

The dim lighting and liberal lens flare make gathering good screencaps a challenge.

Much like his earlier light blue shirts, this one uses an end-on-end weave cotton (poly-cotton blend this time to be precise) and white buttons. Unlike his Angels shorts however, the Chester Cordite features a subtle button placket, chest pocket, rounded one button barrel cuffs (that had buttonholes on both sides and were worn with cufflinks in-episode so probably had the buttons removed), and pleats in the rear. This shirt is only the second time that Captain Jack wears one with a button placket, and the very first time that he wears one with a lone chest pocket.

The screen accurate shirt, as pictured on the Chester Cordite website.

8.9. Unknown navy blue:
Years Used: 2021
For his more concrete appearance in Revolution of the Daleks, Jack wore a navy blue shirt. Due to the dim lighting and lack of behind the scenes photos there isn’t much information about this shirt, even details like the cuff style are unknown. From what is visible however, it has a button placket, and no chest pockets. The collar is hard to gauge precisely due to being partially covered by the coat, but I would say that it is probably not quite as long as his usual spearpoint style collars, but appears to be more forward pointing (narrower spread) than something like his Miracle Day shirt collars. It could be a spearpoint style collar however, so aim more for that sort of look than a wider spread small modern collar.

As far as I can tell, there is no texture visible to this fabric. The button placket is visible in the top right image.

Given the lack of a visible texture, I believe the material is a cotton poplin, and the buttons are a smoky dark grey. I suspect that this shirt was purchased off-the-peg rather than being bespoke. This shirt marks the third and final time Jack wears one with a button placket. Given that the design is fairly generic, one might be able to source something similar off-the-peg. Although the collar appears to be not as long as his spearpoint ones, try to avoid the tiny collar shirts or spread collar ones that one often sees in cheaper shops.

The shot on the right is pretty much the only time we get to see the chest area, showing an absence of any pocket.

8.10. Unknown light blue - large collar:
Years Used: 2021
For his cut scene in Time Fracture, Barrowman wore a hitherto unseen light blue shirt with white buttons. At first I believed it to be the Chester Cordite from his 2020 appearance, but after examining a behind the scenes photo this shirt lacks the distinctive texture. After a little bit of searching I was able to find a better photo.

From this photo, the cotton appears to be a plain weave.

For this shirt, the fabric appears to be untextured, suggesting that it’s made from cotton poplin or similar fine weave. It has no button placket, or chest pocket (unlike the Chester Cordite), and I believe double cuffs (although these are only partially visible). The collar looks a little different to his typical spearpoints on this one though, seemingly slightly higher at the back and with a thicker collar band which sizes up the whole collar and gives the front less of a distinct point. I don’t know the origin of this shirt but this sort of collar is what you get when you size up a collar on a lot of those online custom shirt creation websites, a larger collar overall rather than a spearpoint one.

The absence of a pocket confirms that this is not the Chester Cordite. These photos also illustrate the general largeness of this collar. These images were taken from this YouTube video.

Given the overall larger size (rather than the more distinct spearpoint), this shirt could probably be replicated fairly accurately from one of the aforementioned types of custom shirt makers. If using iTailor then by selecting a French collar and then adjusting it up to around 3½ inches on the size option just below would yield a similar looking result. Alternately, on a site like ModernTailor then the Italian collar option will channel the right sort of look. No matter what site you use, I always suggest sending garment measurements from one of your preëxisting shirts that fits the way you want it. Often with these sites they ask for body measurements, which are open to interpretation for a shirt and may result in unexpected results such as weirdly tight arms. Sending garment measurements to copy is much more reliable and many places that only take body measurements on their website will do garment measurements instead so long as you email them asking about it.

7. Trousers

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, in the Angels trousers it appears to be a white or off-white cotton. For those looking for a good source of worsted flannel then Harrisons Burley have some excellent and reasonably priced options, a two metre length of which would be sufficient to create trousers in any normal size.


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.

Shots from Revolution of the Daleks, the slimmer leg profile and lack of cuffs is apparent in the right hand photo.