Styleforum › Forums › Men's Style › Men's Clothing › Sherlock Homes 2 wardrobe: accurate?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Sherlock Homes 2 wardrobe: accurate?

post #1 of 8
12/20/11 at 12:19am
Thread Starter 
I just saw the 2nd Guy Richie-directed Sherlock Holmes movie last weekend. The action and the costumes were good fun. Jude Law in particular looks great walking around London in his grey tweed suit. However, I swear I've read that professional men - especially doctors - of that era in London always wore black in town, and tweed was for the country. Does anyone know if this look is period correct?
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 8
12/20/11 at 4:55pm
Dr. Watson customarily wore appropriate city wear in the city--e.g., frock coat and topper--and country clothes in the country. Sherlock did the same. I note that in the advertisements and coming attractions, Sherlock appears much of the time with an open-necked shirt and stubble beard, I suppose to make him more empathetic to contemporary audiences.

In the Sidney Padget illustrations of the original Sherlock Holmes stories, Sherlock always wears a bowtie (an old-fashioned kind where the ends tuck under the shirt collar), and Watson always wears an ascot (the formal kind, not what the British call a "day cravat"). The only time Sherlock does not appear wearing a bowtie is when he is in disguise or wearing his dressing gown.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 8
12/20/11 at 8:53pm
In the The BBC Series starring Jeremy Brett (1984- 1994) Sherlock Holmes usually wore
a frock coat and a top hat in the City. Dr Watson also dressed formally. Outside of London, tweeds were the rule.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes_(1984_TV_series)
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 8
12/20/11 at 9:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by comrade View Post


y wore
a frock coat and a top hat in the City. Dr Watson also dressed formally.

But a frock coat wouldn't have been formal in this time period.

Is the OP asking what fictional characters wore in works of fiction? Or what real people wore?
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 8
12/20/11 at 9:15pm
Stubble was common as men didn't shave as often. Dress was looser as the suit was not fully developed. The "rules" had not solidified in mens clothing. So yes with some liberty it is accurate.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 8
12/20/11 at 9:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicola View Post

But a frock coat wouldn't have been formal in this time period.
Is the OP asking what fictional characters wore in works of fiction? Or what real people wore?

Holmes was clearly a member of the upper class. He would have worn a frock coat, etc.
Since he is always portrayed without mustache or beard, which was very common in the Victorian Era,
he would have been clean shaven, except for perhaps longer sideburns.

"real people" were the 99 %
Edited by comrade - 1/12/12 at 9:36pm
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 8
12/20/11 at 9:37pm
You guys are missing the point.

The OP doesn't seem to be asking what some guy in a book wore. Forget the books.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 8
12/21/11 at 10:44am
Thread Starter 
That's right, my question was more about the clothes, specifically Jude Law's tweed suit, that were worn in the movie, not the illustrated books or older TV shows. However, I'm still finding all this info pretty interesting. Anyway, what I'm gathering is that the Watson of Doyle's novels would have been dressed in a period-correct black frock coat while in town, so the very nice looking suit in Guy Richie's movie is not quite accurate. Yes?
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Men's Clothing
Styleforum › Forums › Men's Style › Men's Clothing › Sherlock Homes 2 wardrobe: accurate?