Leading us off is a Magnoli Baker frock coat, with assorted items that make up the entire outfit. Magnoli Clothiers is a bespoke tailoring operation that operates out of New Zealand. They specialize in older style clothing, but also do made-to-measure reproductions of articles of clothing that they take commissions for. Aside from a number of Who related items, they also have a number of James Bond, Joker, Marvel and Indiana Jones items. Many of their suits are based on patterns from late 19th century to mid 20th century and they are very well made items.I have a number of suits from them and they are very worth the money. As I lost some weight over the past couple of years, I am able to make adjustments in the clothes I get from them by speaking with Indy.
One of the problems with an item like the Season 16/17 Baker frock is that the original screen used jacket was made explicitly for TV, and hence does not work as a standard coat for most people. The screen coat was not made to button, and was made from a heavy Harris Tweed tweed fabric. The lapels were meant to stay in place to accommodate the scarf and the collar was made to flip up and stay in place.
That being said, although not being overly screen accurate, this is a wonderful Victorian frock. You can always ask for changes via Indy, and he will does his best to make the jacket a different way. The material is much thinner than a tweed, and is a flowing material with the weight of the fabric. The pattern is a waffle like cross pattern with a base of grey and chocolate brown lines. The trim and piping is also chocolate brown and extends from the lapels down to the bottom of the coat. The pockets are all trimmed with this piping as well.
The coat has 4 exterior pockets, like the screen version. The top two are near the bottom button line, while the bottom two (this is where Baker put his hat) are lower. They should more to the rear of the coat, however as a more practical matter they are in a position that is easy to reach while wearing.
In the top picture you can see the collar flipped up and the scarf behind the lapels. Here the coat is buttoned up, like a frock would be in normal wear (right). Note the three button holes on each lapel. This is where Baker would pin various items depending on the serial. This also gives a clear shot of the bottom pockets.Overall this is a very good coat, depending on your preference for screen authenticity. I really liked the coat as it is and did not request any changes. I believe it stands well on it's own as something that makes a statement while wearing. Because I don't wear my screen authentic items day to day, this is a perfect item for wearing frequently. I have also assembled a standard outfit around it, made up of normal items of clothing that I have.
Baker wore several vests during his run on the show, and an enlightened eBay purchase gave me this vest (below) which has an English feel and has a general cross pattern in it. It's nowhere near the vest that was introduced in Season 13, but it has a nice feel and works well with the frock.
 |
| Shot of the back. Princess seams go to the buttons but they buttons should be closer. |
The trousers are Lands End, a US clothing company that is now owned by Sears. They do largely mail and Internet ordering, and their clothes are generally considered good quality. They also generally sell un-hemmed trousers, so if you are looking for a specific length that is hard to find, they can do it. These are a chocolate brown corduroy that matches the collar and piping of the frock well.
Standard white dress shirt, or sometimes a light blue, round this out. I don't yet have a pair of tall boots, so I generally wear a brown pair of dress shoes and brown dress socks to do with this. All in all, this is a great way to go out and unless I take the scarf, no one knows that it's a cobbled together Tom Baker. This frock is perfect for dinners out or drinks at the club. Light enough to be work inside, but enough of a coat to wear except when it is really cold.
The crown jewel of my Tom Baker costuming is a custom made Ultimate Frock coat that looks exactly like the screen version. Future posting will have that. I need to find a pair of trousers that work well with it.
 |
| Has anyone seem my scarf? |
 |
| Ah, much better! |
Breakdown:
Shoes: standard brown dress shoes
Socks: standard dark brown dress socks
Trousers: Lands End Chocolate corduroy trousers, wide wale.
Shirt: Lands End white or blue dress shirt
Vest: eBay tan windowpane vest, 4 button.
Frock: Magnoli Clothiers Baker frock
Scarf: Season 16/17 scarf, purchased from Etsy.
