How to Dress Like BBC’s Sherlock Holmes

I know not everyone will agree, but BBC's Sherlock is definitely my favorite interpretation of Sherlock Holmes.  The modern take on the classic also makes it feel more relatable, in my opinion.

And even though I liked the movies with Robert Downey Jr., I think Benedict Cumberbatch does a better job, and physically fits the part much better.  

Anyway, I'm not reviewing the show, I'm going over Sherlock's clothing, which the costume department did an awesome job on.  There is so much information out there on it that coming up with a Sherlock costume (or even incorporating his style into your own) isn't too difficult.

Sherlock Holmes' Coat

Sherlock's coat is definitely his most recognizable piece of clothing.  According to Sherlockology, the original coat was made by Belstaff, but it's no longer in production.

Since Sherlock is such a popular show, there are actually quite a few different replicas to choose from.  My personal choice is this replica coat.  It has really great reviews, and the material and look are spot on.

I really do love the look of this jacket, which is really more of a trench coat in it's style.  The costume department did a great job in picking the Belstaff.  It not only would work great for a costume/cosplay, but it's high quality and warmth make it an excellent coat to actually wear when it's cold out.

If you're dead set on owning the exact coat Sherlock wears, your only choices are used clothing stores, or constantly checking Ebay.

Sherlock's Suit

Like the rest of his wardrobe, Sherlock's suit stays the same throughout the series.  It's a pretty simple suit - two piece, two button and black in color.

Sherlock's suit is made by Spencer Hart, but of course is no longer in production.  I really don't think this is a big deal though, as far as any sort of cosplay or costume goes, an exact match isn't really needed.

Mr. Holmes' suit fits him well, which (other than the basic style and color) is the most important thing to match, in my opinion.  

When it comes to suits, I always suggest going to a brick and mortar, but of course you can always get away with an online purchase if you're confident in your measurements.  This two piece suit by Salvatore (in black) would be a pretty good choice.  It has plenty of sizes and is relatively inexpensive (for a suit).

Dress Shoes

Again, thanks to Sherlockology, we know that the exact shoes Sherlock wears are Yves Saint Laurent oxfords.  You won't find them new anywhere, but as with the suit, I don't think you need an exact match.

I did try to find a pair of black oxfords that look as close to Sherlock's shoes as possible.  The biggest thing here are the perforation details.  Color is obviously easy to match, but the design details of these Bostonian oxfords look very close to Sherlock Holmes' oxfords.

Dress Shirt

While Sherlock does have different shirts he wears, the main color he sticks with is the classic white.  You probably already own a white dress shirt, but if not, I suggest this J. VER slim-fit dress shirt.

The most notable shirt Sherlock wears is his Dolce & Gabbana purple dress shirt.  It's not made anymore, which is a shame.  It's one of Sherlock's few pieces of clothing that would be nice to get an exact match on.

To get the color correct on this shirt, you may be better off with a brick and mortar store again here.  However, I did find this dark purple dress shirt that looks to match the color of Sherlock's very closely.  The actual color of the shirt is a bit darker than it appears in the picture.

Sherlock's Scarf & Other Accessories

Finally we come to the small detail pieces that really bring Sherlock's style together.  Sherlock's scarf is a definite must-have for any Sherlock costume/cosplay.

Like with most of Sherlock's clothing/accessories, there are plenty of replica scarves to choose from.  I really do like this navy blue scarf, it is almost a perfect match.

My favorite match to Sherlock's scarf is this one by TZ Promise in navy.  It's not a replica, but it looks very close, and isn't as wide as the replica above.

Deer Stalker Hat

Even though Sherlock doesn't wear his hat very often in the show, it's definitely a must-have for a Sherlock costume.  I really love how the show's writers/creators decided to go with the classic Sherlock Holmes hat - randomly grabbing a hat right before he's photographed by the press.

For the hat, there are actually a lot of options.  Since Sherlock's costume department went with the classic Sherlock hat, replicas are everywhere, both those based on BBC's show, and the original.

Like I said, there are plenty of options here, but my top two pics are this one by Heavyoff, and this one by Elope.  Both of them have great reviews, and are also pretty inexpensive.

Detective Gloves

Sherlock's gloves are an item by Paul Smith, which of course are out of production.  His gloves are black leather on the outside, wool-lined on the inside, and have small holes at the knuckles.

There are plenty of different gloves you could go with here, but I personally really like these Alepo gloves.  They're not quite as detailed in stitching as Sherlock's, but otherwise fit the bill well.

Pocket Magnifier

The modern take on the traditional Sherlock Holmes magnifying glass, the folding pocket magnifier.  Another really cool, modern adaptation.  There are plenty of options with this too, but I'd recommend this Sherlock replica.  

If you're not buying one based off of the show, odds are it's meant more for reading (most of them only magnify 2 or 3x).

Mr. Holmes' Watch

The actual watch used on the show is a Rotary GS02424-21.  If you live in the UK (or can otherwise order from UK-based websites), then you're in luck, because you can get the exact watch here.

For everyone else, you can check out Ebay (at the time of this writing, there were plenty available), or go with another Rotary model that looks very similar, like this one.

Sherlock's Robe

The robe Sherlock wears is made by Derek Rose, and (surprise surprise!) it's no longer made.  However...this satin robe looks almost identical to me.  

If you'd just like a robe that looks pretty close to Sherlock's without breaking the bank, I think this fleece, royal blue robe looks really close.