Roaming about time and space is all very well and good, but it's important to wear something practical, functional, and unlikely to make you trip as you run for your life. Sometimes the Doctor has recognized this and dressed accordingly; other times he threw caution to the time winds and just wore whatever he happened to find in the wardrobe that attracted his attention. The First and Second Doctors were prime examples of functional outfits--short jackets that couldn't get caught on anything pointed or get grabbed from behind and sturdy shoes that served them well no matter the terrain. The Third Doctor got a little more flamboyant with his attire, but he still stayed within certain functional parameters; boots were sturdy and provided him with stability for all of that Venusian akido, and his outfit in general was one that allowed freedom of movement, again something extremely important for a Doctor as physically active as the Third. As the show continued, though, it seemed that some of the Doctors abandoned functionality in favor of style. The Fourth Doctor's scarf certainly wasn't the most practical aspect of his outfit; it was only a matter of time before he tripped on it or got it caught in a door--and it was really just begging for a villain to come along and use it to drag the Doctor off. The same could be said for the Tenth Doctor's coat; the way it flapped about could slow him down while running, and someone could have easily grabbed it from behind the way it streamed out.
Paula Luther hails from Pennsylvania and has been an avid Whovian since 2008. She enjoys writing (obviously), reading, dancing, video editing, and building websites. She has also self-published two books on Amazon, "Bart the Bard" and "Android Mae and Other Stories".
