The Sherlock Mystery: The Movies And Shows VS The Original Stories

The Clothing of Sherlock Then and Now

Holmes had Sherlock dressed as a proper, modern (for those times) English gentleman. That meant an Ulster coat, and the deerstalker, smoking jackets, and top hats. Doyle wrote about Sherlock’s clothes much more than he wrote about his accessories, although he definitely included them on occasion. The illustrations were by nature more packed with those details.

On the show, Sherlock, Cumberbatch as Holmes wears a coat modeled on the 18th-century greatcoat, with high, stiffened collar and wide lapels. Without a cape, it has double-breasted front and pleated, belted back which provide plenty of motion. In the book, Holmes wore a cravat. In the show, Holmes wears a scarf.