Jenna Coleman bid farewell to Doctor Who back in 2015, but five years later, Clara Oswald remains one of the most beloved companions of the new series (if not all time). Part of Clara’s appeal was the multi-faceted nature of her characterization, and the growth fans witnessed from her throughout her two-and-a-half season stint on the series.
spurred on many new cosplayers and audiences even mimicked the style in their day-to-day. However, even Clara had her wardrobe malfunctions.
Best: Yellow Jumper (Time of the Doctor)
While visiting the Papal Mainframe, Clara sports a holographic outfit that consists of a mustard yellow jumper and a black leather skirt. While the outfit isn’t on screen as much as her other outfit in the Christmas Special, it made enough of an impact that it appeared in a promotional poster for the episode.
The outfit is very classically Clara (a feat, considering the outfit was presumably curated by the Doctor, as he’s the one who gave Clara the holographic clothes in the first place), featuring her signature peter-pan collar that she was so fond of in her first half-series.
Worst: Plaid Overcoat (Into The Dalek)
After their adventure in repairing Rusty the Dalek, the Doctor returns Clara to Coal Hill School so she can attend the retirement party for another teacher (and meet up with Danny Pink). Before Clara leaves the TARDIS, she changes into a red blouse, black skirt, and a large patterned overcoat.
Upon first glance, the outfit is cute enough, but the silhouette ruins its appeal. The overcoat is much too large for Clara (this effect is added by the jacket’s shoulder pads), and her red blouse doesn’t blend well against the jacket. Had the jacket been tailored better, or paired with a different shirt, this outfit would have stood out much better. That said, Clara’s purse is this look’s saving grace.
Best: Printed Blouse (Bells of Saint John)
The Doctor temporarily leaves Clara following their first adventure and returns to the Maitland’s house (presumably) a few days later. Until she notices the TARDIS parked outside, Clara is seemingly about to sit down to read and relax.
Her outfit here (a cream-colored animal print blouse with a loose dark cardigan, button-up black shorts, tights, and cute ankle boots) is pure Clara, if not dressed down compared to the rest of her attire in season seven. It’s only on-screen for a few minutes, but the style is very reminiscent of her wardrobe in the next season.
Worst: Leather Jacket, Jumper & Dress (Magician’s Apprentice)
This is an outfit that could’ve been spectacular, however, it’s the tragic victim of too many layers. The episode begins with Clara teaching a class on Jane Austen before she notices a plane frozen in the sky. In this scene, Clara has her green polka-dot dress paired with a pretty gray jumper, which works so far.
But once Clara goes to visit UNIT Headquarters, she throws on a leather jacket on top of the jumper, and it throws the look off. There are some shots in the following episode ("The Witch’s Familiar," which follows Missy and Clara as they try to find the Doctor on Skaro) where Clara has the leather jacket zipped up so you can’t see the jumper and, again, it looks so much better.
Best: Red Dress, Cardigan, and Jacket (Bells of Saint John)
Ironically enough, this outfit has the same layers as Clara’s outfit from the series nine two-parter, but to greater effect. When audiences are introduced to Clara for the first time, she’s dressed in a long, pretty red dress paired with tights and ankle boots.
As the episode goes on, Clara begins to pair this with other layers. To start with, as she and the Doctor are talking from her window, she’s added a light, loose gray cardigan to the look. By the time she decides to sit out for tea with the Doctor, she adds a green cargo jacket. The slow build-up of layers and loose lines make this outfit an instant classic.
Worst: Denim Shirt (The Girl Who Died)
After temporarily saving one race from war, the Doctor and Clara land on Earth and are immediately captured by a group of Vikings and taken to their village, where alien shenanigans soon ensue.
During the beginning of the episode, Clara just wears an orange spacesuit but eventually changes into a blue denim shirt and black skinny jeans (and adds a Viking vest). There's nothing wrong with the outfit specifically, but it feels rather lackluster compared to Clara's usual style.
Best: Green Geometric Dress (Dark Water)
This outfit of Clara's is an interesting one, as it was used mostly for promotional photos and tie-in products for the eighth season, and was only seen on the show for a few scenes.
The green printed dress is first seen in “the Caretaker” while Clara is speaking with a suspicious acting Doctor. It's seen again and more prominently at the beginning of “Dark Water” as Clara prepares to tell Danny she loves him over the phone until he's tragically struck and killed by a car.
Worst: Purple Suit (Time Heist)
Clara in a suit is an excellent concept, especially as it visually compares her to her foil, the Doctor, however, the “Time Heist” suit failed in execution. The way that it’s styled in the episode simply makes it look frumpy, especially with the blazer.
The outfit also turns up in some of the promotional photos for the season without the jacket, and it looks leagues better than it does in the show.
Best: 20's Dress (Mummy on The Orient Express)
After their fight in “Kill The Moon,” Clara agrees to go on one last trip with the Doctor, who takes her to a recreated Orient Express — in space.
To fit in with the 20's aesthetic, Clara wears a gorgeous flapper dress with black and gold accents and embroidery. It's a stunning look, matched well with her elbow-high gloves and short hair.
Worst: Black Coat (The Zygon Inversion)
There's no denying that this outfit is stunning: the black and white combination of the jacket and the blouse makes Clara's red lipstick pop, but the look doesn't feel like Clara — which works in hindsight, as her Zygon duplicate wears it the most.
However, the overall vibe of the outfit matches up better with something Missy would wear — whose aesthetic is totally different from Clara's.