The Belstaff 'Milford' Coat is made from pure Irish wool tweed
bonded with a sophisticated, ultra-light microporous film, to make
it waterproof without altering the natural qualities of comfort and
breathability.
BAFTA winning costume designer Ray Holman was responsible for
the costume design in the pilot episode of Sherlock, setting the
tone for Sherlock's look and choosing what is arguably the most
popular wardrobe piece of the series.
Three identical coats were purchased for the series. This is
common practice in case one is damaged or lost during filming, and
of course one to be worn by a stunt double. The costume department
later added the red buttonhole detail on each of the coats.
Belstaff originally discontinued the coat, but after the success
of Sherlock and the amount of enquiries they had regarding it, they
re-launched it again in August 2010. Sadly, the coat is again
currently unavailable to buy.
"The coat was actually a couple of years old. What happened is
that another chap did the pilot and he found that coat. When I took
the project on, I inherited all those original costumes from the
pilot. It was the only thing I kept. It was such a lovely coat - a
classic. We had three of them because we obviously do stunts and
need doubles. It is a lovely coat - really perfect for Benedict. He
loved it, I loved it and everyone else seemed to."
- Sarah
Arthur, Sherlock Costume Designer