Fashion question

[tafizgurl.livejournal.com]

I have a question about John's shirts.  I notice that he quite often wears them buttoned all the way to the collar.  Is this a British thing?  I never see it here (Alabama, USA), except among uber-nerds.

Thanks!

Comments

[laurahonest.livejournal.com]

there are probably lots of reasons but I would guess it is mostly because he was in the military and you get your ass reamed if you aren't wearing your uniform properly in the military.
It is definitely not just a British thing though. John is a little older (around 40) go look at the older people in your community and see how many of them wear their collared shirts buttoned all the way up. Not just "uber-nerds"

[tafizgurl.livejournal.com]

"see how many of them wear their collared shirts buttoned all the way up"

Ummm... None? But then it gets hotter than the hinges of Hades here, so that might be part of it.

The reason I suggested "a British thing" is because I noticed that "Sherlock" on that other show also wears his buttoned all the way.

[laurahonest.livejournal.com]

haha that could definitely be it! I live in Colorado where it is not so hot and most people wear them buttoned all the way up.

Sherlock on Elementary? I haven't seen it so I really don't know about that.

[sabrinaphynn.livejournal.com]

I also wonder about John's resistance to cold and how bad the scarring on his left shoulder is... He might be self-conscious about that.

[laurahonest.livejournal.com]

that is a good point.
Another theory that I have is: it is kind of a commentary on his personality/character. He is very proper/straight-laced/buttoned up, he is more of a private guy. Sherlock who doesn't button his shirts up all the way or even always wear them is a lot more open, he doesn't really respect anyone's privacy but John is a lot more private (as much as he can be living with Sherlock) and tries to enforce boundaries on Sherlock.

[quarryquest.livejournal.com]

Had sabrinaphynn not mentioned the cold, as a Brit and a Londoner for many years, I was going to comment 'do you know how chilly it can be in the winter wandering down Oxford Street?' ;-P It can be quite nippy even in spring too, and John and Sherlock do a lot of their running around in the evening or at night when there is no sun to help things out. Cardiff (where they film a lot) is as chilly too, and as they are in the west they get RAIN in huge quantities. How they even manage to avoid it on screen all the time I don't know.

The other thing (and I speak from first hand observation here - I actually got to stand not too far from Martin Freeman when they were filming recently so I could have a good look) is that black jacket of his is actually pretty thin. Even if he wears a thick plaid shirt and a cardi under it he's not going to be the warmest of people; when he is hanging around between shots they give him the thick green parka from The Great Game to wear. The costume department has not dressed the two lads in the best clothing to keep them warm IMHO; Sherlock is fashionable and not dressed for British winters. No wonder he needs a scarf to keep him warm with all those thin - tight clothes under it. There no room under that tight purple shirt for even a thermal vest for poor Benedict. I hope they have good central heating in 221B!

[tafizgurl.livejournal.com]

"Chilly in the winter"? Uhm, again, no. A terribly cold winter here it drops into the 30's (F) during the day and around 0F at night. I don't own a coat any heavier than the one Benedict wears as Sherlock. Alabama is at about the same latitude as, oh, North Africa? We routinely get 100F days (approximately 38C) in mid-summer.

[tweedisgood.livejournal.com]

Except quarryquest is talking about London/Cardiff, so that has nothing to do with what it's like where you live...and people feel the cold (and heat) differently.

But no doubt we're all wrong or wimps or something.

*shrug*

Now, where's my cardigan?

[tafizgurl.livejournal.com]

The question was "do you know how chilly it can be in the winter..." and I replied "no", with an explanation. Since I've never been to London or Cardiff, and I've never lived anywhere the winters were cold, no; I don't know.

My original question was posed because the only people I've ever seen wear their shirts buttoned all the way to the top are John and Elementary!Sherlock, both of whom are British, so I asked. I simply wondered if it were a different fashion. I'm sorry if I have offended you in some way, but I thought it was a simple question.

[wendybnyc.livejournal.com]

Compared to Afghanistan? London is *freezing*.

[quarryquest.livejournal.com]

Do you actually stand about in those minus temperatures in just a coat like that? As an example of managing in London temperatures in winter, I spent most of a day at Bart's with friends in February last year, and although it was balmy compared to your chilly temperatures (there was ice on puddles and it was below zero degrees centigrade in the shade but nothing below that) we were dressed for it. Even the 'corpse' had a woolly hat on (and he had a jumper on under his 'Sherlock' coat) and we had to retire to Starbucks to warm up at one point. Had it been evening we'd not have been standing about (I did a walking ghost tour there at a similar date and we kept having to retire to pubs and not just for a drink!).

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/4kT2HgwZy09T4lHfUgnwDdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

Here I am, a warm blooded northerner in British terms who is often outside in winter and yes, I've learnt believe in layers. That day I was wearing a hat which I don't often do, had a fleece on under my coat and had walking boots on and thick socks. If you bump into set-up crews at filming locations (it's unavoidable when you live in London they are all over the place) in winter it's de-rigeur fleeces and walking boots. The crew dress like that for Sherlock too and actors either get big parkas to wear between scenes (bless you Martin Freeman) even in April or they get them indoors or off set into a 'green room' (at North Gower Street the downstairs of 187 and the local hotel at the end of the street both filled those categories). Martin Freeman looked extremely chilly in just his black jacket when he was hanging around and was doing a little dance to warm up at one point too!

[fantomeq.livejournal.com]

I do not know why, but I *love* it that Martin Freeman wears the green furry coat between shots.

[internetname.livejournal.com]

Uh, because he looks so damn cute in it?