#also me: writes like 900 words on aziraphale's costume

[nihilnovisubsole]

so on my recent trip to socal, i had just enough time for a brief stop at FIDM’s emmy nominee exhibit. everything there was gorgeous, but i was on a mission, and that mission was to get reference close-ups of aziraphale’s costume. if there’s anything i love, it’s thinking way too hard about menswear, so i decided to write up a deep dive to go with them!

these photos are as close as i could get without tripping over the display, and as close as i could zoom my camera in without losing too much clarity. below the cut, i’ve added more thoughts and info about the outfit’s details. honestly, you could get most of this from staring hard enough at behind-the-scenes photos and promotional art. but it was a fun outing, and if it’s any help to anyone’s writing, art, or cosplay needs, that’s just the cherry on top.

[sidenote: i passed a crowd of cosplayers on their way out of the museum - a handful of crowleys and aziraphales and, i believe, a beelzebub. if you were at the exhibit on saturday, september 7th, and you left around 1 PM, i saw you! you looked great!]

NO. 1

aziraphale hand-ties his bow tie in a basic knot called “thistle,” “butterfly,” or “classic” depending on who you ask. though bow ties may not be standard now, it’s a style he could wear for decades without it calling attention to itself as “so dated it’s absurd.” this isn’t the only thing on aziraphale’s costume that, like him, exists a little outside of time. it’s an eccentric mix of pieces that are firmly dickensian and things that could float freely through the last 150 years.

on film, the tie looks bluish-beigey-gray depending on the light, but in person, it’s a dark, desaturated beige. the fabric is thin enough that i’m guessing it’s not wool, but without feeling it, i’m not sure whether it’s linen or matte silk. all i can tell you is that it’s not burberry plaid, though i bet he’d feel at home in a burberry-plaid-lined trench.

speaking of colors, i’ve seen people scratch their heads over whether aziraphale’s shirt is white - which would be traditional - or pale blue. after squinting at it and color-swatching it in photoshop, i think it’s white. if it’s blue, it’s so pale that it doesn’t matter. or does it? oh my god, this is going to bother me.

[edit: i’ve since heard on the costume designer’s authority that it’s pale blue. it’s so close to white, though. do with that what you will.]

NO. 2

after over a century of being put on and taken off, the velvet on aziraphale’s waistcoat is starting to lose its nap. the main wear is around the buttonholes, but there’s also some on the neck where it rubs against his shirt collar and the pocket where he hangs his chain.

the buttons on his frock coat are probably horn, and the buttons on his waistcoat have tiny gold rosettes. his trousers also have a very, very subtle stripe. it’s funny to see all the things the camera doesn’t pick up!

the real reason i took this picture was to get as good a shot as possible of his watch chain. i assume the actual watch is tucked in his pocket, and what we see out front is his medal from heaven or an ornamental charm. the chain is cable-link and the medallion has an ornate border, and the figure in the middle is an angel with its wings unfurled. i would’ve loved to get an even sharper shot and see for sure, but this is the best i could do within the confines of the exhibit. sorry!

NO. 3

i sweat bullets trying to pin down the style of aziraphale’s shoes before i finally googled my way to an answer: balmoral boots! they’re a victorian walking boot that became popular to pair with a frock coat, with contrasting suede(?) uppers and an oxford-style cap toe. while the leather parts almost glow gold in certain pics from the show, they’re a nice, rather rich caramel color in person. not that i would have been scandalized if they actually were gold. we know from the french revolution that aziraphale likes flashy shoes.

while i’m on it, i’ll admit that i love that good omens fans have just collectively decided that aziraphale wears sock garters. you understand me. i’m not going to say anything else.

in this pose, you can’t quite see how aziraphale’s trousers break, and i wonder if the mannequin is a little taller than michael sheen. on him, the un-cuffed hems have either a quarter- or half-break, a nice, standard pant length that never goes out of style. part of me is surprised they didn’t go with a more fusty, vintage full break, but... you know what? no. i’m already so deep down this rabbit hole, i cannot believe i’m sitting here researching victorian pant breaks. moving ON

NO. 4

aziraphale’s two coat cuff buttons sit on a decorative tab, and based on his lifestyle, i’m guessing they’re just for show. while functioning cuff buttons - or “surgeon’s cuffs” - are a lavish sign of a bespoke suit, aziraphale wouldn’t have needed them for their original purpose. the coat has deep flap pockets, and there’s a seam around the waistline, which was typical for victorian frock coats.

from this angle, the cuff buttons look like they’re solid beige, instead of the natural color variation in the horn buttons on the front. are they bone, maybe? did he have to replace them at some point? if he’s kept the coat pristine for over 180 years, but is averse to fixing it with miracles, he may very well have had to take it to a tailor here and there.

i asked my mother, who’s an experienced sewer, what fabric she thought the coat was made of. her guess was either linen, a light, almost summer-weight wool, or a blend of the two to produce that kind of twill. it seems like it’d be cold to wear that year-round in england, but i guess if you’re an angel, you don’t have to worry about being cold, do you?

PS: after more googling, i’ve been reminded that wool-linen blends are forbidden in deuteronomy and leviticus. part of me says, come on. it couldn’t possibly be that deep. on the other hand, this is the show that had gabriel wear shoes called “monk straps.” even if it’s not a blend, it’s hilarious to think about in the context of aziraphale being casually profane.