It’s vestimentary, my dear Watson: Disguise, criminality, and British luxury fashion in Sherlock

This article looks at the portrayal of disguise, criminality and British luxury fashion in the BBC’s Sherlock (2010–). Co-creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat have re-imagined Arthur Conan Doyle’s depiction of Victorian crime and appearance through the self-reflexive representation of contemporary British luxury fashion design – including Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen – as a mode of disguise that can alternatively hide or reveal characters. This article argues that Sherlock draws upon Arthur Conan Doyle’s rendering of the will of the individual in an increasingly modern metropolis, while satirically detailing the persistence of late-Victorian perceptions of agency and transgressive identity as represented by what one chooses to wear.