Get The Look - All Creatures Great & Small

Get The Look this time seeks inspiration from All Creatures Great & Small. Have you watched this great Channel 5 series based on the memoirs of 1930s vet James Alfred Wight, better known by his pen name James Herriot?  It's a heart warming production that gives viewers a glimpse into English rural life in the 1930s and 40s with just the right mix of sentiment and humour. If you do watch it, I can guarantee you will want to bring a bit more of the countryside into your wardrobe. Not only do the clothes ooze rustic charm they look oh so comfortable and practical for everyday wear. 

If like me you are old enough to remember All Creatures Great And Small first time around in 1978-1990, starring Christopher Timothy and Peter Davison, and you will notice some subtle differences between that and the latest series. The clothes though, are congenial in both. The stories were also made into a 1975 film starring Simon Ward and Anthony Hopkins.

Wright practised in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, near the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors. Both the 1978 and 2020 outdoor scenes were filmed mostly in unspoiled North Yorkshire villages for the optimum time preserved backdrops of the 1930s and 1940s decades. Some of the 1974 film version was shot in Ryedale where I went to school.

Revival were fortunate enough to be approached by the film production company 'Playground'  to assist with their costume gathering to achieve some of the great authentic outfits for the show. Let's take a look at how we got on by focusing on some of the key characters and how you can also replicate their looks. For the purposes of our blog, we look at actors from both series.

Siegfried Farnon
Farnon, as the owner of the Daraby veterinary practice always appeared smart with classic dapper looks. For the farm visits, he would protect his clothes with a light brown cotton coat. He favoured Tattersall check shirts, wool waistcoats of all shades, an anglers or trilby hat with a plain woven or stripe necktie. He also wore some incredible tweed suits and vintage jackets. When it was really cold or wet he would top it all with a light coloured rain mac or yet another layer of tweed. All the items you see shown here for Siegfried are available from our website.

James Herriot
James the vet ,whom the memoirs the various All Creatures productions are based on, wore similar clothes to his employer. He was the younger man so opted for less formal alternatives such as a plain knitted tank top rather than a moleskin waistcoat. He found corduroy pants a useful and practical trouser, look out for our upcoming Autumn 2022 collection to grab your own pair of fishtail back cords. In one scene he is seen in a blue straight hem blue Gaberdine zipper front jacket.

Tristan Farnon
The much younger brother of Siegfried, Tristan was a bit of a liability to the practice in the early years. His choice of clothes reflect his impish sense of humour and relaxed attitude to life. Tristan loves brightly Fair Isle patterned knitted vests, spearpoint collar shirts, all the rage at the time and a simpler more youthful type of tweed jacket. He shunned the bold checks his brother favoured and opted for herringbone or flecked tweed blazers such as the one shown. His ties were plain silk or wool or with a small pattern.

We get great pleasure in seeing Revival Vintage clothing being worn on our theatres and screens. It gives us the confidence we are on the right track in terms of authenticity. Reputable production companies are sticklers for decade accuracy and complete authenticity so the fact they come to us to dress some of their actors means a lot.

That said we buy and produce our collections with everyday folk in mind who love the nostalgic looks we supply.

Not forgetting the female cast members.  The All Creatures Great and Small women were hard-working whether it be on their family-run farmsteads or other types of rural labour their clothing had to reflect the need for warmth and practicality. Dungarees were a popular choice moving through the wartime years as more women took up the jobs that men were leaving behind to fight for their country. The addition of a feminine blouse or headscarf allowed the women to maintain a touch of femininity.  A day out called for a floral day dress and soft brimmed hat similar to the one James Herriot's wife is wearing here.

Further episodes of this revived rural drama have already been confirmed so rest assured you won't have seen the last of your favourite characters even after this season ends. We hope you enjoyed this edition of our Get The Look guide!