Avon's Clothes - Worst To Best

 

This is just a silly little article I made for my own relaxation - a ranking of all the strange and interesting outfits that Kerr Avon's been encumbered with over the years. I won't be counting spacesuits, environmental suits or disguises, just his own personal wardrobe. 

19: "Painter Avon"

WORN IN: Time Squad (1x04)

I can only assume that this is some kind of remnant from the original premise of Avon being a 'hands-on' computer engineer. It would make sense for him to wear clothes that he doesn't mind mucking up if he's crawling around the Liberator's underbelly to twist Zen's wires around. But let's be honest, it's a rubbish, unflattering outfit. The peeling paint on the chest is not remotely aesthetically pleasing, nor is the combination of all the popular 1970s tones(dark brown, light brown, lighter brown..)

18. "Cheerleader Avon"

WORN IN: Sarcophagus (3x09), Moloch (3x11)

Paul Darrow looks good in black, there's no denying that. But this is the bottom of the barrel of his collection of dark outfits. It looks like somebody glued a bunch of plastic triangles on his body with fluffy pom-pom balls attached. It's a bit difficult to take him seriously with all that nonsense just stuck to him like that.

17. "Microwaved Avon"

WORN IN: Shadow (2x02), Horizon (2x04), Gambit (2x11), Children Of Auron (3x07)

I always wanted to see Avon dressed in shapeless tinfoil. To the production team's credit, they mostly utilize it well. It's so loose and flappy that it would only suit episodes where Avon is relaxed, and so we see him wear it during his trips to Space City and Freedom City. But anything more dramatic, and you start to feel the absurdity of it. My favourite moment with this costume is when Paul Darrow wears it the wrong way around in the closing scene of Children Of Auron(or perhaps it was always meant to be worn that way, and he got it wrong in all the previous episodes).

 16. "Office Drone Avon"

WORN IN: Space Fall (1x02) - Cygnus Alpha (1x03)

This one's somewhat interesting in that, like with Blake's original costume, it appears to be a uniform. We see the computer technician on the London dressed in an identical fashion, so presumably these grey... whatever they are's are another example of Earth's dystopian, monotone way of life. I suppose then that it does its job within the context of the story, but at the end of the day, it's pretty drab clothing, hence why it's ranked so low. 

15. "Lobster Avon"

WORN IN: Weapon (2x03), Pressure Point (2x05), Countdown (2x09), Dawn Of The Gods (3x04)

It's infamous, but I have to admit, also a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. I think the fact that it's form-fitting helps considerably, because it emphasizes Darrow's physicality(his fun western homages with the handgun etc.). Another bonus point is that in some episodes, Avon takes the red leather off and just wears the black sweater underneath, which is his one of his most smug looks in the entire series. Overall, it's kind of dumb, but forgivable. 

14. "Slumber Party Avon"

WORN IN: Voice From The Past (2x10), Aftermath (3x01)

Admittedly, these are two entirely different shirts(one of which doesn't even belong to Avon), but it's the same basic idea. Avon in pyjamas. I don't think black really works for a flowing, loose costume like this. It creates too many shadows. Not bad by any means, but just kinda meh.

13. "Sheriff Of Avonham"

WORN IN: Bounty (1x11), Orac (1x13)

Fancy enough for you, Paul? Don't want a crown to go along with it? It's not a badly designed costume by any means(I especially like the green sleeves), but it belongs in a medieval drama. Maybe Avon just wanted to feel rich for a bit. 

12. "Dr Avonstein"

WORN IN: Redemption (2x01), Killer (2x07)

Actually scares me a bit. It's something you'd expect a Dr Mengele-type evil surgeon to wear, or any other mad scientist. Which might technically be what Avon is, but I still think it's going too far, given what a cold person he already is. At no point can you be comfortable with the character when he's got that garb on. 

It was later reused as Tarrant's Helot disguise in Traitor (4x03). He wore it better. 

 
11. "Treehugger Avon"

WORN IN: City At The Edge Of The World (3x06)

Earthy colors, bit of leather, bit of suede. Looks comfortable enough. It's inoffensive. The most notable aspect I can bring out is that the V-trimming on the front and back reminds me of the first season's environmental coats. Never a bad thing. 

10. "V For Vendetta-In-The-Next-Episode Avon"

WORN IN: Children Of Auron (3x07)

Gets the edge over its direct predecessor with the darker colors. Also, somebody in the clothing department really liked the V-shaped trim around this time. 

9. "Jesus Christ, Avon, they're minerals"

WORN IN: The Harvest Of Kairos (3x05)

If I'm being completely objective here, it's a pretty shabby outfit. They're trying to go for some kind of military look, but then it's also just draped in belts for some reason? However, this is another one that I find really charming. Maybe it's because Avon is largely played for laughs in Kairos anyway, and the quirky outfit complements his personality there. 

8. "Sir Avon, Knight Of Gauda"

WORN IN: Ultraworld (3x10)

Like with the "Avonham" outfit, it's got a strong medieval vibe to it, and has no real place in Blake's 7. But I find it immensely pleasing to the eye. It looks durable, dignified yet not overly fancy. I hope the BBC got some good use out of it in anything, that wasn't bloody Ultraworld. 

7. "Avon McRaven"

WORN IN: Assassin (4x07) - Gold (4x10)

I really don't care for the clown-esque circular design around the neck(the costume looks dreadful without the jacket), but otherwise, it's swell. It's light, but not loose. The stark monochrome look makes Avon immediately intimidating, especially amidst his all-light grey companions. 

6. "Captain Avon"

WORN IN: Trial (2x06), Hostage (2x08), Voice From The Past (2x10), The Keeper (2x12) - Powerplay (3x02)

Deserves a high rank for being Avon's main choice of clothing during the most iconic period of the series: the transition of leads and the Intergalactic War. It seems a bit stiff, and the panels near the zipper look like someone's stuck duct tape to it. But I think the high collar and metallic grey color makes up for it. It's still an outfit that declares "I'm someone you'd better pay attention to", in the best tradition of Avon costumes. 

5. "Avont-garde"

WORN IN: The Web (1x05) - Breakdown (1x10), Deliverance (1x12)

Terry Nation essentially made B-movies for television and nowhere is it clearer than in the first series of Blake's 7. Amongst his many cheesy tropes are the amusingly imaginative attempts to depict humanity's future lifestyle. VR headsets that transmit music directly to the brain, monitors that seemingly display nonsense yet are totally understandable to the reader and, as we see here, clothes that have... switches on them. 

It's silly and experimental, but what makes it work just like the rest of the series is that the production team take it seriously and make a damn good product out of the idea. I love the stripes in various shades of grey(obviously signifying Avon's mercurial nature), the fact that there's just a normal shirt underneath and the shoulderpads. Darrow rocks the shoulderpads. Speaking of which...

4. "Matador Avon"

WORN IN: Death-Watch (3x12)

I'm not sure if anyone else could carry this look, to be honest. But I must admit that the first time I watched Death-Watch, I genuinely did not notice the absurdly large shoulderpads, because I was too busy invested in the performance. That's no small achievement. And even now, I still think it looks great on him. The bulk of it makes Darrow loom over everybody he talks to, particularly the comparatively slender Jacqueline Pearce. 

3. "Kerrius Black"

WORN IN: Volcano (3x03), Rumours Of Death (3x08)

Sleek, fitting, wonderful combination of leather and suede. I can't really think of any flaws, though I must say, I do much prefer it with the black sweater underneath as in Volcano, rather than the white one from Rumours. Then again, you can argue the white sweater represents Avon's emotional heart or something. Whatever the case, this is a brilliant costume and only this low because the next two add even more cool elements to a perfect concept. 

2. "Avon Solo"

WORN IN: Terminal (3x13) - Rescue (4x01)

Badass. What else is there to say? The jacket makes it cooler, the studs are neat, I love the contrast between the black suit and the thin silver stripes. He's got gloves(stolen from Colin Baker) to emphasize he's not to be messed with. Avon's basically become a space biker and I dig it. If you're an intergalactic rogue, why not dress like you mean it? 

There is a small drawback in that the plastic vest Darrow wears underneath makes him look a bit chubby. 

1. "Peak Avon"

WORN IN: Rescue (4x01) - Headhunter (4x06), Orbit (4x11) - Blake (4x13)

Not just the best Avon costume, but one of the coolest designed outfits period. It's the previous two, but on steroids. The pads are a bit bulkier to add more authority, they fixed the vest to a velvet one. The white stripes are less frenetic, and are now emphasized on the chest, making it just that bit more stylish. The sweater is permanently black to not take away from the oomph of it all. 

In retrospect, I'm not surprised that Paul Darrow's performance went into the James Bond direction. Imagine looking in the mirror and seeing the epitome of macho staring back at you. You'd want to have some fun too.