Vila's Clothes - Worst To Best

 As with the previous articles('Avon's Clothes - Worst To Best', 'Blake's Clothes - Worst To Best'), the costumes featured here are the ones that are clearly Vila's everyday clothes by his own choice. No Federation disguises or surface outfits or spacesuits. With that being said...

19. "High School Theatre Student Vila"

WORN IN: The Web (1x05)

Failure on every level. It looks cheap, uncomfortable and isn't a remotely naturalistic design. The patchwork appearance is consistent with the rest of Vila's Series A costumes, but they're clearly clothes he got on the Liberator, so I guess we can only assume that Vila likes looking like a medieval hobo(with a T-shirt underneath). 

Amusingly, this is the only costume that the show ever draws attention to in dialogue. Vila proudly shows it off to Cally before getting knocked out cold. Was she really mind-controlled or did she instinctively try to wipe this fashion sense from the universe? We shall never know...

18. "High School Theatre Student Vila, Take Two"

WORN IN: Seek-Locate-Destroy (1x06) - Orac (1x13)

Clearly, the production team wasn't very impressed with Vila's appearance either, as they quickly updated the outfit by completely revamping the chest portion. Whether it's the exact same piece of clothing or they reused the basic design for another, I can't say. It gets a spot higher purely for being slightly more aesthetically pleasing. Still not remotely a good Vila look, however. I'm not sure why he's so buttoned up. Vila is a comfortable fellow.

Little cool detail about this costume: the shirt is the exact same design as the ones worn by Blake and Avon throughout Series A. There's a remarkable consistency to the costumes in that season that was never really achieved again. 

17. "Sensei Vila"

WORN IN: Shadow (2x02), Horizon (2x04)

As a furtive, inconspicuous man(at least by intent), what could possibly compel Vila to dress up in a bright yellow kimono/Dr Frankenstein suit? It's tacky, incoherent and completely out of character. I only prefer it to the ones below on this list, because it might be comfortable to wear, save for the tight collar.

16. "Cleric Vila"

WORN IN: Weapon (2x03)

Not a huge fan of silk as a fabric, and again with the freaking Nehru collar... but at least it's a decent color. This one is sort of acceptable if I imagine that it's laundry day on the Liberator. Readers beware - this is where we begin Vila's vast collection of Hugh Hefner outfits. 

15. ''Starfleet Vila''

WORN IN: Children Of Auron (3x07) - Rumours Of Death (3x08)

A bit too flappy and monklike for Vila, but the light bronze look is quite appealing and it sort of looks like something men might wear to the sauna(or holodeck) in a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode. Two pips on the collar means Vila holds the rank of Lieutenant. In his own special Thieving division, no doubt. 

14. "Friday Night Vila"

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

This one is literally a bathrobe. I mean, look at it. I can imagine Michael Keating taking it home after work to lounge in with a glass of wine and a pipe. Having him run around on alien planets with it is a stretch, however, unless he's supposed to be the Blake's 7 version of Arthur Dent. On the plus side, very cozy. 

#13. "V for Vila"

WORN IN: Death-Watch (3x12)

During this season, pretty much every member of the Liberator crew went through an outfit with the letter V emblazoned on it. For obvious reasons, it looks best on Vila. Anyway, I like the warm orange-ish color palette, and the comfortable white jumper underneath.

#12. "Rugby Vila"

WORN IN: The Keeper (2x12)

A reasonable enough jumper. I only really take umbrage with the sleeves. They look bulky, which in turn gives the effect of a little boy trying on his daddy's clothes. It's somewhat eccentric, but I can at least imagine Vila wearing it. It's something vaguely realistic, for once. 

#11. "Vila's Pyjamas"

WORN IN: Sarcophagus (3x09)

Speaking of looking like a little boy... this cozy number seems to be designed for a lazy weekend, especially when Keating's stuffing his hands into his pockets. The only thing that's off with it are those random red foam bits on the shoulders. They only seem to be there to tie to Keating's trickster costume in the flashbacks. 

It might've looked a little silly in more active episodes, but for the kind of dreamlike story that Sarcophagus is, it feels appropriate.

#10. "Vila the Senior Citizen"

WORN IN: The Harvest Of Kairos (3x05)

Reminds me of a cardigan, something a really old and out of touch person might wear(at least around the time this article was written). I don't often think of Vila as being old in spirit, but I do think he'd have a conservative and laidback taste in fashion, so I actually kind of like the idea. 

#9. "Vila With My Dad's Fashion Sense"

WORN IN: Powerplay (3x02) - Volcano (3x03)

This is the first case where I don't think it suits Vila at all - but I just love the outfit all the same. It's made of linen(instant win) and it has those awesome little rope things standing in for buttons or zippers, making it look like something out of the 12th century, like he's some farmer from medieval times. I shouldn't rank it this high, but I can't help it. 

#8. "Russian Vila"

WORN IN: Dawn Of The Gods (3x04)

More badass medieval stuff, this time with a pleasing orange tint, cool stripes on the sleeves and best of all: a big, bulky lamb fur vest! I've just got to respect the excellent design, even if I don't associate it with Vila's personality in the slightest. My dad would be all over it, though. 

#7. "Classic Vila"

WORN IN: Redemption (2x01), Pressure Point (2x05), Killer (2x07), Countdown (2x09) - Voice From The Past (2x10)

It's a completely unassuming outfit, which is appropriate, but the real reason I'm ranking it so high is simply because it's one of the more frequently appearing ones. I identify it with Vila much more than any of the ones above it. Well, save for that ridiculous plastic thing he's got there. Not sure what that was all about. 

In general, the unflattering, sacklike appearance of this costume gives the impression of Vila as some errand boy, which is kind of what his role in the series had become by this point. 

#6. "19th century Dr Vila"

WORN IN: Terminal (3x13)

Very comfortable, yet also has a degree of respectability and style to it. In design, it looks somewhat similar to #17, but the material and color is so much better here, and I prefer the normal belt to the tied up kimono one. It's a good fit for an episode, in which Vila had the unusual task of carrying much of the emotional weight.

#5. "Vila Means Business"

WORN IN: Assassin (4x07) - Blake (4x13)

There's a bit of style and professionalism to it thanks to the stiff shoulders and grey color, but the loose collar also suggests that Vila doesn't feel the need to make himself look overly presentable. It's the clothes of someone who's worked at something for a lengthy amount of time, perhaps even too long. The perfect fit for the somewhat worldweary, matured version of the character that we had in the fourth season, when Keating's old routine was a little less bewildered and more frustrated. 

#4. "Vila Likes Pleasure Before Business, Though"

WORN IN: Ultraworld (3x10) - Moloch (3x11), Rescue (4x01)

The same design as #5, but gets brownie points for having a bit more (brownie) color and life to it. Not much else to say, really. Probably the most amusing trivia about it is how Vila apparently transported it to Terminal in his boot or something, given the random clothes change between seasons. 

#3. Vila the Rat

WORN IN: The Way Back (1x01) - Cygnus Alpha (1x03)

A lot of thought went into this design, so let's try and break it all down. Firstly, the vest tallies with the Federation citizen look that was prevalent throughout Series A(Blake and Avon, everyone in The Way Back, the crew of the London, Bercol and Rontane). However, Vila obviously wasn't part of any 'official' color-coded assignment. Vila's clothes are a clumsy patchwork that he presumably worked on himself, indicating his poverty(as he wasn't able to acquire a new outfit) and his need to fit in, given that he tries to imitate the general fashion on Earth in spite of obviously standing out. 

Alternatively, perhaps there's an entire subculture on Earth, who are not color-coded. It's the only explanation for why Vila's outfit doesn't draw more attention to itself. The Way Back depicts life in the dome as one of pure monotony - everyone has a job, everyone do their part for Big Brother, as it were. For Vila to last as long as he has, there has to be a place on Earth for scum(the delta grades) as well, and I'm fascinated by what that's like. Do they live outside or in their own domes? How did Vila end up in Blake's? 

But all my ponderings aside, I think it suits Vila in general. A bit ruffled, yet loose and relaxed, with lots of pockets for plunder. There also appears to be some kind of medallion on the left side of the vest, which is a nice personal touch. A tool in disguise, perhaps?

#2. Vila the Adventurer

WORN IN: Trial (2x06), Hostage (2x08), Gambit (2x11), Star One (2x13) - Powerplay (3x02)

Brown felt jacket with white highlights and matching trousers? Come on. That's just iconic. You'd wear that too. 

#1. Vila The Workman

WORN IN: Rescue (4x01) - Headhunter (4x06)

Visually, it looks like a callback to Vila's first costume, which is neat in of itself. But I think it just communicates his personality the best. Like with #5, the grey colour helps to safely blend him into the environment, yet the quirky yellow spirals on his shoulders and elbows hint at the cheerful person he is deep down. There's loads of pockets everywhere for gadgets and other useful things. It looks warm(especially with the vest on), so one could run around in quarries no problem. It's just the sort of thing one would want to wear in Vila's shoes. If I could ever cosplay Blake's 7... I'd go with Avon's leather of course, but reasonably speaking, I'd go with this, because I could get away with wearing that in real life.