“I’ll clear the air right here and now: I do not typically wear the deerstalker cap and Inverness cape as seen in the photograph above.
"The costume (as it is) was originally intended for a single-time exclusive interview. My agent at the time pushed for the look in order to raise publicity for my work. Sensationalism, really. As it was London, we were met with (mostly) great success. Those who didn’t care for British cliches rolled their eyes and continued to ignore me, while others absolutely lapped it up.
"The headline and photos were very attractive, but the article itself did little to really outline the parallels between myself and Holmes… not that I am actually in any measure as fine a detective as he was reported (in fiction, of course) to be. But as an obvious tie-in, it made for a very nice little addition to their magazine.
"My agent further perpetuated that it would be appropriate to use the same look for other venues and, so, it became a sort of a signature outfit, though even then I only wore it to events of a public nature. Most of my detective and police work is conducted in standard business suit and tie. Nevertheless, the photographs used in the newspapers were usually from that same photo shoot instead of from actual crime scenes.
"Although that agent and I have parted ways and I’m now represented by someone else (with a much happier working relationship, I might add), I do still have the costume. It was well-received for my sendoff from London, but I’m not certain how much good it did for my reputation when it came to my debut in Japan… Unfortunately, I think it came off as more arrogant and otaku than intended.
"Regardless, I only wear it when requested by clients which, again, is typically only for public events and functions. Some seem to think that it’s a charming uniform. I don’t mind so much either way. I know that it isn’t accurate – it wasn’t ever specifically mentioned in Doyle’s writings, but rather in the illustrations starting with my favorite story, The Boscombe Valley Mystery, and caught on from there. Subsequently many stage plays, films, and parodies use this look to identify Holmes (despite its unofficial nature) and so on ever since.
"It’s not meant as disrespect of any kind, nor as an endorsement for an inaccurate portrayal. It’s an iconic symbol and publicity gimmick, meant for entertainment, and nothing more."
