Detective dress - from Sarah Lund's jumpers to Columbo's raincoat - in pictures

Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson - silk blouses.
Gibson's signature blouse is so crucial it is also a plot vehicle in BBC2's The Fall. During a press conference the blouse pops a button undermining the ice queen Photograph: Steffan Hill/BBC

Detective Dave Starsky – chunky cardigan.
Hutch may have been all about smoothies and hippy attitudes but Starsky had the wisecracks, car and the swoon-inducing cardigan. Nanas around the world got knitting. You can find the pattern on Paul Michael Glaser's website Photograph: Columbia/Allstar

Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau – disguises.
The Revenge of the Pink Panther was the pinnacle of Clouseau's disguise-wearing exploits. The mafia don, the orthodox priest, the Parisian artist and the salty seadog. Genius! Photograph: Pimlico/Allstar

Detective James 'Sonny' Crockett – Rolled up sleeves.
Crockett could be seen zooming round Miami with his partner Tubbs, usually firing guns from a speedboat. Bright colours, sleeves rolled up, box jackets and deck shoes. All very 80s. Apparantly actor Don Johnson came upon the look by accident. 'It was so damn hot I rolled up my sleeves.' Photograph: Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank

Officer John McClane – vest.
McClane battles German terrorist Hans Gruber during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles in a white vest that gets increasingly grubby. The vest has since been donated to the Smithsonian Institution's Treasures of American History collection in Washington DC Photograph: 20th Century Fox/Allstar

Lieutenant Columbo – beaten-up beige raincoat.
Columbo's shabby appearance (he is mistaken for a homeless man in one episode) lulled the opposition into a false sense of security. 'Oh, there's just one more thing … ' Photograph: Everett/Rex Features

Robocop – full metal armour.
Not a look of choice for Police officer Alex Murphy who is left for dead by the Cartel and transformed by Omni Consumer Products into the awesome cyborg lawman Photograph: Orion/Allstar

Detective Mick Belker – fingerless gloves and beanie hat.
Cigar-chomping, growling and barking Belker was the loose cannon in Hill Steet Blues. The undercover expert could disguise himself as a tramp, a gay hairdresser and even a (female) nurse but he was always happiest in his trademark fingerless gloves and woolly hat Photograph: NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

Detective Inspector Alex Drake – white leather jacket.
In Ashes to Ashes, set in the early 80s, Drake dressed in standard workwear: white leather jacket, skinny jeans and high boots. Think champagne lifestyle Photograph: Kudos/BBC

Detective Saga Noren – leather trousers.
Star of the Swedish-Danish TV drama, The Bridge, Noren strides across crime scenes wearing her signature leather trousers Photograph: ZDF

Detective Inspector Sarah Lund – that jumper.
A rare picture of Lund smiling in the bleak Danish drama The Killing. Knitted in the Faroe Islands, the jumper now has its own Twitter account Photograph: Chris Radburn/PA

Lieutenant Theo Kojak – hats.
Despite 'Oi Kojak!' being a term of abuse directed by 70s urchins at any bald person, Kojak was seen more often than not wearing a dapper hat. He accessorised with the famous lollipop that he removed from his mouth only to say 'Who loves ya, baby?' Photograph: Everett Collection/Rex Features

Captain Laure Berthaud – vests.
Hard-as-nails Berthaud usually covers up with a sophisticated Parisian leather jacket in the gritty police drama Spiral Photograph: Thierry Ozil/Canal+

Detective Chief Inspector Gene Hunt – camel coat and leather gloves.
'Ashes to Ashes' Hunt became a hearthrob and even helped the Conservatives' 2010 election campaign in Britain. A Labour attempt to ridicule David Cameron as the 80s TV detective backfired when the catchphrase 'Don't let him take Britain back to the 1980s' became 'Fire up the Quattro. It's time for change.' Photograph: Kudos/BBC

Detective Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle – porkpie hat.
Popeye careered around New York in The French Connection with his porkpie hat firmly in place. A look we would not see again until it was resurrected by Heisenberg, Walter White's crystal meth dealing alter ego in Breaking Bad Photograph: 20th Century Fox/Allstar

Police Chief Clancy Wiggum – doughnut crumbs.
Slightly tenuous we know, but we couldn't leave out Springfield's finest Photograph: Matt Groening/PR