Outlander Costume Design: The Message Behind The Time-Traveling Dresses

[@theletterbleeds]

Please! More about Outlander. There's basically nothing on YT about this vastly and criminally underrated series

[@Ana.Forlin]

So true!

[@hobbygrad5493]

The Letter Bleeds (

[@The-bi5ry]

That red dress is absolutely one of the most stunning costume I’ve seen in a series or a movie.

[@BehindTheFrames]

How could I not know this video existed?! I LOVE Outlander 😍

[@AnnaP-qk4qm]

Beautiful job. I thoroughly enjoyed this video, and it's a mini tutorial on major designers whose designs are still at the basic core of fashion today. Really loved this. Thank you

[@thetake]

Thanks Anna! We're glad you enjoyed it

[@romeblanchard3419]

This is so beautiful, the meaning behind, the future it foreshadows. Claire is indeed a beautiful fish in water, she's la dame blanche. Great video!!

[@bubbles84020]

I enjoyed the costumes of this season!

[@oliviateglia7144]

bubbles84020 when I was in college our college celebration had a fashion show and we needed to make a dress from recycled materials. I was one of designers and chose like victorian era. My batchmates thought it was impossible but i made it happen and watching the red dress of claire reminded me of the red dress i made from red felt paper, ivory parchment papers, old lace strings etc. Anyhow it such a marvelous feeling seeing the dress and everyone being shock and drawn to what I made.

[@jazzguitar3441]

I was so surprised by this, holy.... I don't know anything about fashion, but this is very cool!

[@muddywitch9016]

The fly in the ointment is - would Claire have been so familiar with 1940's fashions? Would she have had the time for an interest in 1940's high fashion?

[@tacosmexicanstyle7846]

Muddy Witch As a war nurse I'm inclined to say she would not have been interested at all, or even had the opportunity. It's still clever design anyway

[@SunnyBurnsAll]

The war had ended before she arrived in Scotland. She probably rifled through some fashion magazines.

[@berlineczka]

Furthermore, she travelles to 1743 from 1946, a year before the New Look came out. So, rather, it|s the costume designer choice to create Dior inspired dresses, but not something an actual women from 1946 would know.

[@zoekatsirma4435]

@@berlineczka I am so glad someone speaks some sense. The whole series of outlander does not make sense and the costumes are the same as well. Too many artistic freedoms and very little historical accuracy in that show (yes, it's sci fi -or just fiction really, there is no science- but it had so much potential to be better).

[@berlineczka]

@@zoekatsirma4435Yeah... I agree. I enjoyed the series before they left Europe, despite these artistic freedoms. But know I am watching with the "why am I even watching this shit?" attitude and hoping for the American revolution to start, to maybe make the series interesting again. The Frasers are so boring, and their mundane life, sprinkled with rape now and then, is really not fun to watch. I guess I should have stopped watching mid-season 3.

[@guy31978]

Very clever work on the part of Terry Dresbach! Great video :)

[@niamhm5592]

I love this! And I’d love to see more costume design-related videos from this channel in the future!

[@jillianross48]

Thank you so much for making this video! I'm OBSESSED with Outlander.

[@beth.darvell]

Wow, my mind is blown! I never noticed that before! Please please do more videos on Outlander!

[@hypnobloom9917]

This was wonderful.

[@evildoesnotsleep-x2b]

love your videos. very well researched

[@stephanielim5544]

I really adore the looks I might buy it, especially since I'm a big fan of the 1940s classics and Versailles

[@bijanlove8000]

OMG! Please do a video for the main characters of outlander or one on why the love between Jamie and Claire is so strong and raw and passionate and most of all lasting! :)))))

[@Leto85]

How intereresting this background info is. My guess was that Claire would have unconsciously drawn inspiration from her own time period because her previous husband from the future knew a lot about the time period that Claire accidentally find herself in, but he was no fashion designer, leaving Claire no choice but to unconsciously take inspiration from her future with her. I wonder if Outlander will go so far as that Claire also inspires the future with her own presense and worldview. But as Outlander seems to be modelled around determination, I'm afraid I am wrong there.

[@lilMissF0F0]

Very true! I have already guessed that. The colours are very late/early 50s, most of them not embellished and plain which is quite modern. Back in the 1700s embroidered and decorated dresses were the craze, bows ruffles trims and tassels were the major 18 c elements, as well as the floral wallpaper’ish fabrics. The french dress with back sack. Claire’s wardrobe had non of these elements. Also the bright vibrant colours such as the red, emerald green, navy beige/black and all in Satin were way out of place. I truly loved the costumes of this season. very brilliant!

[@j.j.b.13]

I realy want to become a costyme deisgner.

[@blissclair9743]

I feel like I'm undermining the message here but Jamie

[@magoo9279]

I'm surprised you have not done a video on Jamie or their relationship. Or did a comparison of them and rick and michon.

[@PiNkandGrEenZeBRA]

Can you please do a outlander take on character development in outlander??

[@nerilenecrisostomo5078]

Amazing!

[@sarasamaletdin4574]

One thing regarding the ending is that the 18th century dresses actually could be very low cut, even more so than Claire’s dress in the end. 40s dresses however never were that low cut. I have never seen the show so I don’t know the meaning behind it if there is any but it does seem odd.

[@virginiai1]

Season 2 in France is my favorite season.

[@TheFiown]

Balmain is pronounced Balmann not Balmayne ,,,

[@lilMissF0F0]

Actually, pronounced Balmah. :)

[@WBCRO]

The only thing that confuses me about this explanation is that the fashions her Parisian gowns echoed were designed after she went through the stones. 🤷‍♀️

[@gerileemakes]

Claire wouldn't have known about The New Look, which debuted in 1947, because she disappeared in 1946. Of course costume design must take liberties, but if you/the story is implying she subconsciously designed these outfits from 20th century inspiration, that wouldn't be possible.