AKA throwing myself on the grenade AKA Trystan is a big meanie. The final season (season 8) of Outlander (2014-26) is upon us, and Trystan felt like we should cover it since it was one of the big topics we covered as our blog launched — and I was the only one who was Girl Scout-y enough to be willing to take one for the team. This famed time-traveling/Scottish/18th-century TV series, adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s novel series, has moved to the current American colonies/soon to be United States as the American Revolution is breaking out (so mid-1770s). And that’s all you’re getting from me, plot-wise, because as with the novels, I loved the early seasons when they were in Scotland and France, and lost interest when they moved to America, so I haven’t watched many of the past seasons! (I am, foolishly, watching the prequel Outlander: Blood of My Blood, however. Back to Scotland, yay!).
The costume designer for season 8 is Nadine Powell, and it looks like she’s new as of this season. Her previous work as a designer was on several productions that I haven’t heard of, but she’s also designed the forthcoming Young Washington (about George Washington), and worked in the costume department for Stage Beauty, Persuasion, Poirot, Marple, Garrow’s Law, Ordeal by Innocence — and she was assistant and later associate costume designer for seasons one through six of Outlander!
We start with Claire, our time traveler from the 1940s, dressed super conventionally with a cap (which is hilarious because she never dresses conventionally) in order to seem unthreatening:
But later she strips down to some quite good stays and shift:
Her hair, however, is a SUPER modern length and cut, with its side part and long layers (okay, so hair has a natural breaking point and I once met a woman who literally couldn’t grow her hair past her shoulders, but unless that’s Claire’s situation, this is even more modern than 1940s):
We cut to Lord John Grey, soldier and diplomat, and William Ransom, earl of Ellesmere and Jamie’s illegitimate son. They’re having a man-to-man and Ransom is super hung over, so they’re in their shirtsleeves — and not one guy in this entire episode has appropriately 1770s hair (or wig), with side rolls:
Yes, by this decade some younger/fashion-forward men were more likely to wear this own hair rather than a wig — and American men were also more likely to wear their own hair than their European counterparts — but side rolls (“buckles”) were REQUIRED.
Fancy Chick comes in, she’s apparently Ransom’s cousin’s widow, wearing a reasonable redingote and 1870s hair:
Claire and Jamie go back to their home in Western North Carolina and reunite with family and friends. EVERYONE is in practical (sure!) we-only-have-mud-for-dye (eyeroll) clothes:
Claire and Jamie’s daughter, Brianna, and her husband/children appear — they’ve been living in the 20th century, but decided to time-travel to come “home.” Luckily they were able to put together a we-only-have-mud-for-dye wardrobe!
Fancy Center-Part and Ransom have a heart-to-heart. She’s wearing a decent fitted gown with rounded cutaway front, with pretty ribbon embroidery laid out in a super-not-18th-century aesthetic. HER HAIR.
Jamie and Brianna go hunting. Jamie goes full leather jacket which just reads biker-jacket, while Brianna adds unnecessary straps to her not-really-worn-by-women leather belt in order to look more modern/menswear-y/badass:
Some rando townsperson has a run-in with Brianna’s daughter; she’s got several-decades-out-of-fashion cuffs that work given she’s older and clearly not keeping up with the trends. Claire goes double-breasted and quilted:
And that’s it for our Season 8 coverage of Outlander! Team, I took one!
Have you been keeping up with Outlander? Thoughts on the recent seasons’ costumes, including season 8?
Find this frock flick at:
I feel like that Claire’s greatcoat especially looks very 1890s to me, with the double breastedness and the sort of curvier shape to it. And I honestly feel like her blouse situation is going the same way? This show’s use of men’s shirts on women just confuses me. If they wore them like men do, in place of shifts, under their stays, I could understand it as like an “oh I didn’t have a woman’s shift on hand and I’m using a men’s shirt as underwear” situation, but just wearing them on top of their shifts without the matching elements that would make it menswear (like a riding habit would)? That makes no sense to me
Great point! I’m assuming the concept here is that Claire ISN’T wearing stays under these shirts?
Pour yourself a drink! I stopped after Culloden. There’s only so much I can take!
Ha!
TBF Claire and Brianna time traveled from 1960s/70s Scotland, if memory serves me correctly!
I don’t remember how long in the Outlander passed but Claire had her hair chopped of in previous season, if I remember correctly as a cure of sickness. Maybe that could be an explanation for her short hair?
Ok, I was wondering if they had an excuse like that hidden in the season I’d missed…
That is also a VERY Holly Hobbie/Victoria Plum/Patchwork Pam/Sunbonnet Sue 80s-y looking ragdolly. I actually don’t know when Claire’s family come from, maybe they’re 80s in which case, fair dos, but I thought Claire was from the 1940s? So maybe it’s accurate for when they’re from and kiddo brought it with her?
At least it’s not one of the ye standard polyester-satin-nylon-frothy-hair/lace porcelains they tend to drag out to play the role of any ye olde days dolly.
I find the inaccurate doll situation extra funny especially funny, because it’s pretty easy to find actual old-timey dolls if you like, keep an eye open while visiting flea markets and second-hand shops.
It’s Brianna’s daughter’s, and the plot makes it clear she brought it with her from the future (1970s?).
Glad I’m not only one bothered by that dolly. This looks like a really boring season for costuming,
The doll and it’s obnoxious synthetic dye hair is straight out of the book, as the property of little Mandy, Brianna and Roger’s daughter. They’d had to leave 20th century Scotland due to one of her coworkers posing a danger to their family, having already kidnapped their son. They returned to the 18th century, and kiddo had to have her dolly.
Any show built on the iron conviction that the British Army can only be ‘English’ and that Proper Scotland ends at the Highland Line is not a show that commands my interest.
Now please excuse me, the reigning King Charles is a Hanoverian and I would taunt some White Cockades with that fact!
I’ve been hesitating on this show, because I love the books so much, but I think I’m going to have to give in and try it out. Despite the lack of side rolls on the men.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – the costuming has been dire since Terry Dresbach left. Tricia Biggar was awful, but I can’t say the new designer is much better. In the past, the philosophy was that since Claire, Brianna, and Roger are time travelers, their costumes can show a hint of something modern. However, not even men’s shirt’s buttoned up the front in the 18th century. Those shirts are making me crazy. Back when Roger first went to the past, Terry did something brilliant. Earlier in his season, he and Brianna had been at a Scottish Festival in the late 1960s, and he was shown in a green tweed jacket with epaulettes and obvious 20th century styling. When he crossed over, he’d taken his 20th century clothes, and as a historian knew what the 18th century working man was going to wear, so he’d removed the epaulettes and tricked some other things to make himself blend in. It was completely thought out. Pretty girl with the hair down – they explained that her character is interested in entomology and botany, and she’s embroidered that dress as well as a vest she gives to William. The silk ribbon embroider is very 1990s, but it makes sense in the context of the character. That’s the only positive I can say, other than the silhouette on her dress looks good. They’re still using pleather, which makes me want to throw things at the screen, and why not use the 18th century costume stock they built up over the first four seasons of the show? I only watched the first two episodes; haven’t gotten around to the rest because the costuming just makes me want to throw things at the screen. Well, some of the set decoration too. Colored sheets in the 18th century? I wanted to scream bloody murder when they did that last series.
For about 6-8 months, I handsewed a 1760s sacque gown from the stays out. While the gown was brown, it was satin. The accessories were white and the stomacher and outer petticoat were shot blue/red. All of this is to say, COLORS EXISTED IN THE 18TH CENTURY! Putting color in an outfit is possible, even with a layperson’s budget!
That bolt of fabric is one of the Colonial Williamsburg prints, FWIW. (I don’t know if I can post a link so I’ll just say it’s the Red Exotic Flowers.) It certainly stands out against that dire color palette!