Written by: Melissa Bowers
Hey everyone! So, this is my first post! A little introduction is definitely in order. By day, I am a registered mechanical engineer that designs air conditioning and plumbing systems in Phoenix, AZ. My family originally has ties to the Boston Area (WICKED PISSAH! Go Sox, and Bruins &Celtics). My parents actually summer in Rhode Island now and winter in Phoenix! The best of both worlds! In this article, I intend on sharing a unique perspective on the costumes used in Outlander and in The Wedding more specifically. I actually have a lot of experience with costumes like these and let me tell you how I know they are spot on…
About ten years ago, I started attending the Arizona Renaissance Festival here locally. At that time, my husband was selling swords and daggers for a friend. I know what it is like to carry a dagger on you, much like Claire had in Episode 8 when BJR took her dagger out to cause her harm. I also know what it is like to put a corset on and still function all day (you cannot possibly do this task by yourself. When we see Mrs. Fitz help Claire out with her clothes during the Castle Leoch episode, this is truly for real. I have an assistant known as Daniel, my husband!) Since I live in Phoenix, I have had a chance to meet HERSELF (Dr. Gabaldon) more times than the average Outlander fan would. She regularly will sign books at the Ren Fairs around the country, and she also signs books at her local bookstore, the Poisoned Pen (http://poisonedpen.com/). (Check this page out if you would like an autographed book and you are unable to attend an event!)
With all these personal experiences, I have a little bit of a different prospective on the costumes of the 14th thru the 18th centuries, because I have worn them quite a bit. You can get into character as a “playtron” at the historic festivals just by spending some money and getting some costume pieces that were worn of the era. You also do not have to break the bank to purchase these items. Mind you, I understand that there is a difference between 15th Century and 18th Century clothing, but the same elements come in play. Most people did not have very many outfits at all. A woman and a man were lucky to have two complete outfits, and it was not uncommon for the same pieces of clothing to come up in different combinations over and over again because of how scarce new clothing was (we have already seen that this season with both Claire and Jamie). The clothes were made on a loom, and it took quite a bit of time and effort for a seamstress to make a set of clothing for an individual. So you had to take care of the clothes you had, they had to last you a good long time.
Of course, the epitome of the fantastic costumes that Terry Dresbach designed for Season 1 was showcased in the Wedding Episode. This episode is by far my favorite episode of Season 1, for a LOT of reasons. Outlander was published in 1991, which means that there are fans out there that waited 23 YEARS to see the Wedding come to life. What better way to do that than through awesome costuming!
The work that Terry did on Cait’s dress is nothing less than spectacular in this episode. She refers to the work done on Cait’s dress as being unique in the world of costumes for a number of reasons (a huge amount of research was done alone on materials that would reflect the candlelight in the kirk alone). Mica was used on the dress (a mineral formation), as they did not have sequins in the 1700s and Terry and Ron wanted the costumes as authentic as possible, to put the audience in utter FAIRY tale mode. The embroidery done on the dress hasn’t been done in over 100 years. Working with the Mica took literally 50 hours by itself. The costume weighed 30 pounds. As such, Cait could NOT walk in this dress easily. She had a special golf cart that was rigged for her to be transported around the set in the dress. This was probably easily almost a week’s worth of work that Cait had to do with this dress on. Wow, talk about a committed actress. We already knew that. Cait, being her very humble self, gives all the credit to Terry on that one. Such is our humble CLAIRE!
The work that Terry did on Cait’s dress is nothing less than spectacular in this episode. She refers to the work done on Cait’s dress as being unique in the world of costumes for a number of reasons (a huge amount of research was done alone on materials that would reflect the candlelight in the kirk alone). Mica was used on the dress (a mineral formation), as they did not have sequins in the 1700s and Terry and Ron wanted the costumes as authentic as possible, to put the audience in utter FAIRY tale mode. The embroidery done on the dress hasn’t been done in over 100 years. Working with the Mica took literally 50 hours by itself. The costume weighed 30 pounds. As such, Cait could NOT walk in this dress easily. She had a special golf cart that was rigged for her to be transported around the set in the dress. This was probably easily almost a week’s worth of work that Cait had to do with this dress on. Wow, talk about a committed actress. We already knew that. Cait, being her very humble self, gives all the credit to Terry on that one. Such is our humble CLAIRE!
Jamie’s outfit too CANNOT be underrated. We literally see Jamie for the first time as a gallant warrior, and his costuming befits this for the episode. Jamie mentions that when he saw Claire in her dress, “it was as if I stepped outside on a cloudy day, and suddenly the sun came out!” This was definitely the effect that was desired on Jamie. However, Mr. Fraser’s wardrobe was also very signficant. We finally see Jamie as a grown man, not just this little boy that tags along with his godfather and uncle! We hear Jamie utter his full name wearing his full regalia “It is Fraser, James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser!” I love the backstory too about how he is to be married only once, and would do so in a way that would make Ellen Fraser proud (his mother). As such, the plot had Murtagh go to a Fraser widow in town to get a new kilt for the occasion.
It was definitely worth the extra effort that Murtagh went through on Jamie’s behalf. Diana says it best in the book when she refers to Jamie at the wedding. She says “A Highlander in full regalia is an impressive sight–any Highlander, no matter how old, ill-favored, or crabbed in appearance. A tall, straight-bodied, and by no means ill-favored young Highlander at close range is breath-taking.” Who are we to argue with Herself? Sam is definitely the visual imagery we are craving after reading this excerpt from the book.
It was definitely worth the extra effort that Murtagh went through on Jamie’s behalf. Diana says it best in the book when she refers to Jamie at the wedding. She says “A Highlander in full regalia is an impressive sight–any Highlander, no matter how old, ill-favored, or crabbed in appearance. A tall, straight-bodied, and by no means ill-favored young Highlander at close range is breath-taking.” Who are we to argue with Herself? Sam is definitely the visual imagery we are craving after reading this excerpt from the book.
The costumes really come together well in the final love scene of the episode, aka “Encounter #3”. This is truly the first time that Jamie and Claire make love with one another. The first time was all about his virginity. The second time was about exploring Claire and being mesmerized by what happens if he does a great job, and the third time is about love. In the middle of the lotus position while running the action, we see Mrs. Fraser wrap the tartan around both of them, in a wonderful image of the two of them being together truly. Did anyone else have their TV screen melt at this point? I know I sure did!
I will be sharing more of my takes on this season regarding costumes and as well other elements and topics that Mary and Blake wish for me to tackle, and also what you the fans wish for me to tackle. As always, any feedback (both good and bad) is GREATLY appreciated. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, and on the Blog section of Outlander Cast. I want to thank Mary and Blake for giving me this opportunity to share my feelings on the blog. I hope this is only the beginning of something great for the Outlander Cast Blog!
Until the next blog, God Bless and CARPE DIEM!
What was your favorite costume from The Wedding or Outlander Season 1 overall?
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