Oh Outlander. How I love thee.

Let it be known that I have loved Diana Gabaldon’s books for at least a decade – in other words, my fandom predates the Starz series – and I’ve been following JAMMF* and Claire’s adventures with the sort of fervour generally reserved for religious devotion and chocolate desserts.

So I had this great idea to combine my love of Outlander with one of my favourite holidays, St. Andrew’s Day! For those who aren’t as familiar with Scottish custom, St. Andrew’s Day is Scotland’s official holiday, named for their patron saint. Of course, this year’s celebration will be all the more poignant considering the recent political tumult. Regardless of which side of that particular debate you fall on, St. Andrew’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate All Things Scottish!

And All Things Scottish = All Things Outlander, in my mind.

My mom is a fantastic seamstress. Everything she touches turns to (cloth of) gold. So when she said she’d help me create a Claire-inspired costume, I leapt at the chance! Here’s the inspiration: (all images courtesy of Starz)

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The main elements I want to incorporate into my version of Claire’s look are the kitted capelet (I plan to wear mine well beyond the party), the full skirt (which I’m going to do in a dark navy and red tartan), and the lace-up navy bodice with three-quarter sleeves. The dark, curly hair may be somewhat harder to come by, as mine is blonde and VERY straight. I’ll have to see about that.

*JAMMF = James Alexander Malcom MacKenzie Fraser – if you don’t know who that is, you have been living under a rock. And not the time-transporting variety. 

In the meantime, I’m inspired to incorporate as much of Claire’s stunning 18th-century style into my own fall wardrobe as is humanly (and financially) possible. As Black Jack Randall would say, here’s a little something I whipped up. (Again, if you don’t know who that is then you need to grab the Scot by the kilt and read/watch the series!)

Claire Outfit copy

First on my shopping list will be a knitted cowl and a knee-length tartan skirt. In case you want to grab any of these items for yourself, here’s the source list:

Tartan Skirt

Cowl

Jacket

Belt

Boots

Necklace

So until we meet again – whether it be 200 years or one week from now – slainte mhath! 

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