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The Tartan and Garments Worn by Outlander's Fan Favourites
Featured within the many successful seasons of Outlander are the spectacular and creative garments that are personalised to each character. The way that the clothing is draped and designed is such an incredibly large element to making the series so real and turning it from imagination to reality.
Where It All Began
In 1945, Claire Fraser is thrust into another world after accidentally travelling through time in a circle of standing stones. She ends up in the Highlands of Scotland in 1743 - dangerous, untamed, and on the cusp of another Jacobite Rebellion. As she begins to learn the land, we follow her on her adventures and watch her expertly use her knowledge from the future to aid the Scots of the past.
One of the reasons that Outlander has been such a hit is its vibrant depiction of these historical Scottish people and places. The crew traversed Scotland to shoot in real locations, helping to bring Scottish history to life on the screen. When Claire and Jamie explore the Highlands, we feel as if we’re going along with them, entering into a time from centuries ago; dangerous, but beautiful, wild, and colourful.
A Curated Collection of Dresses Worn by Claire Fraser
One of the first dangers Claire faces is from the show’s antagonist, Black Jack Randall. Claire sticks out like a sore thumb when she first arrives in eighteenth century Scotland, because she has travelled through time in her 1940s white shift dress - which, in this environment, is considered entirely inappropriate for a lady.
Randall undoubtedly would’ve pestered her regardless of her attire, but it certainly doesn’t help the situation. As she evades him and falls in with Jamie Fraser and Clan MacKenzie, her once beautiful shift dress has been torn and soiled until it resembles an eighteenth century ladies undergarment. As she looks upon these strangers - a terrifying villain in a redcoat suit, and Gaelic-speaking Scotsmen in their Highland wear, she begins to figure out her new situation, and the dangers she now faces.
From her first scene in 18th century Scotland, we immediately realise that appearances are everything in this new world - and Claire most certainly does not look the part!
The costume design in the early seasons from Terry Dresbach, who was with the show from seasons 1-4, perfectly encapsulates the world that Claire is thrust into. It’s a vital part of her gradual realisation of where she is and in which time period. As she travels further than the Highlands of Scotland and into the outside world, Trisha Biggar took over and supplied various new and exciting looks for Claire and her companions throughout the rest of the show. Whether in Castle Leoch, Paris, or the New World, we watch as Claire uses her 20th century knowledge to navigate new situations, and present herself as innocuously as she can.
Upon their first meeting, Claire is still a little disorientated from her travels and is attempting to figure out her surroundings. It becomes a lot easier when she meets Jamie, Dougal, and the rest of Clan MacKenzie. These wild, dishevelled men carrying weapons certainly could not have existed in her more “civilised” time.
Throughout Claire’s time in the first season, she stays on the MacKenzie lands in the fictional Castle Leoch. Following her gradual wardrobe malfunction after the horror of her first few days in 18th century Scotland, she is provided with a whole new wardrobe from the MacKenzies. These include some stunning dresses and arasaids in deep and earthy tartans.
The tartan is non-clan specific and was designed especially for the Outlander series. It is officially registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans as Outlander #3, although it is more widely known simply as “Outlander”. Like the other tartans created specifically for the series, the design takes inspiration from real-life clan tartans, particularly their weathered variations. It shares similarities with many weathered clan tartans, as well as the "Outlander Fraser" and "Outlander MacKenzie" tartans designed for and seen throughout the series.
ScotlandShop is an official partner and producer of Outlander Series tartans, and the Outlander tartan is available in a variety of stoles, wraps and scarves, perfect for recreating Claire’s distinctive Highland style. This layering is a key part of her look throughout the series, with tartan and woven fabrics adding both warmth and character to her costumes.
She is often draped in shawls and cloaks on top of her gowns for additional warmth in the Highland climate. Through costume, her situation unravels…
Women's Outlander Inspired Garments and Accessories
Wool Tartan Shawl
Available in 785 tartans
Custom made in 4 weeks
Outlander Tartan Sporran Bag
Available in 3 tartans
Custom made in 5 weeks
Tartan Gathered Skirt
Available in 1349 tartans
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Outlander Brushed Wool Serape / Wrap
Women's Tartan Beret
Available in 495 tartans
Custom made in 7 weeks
Jamie Fraser and the Fraser Clan's Striking Tartan
A Highlander like Jamie Fraser is distinguishable not only through his mop of vibrant red hair, but through his highland wear. He is always eye catching to the viewer on the screen - for more than his good looks and impressive swordsmanship - but also through his Highland attire. Jamie and his fellow clansmen are dressed in impressive great kilts (or in Gaelic, the feileadh mòr), knee-high boots, tams, wool tartan waistcoats and jackets.
The tartans Jamie wears throughout the series were designed specifically for Outlander, rather than being traditional Fraser clan tartans. However, as his character is a member of Clan Fraser of Lovat, the designs take inspiration from real-life Fraser tartans and use earthy, weathered colours to reflect both his clan connections and the period in which the story is set.
The tartan Jamie is most often seen wearing is officially registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans as Outlander #1, but is more widely known as "Outlander Fraser". Of the real-life Fraser clan tartans, it is most similar to the Fraser Hunting Weathered tartan. Jamie is also often seen wearing Outlander #3, more commonly known simply as "Outlander".
The tartans worn by Jamie and his fellow Highlanders often look old, scatty and weathered from years of use. This was reflective of tartans of the time. In the 18th century, natural dyes from the land around them would have been used to create the colours in woven cloth. These created beautiful designs, but ones which would often fade after years of wear and tear. It was only after 1860, when synthetic dyes arrived on the scene and began to dominate the tartan manufacturing industry, that tartans would turn into the brighter, more vibrant ‘modern’ tartans that we so often see today.
Today, ‘weathered’ tartan variants are designed to recreate this aged appearance, while ‘ancient’ variants also offer softer shades than their modern counterparts. ‘Hunting’ variants traditionally use more muted and earthy tones such as greens, dark blues and browns, making them particularly suited to the Highland landscape.
This influence can be seen throughout the Outlander Fraser tartan, with its muted reds, greys and browns creating an earthy palette perfectly suited to Jamie’s everyday Highlandwear. The design not only reflects his connection to Clan Fraser of Lovat, but helps him blend into the surrounding Scottish landscape when hiding from the Red Coats, or his perverse uncle, Dougal.
Dougal MacKenzie's Timeless Attire
As a MacKenzie, Dougal is loyal to his clan chief and older brother, Colum. The two brothers wear a tartan designed specifically for the series, officially registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans as Outlander #2, but more widely known as the "Outlander MacKenzie" tartan. It is another rustic, earthy design but with a blue-ish tone and a less common a-symmetrical sett. Like the other tartans created for the show, it takes inspiration from real-life clan tartans while adopting the more rugged, muted style of the series.
The similarity of design between the Outlander Fraser and Outlander MacKenzie tartans makes sense for 18th-century Scotland. Specific clan tartans were largely a 19th-century invention, popularised by the Waverley novels of Sir Walter Scott, which helped establish the idea of a particular design of tartan being associated with each clan. In reality, clans were not necessarily tied to a specific design, with tartans influenced by the dyes, materials and weaving traditions available within different regions. Tartans were more closely associated with districts than individual families. With the Fraser and MacKenzie lands so close to each other, it is therefore not wholly inaccurate to give their tartans a few similarities.
Dougal is also a frequent wearer of trews throughout Outlander, highlighting another historically accurate element of the show’s costume design. A common misconception is that Highland dress for men was limited to kilts. While kilts certainly dominated in the Highlands, trews, truis or triubhas in Scottish Gaelic were also a traditional and popular choice, despite being less commonly depicted in Scottish historical dramas.
Trews were close-fitting trousers, often made from tartan, and could be reinforced with leather on the inner leg to protect the fabric from wear while horse riding. While the kilt offered greater freedom of movement when travelling across the rugged Highland landscape, trews provided additional warmth in Scotland’s colder climate and were particularly practical for riding.
The mixture of kilts and trews worn by characters such as Dougal therefore gives a more rounded representation of what Highland men would have worn during the period. Trews were firmly considered part of Highland dress so much so that they were specifically included alongside other items of Highland clothing prohibited for men and boys outside of military service under the Dress Act of 1746.
He is also rarely without a Tam on his head. These bonnets would have been made from wool to keep the wearer's head as toasty as possible against the cold Highland weather. The MacKenzie clansmen, as well as Murtagh, are often seen with the bonnet upon their heads, some further fine attention to detail from the costume department.
The Exquisite Wear Belonging to Prince Charlie
Outlander goes for a more earthy and muted aesthetic in its tartanwear. Whilst ordinary Scots living day to day certainly would have their clothes darker, rugged and worn from life experience over time, Highlanders still loved colour and would incorporate it in many of their daily outfits. The show’s Bonnie Prince Charlie is a perfect example of this - his outfits are elaborate and vibrant. He mixes the traditional Highlandwear of the tartan kilt, waistcoat and jacket, but adds more intricate details through golden embroidery to promote his royal heritage.
His tartan is a deep red, making him stand out amongst the darker, weathered plaids of the Highlanders. The tartan used for his jacket in the show is MacQueen Modern, a vibrant red design that perfectly complements his elaborate costume. Dye was expensive, and wearing such a brilliant shade of red certainly would have been an attractive image to the Highlanders he wished to rally to his cause.
Prince Charlie’s look became so iconic that it inspired a tartan of his own. The Prince Charles Edward Stuart tartan was designed by Wilsons of Bannockburn and first featured in their 1819 collection. The sett is similar to the popular Royal Stewart tartan with a reduced red square pattern. Whilst he was reported to have worn a coat in this tartan, the coat was found to have been made at a later date. Nonetheless, the tartan greatly resembles the vibrant red plaid designs the Young Pretender wore on his campaign.
Outlander’s wardrobe is perhaps at its most historically accurate in not dressing its Charles in this exact tartan. Tartan weavers who claimed to have knowledge of old family and clan tartans were often not to be trusted in the 19th century, as they were usually out for a quick buck.
A More Detailed Look Behind the Scenes
Outlander passes its historical accuracy test with solid marks. Biggar, Dresbach and everyone in the costume design team did a marvellous job considering the constraints and time pressures that a giant period show often brings. The costumes bring the show to life; incorporating the little details of historical dress in a way that has hardly been portrayed on screen before. From Jamie’s old and weathered great kilt to Claire’s extravagant French dresses, from Prince Charlie’s gold and red royal attire to Dougal’s tartan tams - Outlander is certainly one of the best shows on the market for understanding exactly how Scots would’ve dressed in the wild Highlands in the mid-eighteenth century.
Take a look at the video attached below to get a deeper understanding of the process behind the costumes in Outlander.
Explore the Tartans of Outlander
From Jamie’s Great Kilt to Claire’s tartan wraps and shawls, tartan plays an important role in bringing the world of Outlander to life. If the series has inspired you to try traditional Highland dress for yourself, find out how to wear the Great Kilt with our step-by-step video, where we show you how to pleat, wrap and wear this iconic piece of Highlandwear.
And it isn’t only the instantly recognisable Outlander tartans that appear on screen. Many other beautiful tartans and tweeds are used throughout the series, helping to create the rich, layered and suitably weathered look of its costumes.
You can explore our full collection of over 500 tartans and tweeds online or visit us in store, where you can take a seat and browse our swatch books to compare colours, patterns and fabrics and find the perfect design for you.
ScotlandShop is an official partner and producer of the Outlander Series tartans, including Outlander, Outlander Fraser and Outlander MacKenzie. Alongside our collection of in stock & ready-to-wear Outlander pieces, we can also custom make garments and accessories using the official Outlander tartans, as well as hundreds of other clan, district and contemporary designs from our wider collection.
Men's Outlander Inspired Garments and Accessories
Whether you want to recreate a little of the Outlander look with a Great Kilt, tailored kilt, tartan skirt, shawl or accessories, or simply find a tartan that connects with your own Scottish story, there are plenty of ways to make the look your own.
Has Outlander inspired your own tartan look? Whether you’re wearing one of the official Outlander tartans, have recreated a favourite character’s outfit, styled your own take on Claire’s iconic wraps and shawls, or donned a Great Kilt worthy of Jamie Fraser, we’d love to see it.
The costumes of Outlander have inspired tartan lovers around the world, now we want to see how they’ve inspired you.
Send us your photos or tag ScotlandShop on social media to share your Outlander-inspired creations with us. You never know, you might just inspire someone else to discover their own piece of Scotland.
