The season 2 teaser trailer for Outlander has been released, and it’s got a lot of interesting costume snippets. Season 2 is going to be a whole new world — we’re still in the late 1740s, but the main characters head to the French court, which means we’re going from earth-toned wool to peacock-y silks. Let’s take a look at what’s coming up in season 2 (which will probably air in the US in March or April of 2016).

Now obviously, we’re peeking ahead and seeing the costumes out of context of the story. Outlander‘s costume designer, Terry Dresbach, wrote an interesting post about her dislike of images showing the costumes being shared ahead of time, out of context. And she makes a good point:

So how is a Costume a spoiler? If we carefully orchestrate a Costume for a scene where we need to to tell the human story, stories of pain, joy, loss, whatever, we want you to feel it in the moment. It is designed for that particular moment. It is part of a tapestry, as I have said before, and when you pull out random threads the entire piece is impacted. When a costume is seen outside the context of the story, that thread has been pulled. Are Costumes Part of the Story?

That being said, I can’t avoid seeing the costumes when behind-the-scenes shots are being shared by the production and cast on Twitter, and especially when a teaser trailer comes out! So firmly acknowledging that we’re seeing all of this out of context, here’s the trailer:

There’s another important point to detail before we get into looking at the glimpses we have of season 2: just how much work is involved in trying to get things “right,” whether that being character/story-wise or in terms of accuracy to the period. The costume designer has a couple of really great posts on her blog about how much work is going into costuming season 2. She makes some very valid points about how TV, with its multiple episodes coming one after another, just doesn’t gel with the amount of time that’s needed to get things RIGHT (however you define “right”) for a period show:

It is an undertaking that once proposed, will be met by those who are handing out time and money, with complete disbelief. “just go rent it all”. And there you are back at the beginning. But let’s say they do believe you, you still need the time, money, crew and the sheer organization to essentially, build your own costume house. This is just not going to happen 9 times out of 10, and the costume department has to make it up however they can, cobbling things together as they go. It will be complete headache that is going to last for years. Modern History

So with all that in mind, let’s take a peek at what’s coming up for season 2: France Boogaloo edition!

Outlander Season 2 Costumes

Silk!

We’re not in Kansas Scotland anymore, Dorothy! This is the first official still from season 2, and it shows Claire in a beautiful yellow silk robe à la anglaise (or française — I’m thinking anglaise because the back looks fitted, which is the main difference).

I don’t know whose dress this is — I would assume Claire, but you never know.

Here’s Claire’s famous (to those who have read the books) red dress [NOTE: THIS IS APPARENTLY NOT THE RED DRESS], although who cares when she’s sitting next to Mr. Powdered Spangled Hottie in Yellow?

Trim!

Here’s Claire in a brown gown that is trimmed with gold lace with turquoise accents:

And oodles of gold metallic lace in the costume workroom:

Chic Outerwear!

Claire has a wine-colored riding habit:

This could be a Brunswick, a hooded dress, or it could be a hooded cloak.

And a hooded cloak that I was originally thinking was wool, but now I’m thinking satin?

Embroidery!

Jamie gets classed up in this silver waistcoat with spangled embroidery:

Even Claire gets some spangly embroidery on her otherwise-dumpy (sorry!) brown linen or wool ensemble:

Close-up embroidery on some gents’ cuffs. The embroidered buttons are 100% 18th century and FABULOUS. And do I see some hand stitching??

A waistcoat? A coat? Part of a woman’s gown?

A Questionable Fabric Choice!

It’s beautifully made and fitted! It’s gorgeous colors, especially with the hat and gloves! But that fabric is 1000% 1950s, and not in an un-subtle way.

Possible Masquerade Costume!

In the the 18th century, a dress like this — with a cross-over bodice (a Turkish reference) and no sleeves/sheer undersleeves — would be worn for a masquerade/fancy dress party, or for posing for a portrait. Will it be worn that way in the series?

Someone on Facebook said it reminded them of this Scottish 1740s portrait:

But I think it also has elements of this 17th century-inspired costume style:

Dapper Gents!

Check out Black Jack Randall’s contrast-lined waistcoat:

And I’m not sure who this is, but I wouldn’t kick him out of my bed:

Accessories!

Relaxed At-Home Wear!

This looks like a pair of jumps, which was a soft, un-boned vest kind of thing worn by women at home:



Impressively Well-Dressed Extras!

Go Outlander costume department!

How excited are you, 1-10, to see these costumes on your screen in the spring?

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