Have you seen the Starz Outlander series on telly? Or read the books by Diana Gabaldon? Chris and I have watched the four series through twice, and have begun to listen to the audio books in the car on our little jaunts around the country! When a clothing catalogue from the company EMP came through the door last November and I was browsing through for Christmas presents for the kids, I literally squealed in delight when I saw a page full of official Outlander clothing!….
AND they were on sale! So I went to town a little and added to my basket the cape, the lace-up skirt, the peplum vest top, and the ruffled jacket all in Fraser tartan. To ease the guilt I gave them to Chris to wrap up for me for Christmas! Everything worn at once would be a little overkill, so this time I just wore the matching vest top and jacket. (I’ll save the skirt and cape for another outfit when Outlander season five begins!
I’ll start by talking about how flipping gorgeous the jacket is. The fabric is a polyester viscose blend and is actually the perfect item to wear on a spring day when you need a little extra coverage on your arms to protect from the cool winds. I love corset-style lacing on anything, and this is no exception, except I would say that as it also has all the bustle flounces, perhaps it wasn’t really needed. I suppose it does give some versatility to the sizing though. I bought xxl and the jacket is comfortable. If I can lose a few pounds (which I’m hoping to do) I can lace it up tighter to fit, so the adjustability is good.
I adore the bustle at the back. If fashion would take any influences from history, I wish it would be the bustle – they’re just so much fun! And honestly, who wouldn’t want a load of frills over your bottom?
The vest top also fits comfortably due to the elastic shirring panel at the back. I love the peplum, but it’s still fairly short, so I’m definitely happier wearing it with a high waisted skirt. Speaking of which – this navy one is from Next – I bought it for just £2 in the January sales in an outlet store and is definitely one of my best buys ever! Although the waistband isn’t elasticated, it’s still comfortable to wear all day sitting down as there’s a little stretch in the fabric. It’s a very plain and simple skater skirt, but is very useful to have in my wardrobe.
Ever since Christmas we’ve been trying to do a photo-shoot with an ancient standing stone because in the story Claire transports back in time by placing her hands on a particular stone in a stone circle. I took the outfit to Dartmoor in the hopes of finding a suitable rock, but had no luck. So then on our trip to Dorset I did some research and found the Nine Stones stone circle on the English Heritage website. However their parking information wasn’t up-to-date and there was literally nowhere we could park in order to walk to them, so we had to give up that day. Instead, I decided to be safe, and plan a day to go to Avebury Stone Circle over the Easter weekend, and at last we had success! We actually took the photos at the avenue, leading up to the stone circle, as there were less people around. Sadly (or not) I didn’t hear any buzzing from any of the ancient stones. If you had the opportunity to go back to the eighteenth century, would you take it?
I have just had a look on the EMP website and there are still a few items in the official Outlander clothing range, so if you’re interested I’d get over there sharpish as many sizes are sold out. I’m really hoping for more items when the new Outlander series is back on our screens.
I’m so impressed with the way the designers have used the Fraser tartan and combined historical elements with modern ones. Obviously we wouldn’t be wearing skirts that length back in Bonnie Prince Charlie’s day! However if you don’t mind not being historically or televisually accurate for your Outlander cosplay, the collection is perfect for that little nod towards the real thing, that others in the know will know. We have vague plans to travel up to Scotland to visit some of the filming locations and I’m wondering if it will be too uncool to wear this outfit?! (Nah, of course not!)
Shop tartan for spring and summer:
