‘Outlander’: Sam Heughan’s Jamie Reveals TMI About the Show’s Wardrobe
The wardrobe choices made for the set of a film or series can make all the difference when it comes to helping fans get in touch with the fictional reality crafted on the screen. It’s not just the viewers who get caught up in the fun of playing dress-up, however.
Sometimes the actors like their clothing choices so much that they end up taking them home to keep! Perhaps the most interesting wardrobes are those used for period pieces that pull from actual historical events.
This was the case for Outlander, and it turns out that the cast went fully traditional when it came to their clothing choices.
‘Outlander’ is a period drama
Period dramas are having a moment in entertainment, and Outlander is among them. Many liken the series, which features heavily on the romance between protagonists Jamie and Claire, to a soap opera.
The romance elements are definitely major threads for the show. However, it is also more complex and offers something for a broad audience. There are elements of sci-fi and definitely some tense historical action.
Claire is a married combat nurse in 1945 when she is somehow mysteriously swept back in time. She finds herself in 1743 and forced into a marriage with daring Scottish warrior Jamie.
Claire is torn between men and between realities, and the drama of her trying to figure out her love life is punctuated with the much larger drama of historical battle. Premiering in 2014 to mixed acclaim, fans definitely think that the show gets better over time. It has now been on the air for five heart-pounding seasons, and a sixth is in delayed production.
Sam Heughan plays Jamie
The Scottish warrior at the center of the drama is Jamie, and he’s played by Sam Heughan. An actual Scotsman, Heughan was born in 1980 in Galloway, Scotland.
He trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and started out with several TV roles before making the leap into films. His credits include a part in the 2018 comedy The Spy Who Dumped Me and a recurring role on the TV series Doctors.
Outlander has quickly become the series for which he is best known, and his portrayal of Jamie has boosted his reputation as a leading actor. In fact, he’s played his part so well that some fans are ready to see him cast in the iconic role of James Bond. We’ll have to stay tuned to see where Heughan lands next, but it’s clear that his star is still rising.
‘Outlander’ used realistic costumes
Heughan opened up about one detail of his time on the Outlander series that might have been too much information for some fans. Since the show is set in 1740s Scotland, kilts are heavily featured for the warrior men.
Heughan explains that, just like with the real-life versions, the men wear nothing underneath their free-flowing kilts. In fact, Heughan calls it “one of the joys of working on the show” to get to wear the comfortable (and airy) costume.
Modern Scotsmen, however, are getting this particular freedom reigned in by contemporary sensibilities surrounding hygiene and decency. Many of the companies that rent out the traditional costumes have started putting it in their policies that underwear must be worn at all times.
While they do dry clean the garments in between rentals, the thought of sharing a garment between otherwise unhindered bodies has proven distasteful. Heughan might get to enjoy letting loose for his Outlander role, but those looking to try the part out at home will have to get their own kilts.
