Claire’s Versailles dress wasn’t the only Paris item used again on Outlander

Outlander kept it real with the costumes by repurposing clothing for all the characters.

While Claire’s bat-dress has been talk of the season, everyone loved the use of the Paris costumes in Outlander season 3. After boarding the Artemis, Claire sees her old Paris clothing in the trunk, with the bright yellow dress at the top. That wasn’t the only item of clothing repurposed in the show for the governor’s ball.

Jamie’s outfit was mostly repurposed. Meanwhile, Fergus had some of Jamie’s old clothes and Marsali had one of Claire’s old Paris dresses. Repurposing the costumes was an important part of accuracy of the show.

In the past, people would have repurposed items; even items from 20 years ago. Dresses were passed down from generation to generation. Clothing was patched up as much as necessary. When it couldn’t be patched up, it would be turned into something else. Marsali wearing one of Claire’s old dresses wasn’t a dig at the young girl; a way to force Claire onto her even more. It was the realities of the time. They didn’t have the money to waste on something new.

Another great thing is they didn’t make a big thing about repurposing the dresses. Fans would have noticed if they looked closely enough (or watched the “Inside the World” featurette afterwards), but Claire never made a point of complementing Marsali in the old frock.

https://twitter.com/Podcastoutlande/status/938460397815975943

Having these small elements of real history and accuracy in the show has helped to expand the Outlander universe and connect it to reality. It’s a beautiful way to connect more with the time period and teach viewers something about 18^th century living. The detail of research to bring the show to life is beautiful and refreshing (considering the lack of costume accuracy in other shows, like Reign and The White Princess).

Next: Outlander costume designer defends Claire's wardrobe and we can't work out why it was necessary

Did you like the repurposing of the Outlander clothing? Did you notice all the elements? Share what you noticed in the comments below.

Outlander continues on Sunday at 8/7c on Starz with the season 3 finale.