It’s a period drama in London
Let’s start with one of the reasons some fans are drawn to Outlander. You like the costumes and the 18th-century setting. Well, Ripper Street has that. It’s just set a century later, coming up for the turn of the 20th century. There’s still the carriages, the lack of technology, and the absolutely beautiful costumes.
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British dramas do sometimes lack the costumes because of the budgets. The White Queen comes to mind when it comes to costumes that just aren’t on point. However, Ripper Street delivers above and beyond what you would expect. You can tell this is the start of the industrial revolution and that certainly has an effect on clothing and colors available, which is instantly seen in the first episode.
My favorite costumes are certainly MyAnna’s for Long Susan. As a madam of a brothel, you know she’s got some money for her outfits and that shows immediately. Mrs. Reid’s clothes are my next favorite, although she has fewer outfits for various reasons. In fact, it’s because she has fewer outfits that I love the costuming. Like Outlander, it’s all about repurposing the clothing, which is just right for the time period.
On top of that, you get the sets that are all created to look like those from the late 19th century, including cobbled streets inside the police station.