AbbyShot Blog

As a woman that has worked on a farm, I know the importance of having movement and the women in Outlander are no different. The toil on the farm required one not to be bound by their clothes. Yes, I know there is the corset issue but that was the 1740s solution to breast support. The skirt design of the time period was full enough to allow a woman to ride a horse without clothing restrictions. On the other hand though, the jacket that was commonly worn over the corset could be tight and I am speaking from experience. This snugness was a necessity due to the fact that typically the only closure was a lacing up the front, which made the jacket adjustable to many different sizes along with holding the stomacher in place. While not much could be done about this restrictive nature of the jacket around the corset, the sleeves were another matter.

Would I go? Would I intentionally step through the stones? And if I did, among other major considerations, what would I wear?

Admittedly Claire Randall’s first time-traveling portal jump back to the 18th Century was a total accident so she had no time for introspection or suitcase packing. Having fallen through time wearing a knee length dress and brogues Claire was spectacularly under-dressed and under-prepared for everything about the strange world she found herself in.

The kilt has once again become a popular clothing item thanks to the STARZ show and Outlander book series. What a lot of people do not realize is the fact that there is an interesting history behind this Scottish clothing staple.

Its Autumn, which means the very welcome return of “Outlander” to my TV screen and a sudden preponderance of warming knitwear, tweeds, and tartans in shop windows. A happy coincidence I’m sure. Just as the temperature starts to drop and I’m thinking about layering up and nestling in over-sized cardigans there’s an abundance of woolens, shawls, cardigans, and jumpers available for purchase – hurrah!

While Claire in her 1940s life used laundry soap and a basic washing machine, her time traveling life did not have such a luxury. Instead, wash day consisted of lots of drinks, hand washing, and urine production.