This is where I started with the Outlander Cosplay, and here’s the first iteration of the costume. I had the main elements, but it was missing accessories.

My goal here was inspiration, not an exact replica. I wanted to take the show’s Season One costume(s) and add some historically accurate accessories and see what happened. After I finished the bodice and skirt (along with all the stuff that goes under those clothes to create the right silhouette), I plugged through hand sewn neckerchiefs (I only technically needed one, but I’m hoping to costume with a friend or daughter at some point, so I made two), an apron, and a cap from the American Duchess Guide book.

I followed the instructions exactly for the neckerchiefs and the apron, but went a little off-script with the cap after my first version was … not what I was hoping for. I set aside the first draft of the cap, and started on a larger one, theorizing that my mistake had been in pattern drafting. I slashed and spread the pattern to give me a little more coverage, and ended up with an enormous Grandma cap. Martha Washington, is that you?There is a LOT of hand sewing to achieve the ruffle on an 18th century cap. Realizing my second cap was also a no-go was pretty demoralizing. Eventually, I removed the ruffle from the second cap and made two quarter-inch pin tucks in the too-large cap brim. I figured out that the problem with my first cap wasn’t scale, but that the ruffle was too long and too tightly gathered, and so I removed that ruffle, too. I loosened and shortened the ruffle, and ended up with one cap I love (pin tucks), and one I don’t hate (small ruffle, which will show up in another post soon). I’m calling it a win.

Almost all of my favorite details in the costume are ones no one else will ever see. I made two pockets out of scraps of shot cotton and batiks I had on hand. They’re hand sewn with white linen thread and have embroidered details.I made the pockets while we were in Tobago, so they bring back good memories. I like them so much I’ve worn them with modern clothes that didn’t have pockets.My most recent addition to the costume is another detail you’ll never see: a hussif, or 18th century sewing kit. I’ve seen a lot of these kits popping up lately, after a super helpful video about how to make them was published during CoCoVid, the online version of Costume College. There are so many ways to customize these little sewing kits (I am calling this a sewing kit because I despise the name hussif  – “housewife” – and all it implies, and a hussif is a gender neutral item, as Civil War soldiers carried them for uniform repair).I appreciated the straightforward presentation in the video by Willoughby and Rose. I didn’t get bogged down trying to figure out making a miniature pincushion or a special holder for my thread snips, I just made something small and beautiful with little pockets for taking sewing supplies on the road. The pink rectangle of wool is for pins, which I might have to rethink since I lost a needle while getting these photos.I’ve already got plans for adding a couple of functional, customized details to my sewing kit, but I’m going to leave it as is for now until I decide what exactly I want to keep in it. As my projects change, the items I want to have with me for each one change, so I didn’t want it to be too specific.

I’d still like to add a pin ball, which hangs from a cord at the waist, and an 18th century jacket to the ensemble. I also have a bergère hat waiting to be trimmed.

The pin ball is another historically accurate accessory, and the jacket is because I especially liked the navy blue jacket Claire wears in Season One with the detached sleeves. I want to know more about the historical accuracy of detached sleeves in the 1740’s (I don’t think they were doing it anymore at that point) but I may just make it anyway, because it’s hot. I made a 1740’s style shift for the costume, which has baggy sleeves. I like the look of the slimmer sleeves on my other shift better. They fit with the look of the costumes from the show. I’m still conflicted at times about whether I’m aiming for historical accuracy, imagining Claire from the book, or trying to capture the look from the show.

The other thing this outfit is missing is a basket for collecting herbs. I’ll have to find some 18th century paintings to find out what type of basket to look for. If I were really an overachiever, I would take all the grape vines growing in my backyard and MAKE a basket. (My hands hurt just thinking about that, but never say never.)

I tried one other version of this costume, with a print neckerchief used as a 1940’s style headwrap. It’s a way to give a nod to both of the time periods Claire lived in.When I look at these photos, I think, there’s so much white! The shift, the neckerchief, the cap, the apron! But it also represents so much work and growth. The smiles in these photos aren’t fake. I was really digging dressing up even though I do feel sheepish when my neighbors come out while we’re getting photos. While many of the details I talked about here are invisible in the final photos, but they were a big part of the process and were an opportunity to let my creativity express itself. You can bet I will keep tweaking this look. I’ll also be looking for an opportunity to wear it somewhere other than my backyard.