Terry Dresbach, the costume designer for Outlander seasons one through four, has truly done a remarkable job. Her costumes provide a visual aid to the storytelling and performances, while also bringing the world of 18th century Scotland to life.
While it's typically the Parisian-inspired looks from the first half of season two that get the most attention (and they are truly spectacular), the earthier, Scottish-inspired dresses from season one are equally beautiful in their own way. These dresses are something of a reflection of Claire's journey, as she goes from being an outsider to a core member of the Fraser-MacKenzie clan.
The Brown Bodice
Claire arrives at Castle Leoch at the beginning of season one in a dress that's very lovely for the 1940s. However, it is considered quite scandalous in the 1740s.
The wonderful Mrs. Fitz takes her in and gives her clothes to wear that are more appropriate for women of the time. Much of this consists of laced bodices and thick plaid wooled skirts, like the ensemble pictured here. She wears this to bring Jamie lunch at the stables the day after her arrival.
The Blue and Brown Look
Claire's dressed in this brown skirt and blue top (complete with white scarf) when she's brought to the Duke of Sandringham's home.
She volunteers to be taken prisoner so that the men of Lallybroch can get away from the British safely, and the redcoats bring her to the Duke, not knowing that the two have something of a history. The dark blue looks lovely on Caitriona, and the brown is fitting with the early colors Claire is usually dressed in.
The Blue Cardigan Look
This look is similar to the last, save for the bodice being a lighter shade of blue, and the tartan skirt containing the Fraser clan colors. Claire wears this ensemble while encamped with the Jacobite army in "Je Suis Prest," which sees the Fraser-MacKenzie clan preparing for battle against the Redcoats.
The episode also explores Claire's trauma from the Second World War, where the viewers see her having flashbacks to the times she served as a combat nurse on the frontlines.
The Brown and Blue Riding Ensemble
No one wears a wrap quite like Claire. Her homespun shawls have become a signature of her character, providing both style and functionality. This particular wrap is even more subdued than the ones she often wears.
She also wears it over a dark blue top and a brown dress, while riding into Prince Charles' camp. She and Jamie spend the majority of the episode training the troops before taking them to join the rest of the army, after which the war will truly begin.
The Grey Wrap Over Blue And Tartan Skirt
This wrap is perhaps one of Claire's best, grey lined with black, and a darker shade of something blue-green-grey. Here, she pairs it with her blue top and a tartan skirt, complete with arm warmers (another signature of hers).
This is what she's wearing while she's treating Alex Randall, the younger brother of Black Jack and the fiancé of Mary Hawkins, the friend Claire made in Paris.
The Grey Wrap Over Dark Green Tartan
The beautiful shawl is back, worn over a dark green tartan dress. This is the first thing viewers see Claire in after she, Jamie, Murtagh, and Fergus arrive back from Paris.
It's significant that fans see her in this as she wore the dress when she was first welcomed as the Lady of Lallybroch, so it's like she is reclaiming the title once more in her return. Her hair is pulled simply back, and very much in her element back in Scotland.
The Belted Tartan Wrap
While it does appear like Claire is wearing a long-length tartan outfit, the way it's wrapped artfully, and belted snugly about the waist, makes a statement. This is an outfit she often sports for travel, and it looks incredible. Jamie, Claire, Scotland, tartan-colored outfits, horses, and the rolling hills of green are staples of the first few seasons of the series.
The Light Brown Dress
Technically, this dress isn't worn in Scotland. However, this is what Claire dons for their journey from Scotland to France in the season two premiere, where they attempt to avoid the price on Jamie's head and working covertly against Prince Charles Stuart to prevent the Jacobite Rising.
This is the last time fans see Claire in tones of green and brown for a while, as her time in Paris has her trading out earthy hues and fabrics for brighter colors and smoother textures to fit in with the upper class Parisian women.
The Fur-Lined Coat
This riding coat was so iconic that it was later brought back in season four. When Brianna travels through the stones and arrives in Lallybroch, her uncle Ian gives her some of her mother's old clothes for her journey to America.
Claire originally wore this to embark on her journey to collect the Mackenzie rents with Dougal and his men. She, and later her daughter, look gorgeous in what would have been a rather simple coat without the white fur.
The Wedding Dress
Claire's wedding dress is not only the most beautiful item she wears while living in Scotland, but perhaps also the most gorgeous thing she (or anyone, for that matter), wears in the series. When Claire and Jamie's marriage is arranged by Dougal, Jamie is already in love and feels guilty for marrying Claire, knowing that she doesn't quite feel the same.
He makes the day as special as possible for her, and sends Ned Gowan off to find her a proper dress to be wed in. Of seeing her in the dress for the first time, Jamie says "It was as though I'd stepped outside on a cloudy day, and suddenly the sun came out." and fans can easily see why he was memorized by the dress. The neckline and embroidery are lovely, and the combination of fabrics suggests delicacy while maintaining the sort of "sturdy" look that much of Claire's Scottish ensembles have.