Outlander season 2, episode 2 promised the first proper look at the opulence that was 18th century Paris, and it did not disappoint. But it was also more than just pretty scenery on the horizon.
Outlander combines visual spectacle and dramatic substance with what it has to offer both visually and emotionally. Season 2, episode 2 was nothing short of a visual smorgasbord coupled with intrigue. The costume design and execution by Terry Dresbach is Emmy-worthy, make no mistake about it. The bar has been set; the gauntlet has been thrown.
The Dior
Oh no, Dorothy, we’re not in Kansas anymore. The grandeur of 18th century Paris bears about as much resemblance to the Scottish Highlands as modern Times Square does to Nome, Alaska. Claire and Jamie have thrown off their woolens, and embraced the equivalent of 18th century haute couture.
In our interview with Caitriona Balfe, she told us how costume designer Terry Dresbach had given nicknames to a variety of the dresses that Claire wears. This time out, viewers will get to see the one that has been dubbed “The Dior.” The dress is black and white with a complementing black hat and accentuated hips that the time-period is known for. Balfe looks like a Dresden China doll meets dainty dinner bell who someone has just plucked off a shelf to ring for tea.
Claire, who apparently can’t get out of the habit of making her own bed much to the chagrin of the servants, gets to wear this lovely, Dior day dress on an outing to meet Master Raymond (Dominique Pinon). The two-toned dress stands out among the clutter of the shop.
The enigma
Fans may quite possibly have worn out their remotes pausing to look at everything in Master Raymond’s shop. After five minutes, viewers sense that Master Raymond is far more than a local apothecary from whom Claire will purchase her healing supplies. Raymond himself, not to mention his shop, exudes a sense of mystery and intrigue. There is something mesmerizing about Pinon as he flips his speech from French to English, and with a twinkle in his eye calls Claire “Madonna.” At the same time, it’s obvious that this is not a man to be trifled with.
Dresbach’s embroidery crew must have worked overtime on decking out Raymond’s vest. It’s an artistic hodgepodge of everything from mythological beings to astrological symbols. The vest compliments the air of mystery about Raymond, and also adds a touch of foreboding as well.
The scarlet woman
The infamous red dress that fans have been dying to see in action lives up to expectations. Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Murtagh’s (Duncan Lacroix) jaws drop upon seeing Claire in the dress, and one must question whether Hueghan and Lacroix were acting. The dress positively glides and pours itself down stairs in lush opulence.
The structure of the dress should not be underestimated. It held up under three days of filming with precious few undergarments to add support. While the dress is stunning, fans should also look down at the shoes, which were made from scratch by costume designer Terry Dresbach and her team.
Dresbach told us, “I love shoes, and one of the first things I decided I wanted to do was design shoes for Caitriona. The 18th century is one of the most sexy periods of fashion. The shoes were incredible, they understood the arch of a woman’s foot in the most fabulous way. I tweaked the shoes just a tiny bit. I wanted every woman to look at them and say, ‘I want those shoes!’ We started with the red ones and those are fantastic…Cat just walked in [into the costume department shoe area] one day and went ‘Oh my God, look at the shoes! Oh I want these!’ so we actually made a second pair for her.”
The ladies of the court
As much as there is a stark visual change in Jamie and Claire’s wardrobe, the most stunning pieces are reserved for the members of the aristocracy. The two standouts in the episode are Louise de Rohan, Claire’s new friend at the French Court, and Mary Hawkins.
Dresbach mentioned to us how she dressed all the actors “from the skin out.” We got to see that with Louise during our much anticipated “wax on/wax off moment.” Louise swaps from from minty green dressing gown to dramatic floral prints.
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In contrast, there is virginal Mary Hawkins, who thinks she is naked in undergarments that came down to her knees. Mary transforms in to the beautiful English rose at the Versailles ball. The subtle blue dress compliments the shy Mary.
The royalty
Paris would not be complete without a look at royalty. We got both a glimpse at Bonnie Prince Charlie and King Louis XV. These men may have been born into privilege, but they suffer the same indignities that us mere commoners do. In Charles’ case, he has no clear income and massive ambitions, not to mention a petulant streak most commonly seen in 12-year-olds. In the king’s case, it comes down to wondering if no one had thought of prunes.
Once again Dresbach’s work is amazing. The detailing on Price Charles’ buttons and vest, which is barely seen, adds to making the whole foppish prince in exile seem even more of a shallow fool. Even more impressive, they made those buttons from scratch.
The king by contrast somehow managed to seem elegantly foolish in lush robes as he struggled to empty his bowels in front of an audience. After taking Jamie’s suggestion of porridge, he managed to be better dressed with his mistress at his side. As we stated in our recap, we don’t think we’ll ever be able to look at swans quite the same way ever again.
The dress is no anachronism. Bared breasts were not at all uncommon in the court of Louis XV. In fact, if strict historical accuracy is to be maintained, there would have been many more women dressed in what by today’s standards is considered a wardrobe malfunction. As Dresbach pointed out to Vanity Fair, if they were entirely historically accurate, viewers would have lost sight of the narrative.
Outlander airs on Starz on Saturday at 9:00.
Do you need to talk about Outlander with other fans? Don’t miss our weekly, post-show, Outlander Google Hangout called Hangoutlander. Hypable’s Laura and Kyle join the crew from That’s Normal, where we talk about the recent episode in a lively, fun, funny, and slightly irreverent way. If you missed last week’s episode, you can catch the recording here. You can sign up for this week’s episode here.