Claudia Winkleman’s Traitors Tartan Goth Style Shouldn’t Work, But It Does

YoIs my wardrobe crying out for a kilt? It’s not a question I thought I’d ask myself. But of course, I didn’t take into account the Claudia Winkleman effect. In the second episode of The traitors‘In series two, the presenter walked into the breakfast room wearing a pleated tartan skirt in shades of green and navy, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since.

In theory, Winkleman should have looked like she was dressed as a bagpiper or reminiscent of an old-school uniform. And yet, she didn’t: she looked incredible. But the host has a way of pulling off looks that maybe shouldn’t work, but definitely do. Think full bangs that graze your eyes. The thick eyeliner. The orange tan. If the rest of us tried to recreate this signature style, it would probably draw attention or direct comments about whether we’d been on vacation recently. For Winkleman, however, it is part of her unique appeal, which makes her one of the most recognizable women on British television. She even joked that her distinctive appearance helped build her career: “She used to get a job because if you didn’t remember a name, they’d say ‘That weird one with bangs,'” she said. The times last year.

The first series of The traitors debuted on BBC One in December 2022 and became an unexpected ratings hit, attracting an average audience of 5.4 million viewers per episode; Overall, it recorded 34 million viewers on BBC iPlayer. Winkleman is undoubtedly a major factor in her colossal popularity and won a Bafta for Best Entertainment Performance for her hosting role (his fourth nomination and her first win).

Yes, the backstabbing, betrayals and mind games that the contestants ended up engaging in made for addictive viewing, but so did Winkleman’s English heritage combined with the edgy panto-style villain. Dreamedup with the help of her long-time stylist, Sinead McKeefry, who studied fashion at Central Saint Martins with legendary tutor Louise Wilson and previously worked at Face magazine, Winkleman’s Traitors Her appearance reflected her new appearance as a gothic lady of the mansion. exchanging the Strictly come dance the ballroom lurking in the halls of a castle in the Scottish Highlands meant that sequins and smiles were out of place; In her place were knitwear so large that they constantly seemed on the verge of engulfing the presenter (or at least joining her famous bangs that obscured her vision to swallow her face entirely). The overall aesthetic was a clever “mix of country style and dark glamour”, with a touch of Scandi noir (that would be the jumpers) and dark academia favored by TikTok, says Jennifer Richards, a fashion academic and research tutor at the Royal College. of art.

Also on the agenda were tweed and argyle check jackets, bow blouses and Barbour jackets, complemented by an array of slightly evil fingerless gloves (all the better for rubbing your hands together in joy when it all starts at the round table). Oh, and most of these outfits also looked good with a dark green hooded cape over them, when Winkleman was communing with his “traitors” (i.e., the players tasked with eliminating their fellow contestants from the game, while pretending to be 100 percent “faithful”) in the middle of the night. Add the TV star’s signature glowing fake tan and heavy rings of eyeliner (she once said Mirror that she “feels[s] better when I’m orange” and claimed she used old tea bags and Bisto granules to get the glow when she was a cash-strapped student), and you have a look that definitely doesn’t make sense on paper. And yet, Winkleman pulled it off with aplomb every time and also made us want to dress up as the mysterious owner of a haunted country estate.

Winkleman has previously quoted the former Frenchman Fashion Editor Carine Roitfeld as a style icon. Perhaps it is not surprising, then, that “his Traitors “The wardrobe perfectly blends Parisian simplicity with the structure and substance of high country looks,” according to Krishan Parmar, a celebrity stylist who has worked with stars such as Vicky McClure, Anita Rani and Lashana Lynch. Tranquil luxury, he adds, has been a big trend over the past year (largely thanks to Succession(Kendall Roy and her obscenely priced baseball caps) “and Claudia has got this right… but instead she has adapted it to her surroundings in the Highlands.” Jennifer Richards agrees, noting the emphasis Winkleman places on “classic tailoring and timeless pieces” as he works. But while some of Winkleman’s clothes are from high-end brands like Saint Laurent, he notes, “they can be easily replicated through simple silhouettes and street models,” making them even more attractive to those of us who operate with a more limited budget. Likewise, McKeefry usually tops off these looks with accessories from major brands, which “are much more accessible pieces for anyone,” adds Richards.

The sartorial bar was pretty high for the second season, but Winkleman and McKeefry rose to the challenge. The first three episodes, which arrived on iPlayer last Wednesday and aired on consecutive nights on BBC One in prime time, have been a real treat for fans of the presenter’s idiosyncratic fashion.

Her outfits so far have run the gamut, from a £749 double-breasted coat from luxury brand Holland Cooper, previously worn by the Princess of Wales, to a pair of red leather fingerless gloves from Amazon. She’s paired light-colored knitwear with plaid trousers tucked into wellies (heritage brand Hunter is her go-to) as well as an impeccably dressed Mr Toad from The wind in the willows. (I’m guessing Winkleman wouldn’t be particularly fazed by this comparison, since she previously recapped her first season Traitors sounds like “Princess Anne meets Ronnie Corbett and Madonna when she married Guy Ritchie” (she and her co-conspirator McKeefry know the value of an eclectic reference point). And her evening looks have had “a touch of rock and roll,” like “the Dr. Martens pairing with her signature leggings and Saint Laurent blazer combos,” notes Holly Macnaghten, a celebrity stylist who has worked with people like Bridgerton the actor Regé-Jean Page and Everything I know about love star Emma Appleton. “I think it’s those slightly offbeat combinations that she and her stylist have really nailed.”

Perhaps the biggest talking point, however, was a standout outfit from episode two, when Winkleman wore a green mohair kilt from Scottish brand Brora (the one that inspired my feverish internet searches last week) with a sweater from Oversized khaki cable knit from the Japanese brand. Menswear brand Kapital, a brand that has “a quirkier approach” than its usual Traitors fee, Richards says. On each elbow was Kapital’s bright yellow smiley face logo, instead of the traditional leather patch.

It immediately seemed like a classic to me. Traitors Claudia’s look: country chic, with a fresh touch. “I love how her look this season feels totally appropriate for the location, with strong nods to Scottish heritage throughout… but they’re all given a modern twist that feels cool rather than cosplay,” Macnaghten says. Viewers were obsessed, too. Since January 3, when the episode hit iPlayer, luxury fashion site Mr Porter has seen a 98 per cent increase in searches for Kapital compared to the previous week, and sales have almost doubled too. The khaki sweater completely sold out on the site after Winkleman wore it on the show, but it’s still available in brown.

What’s Particularly Attractive About Winkleman’s Traitors The look is that, as Macnaghten points out, it never feels like a costume, and although it’s full of nods to its Scottish context, you can still feel its personality shine through as it leans into the deliberately camp feel of the show. “There’s something fun about it: the pussy bows, the smiling faces,” Parmar says. “They show that his style is serious, but it’s also about having fun.” She’s a fashion icon who doesn’t take herself too seriously; no wonder we’re 100% faithful to Winkleman’s style.