Where Does Claudia Winkleman Get Her Traitors Outfits From?

2 days ago

How the TV host got her country style

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Everyone’s new favourite reality show, The Traitors, will be back for its third instalment in just a few weeks. And the bubbling excitement has us looking back at some of the series’ key moments, challenges and looks – more specifically, those worn by host Claudia Winkleman. Now the poster girl for fresh country fashion, her wardrobe has catapulted her into icon status. But where does Claudia Winkleman get her outfits from – and does she get to keep them after The Traitors? Let’s find out.

The Story Behind Claudia Winkleman’s Traitors Outfits

Claudia Winkleman sat on hay bales outdoors with scarecrow

Does Claudia Winkleman Have A Stylist?

Yes, Claudia Winkleman works with stylist Sinead McKeefry on her outfits for TV appearances – including Strictly Come Dancing and The Traitors. The pair have been working together for two decades, having met through fellow TV host Fearne Cotton. ‘It’s been a long old relationship,’ McKeefry tells C&TH. ‘It was Fearne actually who introduced me to Claudia around 18 years ago. We just clicked instantly.’

But while there’s always been some interest in Winkleman’s wardrobe, the stylist emphasises that The Traitors has been a whole new experience. ‘It’s been pretty insane, I have to say,’ she says. ‘I usually get a great response from Strictly, but people hadn’t really seen Claudia in the outdoor elements before. It was new and exciting.’

Does She Wear Her Own Clothes On The Traitors?

Keeping the above in mind, no. Claudia Winkleman’s outfits on The Traitors are curated by her stylist, who either buys, borrows or rents items to be used on the show. McKeefry creates 24 looks for each season: ‘there are 12 daytime looks, then 12 round table looks.’

And each series starts with a mood board, created by McKeefry to help refine the feel of Winkleman’s look for each iteration of The Traitors. In series 1 and 2, for example, the stylist explained how she ‘used old pictures of Amanda Harlech, some Jigsaw and Burberry campaigns from years ago. It’s also about having the right fabrics, textures, colours – and playing with them.’

From there, McKeefry builds each look from scratch, leaning into her mood board themes, practical styling and a dash of theatricality. ‘Within the game, there are the missions,’ she tells us. ‘The missions can determine whether we can be a bit more theatrical, but we often don’t know what those missions will be until we get there. So, we have to go out on a bit of a limb. Look at the Saint Laurent fringe coat, for example. And then there was the funeral challenge. That brief came very late – we had 24 hours to send a veil up to Inverness.’

Claudia Winkleman in green jumper and kilt with black tights and boots

Which Brands Does Claudia Winkleman Wear On The Traitors?

The basis for Winkleman’s wardrobe during the last two instalments of the show were British and Irish brands. ‘Purdey, Brora, Barbour, Dubarry of Ireland, Johnstons of Elgin – you know, all the heritage brands,’ says McKeefry. ‘And Claudia really naturally makes the clothes look quite cool. So, sometimes I can afford to put her in things that are a bit more traditional. She carries it. She makes it work.’

Alongside these homegrown staples, you’ll also find global-facing designer pieces – like the black fringed Saint Laurent coat, or the green Kapital jumper. These ‘twists’, as McKeefry calls them, help keep the TV host looking fresh out in the highlands.

You can read our full interview with Sinead McKeefry here, if you want to find out more about her plans for The Traitors series 3.

Do The Contestants Wear Their Own Clothes?

Yes, the contestant on The Traitors wear their own clothes throughout the show – although they’re asked to follow certain rules and colour palettes. The role of stylists on the show is very limited in this capacity – likely due to budgeting – and instead the emphasis is placed on guiding the contestants’ style choices, rather than providing an entire wardrobe.

Rikki Finlay, a stylist on the series who worked on the contestants’ wardrobes, told The Guardian that the cast are sent a style pack, which includes ‘overall visuals for the show. Mood boards of the aesthetic. We put colour palettes on there, suggested outfits.’ Then, when it comes to filming days, Finlay says ‘[her] assistant is on set and she helps them put their wardrobe together.’

But there isn’t really any major intervention. ‘It’s not really a thought-out thing,’ notes Finlay says. ‘It’s more if, on a night, there’s four of them in a mustard hoodie, that’s when we’ll step in.’