Claudia Winkleman’s stylist on the star’s impeccable Traitors style and the brands she’s faithful to

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For the first season of The Traitors, Claudia Winkleman’s stylist, Sinead McKeefry, was asked to create twelve outfits – one for each episode – and had only four weeks to do it.

Looking back, we were all just figuring things out as we went! We were experimenting with the show’s format, and honestly, some of the ideas were wild – like someone suggesting Claud have a parrot on her shoulder! She’s game for anything, but I pushed back a little, feeling it would veer into overly silly territory. I just think there’s already so much genuine beauty in the world, and I wanted to focus on that.

The London-based stylist first met Claudia Winkleman through Fearne Cotton, who they were working with on a photoshoot. They’ve been collaborating ever since, for nearly two decades.

When it came to ‘Strictly,’ we aimed for glamorous, but with a cool, masculine feel – very chic and simple. But ‘The Piano’ really shows who Claudia is at heart. That’s how she’d naturally dress, just a bit more put-together – she’s a big fan of a comfy Uniqlo jumper, so we definitely incorporated that! With ‘The Traitors,’ though, we get to be much bolder, more fashion-forward and really let our creativity shine.

In the first series, her designs emphasized interesting textures and patterns. Moving away from flashy or exaggerated looks, she chose classic, high-end country brands like Barbour, Brora, Dubarry of Ireland, and Johnstons of Elgin to create a stylish but understated look that complemented the beautiful setting of Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands – a location where ‘anything would look amazing’. It was at Ardross Castle that 22 contestants competed for a prize of up to £120,000, with the ‘Faithful’ players trying to identify and eliminate the ‘Traitors’.

Now in its fourth season, the show needs 36 different outfits for Claudia Winkleman – three for each episode – to cover the various segments like the breakfast scene, the main challenge, and the round table discussions. Preparing these outfits takes three months, and the team always creates plenty of backups, including weather-proof options, to be ready for anything. As McKeefry explains, the process is similar to getting ready for a fashion show, requiring careful organization and transportation of everything from London to each filming location.

McKeefry, age 51 and a knitwear specialist with a Master’s degree from Central Saint Martins, doesn’t go to Scotland himself. Instead, Catherine Moran and her team manage the wardrobe there.

Every outfit is photographed on Claudia Winkleman and also laid out flat with instructions on how to style it. Then, everything is sent out in a van. The journey is so long that the driver needs to stay overnight, so I jokingly warned them, ‘You’re staying with the clothes, right? I don’t want to leave them unattended!’

She’s just kidding, but Claudia Winkleman’s distinctive style – think tweed jackets, capes, gloves, boots, cozy sweaters, skirts, tights, and big coats – has become instantly recognizable and is a major reason people watch the show.

The first episode of the fourth series was the show’s most popular yet, attracting 6.9 million viewers at its peak. It began with recognizable visuals: Tess Daly, dressed in her signature black coat, and a close-up of her red leather gloves.

McKeefry recalls that Claudia has always loved wearing wrist warmers. After finishing Strictly Come Dancing one year, Claudia gifted wrist warmers from Johnstons of Elgin to the hair, makeup, and costume teams, including McKeefry.

Adding fingerless gloves to the costumes for The Traitors was simple enough, but the producers specifically wanted bright red gloves for the ‘murder’ scenes, and I wasn’t thrilled with that idea at first. Red definitely doesn’t fit with the dark, muted color palette I usually prefer – red and black together feels a bit dated. I ended up finding a few options on Amazon, and these thinner, fingerless ones were the best compromise.

Winkleman has developed a tradition of wearing a specific outfit whenever a player is eliminated by the Traitors. She’s grown fond of the red gloves, calling the choice a clever one. While the cape wasn’t initially meant to be part of the murders, it became a memorable element after being featured in one elimination.

McKeefry’s mood board features a collection of inspirational images, including photos of Amanda Harlech, references to Chanel, and fashion editorials he’s admired—particularly those shot outdoors by photographers like Juergen Teller and Corinne Day. He also draws on memories of inspiring exhibitions and a personal archive of imagery built up since his student days, like Alexander McQueen’s fashion shows.

With the return of The Traitors, interest in Claudia Winkleman’s fashion choices has surged online. Data from November 2025, analyzed by search agency Deviation, shows a 900% increase in searches for “Claudia Winkleman clothes style” compared to the year before. Searches for “Claudia Winkleman Traitors outfits” also rose by 50%.

Google searches for Winkleman have reached a five-year high. People are especially interested in incorporating items like tartan trousers, knee-high boots, lace shirts, tartan skirts, and kilts into their outfits.

Many of the clothes Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) wears on the show quickly become popular and sell out, as fans try to recreate her dark, gothic style. After each episode, some of these items are saved for the show’s collection, a few are loaned out for displays, but the majority are sold at auction to raise money for various charities.

McKeefry also makes an effort to champion up-and-coming and independent brands. She’s been thrilled to watch these brands gain recognition, especially when something they’ve created appears on the show The Traitors.

Lauren Aston Designs, a business based in Devon, experienced a significant boost thanks to Claudia Winkleman. When Winkleman wore one of their forest green knitted jumpers on series 3 of a show, it led to hundreds of orders – so much so that Aston affectionately called it the “Claudia effect.”

It’s hard to ignore the influence of Claudia’s style on fashion today, even for designers like McKeefry. She jokingly points out how similar current trends are to Claudia’s, saying she notices it everywhere, even in stores like Zara. It’s a look that’s clearly having a major moment and staying true to its original inspiration.

Here, McKeefry uncloaks her favourite outfits of Winkleman’s from every series…

Series 1

I remember one of the very first times we tried things on. He was wearing a beautiful blazer and a fine merino knit from Johnstons of Elgin, paired with a shirt from Reiss. It all happened so fast! He needed jodhpurs, so he just quickly looked on Amazon to see what was available. It’s funny, it started as a relaxed breakfast outfit and quickly transformed into something ready for a real mission!

The production team called and said the breakfast set wouldn’t fit the vibe of the ’round table’ set – it was supposed to be a darker, more glamorous evening scene. Fortunately, the camera only shows Claudia from the waist up in that scene, which helped us out a bit.

Series 2

Nadine Rose of Rose & Wül, based in Nottingham, creates large, hand-knitted blankets. Claudia recommended her to me after buying some, and I reached out via Instagram to order a couple of scarves. The sweater is from Mr Mittens, a brand originally from Belgium and Australia – I especially love the design of the sleeves, they’re fantastic, says McKeefry.

As a reviewer, one of my favorite things is discovering smaller brands that genuinely feel like a good fit for what I cover. And when I came across this knitwear, I was immediately impressed. It’s a true craft, you know? You can tell it can’t be whipped up quickly, which explains the price – especially when they’re using luxurious materials like cashmere. These pieces clearly take hours and hours of skilled work, and it really shows.

Series 3

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After Claudia Winkleman wore this Fair Isle lambswool jumper from the Scottish brand Brora on television, it quickly sold out, as did all the other colors available. Brora’s McKeefry admits they’re starting to anticipate this kind of reaction. “It definitely is getting that way now,” she says.

The kilt is from Le Kilt, a brand she’s long admired. The founder, Sam McCoach, personally handles all of the brand’s photography, and I’m inspired by the beautiful images they share on Instagram. Because it’s a small team – Sam’s partner even delivers items to the office – they create a really authentic feel.

Series 4

McKeefry often chooses Le Kilt for their kilts, appreciating the brand’s beautiful designs and high-quality fabrics with a cool, edgy style. She recently paired a Le Kilt kilt with a hand-knitted vest from independent company Hambro & Miller, a brand she discovered last year. McKeefry enjoys supporting small businesses and highlights the excellent craftsmanship of both Le Kilt and Hambro & Miller.

Series 1 – The Celebrity Traitors

McKeefry expected most celebrities to wear classic patterns like plaids, tartans, tweeds, and knits. She specifically wanted Claudia’s look to be a bit darker and more romantic, so she would stand out from the crowd.

We spotted those Givenchy boots while we were shopping, and they were gone almost instantly. Claud wears a size six, so I told the salesperson we’d take any size between a four and an eight. Boots like that are so striking – the way they’re made, their shape, and how substantial they feel. They perfectly capture the aesthetic I’m going for.

The stylish poncho, nicknamed the ‘murder cape’, is made by Luxury Family Affair. Tilla Lindig, the designer, creates these and customizes them for us, adding the word “Celebrities” to the back.

You can continue watching the fourth series of The Traitors on Wednesday, January 14th at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. All previous series, including The Celebrity Traitors, are currently available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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Authors

Laura RutkowskiCommissioning Editor

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2026-01-12 14:37