The Traitors Style: Chunky Knits, Tartan & Statement Coats

The Traitors is back on our screens this October and, obviously, we want to know who the Traitors are.

But we also want to talk about the clothes.

Because few television programmes make getting dressed for cold weather look quite as good as The Traitors. Think enormous knits, tartan and checks, mini skirts with boots, statement trousers and the sort of coat that deserves an entrance of its own.

It also happens to look remarkably similar to the trend we've bought into more than any other for Autumn/Winter 2026 at Dotique: Highland Romance.

So, if you love The Traitors outfits but don't actually have a Scottish castle to dress for, these are the pieces we're taking inspiration from this autumn – plus the Dotique outfits we'd choose for breakfast, a mission and, of course, the Round Table.

If there is one piece that instantly gives an outfit that Highlands-in-autumn feeling, it's a really good chunky knit.

This season we're wearing knitwear bigger and a little more relaxed. Think oversized cardigans, chunky stitches, Fair Isle-inspired patterns, roll necks and substantial jumpers rather than anything too neat.

It's also all about the proportions.

One of our favourite AW26 combinations is a big knit with a shorter skirt, tights and boots. The oversized top half stops a mini skirt feeling too dressy and makes the whole outfit much easier to wear.

Noella has been particularly good for this at Dotique this season, while Tiny Big Sister has brought a much more playful countryside feel to knitwear. There are also brilliant pieces from Part Two, American Vintage, Barbour and HV Society if you want something you'll wear long after the final episode.

If you're not a skirt person, this might be the easiest way into The Traitors look.

Tartan, checks, corduroy, coated finishes and deep autumn colours all give trousers much more personality – while still being incredibly easy to wear with a simple knit.

Our tartan Robell trousers immediately spring to mind. We've bought them in both green and burgundy for AW26 and they're exactly the sort of piece that can make a plain jumper and boots suddenly feel like an outfit.

We've also got beautiful cords, chocolate browns and coated trousers across the collection.

The trick is not to compete with them. If your trousers are doing something interesting, let them.

Add a cream, navy or burgundy knit, boots and a great coat and you're done.

There are coats.

And then there are coats that make you hope somebody asks you to dramatically walk across the grounds of a Scottish castle.

The latter is what we're interested in here.

A brilliant coat is probably the easiest part of The Traitors style to steal because you don't need to change anything else you're wearing.

Put a tartan, checked, beautifully cut or slightly dramatic coat over jeans and a jumper and suddenly the whole outfit works.

For AW26 we've bought outerwear particularly strongly. There are heritage-inspired pieces from Barbour, fabulous checks from Joules and Nobody's Child, beautifully tailored coats and some much bolder options from brands including Vilagallo.

This is one area where we'd encourage you to have a little fun. Your winter coat is going to be seen more than almost anything else in your wardrobe over the next few months. It doesn't have to disappear into the background.

Right. We've covered the sensible bit.

Now for the important question.

If we actually got the call to go to the castle, what would we wear?

You’ve made it through the night. First priority: coffee. Second: working out who looks suspiciously pleased to still be there.

For breakfast, we’re going full Highland Romance with the Tiny Big Sister Geese Sweater and Robell green tartan trousers. The mix of argyle, geese and heritage check shouldn’t work this well together – but it really does.

Finished with brown boots, it’s cosy, slightly quirky and exactly the sort of outfit we’d want to be wearing while quietly analysing everyone around the breakfast table.

Time to leave the castle.

For a mission, we’re keeping things practical without giving up on the outfit: a Barbour wax jacket, white ruffle-neck Barbour blouse and our bestselling MAC Dream jeans, finished with brown boots.

The blouse peeking out at the collar and cuffs makes the classic Barbour-and-jeans combination feel a little more special, while everything else is ready for whatever questionable outdoor activity comes next.

Warm, practical and considerably more prepared than we’d be for the actual mission.

This is the moment to lean into the drama.

We’ve paired a cream Fair Isle cape knit with a heritage check pleated mini skirt, sheer tights and knee-high brown boots. The oversized cape shape against the shorter skirt is exactly the proportion we’re loving this autumn – and feels suitably dramatic for an evening around the Round Table.

Cosy, polished and ready to defend yourself against an entire room of accusations.

If there’s ever a moment for a little drama, this is it.

We’ve paired a chocolate faux-leather shirt dress with a taupe faux-fur jacket and knee-high boots. Tonal, textured and just dramatic enough without feeling like fancy dress.

The belted dress gives the look its shape, while the oversized faux fur adds that slightly glamorous, slightly mysterious finish.

Perfect for quietly disappearing down a castle corridor without raising any suspicion whatsoever.

There’s a reason we’re particularly obsessed with The Traitors wardrobe this year. Big knits, heritage checks, shorter skirts, rich browns, tartan and brilliant outerwear are all at the heart of one of our biggest trends for AW26: Highland Romance.

It’s not about dressing as though you’re actually heading to a Scottish castle. It’s taking those traditional countryside pieces and wearing them in a way that feels current – an oversized knit with a mini skirt, tartan trousers with something unexpected, or a fabulous coat over an otherwise simple outfit.

And you don’t need the whole look. Start with one piece you love and wear it your way.