Let's rank all of Alan Cumming's fabulous outfits on The Traitors

We can’t really find fault with this dapper look. The only reason it’s in last place is that there were so many other outfits to choose from, and this one didn’t stand out as much as the others. Forgoing his usual bold colors and plaid patterns, Cumming opts for a more muted aesthetic here. The woven shawl in earth tones and moss-green beret add some interest to keep it from being drab or boring. The pastel shirt is also a nice touch.

This is a repeat of a tartan suit Cumming wore in an earlier episode, just with different styling. The shiny brooch, red tie, and green pocket square pick up the colors of the plaid, but the accessories don’t do much to turn up the volume. It is refreshing to see him let his hair down, though. By this point in the season, we’d already seen him in much bolder looks, so even an ensemble as sharp as this one wasn’t a jaw-dropper. That’s the problem with setting the bar so high. It’s a perfectly fine outfit that’s nicely put together, but compared to some of the others, it’s a wee bit basic.

In the second episode of The Traitors, Cumming described himself as “a less butch Agatha Christie in a fabulous outfit” while wearing this navy and green tartan suit from his own wardrobe. A lime green tie highlights his face with a pop of color, and the whole look is amplified by the addition of a matching fly plaid fastened with a jeweled brooch. We also love the stylish yet practical wellies, which he often sports during outdoor missions. A gentleman must be prepared for anything, after all.

The first time Alan Cumming ever appeared on The Traitors, he was wearing this lovely blue number, which proved only a hint of the drama to come. The extra-long scarf is a play on the traditional Scottish fly plaid, made from kilt material and usually fashioned with a brooch at the shoulder. Here, it’s accented with a circular metallic brooch at the waist and set off by a second piece pinned over the breast pocket. A sleek black turtleneck completes this introductory look.

A bright-blue beret and matching tie are the highlights of this outfit, worn during a mission at a makeshift funfair on the castle grounds. The stunning single-breasted tartan jacket in red, blue, and grey features an extra pocket and eye-catching brass buttons. We also appreciate the way he treats his signature round spectacles as accessories, swapping them out here for thicker frames to give the look a retro beatnik vibe.

After receiving rave reviews for his Scottish chic fashion sense in season one, Cumming took it up a notch in season two. In a winking acknowledgment of all that attention, he introduced the episode’s mission by standing next to an effigy of himself in a tartan suit, while wearing an avant-garde mix of plaid prints. The fringed cutoff shorts are a new twist, but we’re here for it—especially when they’re paired with platform Doc Martens. The straw crown might be a bit too much, if there is such a thing on this show.

Even a solid burgundy suit can become high fashion with a few add-ons and thoughtful accessorizing. It’s all in the details, like the jacket’s lapel, adorned with small twigs of varying lengths. A simple ascot at the neck avoids pulling focus from the real showpiece, a sumptuous shawl scarf in shades of orange and light blue fastened with a jeweled brooch we recognize from season one. It’s all topped off with yet another handsome matching beret.

This elegant gold and black brocade blazer subtly signaled to the players (and the audience) that the end of the competition, and all that prize money, was within reach. The jacket is really the star here, worn over a black turtleneck and black pants, but once again the fun is in the details. The cap is a riff on a traditional tam o’ shanter, or a Scotch bonnet, embellished with a gold pin. And if you look closely at the gloves you can see a pair of golden three-dimensional spiders decorating the wrists. Thematically, it’s right on point.

Another innovation we saw in the second season was the addition of little nods to the missions in the wardrobe choices in each episode. For example, the netting covering the sleeves and shoulder of this jacket is a cheeky reference to the snare traps that awaited the players if they gave a wrong answer to a question. Styled with thickly fringed neckwear and a woolen hat, the entire look is giving mischievous-woodland-elf vibes.

What a commanding look this is. We may have seen this tartan before (frankly, it’s hard to tell), but the styling here is impeccable. The shock of swept-up silver hair, the glasses, the heavy shawl, the sporran—that’s the official name for that little purse Scotsmen wear on the front of their kilts—it all gives an impression of total confidence and control. Cumming really seems to relish his role as host in both name and function, especially when it comes to dressing the part of the lord of the castle.

Cumming’s final look of season one was the most vivid we’d seen up to that point, a magenta and black tartan suit over a black turtleneck. There was enough flair in the suit itself that it didn’t need much embellishment beyond an artsy two-piece brooch connected by a thin silver chain and a gold pocket square. Not everyone could make it work as well as Cumming does. He seems just as at home in the tall grass on the banks of the loch as he does within the ornate interiors of his castle.

During the infamously intense distillery mission, which had the players rolling giant whisky barrels uphill over rough terrain, Cumming got to kick back with a nice glass of it in this cool suit with shades of grey, cream, and black. His lemon-yellow tie stands out in contrast against a black wrap in a darker, more subdued plaid print, secured by one of his signature brooches. That same yellow color is picked up in his watch and glasses, brilliantly tying the whole look together.

Polka dots? Yes, we have polka dots! This ensemble blends a navy blue and white polka-dot shirt and matching tie with a pinstripe grid pattern, accompanied by a red and blue plaid shawl. It shouldn’t all work together, yet somehow it does. With the blue beret and glasses, Cumming looks like he just stepped out of a 1960s Paris salon. That’s a long way from the Scottish Highlands, but far be it for us to begrudge him the jet-set look.

This charming three-piece is one of Cumming’s smartest looks in either season, even if it doesn’t incorporate any particularly Scottish elements. The mustard yellow blazer over a neutral vest harmonizes well with a pair of slim-cut navy pants and a striped tie. A flower pin and yet another pair of thick-framed glasses (he must have a pair in every color) bring out the burgundy accents in the vest. And let’s not forget the chic pocket square as a finishing touch.

While not as brightly colored as some of his other outfits, this dashing three-piece suit in head-to-toe neutral plaid is one of our faves. Enhanced by a coordinating fedora and neck scarf, it seems to embody the rugged spirit of the Scottish Highlands in the mid-20th century. The clothes still have an element of theatricality to them; it’s just that this character seems to come from a different genre—less Braveheart and more Whisky Galore!

We’re still obsessing over this punk-inspired look, which shot up near the top of our list thanks to those instantly iconic plaid opera gloves and matching kilt. It’s not always visible, but when the wind blows just right you can spot an electric blue shirt hiding underneath that loose black poncho on top. The bright shade echoes the pops of color in his socks, eyewear, and cap. It’s also a good opportunity to give a shout-out to Cumming’s season two co-host, his beloved dog Lala, who’s often dressed in coordinating outfits.

This deep green and blue plaid print with burgundy highlights is actually called the Cumming tartan, another look that came from the host’s collection. He wore it in 2009 to accept the Order of the British Empire at a royal ceremony (an honor he gave back in 2023 in protest of the British government). The matching three-piece look includes a jacket and vest over a lush burgundy velvet shirt with a bow collar. On the bottom, the coordinating kilt is topped with a studded sporran. It fits right into the setting of the episode’s mission inside a 125-year-old Scottish church.

The feathered accents on the white shirt and peacock-green cap (a bit of brand synergy, perhaps?) of this outfit were inspired by this episode’s mission, which had the players listening to recorded bird calls and trying to match the sounds to the right music box inside the castle. Cumming tends to stick with single-breasted jackets on the show, but this double-breasted one in brown and cream plaid is a commendable exception. The faux fur overcoat, worn across his shoulders, adds a note of playful sass.

Did this funereal look blow right past fashion and into the realm of camp? Maybe. Does that bother us? Not in the slightest. From the veiled beret to the flowing cape to the silver-accented cane, this audacious all-black kilted outfit is over the top in the best way. Cumming looked amazing at the head of the processional, as the players wound their way through the woods, trailed by an elegant horse-drawn carriage. We don’t even mind that there isn’t a shred of plaid to be seen in this monochrome ensemble.

Cumming returned for the second season of The Traitors dressed to kill in this sublime red velvet suit underneath a luxurious floor-length sleeveless shawl coat in red and black plaid. Look at those sparkly details on the sleeves and that giant fluffy brooch. You get the impression that he could have just stepped off a runway or the set of a magazine shoot. The message he was conveying with this outfit was unmistakable: If you thought the fashions in season one were spectacular, just wait. We can only hope he’ll take things even further in season three.