Manipulative contestants on The Traitors are using style camouflage to fly under the radar, from forgettable normcore to pearl necklaces. Paul Gorton, a 36-year-old traitor, wore unremarkable white T-shirts, smart-casual jumpers and blue jeans to project an everyman persona, despite being a business manager. Stylist Rikki Finlay, who worked on the series, says Gorton was 'quite happy to come across as the normal dad, wearing sportswear'.
Finlay, who has worked on Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor, says styling on the UK series is limited. Contestants bring their own clothes and keep individual styles within a palette influenced by the 2019 film Knives Out. 'It's not really a thought-out thing,' Finlay says, but she steps in if four contestants wear the same colour.
Traitor Harry Clark, 23, wears a subtle pearl necklace, single earring and silver rings, creating a juxtaposition with his army background. Finlay notes that 'nobody would really expect that of him'. In the US version, styling is more involved due to stars from The Real Housewives franchise, and contestants often compete with host Alan Cumming's tartan outfits.
Finlay agrees that the right outfit can give an advantage. In season one of the US version, traitor Christian de la Torre dressed as a surfer dude to hide his ex-army background. In season two, former UK speaker John Bercow wore 'hideous ties' to shape perceptions.
