Like most period series, The Great has some magnificent costumes. The 18th-century Russian court of Catherine the Great is decadently recreated through the use of voluminous skirts, large cuffed jackets, jeweled brooches, and lots of furs. Not everything is historically accurate, however (the series itself is an “occasionally a true story”), but the creative license taken with the costumes makes each main character stand out. The presence of modernity with the clothing makes each outfit both representative of the 18th century and distinctly current, and conducive to character development.
From Aunt Elizabeth’s more genderfluid outfits to Peter’s obsession with leopard, there are ways that the main characters’ personalities shine and give insight into how they express themselves. It’s perhaps not surprising that as Catherine becomes bolder in her plan to usurp the empire, her ensembles become more daring. The Great may have some beautiful outfits in it, but they’re even more impressive because they’re used to tell a great story. Huzzah!
Count Orlo’s Traveling Cloak
Orlo doesn’t always wear a lot to inspire the gravitas of his title, but he does make it count with his traveling cloak. Normally found in unassuming tweeds, he cuts quite a figure in the black garment.
Orlo tends to be far less ostentatious with his courtly livery than his peers, preferring to impress with his intellect and not his wardrobe. Still, when he wants to, he can make a statement, like when he rides with the Emperor to negotiate peace with the King of Sweden, and lets his attire declare his serious intent.
Archie’s Vestments
Normally, Archie skulks around the palace in the black cassock robes of a priest, with an ornate cross as his only adornment. Such garments would befit the humble, ascetic lifestyle choices of a holy figure, but there are occasions when the Archbishop is compelled to don his formal vestments and they’re every bit as ornate as anything royalty wears.
When Archie wears his holy raiments, he evokes the full power of the church, and it’s easy to see why his priorities lie in finding more ways to keep funneling wealth into it. Emperors come and emperors go, and it’s easy to see where Archie’s loyalties ultimately lie — to the church and his own self-preservation.
Leo’s Formal Dress
One of the more historically accurate aspects of the series involves Catherine having a lover, but Leo proves to be more than that when he becomes an invaluable confidante, loyal supporter, and mental jousting partner. Leo is often seen in the equivalent of 18th-century Russian business casual, but on the rare occasion he does dress up, as in this silvery-mint ensemble for a banquet, he outshines even the Emperor himself.
When Catherine first met Peter, she presented him with a branch from a spruce tree as a symbol of their “evergreen” love. Incidentally, Peter is almost never seen in green, while Leo wears nothing but various shades of it, indicating that he’s the person to claim Catherine’s heart.
Georgina’s Red Dress
Georgina is one of the most influential women in court thanks to being the Emperor’s mistress. Though her husband Grigor doesn’t much care for her machinations, they allow them both to maintain good standing in the Emperor’s eyes. She’s often seen wearing the latest fashion from Europe in bold colors, but one dress, in particular, represents how fashion and strategy can come together in one garment.
The red dress she wears is her most provocative and acts as a symbol of her favor as well as her passion. Red, the color most associated with love, is what she wears when she wants something to accentuate the blush of her cheeks and inspire Peter’s amorous advances. Georgina doesn’t wear clothing because it’s fashionable, but because it’s strategic.
Peter’s Morning Robe
Peter is often seen in dark colors and black leather mixed with animal pelts, which gives him a rock ‘n’ roll vibe to match his thrill-seeking personality. He’s at his heart a non-conformist, who wants to buck the tradition he feels he must swear to uphold, and this juxtaposition is no more apparent than when he dons his morning robe with exquisite gold embroidery and autumnal colors.
When he pairs it with leather pants and a string of beads, he looks like a ’70s rockstar in the vein of Mick Jagger or Steven Tyler, icons who don’t care what the establishment thinks. The presence of the morning robe turns a hated monarch into a likable character who is open to change.
Peter’s Outfit To Meet The King Of Sweden
When going to meet the King of Sweden and hopefully put an end to the Russo-Swedish war, Peter decides he must do the only sensible thing and completely upstage his peer. If he cannot win the war, he will certainly conquer the catwalk, and he does so by wearing an incredible coat made from bear fur, with a leopard pelt jacket underneath.
Only Peter would be vain enough to care more about his clothing than the peace negotiations, and his remarkable coat, which the King of Sweden finds enthralling, is much like Peter’s view on war — it’s a display of power that must be perceived to be effective regardless of whether or not it’s actually practical for Russia.
Catherine’s Menswear Inspired Outfit
Catherine sports a number of incredible gowns in the series, but the outfit that’s perhaps the most eye-catching is her menswear-inspired outfit made of separates. Instead of paneling and buttons and bows, she wears a voluminous skirt, bifurcating a wide-necked linen blouse with a thick leather belt.
While there are more historically accurate costumes in other period series, The Great shows that character development can shine through outfits like this. It helps Catherine appear more “of the people”, and every bit as confident and comfortable in her own skin as Peter. She gets to be more herself, instead of being festooned with ornamentation that limits her mobility and makes her look like another piece of palace furniture.
Peter’s Outfit On Catherine’s Birthday
Catherine’s 21st birthday is a momentous occasion, both for her and because at this point, Peter is determined to prove to her how much he loves her. Not only does he bring her Voltaire, and make her favorite cake, he dons a stunning leopard pelt coat to give one of the most moving declarations of love Catherine has ever heard.
While still ostentatious, the coat is more muted than some of Peter’s more outrageous outfits, while having enough sense of punchy personality that it doesn’t feel out of character. The coat says, “I am trying”, and in it (sans curling white wig), Peter looks every bit the regal and commanding man that he would like to be, but often falls short of.
Aunt Elizabeth’s Glam Genderfluid Ensemble
With a cloud of butterflies perpetually floating above her head, a variety of submissive followers groveling at her heels, and some of the best quotes in The Great, Aunt Elizabeth stands out among even the most eccentric people at court. By appearing just a little “mad”, she enjoys liberty among Russia’s elite that even Catherine doesn’t receive.
Her freedom extends to her clothing choices, and one of her most daring ensembles is genderfluid, with a decidedly masculine leaning, that she wears to seduce a female lover right in front of the Archbishop. By donning what would have been fashionable for some of the dandies in a European court, she communicates that the normal rules of society don’t apply to her.
Catherine’s Birthday Dress
For her 21st birthday, Catherine eschews her usual pastel-colored garments in favor of something that packs a punch. There’s nothing quite like Catherine’s bright magenta birthday dress, which she wears to not only celebrate her special day but to assassinate the Emperor herself.
By wearing something so unapologetically loud, Catherine cannot possibly be ignored, and therefore the progress of Russia cannot be dismissed. She wants Peter to know it’s her plunging the knife into his chest, and she wears a dress that will give her the courage to do so, one that combines the whimsy of her first days in court with the courage of someone willing to shake its foundation.
