InStyle USA - 11.2019

166 InSTYLE NOVEMBER 2019

Let it be known that Caitriona Balfe doesn’t take a red

carpet lightly. Case in point: the 2019 Golden Globes, where,

among a sea of standard fishtail gowns, Balfe—a four-time

nominee for best actress in a TV drama for her role as Claire

Fraser in Outlander—turned up in a strapless custom

Moschino frock that featured a voluminous burgundy

velvet tulip skirt. A less confident woman wouldn’t neces-

sarily opt for a silhouette that balloons at the hips, but Balfe,

40, isn’t afraid of Fashion (with a capital F). “That was

probably the most polarizing thing I’ve worn,” she says with

a laugh. “But it was different, and I loved it. I always say if I

love it, then I’m happy. It doesn’t have to be for everyone

else. Some of what I wear is crazy, but it’s good crazy. And if

my mom hates it, then I’ve probably done the right thing!”

It wasn’t always this way. High fashion didn’t really enter

Balfe’s consciousness until 1999, when she was approached

to become a model while studying drama in her hometown

of Dublin. She spent the next 10 years hitting the catwalk

for such houses as Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, and Marc

Jacobs before moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting

career. Going from runway darling to Holly wood ingénue

was an adjustment fashionwise. “When you first start, the

availability of what you get offered [to wear for big events]

is different—you’re just grateful that somebody’s lending

you a dress,” she says. “I was fortunate to have had prior

relationships with many designers and to get the opportu-

nity to work with them again in a different way.”

Now, with Outlander going into its fifth season on Starz

and a major role in the upcoming blockbuster Ford v.

Ferrari, out in November (she plays Mollie Miles, the wife of

legendary 1960s race-car driver Ken Miles, por-

trayed by Christian Bale), Balfe has even more

opportunities to show off her fashion prowess,

although comfort is essential. “I’m never going

to do a 20-foot train because I need to be able

to get from point A to B and go to the bathroom

by myself,” says the actress, who works with

stylist Karla Welch to prepare for the red carpet. “Plus,

there’s no point in walking out the door in something that

doesn’t make you feel great. If you don’t wear something

with confidence, it doesn’t matter how it looks.”

Indulging Balfe’s madcap fashion whims was part of

the joy of this shoot. Her favorite looks? The Miu Miu

shorts-and-jacket combo (“I could wear that every day”),

the Ferragamo jumpsuit (“I was like, ‘I can steal this,

right?’ ”), and the very scrunchy pink shawl by Moschino

Couture. “I love when you can really play with clothes and

enjoy them,” she says.

Balfe’s zesty outlook extends beyond her wardrobe.

“I couldn’t be happier with where I’m at, the people in my

life, and the things going on in my career,” she says. “It’s

been a hectic but good year. I hope it isn’t my best one,

though. Because that would really be shit!” n

L

“Some of what I

wear is crazy, but it’s

good crazy. And if

my mom hates it, then

I’ve probably done

the right thing!”