Alan Cumming Says Being a 'Fashion Icon' Comes with a 'Bit of Pressure': 'Where Do I Go From Here?' (Exclusive)

The host of 'The Traitors' tells PEOPLE that, because of his bold looks on the Peacock reality competition, now "people are expecting something" from his outfits

Alan Cumming says that when it comes to his fashion on The Traitors, the rules are: there no rules.

"I think that's exciting," says the 59-year-old host, who rocks berets, capes and lots of tartan suits on the Peacock murder mystery competition series. He describes the aesthetic to PEOPLE as “a heightened, dandy, flamboyant sort of look.”

“Each time we go into it thinking, ‘What can we do?’ There's pushing the boundaries of what we can get away with, but it's also got to be practical in that I've got to be able to stomp around Scottish Loch sites.”

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Cumming occasionally incorporates elements of the episode’s mission into his outfit. For example, in season 2, episode 2, he mirrored a scarecrow’s outfit and wore a matching straw headpiece. In episode 5, for the bird call mission he incorporated feathers into his look.

“We try and nod to what kind of the [focus] is,” the Scottish actor says. “It's about the story and the character.”

Cumming collaborates with stylist Sam Spector to come up with each standout look. For season 1, they pulled a lot from Cumming’s own closet.

“The first season was a lot of my own suits. I have a huge collection of tartan suits, it seems,” Cumming says, adding that “it doesn't feel like they're my own clothes because they were so augmented by sashes and hats and brooches and stuff. I'm really happy that I've helped bring the cape back into the fashion parlance.”

The Tony winner says he “might actually wear” a lot of his Traitors outfits in “real life,” especially the faux fur white coat from season 2’s funeral mission in episode 4.

“The funeral thing, I just thought was so fantastic and so hilarious and so nuts,” Cumming says. “At the beginning of that mission when we're stomping around with the horses and everything, I said to the producer who's in my ear, ‘Oh my God, I look like Queen Victoria.’ And he went, ‘Yes, you do.’ I thought: great, mission accomplished.”

Cumming especially loves his footwear from the show. “And they're all vegan shoes because I'm vegan,” he says.

Well before Traitors, Cumming was known for his bold red carpet and event looks.

“I've always enjoyed dressing up,” the four-time Emmy nominee says. “I think, in terms of being a man and certainly a man of my age, I definitely will wear things that other men might balk at. That's not changed.”

Cumming feels the weight of being expected to constantly dress to impress. “It's great being a fashion icon, but it's also a bit of pressure,” he quips. “Where do I go from here? Will I just be drenched in tartan capes for the rest of my life?”

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Traitors certainly upped the expectations when it comes to Cumming's style choices.

“People are expecting something because of The Traitors,” Cumming says. “So I'm trying to get a balance of looking dandy-ish or not dandy-ish, looking like I'm dressing up and making an effort, but not just looking like I've walked off the set. It's a fashion nightmare!”

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Ultimately, Cumming tries to put together both trendy and comfortable fits. “I like to wear things that are stylish and I feel good in,” he says. “I'm one of these people that think, if you've got good hair and good shoes, then the middle doesn't matter so much. That's not true, of course, but it's my motto.”

New episodes of The Traitors drop Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock.

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